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Chapters (64)
  1. Cover
  2. Copyright
  3. Author's Note
  4. Dedication
  5. Epigraph
  6. 1
  7. 2
  8. 3
  9. 4
  10. 5
  11. 6
  12. 7
  13. 8
  14. 9
  15. 10
  16. 11
  17. 12
  18. 13
  19. 14
  20. 15
  21. 16
  22. 17
  23. 18
  24. 19
  25. 20
  26. 21
  27. 22
  28. 23
  29. 24
  30. 25
  31. 26
  32. 27
  33. 28
  34. 29
  35. 30
  36. 31
  37. 32
  38. 33
  39. 34
  40. 35
  41. 36
  42. 37
  43. 38
  44. 39
  45. 40
  46. 41
  47. 42
  48. 43
  49. 44
  50. 45
  51. 46
  52. 47
  53. 48
  54. 49
  55. 50
  56. 51
  57. 52
  58. 53
  59. 54
  60. 55
  61. 56
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Priest was here.

41

The booming pulsation in my head consumed the sound of Priest’s unforgettable accent. I pressed my lips together and silenced my gasps, straining to hear him.

Beside me, Ashley went inhumanly still as if his entire being was focused on the conversation beyond the door.

“Who spotted her?” Madwulf’s Scottish brogue thickened.

“One of Cutler’s soldiers. Why am I just learning this?” Fury roughened Priest’s voice, every syllable boiling with vehemence. “Mark me, Madwulf. If she’s dead because of your actions, I’ll need something to stab repeatedly, and your face will become my favorite target.”

“Uh, Captain MacNally…” The duke of limbs in the doorway held up a loose-jointed finger.

“I dinna understand the problem,” Madwulf said, ignoring his crewmate. “You told me you wanted her dead.”

“I wanted to kill her myself!” Priest roared. “Me! No one else. That was the agreement.”

Agreement? My mind spun, trying to fit the pieces together. How did Priest get here? Had he arrived with Madwulf? Did that mean he was on HMS Blitz when it fired on the flagship?

All at once, everything clicked.

Priest must have sneaked onto HMS Blitz while Ashley anchored in Nassau to search the brothel. Ashley was there for two weeks, so I couldn’t be sure about the timing. Evidence suggested that Priest freed Madwulf from the hold after Ashley sailed back to the admiral. Because the pirates overtook HMS Blitz while Ashley was with me on the admiral’s flagship.

Apparently, no one had told Priest I was alive and imprisoned on the admiral’s flagship. The omission was deliberate, to be certain, for it would’ve been in Madwulf’s interest to sink the flagship without Priest stopping him to look for me.

My ears thudded wildly with the drum of my overtaxed pulse. I’d been so heartsore over Priest’s perfidy, but that was nothing compared to what he must have felt when they told him I was dead. After he’d already freed them.

Madwulf wanted Ashley’s ship. Priest wanted me. They’d lied to each other to protect their agendas, and here we were, teetering on the cusp of full disclosure. I felt the impending bloodshed in my bones.

“What’s done is done,” Madwulf growled. “Dinna threaten me again, Priest.”

“Actually, Captain…” The lanky, ill-made fellow in the doorway interrupted again. “She’s here. Look.” He motioned inside the cottage.

The sound of footsteps exploded into a flurry outside. A second later, several men burst in, but my world narrowed to one.

Priest’s silver eyes shot straight to mine, his expression awash with everything I felt—shock, confusion, relief, and savage determination.

As his gaze frantically swept over me, hunting for injuries, I gave him the same inspection.