Knowing my luck, it’s probably the latter. Sitting back on my knees, I visually sweep the area one more time. Still no sign of the phone.
Just as I get back on my feet, footsteps approach from behind. I stiffen. When no one speaks, I clench my jaw, and slowly turn around.
Instead, my eyes widen as the scent of seawater fills my nose, moments before a flash of blue and purple hair fills my vision. Then, a loudcracksounds as a fist slams into my face. Stumbling back, I wipe the back of my hand across my throbbing mouth. It comes away red. Raising my clenched fists, I shake my head.
“What are you doing, Helena?” I hiss her name under my breath, dodging as a right hook comes for my face.
Her pink eyes are bright with fury as she ignores my question, barreling into me. We crash into a crate, the wood splintering beneath us. The force of impact forces us apart, and she rolls away from me on the deck.
“Stop it,” I whisper-yell, but she doesn’t listen. “Did you find my phone?”
She nods, narrows her eyes, and then rushes at me. Helena drives her fist into my side, barely missing my kidney. My body twists left, but she just gets angrier. If she could talk, she would be screaming by now.
The crew surrounds us, and a few men start shouting. I ignore them. My focus is solely on the female in front of me. My crew’s words are muffled as though they are underwater.
Helena relentlessly lunges at me again and again.
Just like before, we dance across the deck, but this time it isn’t for practice. She is furious, and there is only one thing I can think would cause her to act like this. Over and over, I block her hits, my fists clenched as she alternates between jabs and kicks.
“Let’s talk about this,” I beg, raising my arm to block her punch. “I don’t want to hurt you.”As if I could.
She shakes her head, her eyes flashing as she swings out her legs. I jump aside, but I’m not quite fast enough to evade her kick. Her foot lands in my stomach and I wheeze, doubling over at the impact.
“Helena, please, let me explain,” I hold up a hand, trying to catch my breath, but she completely ignores me. "You’re mad about rumors, right? Look, I took the picture because you were just so beautiful. I'll delete it, I promise. It was a mistake."
She reaches behind her, her mouth pressed into a grim line as she pulls something long and silver out of the waistband of her pants. My eyes bulge as I realize what it is. Instinctively, I take a step back to keep a healthy distance between us. I had resigned myself to being killed by the Ice Mer King’s men. But this. This was something Ididn'tsee coming.
“Captain,” Anders’ shouts, his voice sharp and clear in the misty air.“Are you all right?”
I shake my head, keeping my gaze locked on Helena’s. Her entire body is vibrating as anger leaks out of her pores, but she doesn’t try to hit me again. “Get the hell out of here.”
“Are you sure?”
I twist, meeting his eyes for a second. “Leave,” I bark.
That split second costs me. I swing back around, my fists raised, but there is nothing but empty air in front of me. I tense, but before I can do more than straighten my back, a hand locks around my neck. Helena yanks me against her, her forearm jabbing into my throat, and I put my hands up in the air.
Helena is much stronger than anyone—including myself—has ever accounted for. She walks us back, her arm firmly around me, and I claw at her.
“Helena, please,” I choke out as my airway tightens. “Listen to me.”
Her arm is trembling, but she doesn't stop. With each second that ticks by, I struggle to breathe.
“I don’t want you to get hurt," my voice is raspy as my vision begins to blur. "If you kill me, you’ll die.” She doesn’t know about the deal. About what her father has planned. Helena is safer with me, but she refuses to answer, tightening her grip. I try to wrench away before the last drops of air leave my body.
“Is this about the picture?” I try one more time.
Helena stiffens, her grip loosening for one blessed moment. Gasping, I draw in deep breaths of air. Tilting my head back, I watch as she shakes her head back and forth, seething.
I rack my mind, trying to remember what else could be on the phone besides the picture. It’s not like I have a lot on there. Besides the ship, I basically don’t have a life.
Running down a mental list of what she could possibly have found, I try to pull her arm off my neck. It isn’t as tight as it was, but it’s still there. The crew is watching us, ready to attack.
Podcasts, texts from the crew and...
Gods damn it all.
“Wait,” I pant, my heart pounding as it strains to keep me alive, “did you see my messages?”