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A shadow assassin? What the hell was someone who killed for a living doing freeing us? Since when did they find it within themselves to act based on the goodness of their hearts?
“Hey!” Blade pressed his hands to his breast. “Are you still pissed that I beat you at poker?”
Gilled nudged Blade with his elbow. “You stole my boat.”
Gill had a boat? Wow. I loved sailing. That elevated him one bar in the sexy contest. But he had a long way to go after the way he’d treated me.
“I won it fairly and squarely.” Blade traced his finger along my collarbone. “In fact, I win a lot of boats. The sale of them affords me a lifestyle filled with delicious women.”
His gaze dipped to my nakedness, and I crossed my legs, shifting to stan behind Nemo.
“Eyes up here,” Nemo told the assassin, pointing his finger at his eye level, then at Blade’s.
Gill laughed. The deep, rich sound reached to the core of me, stroking something buried within me, and I stepped backward, a little alarmed at my reaction. I didn’t like this guppy, yet, he did something to me, called to a hidden darkness inside me.
“Highness? As in a merprincess?” Blade’s eyes glimmered with flirtation as he shifted around Nemo to take my hand and lift it to his lips. “I eat beauties like you for breakfast.”
A blaze spread across my cheeks from his backhanded compliment. He reminded me of the forward Sharkrider from Shark Bait bar. Such intensity made me even more nervous in his company.
“That’s enough of that,” Nemo said, brushing away Blade’s hand as if he were jealous.
Cute. Sweet. I giggled, loving all the attention. “So many males fighting over me.”
They all stared at me as if surprised by my statement.
Shellfish. Fin in the mouth disease. Fin in the mouth! I cringed, thinking how arrogant I must have sounded.Just let me crawl under a sea rock and hide. Forever!
“I’ve got a bad habit of doing that,” I mumbled. “So.” I tried changing the topic. “Why would someone who kills for a living save us from pirates?”
Blade examined me as if imagining which sex position he wanted to take me in. “I’m part of the resistance. Fighting back the scourge consuming Haven. The pirates are kidnapping creatures from every realm and delivering them to the collector.”
“Not the same collector who stole Nemo’s granny’s pearl?” asked Gill.
Blade rubbed his stubble. “Probably. The collector gathers magical artifacts and talismans and trades them to the highest bidder.” He gestured at me. “Including beauties like you and ogres like these.”
He ruffled Gill’s hair, and the merman punched the assassin in his arm.
This collector had to be stopped. Countless more shifters might be taken if she wasn’t. How many families and lives would she destroy? No more! Not if I had anything to say about it. Though sea god knew I didn’t need anything else on my shoulders to worry about.
Again, Blade’s gaze trailed down the length of my legs.
Fin placed a hand on Blade’s shoulder. “Please, treat the princess with the respect she deserves.”
Thank you!It was nice to know they both had my back.
“Shall I get the lady some clothes?” Blade said.
“Yes, please,” I squeaked, burning with so much humiliation, I swore I lost half the water in my cells.
Blade’s gaze devoured me one final time before he left to scavenge among the chests atop the pirates’ wagons. His associates, whom I assumed might also be assassins, handed out blankets to the shifters they’d removed from their cages. One man was rummaging through a chest and pulled out some goblets, which he filled with what I assumed was wine or rum, and then he passed them around.
Some moments later, Blade returned with a bundle of clothes and boots piled in his arms. “Put these on, my friends.” He smiled, wagged his eyebrows, and glanced at the pile.
I noticed all the men’s clothes, including jerkins, long-sleeved blouses, leather pants, and boots, were on top. That left my dress on the bottom. I wagered he’d arranged them that way on purpose so he could examine me while the others collected their clothes. My suspicions were confirmed when he smirked at me the whole time the mersoldiers picked through the pile.
Nemo caught Blade staring at my breasts and grabbed Blade’s arm and growled, “Eyes up here.”
Blade laughed him off. What a rogue. I supposed I should have liked him. He reminded me of the kind of characters haunting Shark Bait bar. But then again, I’d never been in this position before today, vulnerable and oh-so-naked. The sight of a nude mermaid was probably a real turn-on.
