Forever Cursed (Never Ever Series Book 2)
Page 1
Table of Contents
Forever
Never Ever Series
DEDICATION
CONTENTS
Prologue
Earlier that year
Part I
Present day
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Part II
Present day
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
epilogue
Read bOOK #3
immortal love
Captain James
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Novels by Sarah J. Pepper
Forever
Cursed
Never Ever Series
Book #2
Sarah J. Pepper
Copyright © 2017 Sarah J. Pepper
Editor: Nadine Winningham
Published by Neximus Publishing
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either a product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced electronically or in print without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in reviews.
All rights reserved.
DEDICATION
For the dreamers,
Never stop. Never Ever. For even when the odds are against you, they can never claim your dreams. They are yours. Hold them dear, for sometimes they become the most beautiful realities.
Love always,
Sarah J. Pepper
CONTENTS
Prologue
Pg. #6
1
Miss Bell
Pg. # 12
2
Miss Bell
Pg. # 23
3
Miss Bell
Pg. # 35
4
Miss Bell
Pg. # 47
5
Miss Bell
Pg. # 55
6
Miss Bell
Pg. # 64
7
Miss Bell
Pg. # 103
8
Miss Bell
Pg. # 110
9
Miss Bell
Pg. # 129
10
Miss Bell
Pg. # 137
11
Miss Bell
Pg. # 150
12
Miss Bell
Pg. # 182
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
Miss Bell
Captain James
Miss Bell
Captain James
Miss Bell
Captain Hook
Miss Bell
Captain Hook
Epilogue
Pg. # 190
Pg. # 200
Pg. # 204
Pg. # 209
Pg. # 217
Pg. # 224
Pg. # 238
Pg. # 249
Pg. # 270
Prologue
Captain James
Earlier that year
Miss Bell was incredibly desirable when angry. Had she no idea what she did to me when she paired that deadly glare with her heart-shattering pout? Christ, it was everything I could do to focus on the task at hand—tying up this fool so he didn’t try to do something absurd, like kill me.
Again.
I groaned. There were far too many blasted men on this island. Even more men than I expected to have had a colorful past with the fairy in question. I rubbed my chin with the curve of my hook and tried to figure out if there was anything I could possibly say to put Bell at ease. My plan would work.
Stomping out of the lagoon, like the mermaids weren’t within earshot, she demanded, “What is your plan for Peter?”
Kill him.
But I couldn’t say that. She’d go on and on about how that was impossible since she’d cast out his soul.
“And not just Peter,” she added and then spread her arms wide. “For everyone and everything against us.”
“A sword prick here, a mermaid tear there. A ship to take back and a damned crew to…”—I waved my hand in the air, searching for a word like kill that Bell couldn’t argue was impossible—“…dispose of. It’s all very simple really.”
“Simple?” She glared at me and then at Deval, a dark-haired, dark-skinned French fellow who had the misfortune of meeting us. Thus, he was in his current predicament of being tied to a tree along the edge of Hangman’s Forest. “You think this has been simple?”
“The plan is simple. Execution has proven to be a bit more problematic.” I raised an eyebrow, closing the gap between us. “Care to enlighten me of yours?”
“The details are still underway.”
That was a non-answer if I’d ever heard one. She was plotting, just as I had been over the last—hell, how many nights had we spent on this indecisive island? I suppose it didn’t matter. We were still trapped here, scheming to find a way off this island that didn’t involve her psychopath ex stalking us.
Bell may try to conceal the sharp intellect hiding in those jade-colored eyes, but I saw it shimmer. It was like a flash of lightning. There was so much to see in that burst of light in such a short amount of time one could hardly catch it all, much less react to the danger it brought.
And then she smiled.
Bloody hell, that smile revealed everything and nothing. It was the same when she was pissed off as when she was enjoying herself. It made her wildly unpredictable. I didn’t know what she’d say or what her next move would be.
I could only react.
And by God, I reacted to her. Every morsel of my being reacted to her. Every. Fucking. Morsel. That she was soaking wet and wearing my old leather vest and a skirt that was just short enough to make an imagination run rampant didn’t help matters in terms of logic. Then again, I was fighting with Miss Bell. Logic went out the window long ago.
“Captain Hook,” she purred, whispering her new favorite pet name for me in that raspy voice of hers. The sassy way it sounded was so unexpected one couldn’t not hang on every word. “You are, by far, the stupidest man I’ve ever had the misfortune of meeting.”
“But now that you’ve met me, you can’t help but enjoy my company.”
She blinked in response, then gave me a blank stare. This dame. I shook my head and tried not to smile. I failed. Terribly. My grin proved only to infuriate her. She clenched those dainty little hands up into the tiniest fists.
