A Tale of Two Airships (Take to the Skies Book 2) Read Online Free PDF Page B

was off on this job and in the way they sent Isabella’s ex by his lonesome to greet us.
    If I were in their shoes, choosing him would be a premeditated move—the perfect distraction.
    My stomach plummeted, and though my mind probed for answers, my gut tugged hard. We’d made a huge mistake somewhere along the way, and I grew quite certain we’d pay for it dearly. Queasiness overrode me, and bile threatened to rise in my throat.
    “Finish your ale,” I commanded. “We’re heading back to the Desire.”
    The three of them must’ve sensed the urgency in my voice as they downed their pints in unison.
    “I don’t trust him in the slightest.” Isabella plunked her mug onto the counter.
    “Nor do I,” Mordecai agreed as he stepped up from his seat and readjusted his scabbard.
    “He’s an ass, but am I missing something?” Jack asked while we exited the bar.
    “Stay in this business long enough, and you’ll learn to trust your gut.” The sunlight glared down on us, causing me to squint. “And my instincts are roaring right now.”
    Though all around us the streets bustled like they had before, I couldn’t shake the weight in my stomach or the chill raising the hairs on my arms. I double-timed it, trusting the others to keep up. My boots crossed cobblestones three at a time as I made my way back to the docks. Before we pushed forward on this job, we’d have a sit down with the crew and figure out our steps, see if anyone else might spot something we missed. Though I’d allowed Isabella to keep her secrets, now they spilled into everyone’s business.
    Above, the sun shone pure innocence as it washed over our backs, heating our cheeks. Clear skies meant little to any sailor though—we knew how fast storms whipped through on the horizon with no notice at all.
    Isabella couldn’t be the sole reason they contacted us. Their pitch seemed all too convenient—after all, they hadn’t bothered with her all these years. Why now? The question plagued me with every hurried step.
    As my boots hit the planks of the docks though, jitters began to tingle through me. My insides squeezed as I kept focus ahead. Had to return to my girl.
    I scanned the dozens of airships parked in place in this backwater docking bay. However, before I caught a glimpse, Spade came racing up to us. Based on his wide eyes and the horror gripping him, I knew what he’d say before his mouth opened. The worst had already happened.
    “Captain, the Desire—she’s gone.”

Chapter Four
     
     
    Spade’s words echoed, but I couldn’t process the reality of what they meant. Instead, a buzzing spread through my mind, and my fingertips numbed as I stared at the docks, searching. Searching for my girl.
    A parade of beat-up hulls and deflated, patched balloons passed under my gaze but none of them had the sleek hardwood and sturdy body of my home. The Desire’s class befit a more expensive ship, but her toughness fit the rabble living aboard. She’d signified Captain Morris for me in every way possible—I never doubted for a heartbeat why he’d chosen her years ago. And this ship, my inheritance from a man who left this world too early, was nowhere to be found.
    Voices sounded around me, but my world tunneled into the line of ships along the ragged dock and honed in on the vacant spot. The reality hovered right out of reach. Hands shook my shoulders, but I ignored the motion, fixated on the emptiness.
    A slap stung my cheek, followed by the flash of Isabella’s glassy eyes.
    Tendrils of pain radiating from my skin tugged me from numb and back to the horror we’d stumbled upon. My girl was gone. For a heartbeat of a second, hope stole me away. Geoff and Adelle must’ve made a gut call to steer her clear of trouble, and my comm would be buzzing in a moment. However, the jump from those gypsies in the alley and Julian’s stalling tactics sent off too many telltale signs of trouble to latch onto delusions. While my heart strained in my chest,