“What do you want?” Hook spit.
“Join ma crew.”
He swallowed the acid in his throat. “And my crew?”
“They ’n join too. These decks could use a swab.”
Nearby, members of Blackbeard’s crew snickered.
Memories threatened to drown him. Blackbeard wouldn’t be a gracious captain to his crew. He’d work them to the bone, just as he’d done to him.
But even that life might be better than death. At least for some of them.
Throat dry as dust, he said, “Let them speak their choice.”
Chapter 33
Hook
Blackbeard narrowed his eyes. Silence reigned, punctuated only by the creak of wood and the call of gulls from the nearby rocky spit of island. Finally, he waved one gloved hand.
Blackbeard’s crew swarmed his, ripping free gags with little care. His narrow gaze never left Hook’s. “Who’ll join me? Speak now.”
Hook braced for the inevitable. They’d served well, loyally, for years. This wouldn’t be a betrayal. Not really. Their legacy would live on. Someone needed to protect the families at the cove.
“Do it,” Hook snapped, craning his neck to try to see his crew. Those he could see stared back, faces hard and resolved.
“With ya ’til the end, Captain,” Smee said.
Fuck. He hunched in on himself, struggling against the bindings.
“A little persuasion?” Blackbeard marched to the side of the ship. “Ready tha’ cannons. Light tha’ arrows. Bring us round. Beach thaJolly Roger...there.” He thrust a finger toward therocky islands before turning back to Hook. “Let all who see ’er remains know what happens ta those who tangle with thaKraken.” Blackbeard laughed as he strode away to see to his commands.
“You idiots,” Hook railed at his crew.
“Won’t leave ya now,” Barley said with a wince as he rolled his injured shoulder.
“Your wife, your kid!” Hook protested.
Barley stiffened his jaw and remained silent.
“Together ’til the end,” Sage said.
He twisted frantically, trying to stare each of them down. “You have families!”
Anne looked away, suddenly pale. She wouldn’t leave her child. The boy was only three. She couldn’t.
“We knew what we signed up for.” Slowly, she raised her face toward him. “You pulled us up from death before. This won’t be the end.”
Idiots, every one. He fought against the ropes. Their coarse strands cut into his already raw and bleeding skin. If only he could angle his hook a little more…
A deep, rollingthumpand the groan of wood struck him like a boot to the chest. His ship, run aground. He couldn’t bear to look.Fucking bastard. More cracks and crashes reached his ears as the waves battered the ship, likely canting her onto the rocks. It’d take forever to fix.
But she was a ship. His baby, but repairable, replaceable. His throat constricted. His crew, his love…they were not.
“Tink,” he said.
His call snapped her from whatever veil of shadow she’d fallen under. She looked up at him, eyes red, cheeks flushed, damp hair matted to her face.
