Swashbuckling in the Dark

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Water hit my face, cool and refreshing and calming. I gasped, letting the water droplets drip from the point of my nose and edge of my jaw instead of wiping them off. I leaned forward until my forehead hit the wall and breathed a heavy sigh.

Feeling more relaxed, I lifted my head to see Dark striding into the captain's quarters, shutting the door with behind him and flipping the latch. As I watched him walking towards me, idly admiring, the first absurd thought that jumped to my mind was that I could now add adultery to my growing list of sins.

Seeing Duncan's jeering face again up close had been a shock, putting it lightly. I had been living under the assumption that he had died nearly a year ago now, either at the hands of pirates or in the mansion fire. I had made my peace with it, and after everything that had happened with Dark, I'd accepted the death of my old life, too.

With the revelation that he was alive, I wasn't certain what it meant for me and the new life I had chosen.

It also shocked me that Dark hadn't ended his life again right there on the beach. But he hadn't.

"Zaina," he began, neglecting to finish whatever sentence he'd been planning to utter. His arms wrapped around me, pulling me into a protective embrace. I held him back, pressing my face against his shoulder.

"What do we do now?" I asked, my voice satisfyingly neutral.

"He's in the brig." He pulled back from me, arching one dark brow. "Hasn't said a word."

My brow furrowed. "Why should he?"

He laughed darkly. "He's been impersonating the most infamous pirate in these waters, he may have faked his death and he just saw his wife, who I assume he also thought was dead and is now a pirate." He gave me a crooked smile. "Wouldn't you have questions?"

I sighed, shivering with a sudden chill. "I do have questions," I told him. "About all of this. I...I thought he was dead. I assumed..."

A shadow crossed Dark's face. "Zaina," he said, "in the interest of honesty, you're aware that his death was being investigated."

I shrugged, unsure of where he was heading. "Of course. I haven't given it thought. However, since Grimm is the one responsible for the attack, he is likely viewed as the guilty party."

Dark groaned. "Not quite..."

My eyes snapped to his face. His brow was furrowed, the lines around his mouth pronounced. His eyes held a mixture of apprehension and sympathy. "What's the matter?" I asked, anxiety leaking into my voice.

"Worthington has been looking into O'Brian's supposed murder," Dark explained, with clear reluctance. "However, you are foremost among his suspects."

"Me!?"

"The wife is a likely suspect in the death of the husband," Dark said, voice light with humor.

Annoyed, I took a swipe at him that he neatly dodged. "This isn't the time for jests! Worthington thinks I killed Duncan?"

"Yes, but you can't possibly be a murderess when your husband is still living."

With a scowl, I retorted, "A murderess I may not be, but an adulteress, yes."

Dark shrugged. "A lesser sin than murder."

My irritation deflated with a sigh. "It doesn't bother you?"

He frowned. "Not at all." I stepped into the circle of his arms when he held them out to me, sighing with content when his hand slid into my hair to cradle my head. "If it's any comfort, it was committed unknowingly," he added.