God, she was adorable when she was mad.
She stood on her toes, still far from being eye to eye with me. It just brought that lovely, dirty mouth closer to mine, which in turn made me think of a hundred other things I’d rather be doing with that mouth than arguing.
“Your mouth hangs, Captain.” She glowered like my company was merely an annoyance, but the corner of that fiery mouth tugged. “You may say your plan is simple, but it will never work.”
“Neverland is a place where the impossible happens, defying all logic and reason. Yet, you say it will never work? Never?”
&n
bsp; Part I
Present day
Chapter 1
Miss Bell
I squeezed through Hell’s Entrance, stumbling on a skeleton that stuck out of a dune. James caught me before I ate the sand. A slew of cuss words slipped from my tongue. My footing had never been so loose with my wings. For the hundredth time, I vowed to make Peter suffer for stealing them from me. A shiver shot down my spine as I recalled the smell of burnt flesh as he scraped the inky tattoo off with his knife.
“Welcome home,” I muttered, shaking the horrid memory away and walking deeper into the beach graveyard.
The sight of countless skeletons half buried in the sand was unforgettable enough, but it was the large cannon walls which enclosed the beach like a half-moon, truly captivating the sense of dread within me. Sharp boulders jetted out like oversized thorns. The only access point to the beach was through a small crevice—Hell’s Entrance—unless you wanted to chance swimming in the lagoon.
“Bollocks,” James said, walking up behind me. “How far up do the cannon walls go?”
“Far enough that even vultures find the air up there to be ghastly,” I replied, watching the birds circle overhead.
“What is this place?” James asked.
“The Mermaids’ Lagoon. It’s their territory,” I replied, pointing to the water which shimmered like oil. The residue of the water left rainbow marks along the sand where the waves rippled onto the shore.
“Whose dumping ground is this?”
“Mermaids,” I answered. Wasn’t that obvious? “They bring the bones of the natives they lure to sea. It serves as a reminder not to cross them.”
“Scorned dames are a frightful thing,” James commented and kissed the back of my head. “Why did you drag me here, my love?”
“No one comes here,” I stated. “Well, not the living.”
“I can see that,” he scoffed. “Care to elaborate a touch more?”
“It makes it the perfect place for us to go unnoticed until your arm heals.”
“You worry far too much about me.” He wrapped his arm around my waist, pulling my back against his chest.
“You are reckless.”
“Aye.”
“That’s not a good thing, my captain.”
“Says you.”
Shaking my head, I reached backward, cupping his face in my hand. It had been far too long since I had scratched my skin with his stubble. The hues of caramel had grown out into a chestnut brown beard.
“Surely there must be a better place than this.” His voice echoed throughout the barren landscape, emphasizing the strain in it. “Perhaps one with a better view?”
He may be keeping the conversation light, but I could tell he was in pain. I could practically feel it in my bones. Turning on my toes, I faced him and buried my hands in his untamed, russet mane. I rested my arms on his shoulders and tried not to gape at the muscular definition of his bare chest, or the shimmering silver scars rippling across the lines of his abdomen. He had the body of a survivor. A thin white scar marred his neck, compliments of his father. Angry red marks peppered his legs. All evidence of past battles. Most people would only see damage to the godlike physique.
I wasn’t like most people.
“I care less of the view than I do of your well-being,” I said. “You aren’t healing as fast as you should.”
“I’ve rarely done what I’m told,” he joked.
I forced myself to maintain my gaze. I was done going back and forth about it and he dodged every comment with expertise. Besides, I knew he wasn’t getting any better because he kept his arm tucked behind his back. I believed he did it to spare me from the blood-soaked shirt he used as a bandage. It tore at my heart, both that he was suffering, and he wouldn’t let me help him.
“I will collect payment for what they did to you,” I vowed.
James’ knuckles cracked. His shoulders stiffened. His entire body flexed, hardened to the touch. There were very few times I feared what he would do. Now was one of them. Rage seeped from his dark brown, almost ebony orbs. The lines of his face deepened. His chest heaved as he attempted to control himself. James did not gain the reputation of being a vile pirate for nothing, nor could I disclaim the hammering in my chest as he stared me down.
To go up against him…he was so confident, which made him even more menacing. The calculations he made were present in the shadows of his eyes. He was a dangerous man, so ruthless and determined. Everything was planned in detail. I had never met someone as shrewd as he, and I’d trapped many dreadful men on this island.
“I will collect the debt owed to me. You will not fight my battles, Miss Bell.”
Breathe in. Breathe out.
