Page 53 of The Pirate Queen of Ruin
Finally, when she turns to leave, she sees me. It says something, not only about the overindulgence of mind-altering substances, but of this woman that she is so wildly unaware of her surroundings. I can’t remember a time in my life when there wasn’t a level of vigilance I kept. Even as a child, I remember my mother taking me aside and telling me to always be wary of strange folk, be they gods or enemies.
Now this unknowing woman is about to meet the one true god.
She scowls at me as I cross my arms over my chest. Purposefully, I look her up and down. She wears chunky high heels, the kind that has recently come back into style, a skimpy skirt number with a matching top, and her blonde hair is loose. She’s got her phone on some sort of corded leash draped over one shoulder. But that is it. She’s nearly identical to the two women who left before her, yet I see ugliness in her that I didn’t see in the others.
Her outfit is so tight, I know there can’t be a hidden weapon on her.
“Move, bitch.”
I don’t respond to her. I simply look over her shoulder where Delphini rests with a hip against the sink. She is inspecting her cuticles as if she has all the time in the world. Everything about her paints a beautiful and calm picture, not at all one of rage or murder.
“Audrey Paine.”
The words are barely out of Delphini’s mouth and Audrey is scrambling to get past me. I throw my arm out and catch her around the waist. Curses leave her mouth like they are racing to a finish line, but I ignore them and the chill. I drag her to the far wall, away from the one visible weapon in the room and wait for Delphini’s next move.
“You are supposed to be dead,” Audrey whimpers. “We watched you go down. You sank like a fat fucking rock.”
My hand is around her throat before I can think to stop myself. “You do not speak to her in that regard again.”
“Captain.” Delphini’s voice when she calls my title now is dripping with sin and I want nothing more than to be done with this hunt so I may roll around in her warmth for all time. My whole body shivers and I feel the tentacles under my skin pulse with our combined excitement.
Audrey lets out crocodile tears as she nods to what I have said, even as my hand moves to the base of her throat so my palm can rest on her chest.
“Do I look dead?” Delphini asks. “I feel very much alive, but you wanted me to feel something else, didn’t you? What was it you said? My memory of that night is a bit hazy.”
She starts blubbering louder, and snot trickles down over her lips. If it touches me, I may have to kill her myself.
“Please, I’m sorry. I’m sorry. Miles said-he said-said that it would be easy money.”
“Murder is easy money to you, Paine?” I can’t keep my mouth shut, and I don’t care. She hurt my human for money?
“Yes-no, no, it wasn’t easy. She weighs a fuck ton,” she slurs.
Before, when Delphini wasn’t in my life, I wasn’t an impulsive person. Now? Now, I can’t even form a full thought before my body reacts. I slam my fist into this rich piece of shit’s face and she crumbles to the floor, passed out.
Chapter nineteen
Delphini
13 Days
Holyshit,thatwashot.
Everything about her is hot in those fucking pants, but watching her punch Audrey’s lights out? That is something I will stow away in my head to daydream about endlessly until I die. But now we have a new problem on our hands.
“For fucks sake, now we have to carry her.”
Orthia, with blood on her fist, gives me a look that I would call patronising on anyone else, and maybe she is trying to be like that with me. This is an unplanned outing and probably against captain’s orders. I can already hear the girls whispering about how the captain is going to put me back on dish duty.
But I was tired of sitting around on the ship, hiding away in our void. My revenge is on my timeline, and each day I don’t track them down, the more they will think they are better than me. I don’t want them to believe they beat me.
“We don’t have time for sass. Grab my knife from the door. We are taking this to the alley.” Orthia drapes Audrey’s arm over her shoulder and wraps her around her.
“Oh, are you just going to drag an unconscious woman through a club?”
“Yes, we are. What were you planning on doing?”
I reach up and take the short, bladed dagger from the door frame. The golden handle is longer than the steel. It looks ridiculous, but knowing Orthia, this thing will be sharp as fuck.
