Chapter 43: [43] Knot So Simple
The argument had shrunk the deck of the Crimson Sparrow. Even under the vast, open sky, the air felt claustrophobic. The ship glided through the waves with a rhythmic thump-thump against the hull, and somewhere above them, gulls cried their harsh commentary on the day.
Raven stood at the helm like she owned not just the wheel but the entire ocean beneath them. Her mismatched hair caught the wind, red and white strands dancing around her face as she adjusted their course with subtle movements of her wrists. She hadn’t looked at either of them since the money discussion ended, radiating the kind of pointed indifference that somehow felt louder than shouting.
Great. Now she’s giving us the silent treatment.
Pierre scrubbed a hand through his red hair, the motion doing nothing to settle the unease from the negotiation. He’d played mediator, only to end up feeling like a referee at a match where both fighters wanted him dead.
A sharp curse from the starboard side caught his attention.
Alyssa knelt beside a thick rope that lay in an unspooled mess across the deck, looking like a lazy, sleeping sea snake. Her platinum blonde hair swung forward, a silken curtain hiding her frown as she attacked the tangled rope, her attempts to impose order only making the chaos worse.
Oh, this should be good.
He strolled over, letting the corner of his mouth lift in a slow, deliberate smirk. "Having some trouble there, Princess?"
Alyssa’s head jerked up, her pale green eyes narrowing.
"I’m perfectly capable of managing a simple rope, thank you very much."