Page 101 of The Secrets of Jane: Reborn

“The fuck you doing with my daughter?” he asks, like he’s angry at himself for letting me near her, or determined to confirm I might actually be a source of salvation. “Reallydoing with her?”

Like hells I can admit what I really feel tohim. I couldn’t even say it to her.With more love than I knew I’d have… “Shemeans something to me that no one else has, and it’s not more complicated than that.”

“Do you love her?” he asks, his voice almost desperate.

I’m so uncomfortable I might as well be sitting on a bed of nails, especially with Basilisk right here, even if that bastard knows the truth just through what he can feel. This is such an invasion of my heart and desires, striking at something so vulnerable in me, and it’s herfather. But I know—it bleeds from his gaze—that if I do, he'll trust me.

And we need each other right now.

“Clearly,” I state.

The idea of her being alone, wondering if she believes if we’re coming for her or not, or if she believes herself to be abandoned, twists my entrails like I’m being dried out.

“Then what is your plan?” he asks, like he’s exhausted of always having one himself. “Now that we don’t have ships and are stuck on this island.”

“Tempest won’t budge,” Basilisk says, as enigmatic in his presence as his cat. “I felt her. We need to leave her be, or it will make everything worse.”

Inhaling deeply and looking up at the puffy clouds above, I hope the very man I need is looking at the same ones right now. “I know where we can get a ship,” I say, motioning to move forward and further from anyone who might be listening. “We need to act fast. Get our men out of here before Tempest turns hers against ours. As long as nothing has gone wrong, we’ll get out of here on Storm’s Fury.”

My gaze finds the ocean.

Ialwayshave contingencies.

One of thetasks I gave Anya was to secure a ship that would trail our shadow until this was all said and done, to even offer as much loot as I possibly can—a chance at Blackwell’s coffers.

The captain of Storm’s Fury wouldloveto steal what Blackwell has.The captain is a man named William Rackham, known as Liam. Our success hangs on a very fine thread, one that makes me far too uncomfortable. If the deal is still upheld with Liam, then that captain is out there. Waiting.

One of my men carries a hawk, something that we use for situations such as these. Like most things within my circle, the bird flies with magic in its wings. As long as someone has one of the beacons made for it, the hawk can find them.

By the time dusk is approaching, we’re all sitting on the shore, listening to the ocean waves, the hawk having returned by now with a confirmation that he’s out there, and he’s supposed to be sending longboats.

We were not allowed to use the harbor.

“You’re lucky I don’t take you to an island and maroon you.”It seems involving Cypress istheway to piss off the pirate queen, something I’ll remind myself that could be used as a weakness should it come to it.

Although threatening Tempest is something that scares shit out of me, but I’d do it if it comes down to it.

“That’s definitely a ship,” Basilisk says. Relief allows me to breathe easier, fucking thankful for Anya managing to find Storm’s Fury’s captain in such a short span of time.

I’m coming for you too, Anya.

The cat standing next to Basilisk purrs, to which I glance over and stare into the feline’s eyes, the yellow things harboring the same judgement as Cypress.

“Seriously, when did you get that cat?” That feline’s energy like a prickly shadow, almost as if it can tell I’m not overly fond of pets.

“Someone gave her to me,” he bluntly replies, the softer glow of a setting sun giving a golden cast on everyone.

“There’s more to that story. We have time,” I say, motioning to the ship that’s still in the distance. I can’t even see a longboat that will get us to it, just that the giant vesselisthere.

“Obviouslythere’s a story. Don’t know if I want to share it.”

“Why not?”

“Don’t need a reason.” He shifts his position, chewing on his lower lip before sighing. “I don’t even know who you are anymore. You used to have a vendetta to save Serena, and now you seem to have abandoned that.”

“Don’t,” I warn, not even wanting to proffer up a threat, not wanting to dive deep into those complexities, or how Cypress has basically forced me here even if I didn’t want to be. “Things change.”

“So they do,” he comments, the cat purring against his leg. I can’t tell if its presence makes him mad or not.