Death of a Pirate King Quotes

“He never lied to me. I just didn't ask the questions I didn't want to know the answers to.”
― Josh Lanyon, Death of a Pirate King

“I thought again how odd it was to be on formal terms with someone you had once permitted to lick your ears.”
― Josh Lanyon, Death of a Pirate King

“Shrugging out of the damaged shirt, Jake said roughly, “I still dream about you.”

“I have nightmares about you.” I dragged my T-shirt over my head, threw it aside.”
― Josh Lanyon, Death of a Pirate King

“I noticed you right away.” She gave me an approving look. “I like quiet, polite men. And men who wear Hugo Boss. I was hoping you weren’t gay. Or that you were only half-gay. Like Paul.”

“Uh…sorry,” I said. “It’s pretty much full-time now. The pay’s not great, but the perks…”
― Josh Lanyon, Death of a Pirate King

“And I thought maybe I didn't need to worry about my heart anymore because it had stopped beating a couple of seconds earlier, and I was still sitting there living and breathing-though admittedly I wasn't feeling much of anything.”
― Josh Lanyon, Death of a Pirate King

“He was breathing, which is always a good sign.
As gently as I could I picked him up, placed him on the towel, wrapped it around him, and put him in my car. I drove to the emergency clinic, the cat purring on the seat beside me.

“What’s his name?” the young man at the front desk asked as my towel and cat were whisked to a back room.

“Uh…John Tomkins,” I said.

“That’s different,” the receptionist said, writing it down.

“He was a pirate,” I said. “I mean Tomkins. I don’t know about the cat.”
― Josh Lanyon, Death of a Pirate King

“She shrugged another plump shoulder. “I never listened to Porter when he got going.”

Ah. At last. The secret to a successful marriage.”
― Josh Lanyon, Death of a Pirate King

“I'm not insane. This is very simple, very straightforward. Provided he doesn't kill me, it's foolproof.”
― Josh Lanyon, Death of a Pirate King

“You got a little bit of an attitude, Mr. English, if you don't mind my saying so.

I don't mind.”
― Josh Lanyon, Death of a Pirate King

“I was hoping you weren't gay. Or that you were only half-gay. Like Paul."

"Uh...sorry," I said. "It's pretty much full-time now. The pay's not great, but the perks...”
― Josh Lanyon, Death of a Pirate King

“Natalie said, “That detective in charge of the case: is he your Jake?”

My mouth dried. The words felt arid and dusty as I forced them out. “Who told you his name?” Like I had to ask.

“Lisa pointed him out on television the other night, and I recognized him as one of the cops who was in here the other day.”

I opened my mouth, and then shut it. Jake had to know he was fighting a rearguard action. And I was through lying to my own friends and family. “Yeah,” I said. “We used to be friends. A long time ago. He’s married now.”

“Bastard,” she said.

I shook my head. “Not really. He never lied to me. I just didn’t ask the questions I didn’t want to know the answers to.”
― Josh Lanyon, Death of a Pirate King

“What the hell are you doing?”
I smiled, thinking how odd it was that he was the only person in the world I could say this to. “I’m scared.”
He was staring at me. “No way. I’ve never known anyone with more guts than you.”
“We’re just not afraid of the same things.”
― Josh Lanyon, Death of a Pirate King

“We were locked onto each other as though we had just discovered this incredible thing you could do with two mouths pressing close and moist against each other. And the taste of him... Horrifyingly, unbearably sweet -- sweet in the way crack must feel hitting the bloodstream of an addict after years of staying clean.”
― Josh Lanyon, Death of a Pirate King

“I’ve been telling you that you should hire Warren.”

“Nat, I’m not going to hire Warren.”

“Why not?”

I opened my mouth to tell her exactly why not, but as I stared at her too-bright blue eyes and the way her chin was quivering, I chickened out.

“Because…because I promised Angus when he left that he could have his job back.”

“Adrien, he was involved in a murder.”

“But he was very good at alphabetizing.”
― Josh Lanyon, Death of a Pirate King

“I felt the warm brush of his fingers pushing the key into mine all the way to my heart. I focused on the key because if I looked up, I'd see what he was feeling. Worse, he'd see what I was
feeling -- in a minute what I was feeling was going to be spilling out of me, and it didn't make any sense. It had been over long ago; we had just finally got around to saying good-bye, that was all.”
― Josh Lanyon, Death of a Pirate King

“Jake's mouth found mine, his lips molding hot and soft to my own. His tongue tentatively tested the seal of my lips; I parted them and he pushed inside. It was startlingly sweet and achingly familiar, like finding harbor.”
― Josh Lanyon, Death of a Pirate King

“Well, well," he said. "This can't be a coincidence."

