Cutlass (Cutlass #1)
by Ashley Nixon
Release Date: 11/13/14
Summary from Goodreads:
Notorious pirate Barren Reed has one thing on his mind: Revenge against the man who killed his father. So kidnapping his enemy's fiancé seems a perfect plan…until he actually does it.
Larkin Lee is more than a pretty face and fiancé to a powerful man. Her fierce personality is enough to make any pirate want to push her overboard.
But when the King of the Orient comes to Barren with a task-to find the Bloodstone, a powerful gem thought only to exist in legend, Barren sees another opportunity to destroy his enemy. Together, Barren, Larkin and a crew of pirates set off to find the stone, only to discover it caused the death of Barren's own mother and Larkin's, too. As his strongest allies turn into his greatest enemies, and the life of the girl he kidnapped becomes more important than he ever dreamed, Barren's quest for revenge becomes a fight to save the Orient.
Excerpt:
Barren's eyes grew dark, and his lips twisted into a faint smile. "I was prepared to die," he said. "You had everything before you-a way to return home, wealth…"
"But nothing I want," she said, quietly.
Barren's eyes narrowed. "What do you want?"
Larkin looked away and took a deep breath. "Not the life I had."
"When did you make that decision?"
"When you almost died." She looked at him again and her eyes were bright with emotions Barren's couldn't quite discern.
"Well, we're even now-one for one," he said and walked forward, taking the helm. "You've been going the wrong direction for the past five minutes."
"Sorry," she blushed, stepping away. "And you're wrong-it's two for one. You saved me from the Orient."
Barren smirked. "Well, you owe me one then, but I'd rather you not have to save my life again."
"Why? Because I am a girl?"
"No," Barren shook his head. "Because I should be able to protect my own crew."
"Then what do I owe you?"
"A chance to prove I am not a bad person."
"I don't think you're a bad person."
Barren smirked. "Yes you do…I can see it in your eyes, hear it in your questions. You speak to me with accusation in your voice."
Larkin's eyes grew dark. "Why do you care about my opinion?"
Barren considered that for a moment. He supposed he only cared to be understood, and yet he was soliciting understanding from a girl who'd been fed realities of the world by her father. She trusted too much in the title of a man, believing that it, not his conscience, gave him honesty.
Her opinion really shouldn't matter, but Barren was confused; if she thought he was such a horrible person, she should have let William kill him.
"You seem to think you are immune to the realities of this life, but if you stay in it long enough, they will corrupt you. It's already begun. You protected me over your fiancé, wounded him even. Am I to believe it is because you felt I was the better man?"
"Truly," Larkin said. "Things are not always as they seem, but if you are insinuating I will become just like you, you're wrong. I have a conscience. I could not live with myself if I hurt anyone."
"Oh, I would never believe you'd be capable of hurting anyone, Mrs. Reed."
Larkin slapped him. The sting of her hand made Barren flinch. "That's for breaking your promise!" she said vehemently. After a final furious glare, she stormed away, disappearing in the darkness.
Barren sighed. "I'm an idiot."
"But nothing I want," she said, quietly.
Barren's eyes narrowed. "What do you want?"
Larkin looked away and took a deep breath. "Not the life I had."
"When did you make that decision?"
"When you almost died." She looked at him again and her eyes were bright with emotions Barren's couldn't quite discern.
"Well, we're even now-one for one," he said and walked forward, taking the helm. "You've been going the wrong direction for the past five minutes."
"Sorry," she blushed, stepping away. "And you're wrong-it's two for one. You saved me from the Orient."
Barren smirked. "Well, you owe me one then, but I'd rather you not have to save my life again."
"Why? Because I am a girl?"
"No," Barren shook his head. "Because I should be able to protect my own crew."
"Then what do I owe you?"
"A chance to prove I am not a bad person."
"I don't think you're a bad person."
Barren smirked. "Yes you do…I can see it in your eyes, hear it in your questions. You speak to me with accusation in your voice."
Larkin's eyes grew dark. "Why do you care about my opinion?"
Barren considered that for a moment. He supposed he only cared to be understood, and yet he was soliciting understanding from a girl who'd been fed realities of the world by her father. She trusted too much in the title of a man, believing that it, not his conscience, gave him honesty.
Her opinion really shouldn't matter, but Barren was confused; if she thought he was such a horrible person, she should have let William kill him.
"You seem to think you are immune to the realities of this life, but if you stay in it long enough, they will corrupt you. It's already begun. You protected me over your fiancé, wounded him even. Am I to believe it is because you felt I was the better man?"
"Truly," Larkin said. "Things are not always as they seem, but if you are insinuating I will become just like you, you're wrong. I have a conscience. I could not live with myself if I hurt anyone."
"Oh, I would never believe you'd be capable of hurting anyone, Mrs. Reed."
Larkin slapped him. The sting of her hand made Barren flinch. "That's for breaking your promise!" she said vehemently. After a final furious glare, she stormed away, disappearing in the darkness.
Barren sighed. "I'm an idiot."
About the Author
Ashley was born and raised in Oklahoma, where the
wind really does sweep down the plains, and horses and carriages aren't used as
much as she'd like. When she's not writing, she's hard at work on her Master's
degree in Library Science and Information Technology, working out, or
pretending she's Sherlock Holmes. Her obsession with writing began after
reading the Lord of the Rings in the eighth grade. Since then, she's loved
everything Fantasy--resulting in an unhealthy obsession with the 'geek' tab on
Pinterest, where all things awesome go.
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