“Are you all right?” I asked. Michael nodded at the crow’s nest like he was trying to tell me something, but I didn’t understand the pleas in his eyes. He looked like he had given up because John was nearly in front of us. His brother’s face was contorted and his fists were white-knuckled. I would have been more concerned if I didn’t have a solid fifty pounds on the boy.
Before John was within hearing range, Michael muttered, “To answer your question, that boy, Peter, says he’s been trying to privately introduce himself, but you have always been with that darling girl.”
Before I could respond to Michael, John strode right up to me, his face nearly pressing against mine. “Take me back, Cap. Take me back to that place Bell says is hell. I’ll gladly live in hell if it means I can bask on golden beaches while I stare at beautiful women all day and never grow old!”
If it was anyone else, I’d pull my sword on him that second. My fingers twitched. “Neverland does not exist.”
In a state of derangement, John grabbed me by my coat and shouted as he shook me. “Take us back!” Tearing his hands off of me, I pushed him backwards, knocking him off balance. He fiddled with his hands and his pockets, surely looking for a weapon or some other means to defend himself. Clenching my hands so I would not pull out my weapon, I kicked him down onto the ground. With my foot on his chest, I sneered, “Bad form, John. Attacking your captain is cause for banishment. And since there is no port in sight, you’d be forced to swim a very long distance to get to dry land.”
“I don’t want to get to dry land!” John yelled, squirming under my boot. “I want to get to Neverland, where there is gold, and women, and immortality! Any pirate would want the same! What is wrong with you?”
The deck fell quiet. My crew was just awakening, but those who were topside stood still, silently watching everything unfold—all except for Robben.
“John’s right,” Robben growled, stepping out from the crowd. “The Cap is possessed by that witch. Someone in their right mind should command this vessel.”
“Robben, you do know it is with great, blasted effort that I do not kill you on a daily basis, don’t you?” Reaching for my sword, I turned my attention down to John. My lip curled. “Apologize and I’ll let you live.”
Wendy shouted John’s name, but Michael barked, “Hold your tongue!” He grabbed my hand, stopping me from pulling out my weapon. Christ, his eyes were bloodshot. “James…please. He’s my brother.”
“You’ve changed, Cap. Ever since that evil creature came on board, you’ve chan—,” John yelped and then gulped for air as I pressed down harder on his chest. He grabbed my boot, heaving for air. I didn’t back down. It was one thing to insult me, but another to offend my girl.
Michael grabbed my shoulder and pulled me off of his brother, shoving me against the center mast. Not eager to kill my first mate, I elbowed him in the face, landing a hit on his mouth. He wiped the blood from his lip, looked at it, and then charged me.
“What the hell are you doing, Michael?” I exploded, ripping his hands off of me. Stumbling away from me, Michael jabbed his thumb toward my quarters. “The thing is, James, you have changed. Ever since we fetched her from the sea, you’ve been different. I see it. The men see it. And with everything that has happened lately, they think you are possessed.”
“Christ, Michael. I’m not possessed!” I shouted. “I love her!” “You are in love with a wicked creature!” John fumed, pulling my compass out of his pocket and raising it up high enough for everyone to see.
I patted my breast pocket. The usual bulge of my compass was no longer there. Thinking back quickly, I recalled him grabbing me by my coat. I had been able to push him back. It had been easy. Too easy.
Drawing my sword, I cursed. “You pickpocketed me!” “You are losing your touch, Cap. Any good pirate would have known what I was doing when I got in your face. Distraction.” John flipped the compass open. A deranged smile spread across his face as he whispered Neverland. “I’ll find you.”
“Give that back, boy,” I demanded, pointing my sword at him. Michael stepped in front of the blade, blocking me from his brother and the rest of the crew. “James, don’t make me choose sides.”
“You should be telling your brother that, not me,” I growled, pressing the steel against him. “He doesn’t know what he is talking about. Neverland is a prison where you never die! It is hell! The gold and the women are meant to lure you there. It isn’t what he thinks!”
