Neverland (12 page)

Shouts from decks give me an idea. Maybe I can bribe the crew into mutiny. But what do I have to offer to make this adventure appealing for the pirates? Nothing.

Well…nothing
here
. If I can convince the men to sail far out and find other places to plunder, they might show some interest.

With an excited grin pasted on my lips, I flit out through the door and take a twist in the warm sunlight. My glance travels over the wide decks. Where to start? There are four pirates by the lowest mast of the ship. They hold rum bottles and bark with laughter. Drunk and too many—not the best ones to start with.

To my right, I find the gold-toothed pirate who announced the captain on board yesterday. He sits shirtless on a barrel, cleaning one of his boots. Spitting onto the tip, he rubs it with a smudgy cloth. Gross. But he’s the perfect member of the crew to tease into mutiny. He seems like someone who the others would listen to. Well, after Hook and Jack Smee.

As inconspicuously as a butterfly, I take a few swaying steps toward him, rock on the balls of my feet a few times and finally sit down on a heap of white linen and fishing nets. “Well, hello there,” I say innocently enough, though I can hear how my voice trembles.

The man gives me a greedy sideways glance from under his dark brown triangle hat but he doesn’t return my greeting.

“What are you doing?”

“Cleanin’ me boots, lass,” he tells me in a rumbling deep voice and spits again. His saliva is tinted brown from tobacco and I have to take a deep breath in order not to puke.

“Is this all you do the entire day?”

“It’s enough for now.” Apparently he’s done with this boot, because he puts it on and pulls off the other, starting the disgusting procedure anew. I watch, transfixed. “Why are ye so interested in me boots, lass?”

“Hm? Oh, I’m just wondering why you’re spending time here, cleaning them, when you could be out doing, I don’t know, pirate things?”

“Pirate things?” he repeats in a disbelieving tone.

“You know like ransacking other ships…fighting with other pirates. Isn’t this what you’re supposed to do after all?”
Yeah, good tactic, Angel,
I encourage myself.

“We would. But the Jolly Roger is the only ship out on the sea.” His eyes zero in on a spot of seagull poo on his boot and he gathers some real nasty phlegm from his throat. The sound raises goosebumps on my arms and makes my scalp prickle. He spits slime on the spot then polishes it off with the cloth. “There’s not much to pilfer in these waters.”

“That must be a boring life for you and the men on board then. I wonder why the captain doesn’t let you sail farther out and have some real fun.”

A soft laugh sounds from the sterncastle above. I tilt my head up and find Hook leaning casually against the railing on the bridge, obviously listening in on our conversation. He must know where I’m going with this and still he just laughs? I guess I’m safe then.

To show I don’t care in the least that he’s been eavesdropping, I flash a tightlipped grin back at him then return my attention to the shirtless man. “You should make him understand your needs as a pirate. What captain forces his crew to bob around a small island for years?”

“One who’s after a treasure.” When his boot is as shiny as can be, he slips it on again, stands up and shakes out the cloth. Only now I notice that it’s actually a shirt.
His
shirt. And he puts it on.
Jeez!

“Ye sound like ye don’t approve of our cap’n’s decisions,” he states then and strokes his chin. “Are ye applying for the job yourself, lass?”

I stand up and shrug. “I’m just saying that pirates should be out doing
something
. Well, something other than cleaning decks or their shoes all day.”

“A fine cap’n ye would make, pretty lass. All skinny ‘n well-dressed.” He gurgles a laugh and places his hands on my hips. Whoa, not how I planned this conversation to go. When he strokes his thumb across my cheek, I’m sure he leaves a trail of grease behind. I back away, but he wraps his arm around my waist and pulls me close. “All the men would be at your feet.”

Suddenly he stiffens and it takes me only another heartbeat to realize why. The slim, sharp blade of a sword is pressed to his throat. “Take your hands off the girl, Brant Skyler,” Hook tells the man with venom in his voice. “Smartly.”

Mr. Skyler turns pale and jerks his hands away. “I was only jokin’ with her, Cap’n.”

“The joke is over. Leave her alone.”

