“We’re going to need something to wear,” Luca said as he picked at the frayed edge of his sleeve.

  “I didn’t exactly pack a bag. I thought we would be long gone by now.” Reese glanced down at her skirt. It had managed to become even more ripped than when she’d arrived.

  “There are plenty of options here.” He pointed out.

  “Like what?” She asked.

  “Literally any of the outfits in the shops that will fit.

  “We can’t steal from the shops!” Reese objected. “I’m not a pirate, we’ve been over this.”

  “It’s not pirating if you’re standing on land, it’s just stealing.”

  Reese hated his logic.

  “We can’t, it’s wrong.” She shook her head. “It would make us just as bad as he is.”

  “Reese, darling.” Luca smiled. “Stealing from the man who trapped us here would make us just as bad as that very man, who happens to be using people as prey in a little game of hunting?”

  Again, he had a point.

  “Fine, but just this once.” She scowled.

  Reese was fully aware of the fact that Luca brought out the worst in her.

  What surprised her was she didn’t fully hate it.

  That also scared her.

  Her father had raised her to be one of the law-abiding citizens of the sea. He had drilled it into their heads that following the rules would keep them safe.

  But it hadn’t kept Reese safe. Not here.

  Reese and Luca wandered around the grounds, glancing in each of the shops until they found one that interested them enough.

  Rabbit’s Gambit happened to be the one that caught their eye. The window was painted with little rabbits playing in the snow, and beyond the painted décor, sat layers of tulle and silk in colors Reese had never seen before.

  Without a word to Luca, she slipped into the store, and moved deeper into the treasure-filled darkness.

  Reese ran her hands over fabric softer than sea foam.

  She was having trouble picking one until her eyes landed on a sleek emerald dress.

  Reese pulled the dress from where it was hanging and ran her hand over the layers of silk and tulle. Part of the bodice was made of leather, meant to keep everything secure.

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  It was perfect.

  Reese slipped into the women’s parlor to change.

  The dress fit like a dream come true.

  It had little shorts underneath the layers of the skirt, and in those many layers, there were pockets.

  Reese could think of a great deal of things she could put into those pockets.

  She smiled at herself in the mirror and spun once or twice before she left the room.

  When she got back to the front of the store, Luca was already waiting for her in a grey suit with gold trim.

  He scanned her up and down once, his eyes lingered on the toes of her boots as they peaked out from under the hem of her dress.

  “Keeping the boots, are we?” He raised an eyebrow.

  “I don’t see why not. They’re perfectly good shoes.” Reese crossed her arms.

  “Well then, let’s not be late.” Luca held out his arm for her and she took it.

  They had to present a united front. They would be seen as stronger if they were together. Separately, they were easy targets.

  Reese was certain they would be noticed now. Being noticed would keep the targets off their backs, and they were very hard to miss.

  The invitation hadn’t included a time, only the place.

  Reese didn’t ask how Luca knew what time they needed to be there.

  He hadn’t wanted to answer her questions before, it was unlikely he did now.

  She had to remind herself that was a good thing.

  The less she knew, the better.

  The less he shared with her, the harder it was for her to see him as anything more than a way out of this nightmare.

  That’s all he was after all. Nothing less, nothing more.

  He had made it very clear that was how he wanted things to stay, and Reese knew better than to push.

  If their dynamic changed, it wouldn’t be good for either of them.

  She wouldn’t let Lyonell kill Luca, but it wasn’t because she wanted to save Luca.

  It was because she wanted to keep Lyonell from getting the satisfaction of finally catching what he’d been hunting for centuries.

  And then she would kill Lyonell instead.

  Everything she was doing was for her own benefit.

  Her own revenge.

  That was how things needed to be.

  If that changed, things would go wrong.

  For once, she would be allowed to be as selfish and self-serving as she wanted. Because that was what was going to keep her alive.

  She had been taught to put others first unless she wasn’t able to.

  In this situation, she was completely able to.

  She could save everyone and be the hero.

  But heroes often lost a lot more than they’d bargained for, and Reese wasn’t prepared to give anything up.

  She had heard the phrase “don’t be a hero.” uttered several times on her few adventures on land. Often when a stranger was in trouble and someone wanted to help, but their companions didn’t think it was worth the trouble.

  Reese had never understood it before, but she understood it now.

  Sometimes the best thing you can do in a situation is save yourself.

  Of course, the best-case scenario was everyone making it out, but not at the cost of her life. They could all die despite her efforts and it all would have been for nothing.

  The only thing she cared about anymore was getting back home to her father and her sisters.

  She couldn’t let a stupid broody boy get in the way of that.

  She would save his life, but it wasn’t for him, it was for her.

  Lyonell’s death was only for her own safety.

  Everything she was doing was for her, and only her.