Page 21 of A Captain So Callous and Cruel

“Another truth,” he roughly demands, wrapping his teeth around my earlobe. I expect a sharp pain to follow, but he grazes it simply before skimming his nose along my hair.

I’m sure he can feel my heart beating against his arm. It’s wrapped so tightly around me, there’s hardly any room to breathe.

“I’m scared,” I admit. That’s my truth.

“Of me?” he presses.

Of you.

Of what I’m about to do.

Of how I’ll send this ship plunging into the depth of this ocean knowing your son will die too.

Goddess, give me strength. “I’m scared that you’re going to hurt me.”

“Do you think me so callous as to be a selfish lover?”

“A violent lover, more like.”

“Hmm.”

He goes quiet.

I wait on tenterhooks for his next move. My gaze is fixed ahead. Through the curtain of hair that’s fallen over my face, I see the giant bed feet away from us. There’s a cool breeze hitting my heated cheeks, so there must be an opened porthole.

I wince when his arm tugs me harder into him.

“Who are you?” he rasps.

“I already told you.”

“A whore’s daughter.”

I fidget around his tight hold. “Y-yes.”

“We agreed to tell the truth, Red.”

I feel pain around my ribs, his hold punishing. “You’re hurting me.”

“What makes you think I care?”

Before I can protest, he suddenly lets me go and I stumble forward. I hear him move across the room, the sound of liquid filling into a glass follows.

Then, he trudges back to me, though he’s back to keeping his distance. I can do nothing but stand straight, unmoving as he circles me, his eyes meeting mine before drifting down my body.

His large hand is wrapped around a glass of amber liquid, and he brings it to his lips, taking a large gulp of it.

“You’re right,” he murmurs, pausing in his step to look at me. He raises his glass like he’s pointing it at me. “I am a violent lover, Red.”

My nerves rattle inside me as I say nothing back. I want to keep him talking. To keep pushing back the inevitable. But I can’t seem to draw the words out. Being alone with him in this setting has me mute.

“But with you, I think I’d be sweet,” he adds next, his hard face growing gentler.

He takes a step closer to me, and now I’m seized with panic.

“That’s not a truth,” I sputter out quickly. He pauses again, tilting his head to the side. “If it’s something I already knew, it doesn’t count.”

There’s a ghost of a smile on his lips. He knows what I’m doing. “Is that so?”

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