Page 17 of Crossbones
I give him a half smile. “It’s a date.”
There’s the jaw tick again, which only serves to widen my smile. After another stare down that feels like it lasts forever, he abruptly turns and leaves. Unfortunately, the Viking doesn’t. He punches me in my ribs, then the jaw and I hum in irritation. He grabs my shirt and hauls me up in his face. I meet his stare, full of vitriol and contempt. His lips curl in a snarl.
“If I had it my way, I’d kill you,” he says in a low voice.
“Then I’m really glad the Captain has you under control,” I scoff sarcastically.
The man shoves me away from him. “Your kind has already done enough damage—” He shakes his head as I fall back onto my ass. He leaves, muttering to himself.
De’Vero scum.That’s the only thing I catch before the hatch slams shut behind him.
Thing is, I don’t disagree with him.
Unfortunately, I can’t tellhimthat.
JAMES
TWO DAYS LATER
Dimples. The man has fucking dimples.
I pour myself a finger of rum, down it, and immediately pour another and down that too because why thefuckam I fixated on Fox’s dimples? Why am I fixating on the man at all? I lean heavily over my desk, staring into the glass of rum like it holds all the answers when I know it absolutely doesnot. There’s something about Fox that’s instantly irritating and alluring all at once. I’ve never met a man who isn’t at least a little bit scared of me. That alone is a new experience.
I’m pouring my fourth shot when Harrison barges in. He opens his mouth to say whatever it is he came in to say, but changes his mind when he sees me drinking.
“You good, Captain?” He tilts his head as he looks at the bottle, then to the glass in my hand and back again. I usually reserve heavy drinking for when we’re on land so I know why he’s looking at me like that. This is the second timetodayhe’s found me in my cabin with a rum in hand.
I swirl the glass, not bothering to answer him.
I’mfine. The De’Vero on board is just messing with my head.
They’re all supposed to fear me—why doesn’t this one?
It’s two weeks to Carmine, if the weather holds. I’m sure I can break him before then. The man told me virtually nothing and what he has told me is contradictory and makes little sense. I’ve never heard of a De’Vero noble captaining his own ship and I certainly have neverheard of one sightseeing in Verdun. Then there’s the fact he flies the Black—like he’s a fucking pirate—but that can’t be right either and if it is, it throws everything else into question and poses an even bigger one.
Why is a De’Vero noble playing pirate?
God my head hurts from all the circles it’s doing. Or maybe it’s just the rum. But yeah—I’mfine.
I glare up at Harrison. “Has he said anything?”
“He didn’t talk much today.”
It’s been two days since we’ve taken the De’Vero hostage and I have yet to go down to see him again. Instead, I’ve been drinking—heavily—and hoping Harrison can get something useful out of him. Preferably before we get to Carmine so I have more than a vague message to send to De’Vero about my hostage.
“You should let me do more than just rough him up,” Harrison insists when I don’t say anything.
I top my glass off. “We can’t risk the loss of value.”
Harrison looks me over again and rubs his jaw thoughtfully.
“He asked if you’re avoiding him—” he pauses. “I’m starting to think he might be right.”
Maybe I am.The way he didn’t act like a normal noble when he was dragged on deck—it’d been unnerving—even more so the more I stew over it. I suppose he could be an exiled lord from a house like Draevorn but there isn’t anything soft about him. If he didn’t have the five star tattoo, I wouldn’t have thought him a man of pedigree at all. Even after two days there are no pleas for his life, no begging, no evidence of fear— Harrison is still looking at me expectantly but when it’s obvious I’m not going to be forthcoming, he sighs.
“Well, you’re going to have to stop drowning yourself in rum,” he says. “That’s what I came to tell you—he’ll only speak to you now. And since I can’t cut off any fingers, I don’t have much leverage.”
My attention flickers up to him and he shakes his head. “He just laughs when I hit him—it’s getting a little old.”