My body vibrated, reacting to him. His rage called to me, beckoning like a siren. His temper rolled off as he towered over me. The wide spread of his chest, the taut flex in his arms, the faint caress of scabbard brushing up against my hips—it was all meant to intimidate me, but it simply tempted me to curl my fingers around his waistband and lick the fury emitting off his body.
I could barely force a breath out when he leaned forward and lightly brushed a strand of hair out of my eyes. I wouldn’t have been able to control myself had I moved. His caress was light as if his entire body wasn’t flexed. I licked my bottom lip; my body humming and craving more.
His gaze dropped. He made no attempt to shield the darkness harbored in his eyes, like he wanted me—needed me—to see what most people saw. Ruthlessness. Turmoil. Devastation. Someone who hadn’t endured pain…evil could never truly understand. For I was born of evil. And the sideways glance in James’ eye was that of the devil.
“Remember that the same hand I use to caress your delicate skin has been stained with the blood of my enemies,” he said, cupping my cheek. “Do not assume my affection for you is something others have experienced. Understood, Miss Bell?”
Not trusting my voice, I nodded. By creation, I was drawn to wicked men. But even if that wasn’t the case, there was no part of me that didn’t find him incredibly attractive. James was cunning, dangerous with a sword, and yet he reserved a soft spot in his heart for me. His affection for me made mine beat uncontrollably.
He leaned in so his lips were right above mine, but he paused just before I could taste his kiss. “Is that understood?”
“Perfectly,” I gasped.
He stepped away from me and scanned the south beach. He placed his hand behind his back, holding the wrist covered with crimson bandages.
“We are not hiding here,” he proclaimed. “The northern beach looks far more inviting.”
Across the lagoon was a smaller beach. It was covered with far less sand and nearly overtaken by the forest’s edge. The problem with it being more inviting was the invitation itself. Having to decide between scorned mermaids or vengeful natives, I’d rather go up against an enemy who was restricted to water. Besides, James’ injury was still fresh. It should have gotten a little better since arriving in Neverland. I suspected black magic at play.
It wasn’t until he peered back at me with a raised eyebrow that I realized I hadn’t outwardly responded.
“I must confess. I used to collect men and bring them here.”
“I’m aware, Miss Bell.”
I swallowed a lump which had lodged in my throat. “Many men.”
Facing me, he gave me his full attention. I wouldn’t say he was entirely thrilled, but he was intrigued.
He narrowed his eyes. “How many?”
I shrugged my shoulders. “My count is forgotten, but it got to the point where I no longer saw them as humans, but rather trinkets in my collection.”
“And your magic improved with each trinket?” he asked, calming my self-loathing about once referring to them as items.
My eyes fluttered shut. It had been years since I’d felt the flood of power that accompanied each one. The exhilarating rush was unimaginable. My mouth watered. Oh, how I’d love to feel that surge of power once more.
When I opened my eyes, he was smirking. “I’ll take that as a yes.”
Heat flooded my cheeks. I never told him, but it was his smirk—his incredible, intoxicating smirk—that made me second-guess 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. The first time I’d caught sight of his mischievous grin the walls around my heart cracked.
“Magic won’t do us any good if we’re half-starved and not protected from the elements,” I said, trying not to get sidetracked again. We wouldn’t survive many more days of baking in the sun without proper food or water.
“We would have more luck finding shade and food in the forest,” he suggested.
“And more vengeful natives.”
“Well if we are to spend the rest of eternity here, we must cross paths eventually.”
I glanced at the arm he kept tucked behind his back. “Michael took your dominant hand, and it has not yet healed.”
“Shite. What you really mean to say is I cannot protect you, much less myself, in my current state of health.”
I crossed my arms over my chest. “When have I ever needed protection?”
“Since you became more important to me than treasure!”
I opened my mouth three times but nothing seemed to come out quite right. “We have two tears. Perhaps if you weren’t in so much pain—”
His jaw was set. “My wound will heal. Your wings…magic like that cannot heal.”
“How are you so certain?” I asked.
“You would have said so otherwise,” he said, with confidence, and then asked point blank, “Or will you now use lies to get your way?”
I loathed that accusation. “I am no liar.”
“But fairies rarely tell la verdad,” a voice echoed throughout the barren abyss.
I’d recognize that heavy accent anywhere. It belonged to my first captive, Mario. Although you wouldn’t have known it as he had not aged a day. He stood over a pile of sun-bleached bones—an old man trapped in a young lad’s body. Years spent on this island had turned his once olive skin to nearly black. A scar cut across his face and smaller ones peppered his arms. Some I recognized. Some I didn’t. Regardless, they were signs of a hard life lived.