Page 22 of Beneath the Starlight and Storms

“Possibly.” He squints his eyes, exaggerating the thought of it. But I spot the lie immediately and narrow my eyes on him.

“Liar.”

Hook chuckles as his dark eyes find mine.

“Just give me the bracelet and I’ll leave,” I assure him. “You’ll never have to see me again. You have my word.”

Something flashes in his eyes as his smile drops, but it’s too quick to catch before that smug smirk returns. This time though, there’s no playfulness in his eyes, no glint of amusement or dash of devilment. Instead, there’s a hint of dark pain that slowly slips out.

“You know I can’t just let you leave.” His words are void of any true emotion, and any drop of hope I had dries up quickly.

“Can’t or won’t?” I seethe, my anger quickly rising to the surface once more as I clench my hands at my sides.

Hook moves closer until he’s a hair’s breadth away from me, forcing me to take a step back. My back hits the shelves, stopping me from moving any further and leaving me in Hook’s grasp.

“Both.” His eyes darken as he looks down at me. But there’s something in that look that scares me, setting my nerves alight as I look for a way out.

“Hook—”

As if he’s able to read my mind, his eyes soften and that look disappears. “You’re not afraid of me. Not really. You know I’d neverreallyhurt you.”

“No, you’d just kidnap me,” I argue, feeling none of the confidence my tone reveals.

“Maybe it’s for your own good,” he counters.

“Ormaybeit’s just an excuse you made up to make yourself feel better about the fact that youkidnappedme,” I grit out.

“As defiant as ever.” He smiles as if he enjoys seeing me angry. Raising a hand to each side of me, his eyes hold me hostage as his arms trap me in.

“You seem pleased by that.” I glare at the man who seems to be able to push every one of my buttons simultaneously.

“Oh, I am. Immensely.” His eyes light up and that smile grows.

“So that’s what this all is about? You want me to challenge you?” Was this all just some joke to him?

I glare at him as he shifts closer, his eyes darkening as the mood quickly shifts in the room.

“I want you to let go and just have fun because you can. Like old times.”

“We’re not kids anymore.”

He gives me a sly grin. “Age shouldn’t define whether or not we have fun. Society and their rules have always been an obstruction for anytruejoy or happiness.”

“Rules exist for a reason,” I tell him, knowing he’s never followed a damn rule in his life. In fact, I’m betting he chooses to do the opposite, if only to prove a point.

He shakes his head, giving me a look that says I should know better. “Rules exist to act as a guide and nothing more. Most should never have been created, while the rest can be bent or broken.”

“Is that how you’re able to convince your conscience of your morally gray decisions?”

Hook always had a way with words. He always made me question things. There was never black and white with him. There was always a gray area where he could wiggle his way into and find some plausible reasoning as to why it should be that way.

But the world didn’t work like that. All the Realms had rules that needed to be abided by to maintain order. It is how it’s always been and always will be.

But it looks like Hook will never accept that.

“Everyone already thinks I’m a villain, so why not play the part?” He smiles but it doesn’t reach his eyes. It makes me pause.

“But are you? A villain?” I don’t know why I ask him when the evidence is right in front of me. He kidnapped me only hours ago. But… he also saved me before that, and he’s right, he hasn’t hurt me. Whether that changes, is another thing.

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