Page 20 of Stalking Wendy Darling

I exhaled through my nose, clenching my hand into a fist.

“Hey, I’m not judging,” she said when I turned back to the helm. “Hate makes for great sex.”

“One more word,” I rumbled, blood pumping in my ears. “One more fucking word, Vea.”

She helped herself to a saltfish fritter from the bags I packed, taking a noisy bite. “I’m just saying, for someone you’re planning to murder, you sure do spend a lot of time heavy breathing, glazed-eyed, and adjusting your dick in your pants.”

I moved so fast she had no hope of avoiding me, ripping the fritter from her hand and tossing her cleanly overboard. I popped the last of the fritter in my mouth and faced the helm again, banishing thoughts of storm-blue eyes, wicked smiles, and the hot lance of pain as she ran me through with my own sword.

My dick throbbed, pressing against leather, frantic to escape.

This was a fucking nightmare. Even thinking about her stabbing me,killingme, refused to calm my libido. Probably because I’d never met anyone like her before, with a complete absence of fear in her eyes and a smile so quick it was reckless. And that silver tongue, that smart mouth…god.I groaned and ran my hand down my face.

Since the curse and the bargain, I’d never met anyone who wasn’t afraid of me. It was a drug I had no idea how to fight. But I needed to figure it out because Wendy wasn’t destined to be moaning on the end of my cock; she would bleed and sob at the end of my blade. She’d made an enemy of me, and there was no undoing that.

A wet slap came from behind me, followed by huffing, puffing, and coarse swearing. It brought a smirk to my mouth. Vea swore so colourfully she’d make some of my crew blush.

“You’re a piss poor excuse for a captain,” she hissed, wringing out her dress. I turned, crossing my arms over my chest. At least I still had my coat, the familiar brown leather. It was the first thing I’d bought with my own money when I escaped.

“But a captain nonetheless,” I retorted, still smirking. “When you’re done pouting, I’ll show you how to hoist and lower the sails.”

Vea’s eyes were dark as she levelled a glare on my face. “How generous of you, sir.”

I snorted. She wouldn’t use the word generous when she was done.

Chapter Thirteen

WENDY

THE CRACKED SHARK

Iwas Wendy Darling, killer of the reputed pirate Captain Hook, newly appointed captain of Death’s Right Hand, more commonly known as the Banshee, and uh, I didn’t know how to sail a ship.

This was awkward.

“So what’s that guy’s deal?” I asked Anton, leaning against the prow and looking at the skeleton nailed to the other side. I’d seen some figureheads in my time, but never a whole skeleton.

Anton, my beleaguered quartermaster, pinched the bridge of his nose before answering. He did that a lot, usually accompanied by a flattening of his eyes, a purse of his mouth, and a flex of his hands like he was trying valiantly not to curl them into fists.

“That’s Pan’s body. A fool who made an enemy of Hook. He thought he could kill the captain and liberate one of the womenin our possession,” he said, looking pointedly from me to where Joanna sat on a barrel swinging her legs and smirking at the crew who watched her like she was a ghost come to haunt them. Babies. “Hook’s enemies die in all manner of ways, but they always die. This one decided to insult the captain with his last breath.”

“Ooh, was it a good insult?” I asked, leaning over the railing to grin at the skeleton. “I bet it was something really personal, wasn’t it?” I leaned back, giving Anton a grin. “Was it about dick size?”

His expression flattened.

“Itwas,wasn’t it?” I pressed, laughing.

“Land, ahoy!” Wynton yelled from the crow’s nest. I shielded my eyes and peered up at my friend(ish), watching him lower a spyglass from his eyes and search the deck for me. “We’re close, captain.”

“Great work, Wynton.” I gave him a double thumbs up. Not everyone had been quite as supportive of me taking over as captain of the Banshee. Some of the most vocal were at the bottom of the sea bed. Three were tied up in the hold, in the same cage where they kept my sister and fuck knows how many other women before her. It had been hell getting the men to follow my command to repair the ropes.

“You should put me in charge,” Anton said sourly. “I know this island, and I’m well acquainted with the routes to the caves.”

“The caves full of gold?” I clarified, my heart quickening. Ilovedgold. Loved caves, too. I’d grown up playing in them back on Silver Isle. I nearly drowned my brother Michael one memorable time when he dared me to beat him in a race. Not only did I beat him, but I won both a nice purse of bronze coins and a chocolate bar. He won the next race, annoyingly. Thinking about Michael made my chest tight. He was an annoying prick, but I wished he was here.

“I know where to find the gold,” Anton continued his campaign to lead this little trip. “We’ve made this run twice before.”

“Ah, but you didn’t have me as your captain that time.” I patted his sallow cheek, offering him a winning smile. “And Iamyour captain, like it or not. So I’ll be in charge of this trip. You can advise me, since you’re soexperienced.”

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