Page 64 of Blood and Thorns

“How confident are you on that?” Caden retorted dryly.

Narrowing his eyes at him over my shoulder, Hook returned his attention to me. “What do you know that I don’t?”

Caden explained Eight’s confession, while the entire time I watched Hook’s reaction to see whether it was genuine.

“I wouldn’t want our working relationship to end over this,” I said.

“Don’t fucking threaten me,” he growled, his usual cocky demeanour breaking. “You need my ships to reach the rest of the continent, as well as your connections across the sea.”

“You really believe you’re my only option?” He wasn’t, but he was the best. We held a symbiotic relationship I didn’t want to burn if I could help it, but that depended on how much Hook knew about my powder being corked.

Hook gnawed on his bottom lip, head tipped back in thought.

After a moment, he took a sip of his rum. “What can you offer me for this knowledge? Your accusation comes from none other than an addict, and therefore an unreliable source.”

“Would you risk my contract over it?”

Hook’s nostrils flared, debating whether to trust my threat. After a moment he laughed, which made the men at his back tense. “You’re such a prick, you know that?” Reaching over to one of his men, he gripped the front of his shirt and pulled him down.

Stumbling, the man followed, only for Hook to whisper in his ear.

“Of course, Captain,” he said, adjusting himself before disappearing through the door.

“Now, I think we should discuss the elephant in the room. It’s out of character to bring a date. Are you going soft on me, Beast?” Hook swished his rum in his glass, turning to Arabella. “Blink twice if you’re being held against your will.”

My hand slipped inside her dress’s slit, the skin of her thigh soft and warm. “You’re testing my patience.”

“Trust me, he may act like the big bad wolf, but he’s nothing against my kraken,” Hook continued, undeterred.

Arabella’s upper lip twitched. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

My fingers dug into her thigh, because of course she couldn’t follow a fucking order. A snort came from behind us, followed by a chuckle. “Langdon called you a wet fish,” Caden said, clearly translating.

Hook licked along the rim of his rum. “I’m sorry, mute. I couldn’t hear you; you might want to say it louder.”

“How vile of you,” Arabella snapped. “He can communicate absolutely fine without his voice.”

Hook choked on his rum, spitting it across the table. “You have a feisty one there, are you sure she’s your taste? Because she’s definitely more like mine.”

Langdon stepped forward, making sure his hands were visible to Arabella. She frowned, unable to understand while I shook my head.

“He said don’t bother with the tripod,” I translated.

Surprise flashed across her face, and Hook grinned at her reaction. She really needed to learn to hold back her expressions. “Don’t worry, darling. A croc may have taken my leg, but my cock still works like a charm.”

“There are no wild crocs in Europe, you fucking muppet,” Caden muttered.

“Who said it was wild?” Hook chuckled just as there was a knock. “Ah, there he is, the man of the hour.”

The door opened, revealing a short, white-haired man. “Captain, you called for me?” he said, stumbling back when he noticed me at the table.

“You’re not even a fucking Captain,” Langdon signed beside me, face twisting in disgust. “You’re scared of water.”

Luckily, Hook couldn’t understand sign. “Hi there,mate, please come join us.” He stood, patting what I assumed to be Smithy on the shoulder in an aggressive manner and pushing him down into his vacated seat.

“Captain?” he warily asked, eyes darting between everyone in the room.

“My friend here has a few questions to ask.” Reaching over to his own glass, Hook downed the rest of his rum before topping it up again, but this time he placed it in front of Smithy. “Now, I’d suggest you answer them, because I said you were a true and honest bloke, and you know how I don’t like to be called a liar.”