Chapter Nineteen
His ancient heart stuttered. Did she understand what she would be giving up? “You sure about that? Eventually you’d have to vanish from this world before people notice you’re not aging. You’d lose your career at the museum, your home, your friends…”
A sad chuckle escaped her. “I think we already established I’m not very good at making friends. And the chance to document the rise and fall of nations overshadows my Pieces of Eight exhibition coming up at the maritime museum by a long shot.”
He stroked her wet hair back from her face as he bent to kiss her lips. The taste of saltwater and sin warmed him from the inside out. He rested his forehead on hers. “It’s not my call to make, but I’ll bring it up with the crew, and I’ll fight for you if you’re sure this is what you want.”
“I’ve never been surer of anything,” she whispered, and, tugging on his shirt, she pulled him down to her again, her tongue tangling slowly with his until his blood was pumping below his belt, his cold, wet clothes forgotten.
He wrapped his arms around her, walking her back toward the bed when a heavy knock came at the door.
“Fuck.” Keegan groaned with a grin. He called over his shoulder, “Go away!”
Char smiled up at him, her cheeks flushed with color. He would never get enough of her.
“Keegan! We need you on the deck now. You’re the one who knows where the Grail is heading, and Flynn needs to be back at the dock in two hours.”
“Damn it,” he grumbled. “Fine! Tell Flynn not to get a barnacle up his arse.”
John chuckled on the other side of the door. “Tell him yerself.”
Char ran a hand up Keegan’s chest, her voice muffled as her lips caressed the base of his neck. “Go. I’ll get changed and meet you up there.”
He forced himself to take a step back. “Why do I always have unfinished business with you, Dr. Sinclair?”
A sexy smirk curved on her sinful mouth. “I want you, too.”
Her admission had his hands twitching, aching to take her clothes off and lose himself in her. He adjusted his erection in his jeans and tugged off his wet shirt, his eyes never leaving hers. “When we get off this ship…”
“Definitely.” She nodded, pulling her waterlogged top off, too. “My place.”
He slid his arms into Colton’s khaki shirt and started buttoning it. “Mine is closer.”
“Works for me.” She pulled on the hooded sweatshirt, covering the black bra. Her eyes met his. “Just so you know, you’re already naked in my head.”
He stole a kiss and went to the door. “I’m a damn lucky pirate. Meet me at the helm.”
He stopped and looked back. She’d taken her pants off, but the sweatshirt was much too big for her, hanging down to mid-thigh. Even soaking wet and dressed in his friend’s baggy clothes, she was the sexiest woman he’d ever seen.
She glanced down at her outfit and chuckled. “I’ll be the one who looks like she played dress up in her dad’s closet.”
He shook his head. “You’ll be the one who makes it tough for me to concentrate on privateering.”
She raised a brow. “Should I be sorry?”
“Only that we’re both still dressed.”
She wet her lips. “Not for long.”
His erection pressed painfully against his zipper. “Thank the gods for that.”
He closed the door and headed for the bow. The others were circled around the deck. Colton gripped the wheel at the helm in Keegan’s absence. He stepped aside as Keegan took his place as ship’s pilot.
“’Bout time,” Colton chided. “Never should’ve let you go back to take off yer wet clothes with a lady present.”
Keegan shot him a crooked smile. “If anyone on this crew should understand, it’s you, mate.”
“Aye.” Colton clapped his shoulder and turned to the others. “Let’s find the Grail.”
Cheers erupted from the crew, and Keegan filled them in on the shipping schedule for the relic.
Captain Flynn crossed his arms, narrowing his eyes. “And you think the Serpent Society hasn’t changed all that after you killed their emissaries in the barn?”
Keegan shook his head. “Agent Bale handled that. The papers are reporting there were four bodies removed from the fire. There’s no reason for them to think their information ever escaped the barn that night.”
Flynn nodded, slowly lowering his hands to his sides, his attention shifting. Keegan followed his gaze to find Char approaching. She stared down the captain without a trace of submission. Even in the baggy sweatpants and hoodie, the spark in her eyes demanded respect.
Flynn glanced at Colton. “I don’t believe playthings were invited to this meeting. Our plans are for crew members only.”
“Plaything? Seriously?” Char raised a brow. “Last time I checked, the United States government asked me to help this crew because you needed me. I’m not here to play, Captain. Far from it.”
The corners of Keegan’s mouth twitched. Damn, she had a wild spirit inside that mild-mannered facade she wore so well.
