I allow him to finish before giving his other cheek a matching slice. “Now I appreciate you cooperating, but maybe refrain from insulting Tally in front of me.”
I listen to his wails for a second before demanding he continues.
His glare is still present but it's starting to lack heat. Starting to accept he’s not leaving this cell alive.
“After you lot left, another ship docked, a more sophisticated one. The master of the ship found me bitching about Tally, and offered me a solution of taking her out as well as helping to eliminate you. He knew you’d come running back the second Tally sent word. It was just a case of getting her to a point of suspicion and fear to ask you. She lasted longer than we thought she would, it’s why we set her hut on fire, to make her finally send for you.” Damn, he's quaking faster than a duck and he’s barely bleeding.
“Who was this master?”
“He went by the name Thomas.”
August reaches through the bars, gritting out the next question for me. “Thomas who?”
A voice from the cell on the other side of the brig laughs, “You’ll never stand a chance against the Thomas family.”
August stiffens, but swings her gaze to mine and gives a nod. If she knows of them, there's no point in trying to get what little information Hago has on them. Not when thewhyis much more important.
Turning back to Hago, I continue. “This Thomas offered you a way of sparking a rebellion, to get rid of Tally and to lure us here.”
It’s a statement over a question, making sure I’m correct in my assumptions. He nods, dropping his gaze down to the dirt covered wood.
“And what did he offer you in return?”
His gaze darts around the brig, flicking to the other two captives before dropping back to the floor. “He offered a group of men to help me create the incidents. I hid them in a cave down on the other side of the island, so they could stay undetected by you. Then he promised to help me become leader once she was dead. He was meant to be my backing.”
“They went off script when they set that fire in the tavern, didn’t they?”
He nods. “We were meant to torment her more before making the big move, get her scared shitless and get the people on our side, but she never seemed to reach it. We knew you had your suspicions on me, so they set the fire whilst I was there to offset the suspicion and hopefully kill a few of you.”
Now I smirk, nothing about any of his plans has gone right. He’s faltered ateverysinglehurdle. “But no one died in that fire and we found your cloak. When you ran you only confirmed everything.”
“Which is why we decided that the ship attack was to happen when it did.”
“And you severely underestimated what we’re capable of. Even after being around for that battle, you didn’t expect us to be able to take out a few measly minions. You got sloppy and now it’s killed you.”
Now the glare has vanished, instead tears stream like rivers through the mass of red on his cheeks.
“What was the end goal here? Just for you to take over, and kill every pirate that dares come here?”
He nods at the ground, fingers trembling in their shackles. It’s embarrassing how quickly he caved, I barely did any damage to him. But that doesn’t mean he won’t receive more once we're done with him. August will keep his days full until his end.
Turning to Tally, I give her a gentle smile, encouraging her to answer my next question. “Anything you want to ask, love?”
She goes to shake her head, but stops and steps forward instead. “Why do you hate me so much? What the fuck did I ever do to you to make you hate me?”
He refuses to look up, stuttering over a single syllable.
“Answer her, Hago.” Twisting the dagger to catch the lantern light, a clear threat written in the smallest of movements.
“Because you didn’t want me.”
Confusion floods me, making me look up at a wincing Tally. “We only fucked once, Hago, and it was awful.”
He flinches as if he was smacked physically, not verbally.
Tally huffs a laugh, “Seriously? You wanted me and couldn’t have me, so what? No one else could have me either and I should die?”
When he continues to cower in the corner, she lets out an unbelieving laugh. “Wow, that's low, Hago. Whatever happens to you, you deserve.”
