“Honey, I—”
“I din—”
They both started speaking at the same time and paused. Honey clamped his mouth shut, his full lips forming a thin line. He was angry with her. She couldn’t really blame him. For a man who demanded trust and loyalty above all else, her deception these past few weeks had to have hit him like a punch in the gut.
Perhaps he would throw her overboard. But deep in her heart she knew he would never do that. He was a good man. It wasn’t in his nature to intentionally hurt a lass, though she was sure the thought must have crossed his mind a time or two. But his crew didn’t feel the same way. They’d stood up for her before Honey had agreed he wouldn’t harm her.
That gesture had to mean something. She somehow managed to win favor with them. Now if she could only do the same with the intimidating pirate standing so close to her.
Honey remained silent. His eyes searching her face. Was he waiting for her to continue?
She cleared her throat nervously. Her tongue felt thick in her mouth as she began to speak. “First, I would like to,” she searched for the appropriate word, “apologize.”
He scoffed loudly, rolling his eyes to the beams in the ceiling above them, but said nothing.
“My actions were selfish.”
“Ye could have been killed,” he boomed. “Are ye daft?”
She shrunk back at the anger in his words. His temper caused his nostrils to flare and his eyes to darken even more.
Noticing her reaction, he put his hands up and stepped away from her, adding some distance between them to lean against the wooden desk, and crossed his legs at his ankles. The worn leather of his boots was faded in some spots.
“I’m no’ fond of being made a fool of in front of my men.” He pierced her with an icy gaze. “Men have walked the plank for less.”
Seonag swallowed hard, forcing away the lump in her throat so she could speak. “Other than my name, I’ve been truthful with ye.”
“How about posing as a lad?”
She blew out a breath. “Aye, that, too. But nothing else.”
“Yer age?”
“Oh, alright, ye’ve got me there as well.”
“Is that all?”
“Fine, but there’s one more thing. And truly this is the last. My mother is alive. ’Tis only my father that is no longer with us.” Her breath hitched at the mention of Sean. She’d done this all for him.
His brows knitted together, but he remained quiet.
“For months, I’ve been waiting for Storm to come to our shores.”
Honey slammed his hand down on the flat top of his desk. “I knew ye were intimate with the bastard.”
“No! Absolutely no’.” She rolled her eyes and blew out a flustered breath. The man was exasperating.
“How about ye begin from the beginning? Yer true name for a start.” Even though he knew it already, he wanted to hear it from her own lips.
She stalled, picking at an invisible piece of lint on her trews. “Seonag,” she said quietly.
“What was that?” Honey asked, leaning closer to hear her better.
“My name is Seonag. My father was Captain Sean Ruane.”
Colin felt likehe’d just taken a fist to his gut. Needle was his friend’s daughter? How was that possible?
“My father was killed this past year.”
