Free A Soul Divided (The Blood Fire Trilogy Book 1) by Daniel M. Quilter Page A

than he had when they first met. He’d obviously taken a shower since the last time she’d seen him, and he was now dressed in dark blue pants with a matching jacket. The color matched his eyes and made them stand out more than his other features. He was more attractive than Angela had given him credit for, but just being attractive wasn’t a reason to trust him.
    “How much of that conversation did you hear!?” Nora burst out.
    “Enough to know you’ve got a great big crush on me.” Drake replied in a mocking tone. Nora’s face turned a bright shade of red as she turned her eyes away from Drake and looked down at the floor.
    “And enough to know green eyes here was lying when she said I stank.”  Drake continued. “Lying is very unladylike you know.”
    “Well as feminine as you are, you ought to be an expert in what’s ladylike. So I guess I should believe you.” Angela replied.
    Was she really fighting with him again? This guy was here to help them without asking for anything in return. She should be nicer to him. She couldn’t come up with any real reason to dislike him, but something about him just rubbed her the wrong way.
    “Knune’s fire.” Drake said, “That was a little harsher than I think I deserve; but I’ll rise above your sarcasm and get straight to the point. I’ve called my crew; there will be a ship here that can fit all of you comfortably in the morning. Until then, I’ll be hanging out with you girls if that’s ok?”
    “Yes!” Nora squealed excitedly before moving over to another group of girls, who all started squealing just as loudly.
    How could they muster so much energy just to obsess over a boy? They hadn’t eaten in three days. This whole thing just seemed ridiculous.
    “It was Angela right?” Drake said to her, interrupting her train of thought.
    “What?” Angela responded, trying to mask her surprise.
    “Was it that complicated of a question?” Drake asked.
    “Um....I...” Angela muttered
    “Yes, that’s her name.” Nora cut in. “And mine is Nora. I thought you were so heroic when you saved us. I really like that.”
    “Well Nora,” Drake said, turning away from Angela to face Nora. “I’m a pirate by profession. I literally do the wrong thing for a living. One good deed makes me a hero or the type of guy you’re looking for. But I appreciate the sentiment.”
    “Oh….” Nora muttered, looking baffled by Drake’s response to her obvious attempts to show her interest in him.
    “But don’t worry,” Drake cut her off. “I only do the wrong thing when I’m getting paid for it. Since I’m helping you for free, I guess I can dabble a little in making right choices until I get you girls home.”
    Angela couldn’t help but chuckle a little. The stupefied look on Nora’s face was priceless. Plus, Drake’s comments confirmed what she thought about him. He was nothing more than an immoral pirate. But if that was true, would he have said so? If he was a pirate, it would confirm all the negative things Angela thought. But if he was a pirate then why would he free a bunch of slaves? Was he planning on selling them to somebody else? As much as Angela disliked the guy, he didn’t seem anything like the slave dealers she had met up until now.
    “Are you girls hungry?” Drake asked loudly, once again interrupting Angela’s thoughts.
    Everybody’s ears perked up at the mention of food. They all responded to Drake’s question at the same time making it impossible for Angela to understand what was being said. But Drake seemed to understand, or at least he pretended he did.
    “Alright Angela, come with me. We’re going to go get some food for these ladies.” Drake said over the noise of the other women.
    “What? Me? Why?” Angela asked.
    “Just come.” Drake said.
    **********
    Angela followed Drake out the door, and into the cool night air. She shivered as the breeze blew against her mostly exposed skin. It was summer back in her hometown, but it