Flynn clenched his jaw, and Keegan tightened his grip on the wheel, imagining it was his captain’s throat. Keegan glared at Flynn. “Char saved my life. She’s the only reason you have this information about the Grail’s location. We’d be no closer to finding the cup without her help.”
“Her assistance is appreciated.” Flynn clenched his jaw. “That doesn’t make her crew, or welcome on this mission.”
Keegan took two steps in Flynn’s direction before Colton caught his arm. “We don’t have time for this.” The quartermaster looked between the two of them. “This is my ship. I call the shots.”
Keegan jerked free of Colton’s grip and went back to the helm. Char came over, standing beside him.
Colton scanned the crew. “I’m no king, and neither is Flynn. We vote like we always have, but first I’ll remind all of you that my fiancée, Skye, was made a member of this crew, and her psychic abilities have been an asset.” He glanced at Char. “Keegan says the historian saved his life and helped him bring back the information on the Grail’s location. I think that earns her a cut of the bounty.”
Keegan caught Char’s hand. Her fingers laced with his. If the crew knew about her deadly ability, he had no doubt she would have every vote, even Flynn’s, but it wasn’t his place to reveal her secret.
Skye came forward, interrupting Colton. “I should add one thing.”
Colton’s fiancée had the sight, psychic visions of the future, and over the past few weeks, the crew had come to respect her gift. Her violet eyes cast a spell over the unruly group, silencing the murmurs and discussions on the deck.
Once she had everyone’s attention, Skye turned toward Char. “There is more to you. I’ve seen glimpses and sensed the energy bound to you.” She gestured to the others on deck. “These men are about to vote on adding you to the crew. They’re going to decide if what you bring to this family is worth protecting with their lives.”
She lowered her voice, focused completely on Char. “And you have to make a choice to trust this crew with your life…and your secrets.”
…
David sat in his unmarked sedan across the street from the Brotherhood Apartments. Behind his dark glasses, his attention shifted from the high-rise to the office building next door. Once the sun set, he’d make his move to slip inside. For now, he just jotted a few notes about the people coming and going.
Of which 99 percent of them were men. No surprise, really. If the intel from Pokey was correct, and this was the hive for the Serpent Society, then it would stand to reason he might not see any women. The fanatics believed females were weak, daughters of Eve who caused humanity’s banishment from the Garden of Eden. They’d never welcome females into their circle.
But he did notice one woman. She’d passed by twice so far, entering and exiting the apartment building. Maybe someone’s girlfriend? She was petite with a dark complexion, brown eyes, and long black hair tied up in a ponytail. It wasn’t her looks that drew his attention, though—it was a tattoo. He’d caught only a glimpse of it for a second when she adjusted her sweatshirt.
On her shoulder, just above her biceps, he noticed the mark of the Digi Robins. The underground internet group ran an anonymous message board similar to 4chan, but this community saw themselves as digital Robin Hoods. Of course, they didn’t steal gold coins like their namesake.
The Digi Robins trolled the black market dark webs like David’s department did, but instead of recovering objects to protect American citizens, the Robins sold off the items to eager regimes and collectors. Since their inception, the theft ring had collected a bounty estimated at millions of dollars. According to David’s sources, the Digi Robins redistributed all the money to communities the group considered to be marginalized for medical care and treatments.
Although some might see their mission as humanitarian, David recognized them for the opportunists they were. And if this woman with the tattoo of a red-breasted robin on her shoulder was one of them, it was safe to say, the Robins were after the same thing as Department 13.
What more valuable treasure could there be to steal than the Lord’s cup?
Unlike the Serpent Society, the Robins had no religious superstitions. Money was their motivator, and nations were their customers. If they procured the Grail before David and the pirate crew, the reality that a foreign power could wield an immortal army was closer than David wanted to consider.
The shadows lengthened as the sun dipped below the horizon. The woman vanished into the hedges along the office building. David groaned as he got out of his car. Breaking into the building would have to wait. First, he’d have to deal with his unexpected spectator. Maybe her tattoo was simply a rendering of a lost pet and not the mark of a silent thief from a virtual den.
He slipped his hand into his jacket, his fingers caressing the butt of his Glock before patting the inner pocket for the pouch of immortality herbs. Checking for cross traffic, he jogged across the street and into the shadows.
Pressing his back to the wall of the office building, he peered around the corner. Something moved low to the ground. He drew his handgun, quietly pursuing her.
She stopped, and he followed suit, holding his breath. Finally, she looked back, her dark eyes meeting his. Instead of fear, her lips curved into a grin, a wild glint lighting her eyes.
