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Then, like being thrown into the icy sea, Fredrich’s blade, covered in blood, and dead bodies littering the space around us, splashed reality back with a vengeance. I could see her grief, feel her shame and agony because of what she thought I had done.

If she only knew the whole truth.

It was like Rotty made his presence known, his ghost filling the room, building the wall between us, making me realize what I just did.

I just fucked my first mate’s daughter. The girl I had promised to protect. I failed at protecting her from myself, turning her into another victim of the Silver-Tongue Devil because I couldn’t keep my dick in my pants. Except I hadn’t put my cock in anyone lately. She was the first one to make me feel something in a long time. And from the moment she stepped on my ship, she was a siren song, pulling me down into the depths of the sea, drowning me.

She made me feel vulnerable. Weak. As if I could lose everything. Again.

The splash of water slapped across my face, my lungs choking up sea water, my lids bolting open as the sounds of fighting, cannons, and the death cry of a ship.

Lifting my head to the men battling over the deck, screams and clanks of metal pierced my ears. The waves rolled the ship, tipping it slightly to the side and crashing water over the bow.

Terror wrapped around my gut like an octopus, sucking and squeezing the air from my lungs. My ship was flailing, my men were dying. Everything I had built was about to sink to Davy Jones, another sacrifice to the pirate god.

A growl rose from my throat, fury pushing me to my feet, and I grabbed the sword at my side.

“Lowe…” I cursed his name, my knuckles tightening over the handle, searching for the man, my old friend. Pirates were funny. In some things, we had no code of ethics, and in others, we lived and died by an unspoken rule.

Ned Lowe and I had been allies. Comrades at one time. And in a world of pirate hunters, governments, and empires ready to hang your body up as a trophy, we had an implicit understanding.

We left each other alone.

Ned broke that, attacking and boarding my ship. I knew he was ruthless and cruel, but I didn’t realize how far he would go.

Creaks moaned from my ship; the ocean was turbulent, as if it could feel the grievance.

“But your ship was part of the deal.” Ned’s statement played back in my head. I figured that meant he was going to steal it, put his flag high on the mast. He was sinking it instead. Destroying my legacy, taking the infamous vessel, and putting it in a grave.

So I could never take it back.

Moving across the deck, I hunted for Ned. Most of the men were already dead. And for the ones still alive, I uttered words I never imagined, heavy and foul in my mouth.“Retreat!” I ordered them, motioning to the dinghies. “Go!”

Water crashed down on us, the ship listing more to one side. “Now!”

“What about you, Captain?”

“Don’t worry about me,” I yelled through the squall and commotions, my soaking hair hanging around my face, my mouth spitting out salty water.

I was ready to go down with my ship, but I would take Lowe with me.

At the helm, Lowe gripped another man by the collar, pressing a sword to his throat, both of them in a heated conversation.

Dread paused my heart as I recognized the man he held, looking desperate and scared.

“Rotty!” I ran for my first mate, the man I considered a friend. Family. He was not a fighter, but the brains of my operation. The one that had everything running like clockwork, who worked out every possible outcome, every way to defeat an enemy or achieve our goal. He was the reason I became the notorious pirate I was, because his process never failed us. His mind was unequalled.

But he could not physically battle Lowe.

“You assured me!” Rotty’s voice barely hit my ears. “I would see her!”

“And you believed me?” Ned’s laugh was cruel and belittling. “Never trust a pirate, mate.” He moved in closer to Fredrich. “You are a gullible fool. And you provided me exactly what I wanted. Sinking this ship, killing Croygen’s crew. I will be a legend evermore. I will be feared and worshipped. No one will touch me. I am the greatest pirate of all time. And it’s all thanks to you.”

“Lowe?” I bellowed. He turned his head to me.

It gave Rotty a moment, his expression crunching in wild fury, something I had never seen before. Grabbing the dagger from his belt, he lunged for Lowe.

In a blink, Lowe seized the handle, twisting it around. The sharp edge sank into Rotty’s chest.