Total pages in book: 89
Estimated words: 82949 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 415(@200wpm)___ 332(@250wpm)___ 276(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 82949 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 415(@200wpm)___ 332(@250wpm)___ 276(@300wpm)
He stepped through the doors with men standing on either side of him. He captured the room instantly. He was a magnet of attention and lust, and I was certain all the women sitting in this room right now were going to need to be carried out of here.
He tipped the rim of his hat up, flashing a wide grin that reached over the space that separated us, and grabbed me by the throat. “My lady…” He bowed low, his head the last to dip before he slowly dragged himself back upward, his eyes coming back to mine. They were a dark, murky green. The kind that reminded me of a swamp sewer. He had no business being this damn attractive.
I shuffled sideways, breathing out slowly once I had a grip on my thoughts. “Hades.” I nodded toward him, casting a quick glance at the two beside him.
Only one was a woman, and the other was a man. She had dark hair that she kept tied low near the nape of her neck and a single feather earring that hung low enough to touch her collarbone.
She leaned into Hades and whispered something with a grin, which in turn made Hades snicker.
“Something funny?” I asked, raising an eyebrow at both pirates. I wasn’t at all impressed with them, no matter how…annoyingly attractive Hades was.
“No, Your Majesty.” As he said the words, the corner of his mouth curved.
It should have raised the hairs on the back of my neck, and a big part of it did, but the stupid side of my brain was also curious. I wanted this man. I knew I did. He wore his shirt unbuttoned, showcasing his bare chest. Muscles tightened with every move, and I wanted to run my tongue over the intricate lines of the artwork that littered his tanned skin. He had short hair that he hid beneath his pirate hat, and if I looked closely, I was sure there was a diamond encrusted onto one of his teeth.
My lord. He was everything bad that no one should ever want, much less a queen.
I was barely a queen though, only just stepping into this role recently. Could I still play the bratty princess that got everything she ever wanted? Probably not. At the very least, not with Sparrow around.
“As I thought.” I lifted the corner of my mouth slightly, keeping my eyes on his. Challenge flashed over his eyes and my skin prickled with excitement.
Oh. He was going to be fun.
It was cold out. I knew that I had about three seconds to make it back to my room before anyone knew I was missing. After the feast, and the longing stares from across the ballroom and the slight touching any time Hades passed me, I knew I needed to see him tonight. Business aside, I wanted to talk to him alone. Away from the eyes, and most importantly—away from my husband.
The village was quiet as I moved through the shadows, hidden behind a hooded robe. Guards passed in front of me, and I stopped in my step, waiting for them to pass. The moonlight was bright, but the stormy tropical winds that were settling in helped conceal me further.
I picked up my pace as I dipped behind the shadows of the trees that lined the sandy beach. I could see the ship from here, the only ship docked. The black sails were away, but the smooth base of the hull lived up to expectation. It was The Landing, and it had to be the most beautiful ship of all.
I close the book, wondering what this meant. Why would Sparrow give this to me? For what reason? I slide off my bed and lift my mattress, careful to shove the booklet beneath it. I wonder if…
I take the booklet back out and open the camera app on my phone, snapping a shot of it on my lap. Opening a new message, I quickly look over my shoulder before typing out a message.
I know you told me not to contact you, and I still may not understand why. But do you know what this book is?
I delete the message straight after I send it, sliding the book back beneath the mattress and pushing myself up from the floor.
My bedroom door swings open and Cooper steps through smelling like a red flag.
“Are you wearing Sauvage?” I ask, sliding my feet into my slides.
Cooper falls onto my mattress. He’s in ripped jean shorts and a white tee. “Are you sure that you’re okay with your birthday shindig? I mean, we can totally skip out, but people have been asking where you are.”
That was bound to happen. The people of Hades Hollow are anything but nosy. For whatever reason.
“I’m fine.” Guilt bubbles in my gut any time I think of Cooper who is being dragged through this too. “Honestly, Mom would want me to have a good time for my eighteenth, and since we don’t have her ashes back yet, it makes sense to do something.”