Michael’s jaw dropped. “It’s true? He isn’t just ranting?” I clenched my jaw. I didn’t want to lie to my first mate, but if he only understood…if he’d only trust me.
With the sword still pointed at him, I ordered, “Stand down, Michael.” Then I warned, “Give it back, John. I’ll do whatever necessary to keep my men from that hellhole, even if it means your death. I will not hesitate to slit your throat.”
I could take on Michael or John, but not both of them together. I had to choose. One might live, but the other would certainly die.
So I chose…
I charged Michael. I barreled into him, turning sideways as I hit him. He jabbed me, throwing punch after punch to my stomach. As he stumbled back, I pushed forward and swung my sword down. But my aim wasn’t for Michael. It was for his brother. John.
John’s eyes went wide, like he truly didn’t believe my sword came down on him. It had happened in the blink of an eye. I could have missed. But John coughed up blood after my weapon sliced his neck.
In that second, I swore time stopped moving as I turned to defend myself against Michael. The look on his face ripped open my soul. I never wanted to come between him and his brother.
“You left me no choice, mate.” “You lost the privilege of calling me your first mate!” Michael shouted. “I will command this vessel!”
“You’ll have to kill me first,” I warned, turning my sword on him. “So be it,” he snarled, withdrawing his knife. “The crew and I will take you down. You will be relieved of your duty as captain…”
“And that witch of yours will grant us our bloody immortality!” Calicos said, stepping up behind him. Kale followed. Then Cadmus. Then Smee.
One by one, my crew turned against me. All because I was trying to save their pathetic lives. “ You will die today. You and that blasted witch who’s possessed you!” Robben snarled, pushing up his sleeves and racing toward my quarters. “We will be immortal!”
I never knew true fury until I saw Robben running up the stairs toward my love. That anyone on this ship would harm her was unforgiveable. I couldn’t bear the thought of her being harmed. Shouting her name, I hoped to warn her, but she was already right outside my door. She stood there, watching the events unfold. However, she didn’t look the least bit concerned about Robben, who was seconds from getting his oversized hands on her.
“Peter,” Bell hissed. Her tiny fists were balled up, blazing red. Her body shook as she glowered at the crow’s nest. I never thought I’d ever see so much hatred in anyone’s eyes, much less the eyes of the woman who showed so much love for me.
Her feet hovered off of the ground. “Get off this ship, or I swear I’ll burn it down with you in it.” Peter laughed. “Just try, my darling. Just try.”
14 MISS BELL
Present Day
Try as I might, I would stop at nothing to be at his side in that moment. Nothing. Not a thing was as important as holding him in my arms again. Not the sand beneath my feet, imprisoning me in this version of hell; not the tattooed mess on my back; not even the lost souls, who’d do everything in their power to tear us apart, could deter my attention from him. He was my only reason for knowing what it meant to truly live.
As I raced to him, I cried out his name. My traitorous tears poured from my eyes when I caught sight of his arm. I couldn’t stop them from coming out. Even so, I held nothing back. I would hold him in my arms again.
In that moment, the only person who mattered was the man with those captivating, chocolate bro
wn eyes. Watching that wicked smile of his spread across his face when his gaze found mine was worth all the heartache. The way he whispered my name when I finally held him in my arms damn near brought me to my knees.
He cupped my face in his hand and whispered the most beautiful lie I’d ever heard. “Everything will be okay, my love.”
“I thought I watched the life leave your eyes,” I confessed. “If I would have known sooner, I would have found a faster—”
“You had to travel to hell and back and still, you found your way back to me,” James affirmed, tracing his thumb over my bottom lip.
I buried my head against his chest. He slipped his hand through my hair while the other arm tightened around my back. His heart pounded in his chest, mirroring the beat of mine.
“Was that your voice I heard?” he asked. I couldn’t bring myself to speak. Could he still like the way I sounded even though I lost my vocal abilities?
