Chapter 37 | The Devil of Siren City

THE SUN ROSE OVER SIREN CITY.

Surrounded by nothing but water, Candy watched the deep blue sky explode with a bright orange haze from the comfort of Captain Raphael Rackham’s arms. He was tired but happy, pleasurable bliss still tingling the crevices of his body. He clung to it, immersed himself in it, because he had so few precious moments left in that bed.

Waste not. Want not.

Rackham’s chest rose and fell, each breath long, each thump of his heart steady. Candy assumed he was still fast asleep until he spoke suddenly.

“This could be every morning.”

Candy stayed quiet. Rackham said it so softly, Candy thought that maybe the Captain was talking to himself in his sleep.

“Every morning,” Rackham continued. “You and me.”

Candy knew this was coming. And, like always, he wasn’t as prepared for it as he thought he’d be.

“I would give you everything. I would take you everywhere, anywhere in this world you wanted to go… instead, you pledge your heart, body, and soul to him and that damned city.”

Rackham’s breath shook. His hand tightened on Candy’s shoulder, the grip strong enough to leave a bruise. Candy didn’t move, though. He accepted the firm punishment.

“I want nothing more than to march outside right now, put a bullet in that grunt’s brain, and tell my crew to pull anchor and run. But you won’t let me do that, will you? You’ll stop me from taking what’s rightfully mine and, for some damnable reason, I’ll let you. I always let you. Every time I say goodbye to you, I tell myself it’ll be the last time, and then I have the audacity to be surprised when you leave me again. What do I have to do to get you to let me love you, pebble?”

Candy swallowed hard. There was so much he could say, so much he wanted to say to soothe the Captain’s pain, but it wouldn’t be enough. It would never be enough.

Instead, Candy raised his head. He looked into his lover’s eyes. Singed with anger, the blues within crashed like waves in a storm.

Candy smiled.

Rackham sneered, but his ire faded quickly. He never could withstand Candy’s brightness for very long.

Candy leaned closer, his teasing eyes twinkling in the morning sun. He hovered an inch away and waited until the final clouds in Rackham’s eyes faded.

Then he kissed him. Rackham placed a hand on Candy’s throat. For a moment, Candy thought he may actually push him away this time, but the strong fingers curled around to rest on the back of his head and squeezed tightly.

A knock struck the door soon after. It was time to go.

Candy dressed slowly while Rackham rushed, his mind on official matters. This was a business transaction, after all, and he had promises to fulfill along that dotted line.

“I’ve sent payment to Aphrodite,” he said, leaning over a writing desk in the corner. “I’m sure she’ll distribute your fair share to you.”

Candy chuckled dryly. He was sure she would, too.

“As per the other matter,” Rackham looked up, his eyes finding Candy’s as he glanced over as well, “you can tell Mr. Price that his request is granted.”

Candy bowed his head, blinking in surprise. He didn’t think Rackham would grant that request so easily, that he would open such a powerful tool to someone he long considered his enemy. “Thank you, sir.”

“It’s conditional, of course.”

Candy figured. “What are your conditions?” he asked, prepared to take them back to Adrian.

“He and I will discuss them soon.”

“Face-to-face?”

“Yes.”

Candy nodded. Of course. “I will let him know.”

Rackham slid open the top drawer of his desk. “Until then…” He withdrew a small object from within. “I believe you’ve been waiting for this.”

Candy eyed the black flash drive in Rackham’s palm. “Yes,” he said, stepping forward to take it.

“Interesting girl he has there,” Rackham said as Candy slipped it from his fingers.

Candy’s stomach tightened. Of course, he knew. The Captain knew everything.

“Is she?” Candy asked.

Rackham slid his hands into the pockets of his trousers without replying.

Candy pocketed the drive. “Thank you again, sir.”

The Captain nodded; the matter settled.

Candy wasn’t ready to leave yet, Rackham’s words still echoing in his mind. It won’t be enough to erase the pain, but he could at least try to soothe the wound. At least for a little while.

“You were wrong before,” Candy said.

Rackham tilted his head, giving his undivided attention.

“You said I pledged my heart, body, and soul to Siren City. To Adrian. But that’s not true. Not completely.” Candy took a breath. “They have my loyalty. My sword. I won’t abandon them now, not when they need me the most. But my heart… That’s yours, Raph. Always has been.”

Rackham stepped forward, his hands coming to rest on Candy’s cheeks. He leaned in close, the blues of his eyes calm and strong. “I was your first,” he said. “I will be your last.”

Candy trembled, the words equally a threat and a promise.

“Open,” Rackham said.

Candy obeyed. He opened his mouth and presented his tongue.

Rackham cracked a smile. He opened his hand, revealing a tiny round-shaped diamond in his palm. He held it against Candy’s tongue, pressing the pointed side down until it drew a single drop of blood.