"It could," I said. "The odds aren't high, but they do exist."

"Uh-huh.”
― Josh Lanyon, Death of a Pirate King

“He said you were on the scene when that Laurel Canyon homicide went down.”

“I’m lucky that way,” I said.

“So are you two square again?”

I halted, mid-ripping open the cookies, and stared at him. “Well, he’s pretty square,” I said. “I’m just a rectangular guy.” With latent triangular tendencies.”
― Josh Lanyon, Death of a Pirate King

“I gave a helpless laugh. “Damned if I know. I think…we seem to have reached impasse.
I feel betrayed by your friendship with Verlane. I realize that’s not logical. I realize that if I’d made the mistakes Verlane has made, I’d want my friends to stand by me, hope that someone would help me when the time came. I just…”

“What?”

I met his eyes. “I just need to come first for someone, Guy.”
― Josh Lanyon, Death of a Pirate King

“Her back to me, she said, “I know what Paul thinks. Everyone thinks I didn’t love Porter, that I just married him for the money, but Porter and I --” She shrugged.
As avowals of lasting love go, I’ve sat through more professional presentations.
But I said, “No outsider can understand a relationship between two people.” Hell, sometimes even the people in the relationship couldn’t understand it.”
― Josh Lanyon, Death of a Pirate King

“I do not want this cat. No, Nat. Not in a hat. Not in my flat. Not in the store, not anymore, just out the door. --if you please.”
― Josh Lanyon, Death of a Pirate King

“ 'Adult life is a series of compromises, Adrien.'

'Yeah, only you're negotiating with the Devil.'

Still not looking at me, he growled, 'Oh, go to hell.'

I raised my water in a toast. 'Sure. I'll follow the trail of bread crumbs you're scattering.' ”
― Josh Lanyon, Death of a Pirate King

“Emma sat up very straight in the saddle. Her eyes were huge, but she said bravely, “I could do it!”

“I know you can.”

“I wasn’t afraid.”

“There’s nothing wrong with being afraid,” I told her. “It’s how you handle it.”
― Josh Lanyon, Death of a Pirate King

“Look, Paul. I appreciate what you’re telling me, but I gave Jake my word. Not to mention the fact, he’d throw my ass in jail if he found out I tried to go around him.”

“He wouldn’t, you know,” he said. “Jake’s a pussycat.”

Yeah, just a big old saber-toothed tiger.”
― Josh Lanyon, Death of a Pirate King

“She went on, “Yes, Porter and I did discuss divorce, and we realized we loved each other too much to do anything so silly.”
“That’s got to be a comfort to you now,” I said. “I can imagine how painful it would be to have someone you care for die with a lot of unresolved --”
“Yes!” she exclaimed. “That is exactly right!” She gave me an approving lashless gaze.
“See, gay guys always understand these things!”
“We’re born with that understanding gene,” I said.”
― Josh Lanyon, Death of a Pirate King

“Had it only been a year? It had seemed much longer. Sometimes it had seemed like a lifetime. But maybe all lifetimes weren’t measured in hours, days, and years.”
― Josh Lanyon, Death of a Pirate King

“See! He likes you,” Natalie said triumphantly.

I stared down at the scrawny scrap of fur cautiously sniffing my hand.
“He doesn’t like me. He thinks I’m going to feed him.”

“Now who’s being a cynic? Anyway, every bookstore should have a cat.”

The cat -- assuming it was a cat and not some beige bug-eyed refugee from outer space -- slunk uneasily down the counter, and flinched at the flutter of Mystery Scene pages as a gust of warm air blew in from the street.”
― Josh Lanyon, Death of a Pirate King

“And then I sagged forward, utterly spent, emptied…light as air. I felt like I could have floated up and out…slipping through the open window and drifting away across the rooftops and satellite dishes and telephone wires…sailing away into the faintly smiling stars.”
― Josh Lanyon, Death of a Pirate King

“No outsider can understand a relationship between two people.' Hell, sometimes even the people in the relationship couldn’t understand it.”
― Josh Lanyon, Death of a Pirate King