“You’re from the secret antiquities department, aren’t you?” she whispered. “So it is here.”
“Don’t move,” David grunted, keeping his weapon leveled on her. “I’m an agent of the United States government.”
“Save your breath.” Her smile widened. “Your suit gave you away.” Her gaze flicked toward the street.
“Don’t even think about it.”
She glanced his way. “Too late.” She bolted out as a truck rolled by. In one fluid movement, she caught the tailgate and vaulted into the back.
David chased after her, but he couldn’t fire without endangering the driver. “Fuck.”
Behind him, a door opened. He’d worry about the thief later. Right now, he needed to verify he’d found the serpents’ nest.
He rushed back as the door was closing and slipped inside. Crouched in the corner, he reached into his pants pocket. He rubbed his thumb across a black stone, whispering a hushed incantation. His skin tingled with magic, and he rose to his full height. As long as he didn’t touch anything, the invisibility spell would last for about an hour. He had to hurry.
…
Charlotte tightened her grip on Keegan’s hand as she stared at Skye. She barely knew the psychic, but it was clear from her announcement to the crew that Skye sensed there was more to Charlotte than just being a maritime museum historian.
Charlotte glanced up at Keegan. He trusted these men, loved them as family. Maybe not Flynn, but Keegan still respected his place with the crew.
The big question was…could she trust them?
All eyes were on her. Charlotte’s stomach twisted. Sharing personal secrets wasn’t her strong suit. Besides, what if it didn’t help? What if it frightened them?
Maybe it should.
Flynn cocked a red eyebrow. “Am I to believe there is more to you than a healthy ability to research and document history?” He crossed his arms, watching his crew. “Because unless you have more to offer, my vote is nay.”
Keegan shook his head, his voice low and menacing. “Ye’d vote nay on yer own brother, greedy arse.”
“I’m not a privateer for charity.” Flynn chuckled. “None of us is. Every member of the crew brings value to our band or he doesn’t deserve to step onto this deck.” His gaze landed on Charlotte. “Why should I split my share with you?”
Charlotte’s heart raced. In all her years of researching Captain Flynn, his reputation for a mercurial rage and bloodthirsty wrath was legendary, but his commitment to his crew never wavered. She met Keegan’s eyes and squeezed his hand. Keegan knew her secret, but it was clear he wasn’t going to make this decision for her.
She scanned the crew. These were the men from her research, and while none of them was perfect, this was a crew known for their loyalty to each other as well as an uncommon code of conduct. Flynn tolerated no violence against innocents, rare for a band of privateers. But this crew was still together long after they lost their ship, and centuries after the rest of the world forgot them.
Her breath hitched as she forced the words out. “I’m still learning to control it, but I do have an ability, and if I can master it, I could protect this crew.” Her voice grew in strength as her gaze focused on Captain Flynn. “And after my assistance gets you the Grail, I expect a swallow from that cup, too.”
“This ability sounds magnificent.” Flynn cocked a brow, running his tongue along his teeth. “But I’ll need a demonstration before you get my vote.”
Her hand trembled at her side. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
Flynn chuckled. “Of course you don’t.” He sobered, his voice tight. “Because you don’t have anything of value to offer us.”
Keegan dropped her hand and shoved Flynn back. “Fuck you, Ian.”
Colton came between the two men before Flynn could retaliate. “Enough.” Colton glanced over at Charlotte. “I don’t think it’s too much to ask to see a demonstration.”
Keegan shook his head. “You don’t need to prove anything, Char.”
But she did. Not just to them but to herself. “All right.”
Keegan’s eyes widened, but he didn’t say anything.
Charlotte’s pulse raced. She did her best to keep her expression neutral. “Give me ten minutes.”
She caught Keegan’s hand and marched back to the captain’s quarters.
He kept his voice hushed as they hurried down the deck. “You don’t have to go through with this.”
“Yes, I do.” She ducked into the back room and turned to face him. “And if something goes wrong or it looks like I’m going to hurt someone, I need you to wake me up.”
“We don’t even know if that’s how it works.” He ground his teeth, his eyes tracking her every move. “You sure you’re ready for this?”
“Yeah.” She went to the bed. “Enough of being afraid. If whatever is inside me can help us, then I should learn how to control it.”
She lay down and stared up at the ceiling, slowing her breathing. Keegan sat on the edge and leaned over to kiss her forehead. “Knock Flynn on his arse for me, love.”
Unexpected laughter escaped her lips as she looked up into his gorgeous green eyes. “Consider it done.”