“You shine brighter than all of them, pebble,” he said. “Don’t ever let them make you believe otherwise.”

Then he kissed Candy goodbye again, and Candy left.

Brock stood outside the Captain’s quarters, waiting with Giselle. Giselle smirked in greeting as Candy stepped out, then escorted them back to their boat. Candy didn’t have to ask what Brock got himself up to all night; the twinkle in Giselle’s eyes told the whole story for him.

As they approached the boat, one of the abandoned Centurians tiredly patted the other’s shoulder to wake him up.

Shaking off the night, they rode back to Siren City. Candy watched the black yacht on the horizon, his eyes on the windows. He couldn’t see Rackham, but he knew Rackham could see him. He felt his stormy eyes on him the entire way back to shore, and the feeling lingered on him as they traveled across the bridge toward Scarlet Street.

“Welcome back,” Aphrodite greeted him as he arrived. She sat at his kitchen table with her laptop and various documents stacked close by. Party planning, Candy figured. “How was your evening with the Captain?”

Candy smiled, successfully obscuring his annoyance that she made herself at home in his absence. “Wonderful,” he said. “We had a nice time.”

“I should think so,” she said. “He nearly doubled your usual fee, so he must have enjoyed your services.”

“Must have,” he said, wanting to keep this conversation brief.

“Well…” Aphrodite stood and gathered her things. “How about we get some breakfast? You can tell me all the juicy details.”

“Actually, ma’am,” he said. She paused. “I’d like to get some sleep, if it’s not too much to ask. It was… a long night.”

Aphrodite laughed. “Right. Of course. The Captain’s vicious appetite is legendary.”

Candy nodded.

“In that case, we’ll catch up later,” she said.

“Thank you, ma’am.”

She didn’t move. She looked him over, her cheek pinched in thought. “Candy, you know I value our friendship, don’t you?”

Candy blinked, silently putting up a shield within himself. “Of course, ma’am. I do, too.”

“Outside of Scarlet matters and Tower business, well…” She tilted her head, smiling at him. “You’re one of the few people I can truly be myself around.”

“I appreciate your trust, Aphrodite,” he said, bowing his head with respect.

She paused, her eyes flinching slightly at the name. The name she earned in blood. “Yes,” she murmured. “Well, I’ll let you get some rest.”

“Thank you.”

Aphrodite walked to the door. “Candy,” she said, stopping in front of it. “The Captain…”

“What about him?”

“In your time together this week,” she said, “did Hades come up?”

Candy steeled himself, his poker face a subtle mix of assurance and fear upon hearing his name. “No, ma’am,” he answered.

“Not at all? I figured he might say something. Or, at the very least, mention the rumors.”

Candy blushed. “Honestly, ma’am, we didn’t do much talking at all this time.”

“Ah.” Aphrodite smiled. “Well, then…”

With that, she walked out the door and closed it behind her.

Candy rushed forward to look through the peephole. He watched as Aphrodite muttered something to Brock, who nodded gratefully before crossing the hall and entering another apartment. Dismissed for the morning, perhaps? Candy hoped so.

Aphrodite continued down the hall and boarded the elevator, no doubt taking it to her penthouse upstairs.

After locking the door, Candy made his way to his bedroom. He eyed the bedside table, noting that his journal was nudged an inch out of place. Not that he minded. Every word in that thing was a lie; lies he wanted Aphrodite and the gods to believe.

He walked into his closet. Lined with suits and jackets on both sides, he went straight ahead toward a column of drawers filled with ties and accessories. Below them along the bottom were his shoes. So many shoes for so many occasions.

Candy lowered to his knees and reached for a pair of plain black loafers. Hidden deep in the toes, he withdrew a small black velvet bag tied off with a blue ribbon.

He opened the bag and turned it over. Dozens of tiny diamonds spilled out into his palm, each one as pristine and perfect as the last.

Opening his mouth, he removed Rackham’s latest gift safely hidden beneath his tongue and added it to his collection of little pebbles.

Candy sat with them for the longest time, awash in a sea of memories. Some tender. Some not so much. But each one a treasure he’ll keep for the rest of his days. Then he poured them back into the velvet bag and hid them safely away again.

As he stood, Candy felt for the flash drive in his pocket. He had to get it to Adrian as soon as possible, somehow. Then they’d finally know for sure exactly what Skylar was up to.

Or would they?

Would Adrian even read it? He said he didn’t even want it anymore. He believed she would tell him her truth when she was ready.

Candy, however, wasn’t so patient or trusting.

Grabbing his laptop, Candy sat down on the couch and shoved the drive inside.

He read it. He read everything.

Candy was wrong about Skylar.

Adrian wasn’t living with a time bomb.

This was something so much worse.