The Blue Diamond (The Razor's Edge Book 1) by P.S. Bartlett

the candle flicker in his light green
eyes. The man took Willy’s chair and spun it to where he sat facing her. He
wrapped his legs around the back of the chair and rested his thick forearms on
it as he sat.
    “Master Green,” Cass said
and turned back to her drink.
    “Madame Randall, you are
wasting your time in this place. You will not find your cousin here,” Green
stated as he waved to the bartender for a drink. They were briefly interrupted
when a freckled, plump young woman with bright red hair leaned over and
whispered in his ear, giggling while bringing him his usual full bottle.   However, he quickly brushed her away.
    “How can you be so sure that
neither you nor Captain Carbonale has seen her?”
    “I make it my business to
know everything that happens here.”
    “Then I suppose you would be
lying to me.   As I stated earlier, it was
reported to us that she was, in fact, picked up in these waters by one of
Blacksnake’s ships.”
    “Madame, you do not want to
tempt the wrath of such a man as Captain Carbonale. He may appear a refined and
diplomatic gentleman…”
    “Well, that’s a matter of
opinion. May I?” Cass interrupted, pouring herself another glass of rum from
Green’s bottle.
    “May I ask you a question?”
    Cass turned and looked into
those sparkling green eyes peering out at her through his dark, glistening
skin, and struggled against being hypnotized at such a unique and unbalanced
sight. Without considering what the question may be, she simply said, “Yes.”
    “I have been wondering… why
would four women of obvious intelligence and resources have stayed here to live
a lifestyle which is so unbefitting of ladies—other than those ladies you see
here?”
    “That’s a difficult and
complex question to answer, Master Green, and one that I truly do not have time
to address right now. I intend to find Ivory, and when I succeed, I will do
whatever it takes to get her back. I’d even kill you, Master Green if
necessary…green eyes and all.”
    Green laughed in a strangely
delightful baritone purr and pulled his glass to his lips. “I must give you
this; you have all been surviving until now, so I will take that statement
under advisement. However, please know, regardless or your beauty and grace,
underneath it all you are still just a pirate and a woman, of which I fear
neither.”
    Cass reached over and took
Green’s huge paw in her hand and pulled it down beneath the table, sliding it
from her knee to her upper thigh. “Do you feel that, Alphonse?”
    He smiled and nodded. “My
hand knows the way.”
    “I’m not happy to see you
again. That’s a loaded pistol, and as you well know, I’m a dead shot. I’d hate
to see such a lovely man as yourself die without all your God-given parts. Oh,
and in case you’ve any ideas, its sister resides on my right hip, and I’m
equally skilled with either hand.”
    “Let’s not continue to play
at this, Cassandra. We have known each other far too long for such childish
games. Besides, I have no plans to die today, and nor should you, which is why
you should save your cousin over there from Sandy and go home.   Or better yet,” he paused, “allow me to show
you how happy I truly am to see you, and remind you why you’d regret that dead
shot.” Green smiled and slid his hand further up her leg.
    “I’m no longer that
wide-eyed, naive girl from years ago, and I have no use for that tonight,
Alphonse. Our time has come and gone,” Cass smiled, giving him a firm squeeze
on the crotch. “You don’t scare me, sir, with either a gun or with this, and
you never have.”   He withdrew his hand
quickly.  
    “I have no intention of
scaring you, Madame. I only wanted to warn you to be very careful of Captain
Carbonale. He may not kill you with his own hands, but his reach is far and his
tentacles will find you and squeeze you to death,” Green said, reaching back
across under the table and gripping Cass’s thigh. “I would hate to