“I thought I was dreaming so I simply focused on your song,” he continued. “But the more I concentrated, the more real my world became. I woke from my dreams only to see you racing across the beach. I’d never heard such a beautiful voice than when you cried out for me.”
A silent tear slipped from my eye. “You think I still sound pretty.”
I felt his body stiffen. “Should you not?” I pressed my lips together. I forgot how to breathe when he asked what I had done that would make me doubt the allure of my voice.
I pulled back just enough to see his face. I wanted to memorize everything about him, from the wicked grin that made me second-guess everything I’d ever done to his wildly incorporative hair. He was an absolute vile mess. His unshaven face only added to his rebellious nature. It emulated mine. He was anything but civil, which made his gentle touch all the more precious. Because he wasn’t absolutely perfect meant that he was absolutely perfect for me.
“I could stare into your eyes for a lifetime,” he whispered, tucking my hair behind my ears.
“I won’t let you,” I whispered back and then kissed him. He may want to fall into my gaze, but I needed his lips against mine. I needed his touch. I had to hear the moan that resonated from his throat when I refused to let him breathe. He made that noise, which made me forget any civility I possessed.
Finally, he broke the kiss and rested his forehead against mine. “Christ, you are unrelenting.”
I purred, “You bait me, Captain. You antagonize me with that wicked smile of yours.” He smirked, but then his eyes turned away from mine. I could see the pain in them even though he tried to shield it from me. Immediately, I stepped away from him so that I could see the damage that had been done.
“Miss Bell,” he began and then lost his words. I waited a moment, not sure exactly what to say. What could a person say to another who had lost a piece of them?
“Have you ever seen a mermaid tear heal the impossible?”
His head snapped back. His eyes locked on mine. “Show me your back.” I clenched my teeth. I wouldn’t lie to him. I refused to speak lies, even if I could. But that didn’t mean I would let him live with only one good hand.
“The ink no longer dances across your skin,” he said, glancing at a shred of the ruined tattoo that still peeked out from my collar. His jaw tightened as did his hand. It tightened into a fist like he was determined to avenge me.
“It does not,” I admitted. “And what of your concern about your voice?” he asked. Again, I couldn’t bring myself to speak. Not that I wanted to tell him lies, but sometimes the truth was so much worse to bear.
It was more than just my voice. It was everything I’d done to survive. I’d watched the life vanish from his first mate’s eyes but never found the peace in death. I’d condemned his ship and the rest of his crew, and essentially gave us no reprieve for a life without having to look over our shoulder. My past was the reason why James had a target on his back. Because people knew I cared for him, they would use him to force my hand.
Of the miracle tears I had, I gave one up for Hope. However, I sacrificed my voice in the process and still would never fly again, not if I could help it. I glanced at James’ missing hand. I would fight him to the ends of the world if it meant I could take away his pain.
“What happened, Miss Bell? Tell me everything. No secrets, not anymore. Let us carry this burden together.”
I bit my bottom lip so it wouldn’t betray me with its quiver, but James had already noticed. I tried to open my mouth to speak, to tell him everything, but I couldn’t even draw a breath.
“Just breathe, love. I’m here. I’m here.”
As he whispered sweet nothings to me, all I could think was that we were in Neverland evermore.
READ ON FOR BOOK TWO OF THE NEVER EVER SERIES
miss bell Present Day
Cursing under his breath, James’ gaze fell to my lips. It was only for a moment—a split second in time—but I held onto that blissful second when he lost his composure and looked at my mouth like he never wanted anything more than my kiss. Instinctively, I licked my lips. He strung together a series of swear words that took longer—much, much longer—than a moment to utter.
A moan resonated from my throat. My primal confession echoed in the starless sky. Nothing except the soft waves splashing into the shore muffled my inhibitions.
Nightfall made it nearly impossible to see, but the fireflies I had released into the night zipped around us, illuminating just enough for me to see his ever-darkening stare. Not even the shadows could hide his devilish intentions.
