Back in their quarters, Honey approached the shelves on the far side of the room. Reaching to the highest shelf, which, Seonag noted, was way beyond her reach, he grabbed a small satchel and handed it to her.
Opening it, Seonag found a needle perfect for mending and enough thread to get her through plenty of projects if needed.
“Thank ye. I’ll get right to work on these.” She pointed to the pile of linens needing mending.
He nodded, but his gaze lingered and she began to shift from one foot to another. It was like he could see right down to her soul. That’s how intense his blue gaze was. Her cheeks heated and she silently cursed her body for its betrayal.
“Cap’n!” Someone called from somewhere outside the room.
His face lightened, and it seemed to snap him out of his thoughts. Who knew what he’d been thinking.
“Do ye need anything else?” he asked. But he didn’t stay to hear her answer.
She watched him leave, his long strides taking him quickly out of the room and back to his crew. Her whole body was warm. For someone who had such a fearful reputation, she’d only seen the softer side of him. Honey was truly a fitting nickname for him. Yes, she knew the moniker referred to his reputation with women, but he’d been nothing but sweet and kind with her since she’d imposed herself onto his ship.
Sitting in the large chair, she threaded the needle and got busy with the task she knew she was more than capable of doing.
For the second time in as many days, the needlepoint her mother had insisted she learn proved to be of use. It was mindless work, really. But it kept her busy and offered her a sense of being without getting in the way.
Before long, Mac’s shirts were mended. She smiled and surveyed her work. Her mother would be proud.
The shirts were in need of a good cleaning too, but without the needed supplies she couldn’t wash them, so she folded them neatly and went in search of Mac.
She still needed to talk to Honey about what items he could bring on board to aid in keeping the ship as clean as possible. But she also knew bringing up the conversation would only add to the already odd opinion he had of her.
By now, he surely had to start thinking something was wrong with her. Her attempt to pull off being a young lad wasn’t going as planned. Seonag had wanted to fit in more, but as the time passed, she knew her chances of success were very low.
One thing she was certain of, though. She would make Storm pay for her father’s death.
Chapter Ten
Colin leaned overthe railing and watched as the sun glinted off the water, sparkling like gems in its dark depths. What a beautiful sight to see. Lifting the spyglass to his eye, he scanned the distance, looking for the ship he was chasing. They were moving further north and he knew that was whereHades Revengewas sailing to, but he couldn’t see her yet.
They were moving at a good clip, and it wouldn’t be long before they’d close in on their target. He looked forward to the encounter. And to show his friend’s family that he wasn’t forgotten.
Family.
The word felt bitter on Colin’s tongue. At times he longed for a family of his own, and yet, he knew the sea and the life he lived had no place for one. He protected families. Made sure they were taken care of when they were torn apart.
Yet, the thought of his own was always in the back of his mind.
But he couldn’t think about that now. He had work to do. That was why he was on this mission. Not only to make the bastard pay for killing his friend, but for the family Sean left behind. He didn’t ken how they were living now, but he could only imagine how they must be struggling.
The coin that Sean had been transporting onHades Revengewould more than pay for their living expenses and set them up with a nice life. He just had to get to Storm before he spent the booty or stashed it away.
“Any sight of theHades?” Peggy asked, leaning against the rail.
Colin shook his head. “Nay.” He looked through the spyglass again, scanning the horizon, seeing nothing but the open water. “We must be getting close.”
“Aye, she’s a slower ship. It canna be long now.”
Off in the distance, a swell of water lifted and a huge beast broke through the surface. The creature blew out a large burst of air from the top of its head, spraying water in a large radius around him.
Colin waited, watching, and was soon rewarded with another beast surfacing, performing the same action.
“’Tis a beautiful sight,” Peggy commented.
“Looks like a family. Let’s hope they stay clear ofThe Hellawhile we pass.” They surfaced again further away and Honey breathed a sigh of relief. He didn’t want anything causing a delay in their chase, and continued watching as they swam away from the ship, breaking the surface in even intervals.
