Page 24 of Queen of Whispers and Mist

“You can go,” Shadow snapped, eyes flashing with green fire.

“Darling, it’s my ship. I’ll stand where I damn well please. No one gives orders here except me.” The captain’s voice was cold thunder, and Ronan would have sworn the gentle dips of the hull cutting through the waves grew more pronounced.

“I find it hard to believe the personal affairs of two passengers ranks all that highly on the list of things that you should give a single fuck about.”

Mother’s tits.If he didn’t come up with a way to defuse this, they were likely to come to blows. That wouldn’t be good for anyone. Least of all Calypso. The captain was clearly a woman familiar with getting her hands dirty, but Shadow was without equal. She’d kill the woman and not think twice about it.

“I wouldn’t be much of a captain if I didn’t make the affairs of my passengers my business. How else can I ensure the safety of me and my crew?”

“Be that as it may, perhaps you could try to do so without crawling quite so far up our asses?”

Ronan shifted, preparing to grab Shadow about the waist and haul her to their room before Calypso shoved her overboard. As much as he appreciated her fire, he was genuinely worried about her safety if she continued to goad the other woman. But the captain surprised him by laughing, her eye—which had deepened until it was nearly onyx—returning to sapphire.

“I think I like you, assassin.”

“You know who I am?”

“Darling, you haven’t been paying attention. I already told you, I consider it my business to know everything about the people aboard theRevenge.”

Shadow’s lips twitched, and she tilted her head in his direction. “And you still let this asshole aboard? I’m surprised.”

“Well, he is pretty.”

Shadow cut her gaze back to him, running it from the top of his head down to his booted toes and then back. “Eh, I’ve had better.”

You filthy liar.

Now he wanted to haul her over his shoulder and down to their room for another reason entirely. His palm tingled in anticipation of swatting her impertinent arse. He wanted to call her on her shit then and there. Remind her that not that long ago, he had her reduced to little more than wanton moans and breathy sighs as she begged him to fuck her. He’d walk away here and now if she could honestly name a single person who’d ever managed to do the same.

“What’s wrong, Ronan?” she purred. “You look like you swallowed your shirt.”

You want to play games, little one? We can play. But we’ll play them in my bed. Naked. Don’t start something you’re not prepared to finish.

That’s what he wanted to say.

What he actually said was, “I’m just trying to figure out why it is thatyou, the infamous assassin, believe thatI’mthe one she needs to be worried about?”

“Oh, I’m sorry. I forgot how empty that brain of yours is. But in my defense, with as fat as your skull is, it’s an honest mistake.”

“At least it’s proportional to the rest of him...”

“I know where you’re going with that, but I should warn you, you’re in for a world of disappointment if you think that’s the case for the rest of him.”

“Pity.”

What the actual fuck?

He growled while Calypso cackled and Shadow smirked.Mother have mercy. They were ganging up on him.He should have seen it coming. Wasn’t that always the way when two forces of nature collided? A lot of noise to herald the storm before they ultimately blended into one terrifying entity? Just his luck to be caught between them. He was certain weaker men wouldn’t survive.

To be fair, he still wasn’t entirely sure he would, either. He didn’t know much of Calypso’s past, but he could guess it. One didn’t become captain of a pirate ship by handing out cookies to her enemies. And as for Shadow... he’d seen firsthand just how deadly she could be.

“Here, allow me to explain. The difference is I only kill for money”—she patted the top of his head like he was a child half her size instead of a man fully grown—“but you arealwaysan insufferable prick.”

Before he could muster a worthy retort, Shadow spun on her heel. But not without delivering a final parting shot. “It was nice meeting you, captain. I’d love to continue our chat, but I find I simply cannot stomach the smell of all that horseshit.” Her eyes narrowed as they shot to his, her voice decidedly less friendly. “Do. Not. Follow.” Lips curling up in a wicked smile, she added, “Not unless you want to lose several inches.”

“I could do with a haircut,” he called after her once he picked his jaw up off the deck.

She paused, turned to face him fully, and shot him a grin that was somehow both sensual and filled with malice. “I never said which inches I’d be taking.”

---