We were nothing if not wicked creatures. Wrapping his arms around me, one arm slipped to the small of my back. James cupped the back of my head with his hand. His fingers tangled in my hair. “You’d be better off if you hadn’t come for me,” he whispered as if he was the bad influence in our relationship.
That made me smile.
Standing on my tiptoes, I purred, “I’d follow you to hell and back, Captain James.” He let out a breath of air he’d been holding in. “People like us don’t escape this hell, this prison. Neverland.” He uttered the word like the curse it was.
Escape. Yes, that must happen. I knew of a way. One way. I’d confessed it to James once before, but I doubted he remembered it. Even so, leaving this godforsaken island wasn’t what I wanted to think about. Not now. Not when I’d just gotten him back.
“I have no intention of escaping,” I confessed, tightening my grip on his collar. “Not yet.”
He smirked. I squirmed. I never ever told him, but it was his smirk—his incredible, intoxicating smirk—that made me secondguess my plans when we first met. It wasn’t until after I thought I’d lost him that I knew I’d fallen for him. Hard. It was the first time I’d caught sight of his mischievous grin was when the walls around my heart cracked.
“You pout a lot, Miss Bell,” James whispered, tracing his thumb over my bottom lip. I fought the urge to close my eyes and savor his touch. Instead, I teased, “Then don’t be so disappointing.”
He chuckled, “You find me disappointing?”
“I find you to be a number of disagreeable things.” I swore his dark brown eyes blackened. It might have simply been the shadows playing tricks on my eyes, but I somehow doubted it. Captain James Jones’ soul shined through those scorched orbs and oh, how they beckoned me.
“You have no idea how disagreeable I can be, Miss Bell.” He whispered my name like I was a fallen angel. If he only knew just how far I had fallen, or even the name I carried before we met, he wouldn’t have saved me. He would have kept sailing and never looked back. But for some reason, he couldn’t take his eyes off of me. Not even now, after I had cost him so, so much. He still didn’t look away. His gaze was steady.
My eyes fluttered shut as he traced his fingers down my back, teasing me with endless possibilities. We got a second chance, and I would not waste another moment. The way he held me so close, it was clear that he had plans for each and every second as well. He took the kiss he’d been wanting since he first gl
impsed at my mouth.
I had fallen for a despicable man—a pirate. Yet, I have never ever known that a coarse hand could be so gentle. I never knew that love could run deeper than the Seven Seas. I never believed I was worthy of the type of affection that defied anything and everyone, even the monsters from my past.
Peter would come for me.
Peter would never ever stop hunting me. And I knew if that horrid boy couldn’t get his hands on me, he’d come for my dear captain. He’d send the lost souls to capture their ex-captain. If they were merciful, they’d kill him. Somehow I doubted James would be so lucky, though.
Breaking the kiss, I tried not to notice his ghostly hand on the small of my back. “They will come for you.”
“Good,” James swore. I’d never heard abhorrence leak from another’s voice so clearly as that one word had come from James’ throat. He snarled, “Let them come.”
“What do you have planned for them? For Peter? For Michael? For all of them?”
To that, he only smirked.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Sarah J. Pepper specializes in paranormal romance— think Happily Ever After but with a twisted, dark chocolate center. Real-life romance isn't only filled with hugs, kisses, bunnies, and rainbows. True-love can be more thoroughly described in times of darkness and tribulation. It’s in those harsh moments where you see what a person is truly capable of— both the good and bad. Sometimes prince-charming isn't always on time, and the glass slipper is a little snug. However, it doesn't mean Charming is not Mr. Right, and who says every shoe is the perfect fit?
www.sarahjpepper.com
www.facebook.com/sarahjpepper.author @sarahjpepper
NOVELS BY SARAH J. PEPPER
Twisted Fairytale Confessions Death of the Mad Hatter
Locks: Rapunzel Unhinged
Snow White Lies
Never Ever Series
Neverland Evermore (Never Ever Series Book 1) Page 10