He thinks he can exact justice on me like those people he thinks he’s helping. I am going to rip out Erik’s throat and watch as life leaves those dark, stormy eyes.
19
You Betrayed Me
ERIK
Yanking the drawer so hard it comes off the track, I pull out the cursed map.
“Here,” I say. My voice is gruff as I shove the map at Anders. “Right where I said it was.”
“Sorry, Captain,” the sailor starts, but I push past him. I don’t want to hear his excuses right now. Not when Helena and I were finally getting somewhere on the deck, only to be interrupted again.
The night before, all tension had waned from my body as Helena’s webbed fingers left a trail of goosebumps along my back. Even thinking about how she had traced my collar bones with her lips causes my heartbeat to pick up. All I had wanted was to get closer to her—eliminate every inch of damned space that still existed between us. We had fallen asleep in each other’s arms, and my chest had felt like an ever-expanding universe. I was making room for her in my heart.
Imagine my surprise when I woke and realized she had slipped out of our bed before I woke.Ourbed.
Shaking my head, I run my hands through my hair. When did things becomeours? I don’t doours.Cursing under my breath, I shove my way into the corridor. This whole situation has become such a huge mess, and I don’t know which way is up. I never used to feel things like this. I never used to feel much at all. And that was the way I liked it. So, I took a picture of her sleeping. It was a spur-of-the-moment idea. Something spontaneous.
I don’t do spontaneous. Now, in the light of day, I am wondering if she will hate it. She was angry enough with the idea that my men thought we were together.
And that thought, the reality of our situation, is like a bucket of cold seawater dumped over my head. It extinguishes the fire beneath my skin instantly. Some semblance of control grabs ahold of me. I can’t let Helena pull away, not over something as stupid as a picture. Reaching for my phone, I wonder where she is. If she’ll let me kiss her again.
Gods, that would be marvelous.
I check one pocket, then the next. By the third, I am downright panicking. My heart is pounding in my chest, my hands growing clammy as my search turns up no results.
Shit. Where is it?
I know I had my phone with me when I left my cabin this morning, but now...
The deck.
My stomach twists into knots as I lurch off the wall. I become frantic as I rush towards the deck, shoving past my crew as I take the stairs three at a time. In the back of my mind, I hear the men talking to me, but I ignore them.
If someone else finds it first, it would definitely upset Helena.
If the Ice Mer King found it… I shake my head, pushing the thought aside. Gods, why did I have to be so idiotic?
I try to calm down. Maybe the gods are with me, and my phone fell into the sea. That would be a stroke of luck.
Throwing open the doors onto the main deck, I careen forward at the same moment that a large wave rocks the boat. Grabbing onto the nearest railing, I turn and sweep my eyes over the deck. I don’t see Helena anywhere.
Come to think of it, not a single thing looks out of place. Maneuvering around the crates strewn about the deck, I walk past several sailors as they shout at each other.
“Hold steady...”
“Wait!”
“... starboard...”
Ignoring the men, I crouch where Helena and I were standing not twenty minutes ago.
My phone is not there. Everything looks perfectly normal. Scurrying around on my hands and feet, I lift ropes and check under canvas tarps.
Nothing.
This could either be very good or very bad.