Total pages in book: 76
Estimated words: 72233 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 361(@200wpm)___ 289(@250wpm)___ 241(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 72233 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 361(@200wpm)___ 289(@250wpm)___ 241(@300wpm)
By the time the lights went out, James had Peter tucked into his bed. “Just try to think happy thoughts,” he told him as he placed a kiss on his head.
“This place is scary, James. I wanna go home.”
James didn’t know how to explain that this was their home now. “It’s only for a little while. I swear, you won’t have to stay here long.”
“Promise?” Peter held out his little hand, and James grinned. From the moment he taught his brother that a man’s handshake was equal to a vow, he clung to that security and used it whenever he wanted guarantees.
James placed his hand in his and squeezed. “I promise.”
That night, James dreamed of a place where they could escape. A place where they were never hit, and lost boys were free. He dreamed of wild adventures and long journeys at sea. He dreamed himself powerful, tall, strong, and honorable. He saw a man who could never be bested by monsters again.
It was a magical place he wasn’t sure existed. It called to him, stirring a sort of wanderlust in his soul, and when he closed his eyes, he could almost taste the salty sea air on his lips and the freedom promised by such a mammoth ship underfoot.
The clouds would never gather, and the wind would never blow cold. There would be no evil that could beat him because he would be the most powerful man of all.
He did not know if such a Never Land could exist, but he wanted to believe. He wanted to dream himself an untethered force, as free as the wild sea. But as his imagination drifted into a deep slumber, he sensed a siren’s kiss pulling him further under. And as his dreams took shame in his mind, a sharp ache formed within his wrist. Instinct tickled up his spine and warned there would be a price for such bliss.
Chapter 1
The Lost Hopes of Little Girls
Slamming the door, Wendy threw herself onto the bed and wept at the injustice. Tonight was supposed to be her night. She waited eighteen long years to garner an invitation to the exclusive gala, and this was her year, but her father had spoiled her plans once again.
She reached for her phone, prepared to text her friends a boiling rant of profanity about how smothering her parents could be, but her screen opened to her social media, and she was bombarded with pictures of her peers dressed for tonight’s event.
“Fuck my life.” She tossed the phone aside, unable to stomach her friends’ joy without being eaten alive by her own jealousy.
The soft wrap of her mother’s knuckles preceded the creek of the door. “Wendy, darling, he didn’t do it on purpose.”
Of course, her mother would defend her father. “He knew how much this night meant to me,” Wendy argued, her makeup smearing on the chenille pillowcase.
“Obviously, he didn’t, or he would have secured the ticket.”
“I told him, Mother! It’s all I’ve talked about for months. He never listens to anything I say!”
Her mother pressed a comforting hand on her back. “Your father’s a busy man. He has a lot on his plate.”
Wendy sat up, the chiffon sleeve of her ivory gown drooping off her shoulder as a curl spiraled free of her French twist. “He knew what tonight meant to me, and he purposely forgot so I couldn’t go. He hates that I’m eighteen now.”
Her father was a numbers man, invested in finance and deeply rooted in classical education. He never forgot a date. Nor did he ever overlook an opportunity. This ball would have muddled his control of her future, and he couldn’t bear the thought, so he intentionally spoiled her plans by not procuring the correct number of tickets. A calculated lie if she’d ever seen one!
“Father lies when it suits him. If you weren’t so enchanted by his charm, you’d see that he’s as cunning as a pirate when he wants to be.”
Mother scoffed. “Lies? Pirates? Really, Wendy. If you want to be treated like an adult, you must start acting like one. Your father is not out to ruin your life.”
“He wants to control everything.”
“Enough.” Her mother stood, her shimmering sage gown a beautiful taunt that pierced Wendy’s heart with envy. “Your father’s doing everything he can to secure you a decent engagement.”
“You mean he’s trying to control my future just like he controls my life now!” How had modern times turned so incredibly old-fashioned where women were concerned? “Did either of you ever think I might want more than a secure marriage and to start a family? What about my dreams? What about love?”
“You should be grateful for his guidance. Your father is a wise man who knows a great deal about how the world works.”
“If he thinks guiding me toward a man like Peter Pangbourne is wise, then I question his judgment. Not all fortunate men are wealthy in morals, Mother. Peter is far more duplicitous than Father sees.”