Immediately, the pirate scuttles off to the group of his rum-drinking friends. Hook throws them a warning glare over his shoulder, then he shouts so loud everyone on the ship turns and listens. “The girl is not to be touched! The next man who puts a finger on her is shark bait! Understand?”

There’s a collective murmur of aye’s from all sides.

With a tight grip on my upper arm, Hook drags me toward the stairs leading to the bridge. He didn’t come down this way, I know because I’d been watching it. Did he just jump over the railing to come to my rescue?

Puzzled, I tilt my head to search his face. His eyes gleam with irritation, surprise and amusement. I can’t figure out which outweighs the others when he asks, “Why are you seducing my men, Angel?”

“I wasn’t.”

“Right. Unless I’m very much mistaken, you just tried to start a mutiny, which isn’t very nice either.”

For a brief moment, I stand on my toes to be on eye level with him. “Well, it backfired. Happy now?”

He pulls me closer until our noses touch and I gasp. “Do I look happy?” he growls.

No, he doesn’t. But nor does he look as angry as he should be. In a caress-like gesture, he places the blade of his sword into the crook of my shoulder. I don’t know what exactly he intends, but strangely enough it doesn’t scare me.

“Are you going to slice my throat?” I tease him.

“No,” he answers and even smiles a little. “But if you ever bother my men again, I’ll be forced to lock you up in that cabin.” With a brief nod in the direction of his bedroom, he makes his point clear.

I feel brave and smile back, not a fake one this time. “Fair enough.”

“I’m glad we have an understanding.” He eases the grip of my arm and sheathes his sword.

At the same time, a man in a basket kind of thing on top of the highest mast shouts, “Lower the ladder! The dinghy is back!”

I have no idea what a dinghy is, but soon I find out that Smee and a couple other pirates returned from a trip to the port in a tiny rowboat. They tie it to the ship and climb on board. Smee carries a bundle of long rolled papers under his arm. It must be something the captain has been waiting for, because his face lights up when he sees them.

“I brought the maps you wanted, Cap’n,” Jack Smee exclaims and pats the paper rolls.

“In here,” Hook orders and both men head into his quarters, closing the door behind them.

Maps? What maps?
Could this be of any use to me, too?
I tiptoe closer to hear what they are talking about through the door.

“These are all available nautical maps of the waters around Neverland,” says Smee. “But Bre’Shun said to tell you, you won’t find what you’re looking for on them. She gave me this.”

Hook laughs. “What did you have to give for it? Your firstborn?”

“Beaver meat,” Smee grunts. “On every freaking solstice for the next five years.”

They are talking in riddles. But then I can hear how paper unfolds and next Hook’s voice drifts out. “A stellar map? Does the fairy think we’ll find London in the stars?”

Did he say London?
That’s all it takes to switch off my reason and I burst into the room.

Hook, who’s standing with his back to me, hands braced on the table in front of him, lets his head sink between his shoulders and sighs. “I realize that a note and a dagger on the door can’t keep you out. But not even a knock this time?”

How does he know it’s me?

Rooted to the spot, I fight my surprise, then I cross my arms over my chest and argue, “You were talking about London. I want to hear what it’s all about.” Waiting for him to turn around, I pray that his mood is still on the positive side.

He straightens and rolls up the map in front of him. “We’ll take a look at this later,” he tells Jack Smee, who nods and silently walks for the door. When Smee passes me, he quickly lifts his brow and whistles through his teeth once in awe, like he’s dying to stay and watch what’s going to happen in this room in just a minute. Only after the sound of the door closing, Hook turns to face me, his expression darker than a storm.

I gulp.

James Hook

THIS IS A pirate ship, goddammit! Does this girl have no instinct of self preservation—or respect for the captain?

I take a couple of deep breaths to control my temper instead of taking Angel over the knee, which no man in this world could blame me for.

“You said I’m still your prisoner,” Angel croaks. At least now she seems to realize she took one step too far this time.

“I did.”

“And you refused to set sail and help me get home.”

I mirror her closed-off composure, but with my arched eyebrow I dare her. “Did I?”My question silences her. She shifts her sweet lips to one side and narrows her eyes at me. “I merely refused to let you skewer me with my own dagger,” I add…and smile.

Curiosity swamps over her face. “So you actually considered searching for London?”

Considered is the right word. “Aye.” And I’m even more inclined now that I know she holds information that I could coax out of her with the right tactic. Threatening her with death didn’t work. Blackmailing her with the prospect of eternal prison on this ship only encouraged her to incite my crew to mutiny. Bargaining is something I loathe to do, but it’s my last resort. This girl’s will is like a freaking fort.

A fort I almost took over last night. And I felt terrible at that moment. Not something that happens often in my life. Maybe because I don’t usually have to deal with troubles of her kind. Maybe…it’s about time to send this little angel home.

Angel tilts her head slightly to study me from the corner of her eye. “I thought you intended to keep me on this ship forever? Or at least until you found what you’re looking for?”

“I changed my mind.”

Considering my words, Angel rubs her bottom lip between her thumb and forefinger. Damn, I could watch her do this for an entire day. How could I not notice what a beautiful girl she actually is? The self-destructive urge to walk over and touch her soft skin again rises inside me and crawls to my fingertips. I lean back and clasp the edge of the table.

“And now you’re helping me why?” she asks.

“To get rid of you.”

Surprise swells in her eyes. Or it could be I just hurt her pride. “Well, Captain, there’s an easier way to achieve that.”

“Really?” I tease her.

“You’re a pirate. You could just kill me,” she snaps.

“Don’t be ridiculous. I don’t kill women.”

“Oh, sure.” She takes a brave step toward me, lifting her chin, which she always does when she’s trying to get the best of me. So much I’ve learned. “May I remind you that you would have let me walk the plank just to get some information out of me?”

“Yeah, and we know how well that plan worked, right?” I laugh and lower my gaze to hers. Now that she’s a lot closer, I can even smell my soap on her.

Placing her fists on her hips, she counters with an edge of reproach in her voice, “You threatened to slice my throat because I called you
Jamie
.”

And I had good reason for that, for shit’s sake! I stand and close the last bit of distance between us, picking up her tone. “Because you undermined my authority in front of the crew! Someone had to teach you manners.”

“Manners? And that from a pirate’s mouth!” She rolls her eyes at me. Shit, that
is
sexy. “Was it also part of the lesson to let me lead the way through a labyrinth of deadly traps?”

“I was sure you knew where they were,” I defend myself equally loud against her shouting, crossing my arms over my chest.

Angel lifts to her tiptoes so her face is almost in mine as she screams, “I. Fell. Into one!”

“And I. Freaking. Pulled you out of it! I saved your life, for Christ’s sake! Is that nothing to you?”

“Hah, you’ve gotta be kidding! Trying to turn the tables on me for not being thankful now, are you?” The skirt of her dress sways angrily as she spins on her heel and walks into my bedroom. I follow her, but in the doorway she turns and shouts, “You’re such an
honorable
man, Captain Hook!” Then she slams the door in my face.

What. The hell. Was that?

I’m the captain of this ship. No one is slamming doors at me or locking me out of my own room. With a powerful thrust, I kick the door open and it knocks into the wall behind with a loud bang. The lock is broken. Splinters of the wood skitter on the floor toward Angel’s bare feet.

She whirls about, her cheeks heated from our argument, her eyes wide open. She looks at me like I’ve just offered her toadstools for dinner. “Why are you damaging your ship, Captain? The door wasn’t locked!”

I already opened my mouth to reply, but suddenly I feel stupid. Standing in the broken door, I turn on the spot then back at her. Not locked? I’m such a fool. And what in the world made me lose it like that anyway? All I wanted was to make her see that I never intended to really let her die—on the plank or elsewhere. But this girl does grate on a certain nerve within me. “That is your fault.”

Angel lifts her hands sideways. “Oh, please, enlighten me why
you
destroying the ship is
my
fault!”

“Because you just don’t want to understand!”

“Understand what?”

“That I’m—” Cutting myself off, I fist my hands at my sides. This is hard. I press my lips together, holding back the words building inside me like a dam about to break. “Sorry!” I finally spit out and stalk away.

With the door providing no barrier any longer, even my quarters feel unsafe. Not looking back at Angel, I stride out on deck and pull in a lungful of briny air.