Pirate's Pleasure (Sentinels of Savannah)

by Lisa Kessler

  Harmony couldn’t help but wonder if Skye knew Colton would outlive her, but it was really none of her business.

  Skye crossed her arms with a glint of mischief in her eyes. “I warned the crew that the thief we were looking for was close to one of them, but we were all shocked it turned out to be John.”

  Wow. Harmony blinked. They weren’t joking about Skye being psychic. “How did you know?”

  “That our thief wasn’t a stranger?”

  “Yeah.” This woman’s intuition was almost as mind-boggling as John being immortal. Harmony cleared her throat, struggling to keep her cool. “How could you possibly know the person who had the box was close to one of them.”

  Skye leaned in closer like she was about to reveal a key ingredient in a secret recipe. “I have the sight. It’s trusting it that I struggle with sometimes.”

  “Like visions?”

  She shrugged. “I use my grandmother’s crystal ball and I get pictures or occasionally visions, but I can tap into my intuition with my tarot cards, too.” She straightened up. “How much has John told you about the crew?”

  Was she asking if Harmony knew they were immortal? If Harmony blurted it out, and that wasn’t what Skye meant, she’d be exposing John’s secret. But this woman was a real-deal psychic. Surely, they wouldn’t be able to hide something huge like immortality from her…could they?

  Harmony shrugged. “Not much.”

  Skye started to smile. “I mean…did he tell you how old he is?”

  “Thirty-nine.”

  Skye raised a brow. “All right. I guess that’s all I need to know.”

  Harmony’s pulse raced with indecision. Why would Skye ask his age? It had to be a litmus test to see if Harmony knew the secret.

  Harmony lowered her voice. “He’s also been thirty-nine for a long time. Super long. Centuries.”

  “Ha!” Skye laughed and grabbed Harmony’s hand. “I was pretty sure you knew, but I had to be sure. Now we won’t have to tiptoe around it.” She glanced at the stairs heading below deck, but no one appeared to be returning just yet. She focused on Harmony again. “Ready to meet the rest of them?”

  Skye didn’t wait for an answer, just led Harmony over to the man standing behind the massive oak wheel at the helm. Even though he was in jeans and a black T-shirt, he was a dead ringer for that guy on television who played Captain Hook.

  “Keegan.” Skye nudged him. “This is Harmony. She works for John.”

  “And steals from Agent Bale.” He raised a brow with a playful grin. “Ye have my respect, lass.” He tipped an imaginary hat her way.

  “Nice to meet you, Keegan,” Harmony replied.

  Skye scanned the deck, then back to the ship’s pilot. “Where’s Char?”

  “She’s down below. She’s been itching to lay eyes on Pandora’s box.”

  Skye grinned at Harmony. “Char is Keegan’s lady. She’s also a historian, so ancient artifacts are her thing.”

  The rest of the introductions were fast. Greyson was the gunner, master gunner? And then there was Caleb the navigator, and the giant of the crew, Duke…first mate? There was a skinny kid, too. Younger-looking than the others. Eli, that was it. She’d already met Drake, Colton, and John. The only one missing was the captain, but one thing was sure, the crew of the Sea Dog were a handsome and rugged bunch.

  “I’m never going to remember all their names,” Harmony mumbled.

  “No one expects you to.” Skye grinned. “There’s not going to be a test later.” She looked around the deck and shook her head. “I’m going to have to check the galley for One-Eyed Bob. He’s the cook, and even though this is a quick trip along the coast, he insisted on making his pecan pralines and cinnamon dessert hush puppies.” She started to go and turned back. “Oh, and just to warn you, Bob likes to play matchmaker, so…just a heads up. He means well, and he loves his crew.”

  Harmony chuckled. “Thanks for the tip.” She turned as a familiar face approached. “Hi, Drake.”

  The ship’s carpenter sized her up for a moment. “John tells me you used to sail.”

  Something about hearing that John had mentioned her to his friends warmed her. “I owned a small sailboat. Nothing incredible like this.”

  There was a twinkle in his bright blue eyes. “Want to help me raise the anchor?”

  “Hell yeah, I do.” She followed him to the large wooden capstan and grasped a bar opposite Drake.

  “On three.” He counted down and grunted as they pushed. Her legs trembled as she fought to move forward. It wouldn’t budge.

  He glanced over at her and winked. The capstan turned, jerking her forward. Her eyes widened. “We’re doing it!”

  Drake released his capstan bar and stepped out. “I put a few modern touches in when we rebuilt her.”

  Heat flushed her cheeks as she stumbled to his side and watched the capstan turn on its own. “You have a generator.”

  “Aye.” He crossed his arms over his broad chest. “Used to take close to a hundred men to raise that anchor. No way we could sail her with such a skeleton crew without some modern power.”

  “Well, you got me.” She winked as her heartbeat slowed to match the rhythmic clank of the chain as it came up out of the water.

  Drake chuckled, shaking his head. “Thanks for the laugh, lass. I don’t get many these days.”

  He walked away before she could reply, and Colton appeared on the stairs, coming up from the lower deck. He cupped his hands around his mouth and called out, “Drop the sails.”

  Greyson, the master gunner, and Duke, the first mate, grasped the ratlines to climb the masts, when another voice bellowed from the shore.

  “Not without your captain.” A tall man with commanding shoulders, crossed the gangplank. His worn leather boots were old school, but polished and impressive. Her gaze wandered up to his face. Even in the fading light, his red hair was striking, pulled back in a tight ponytail. He had a well-manicured goatee and narrowed eyes right out of an old Clint Eastwood Western.

  The captain came straight toward her. “I don’t recall this member of our crew.”

  John jogged up the steps from the lower deck and came to her side. “This is Harmony Andrews. She has the box for Agent Bale.”

  A crooked smile tugged at the captain’s mouth. “You’re the thief.”

  “Actually, I’m the hacker.” She looked the captain square in the eyes. “If you want to get technical, taking the box from the docks was the easy part. Hacking their database so they wouldn’t realize it was gone took skill.”

  The captain smirked. “We have no use for hackers on the Sea Dog.”

  John rolled his shoulders back like he was readying for a fight. He cleared his throat, his jaw tight. “This is our captain, Ian Flynn. He forgets this isn’t his ship anymore.”

  The captain ignored John’s verbal jab, his attention remaining solely on her. “Have ye sailed before?”

  Between the huge sails dropping overhead, the pirates sliding down the ratlines, and the nautical accents, Harmony couldn’t shake the feeling she’d stepped back in time. Savannah had been a busy hub for pirates in the New World, and tourists still bought the pirate souvenirs, but this didn’t feel like a show.

  “Yeah.” She cleared her throat. “Nothing this big, but I’ve sailed.”

  Flynn glanced at John. “How did you find her?”

  “Turns out she works for me.”

  The captain let out a deep chesty laugh and clapped John’s shoulder. “Pirates are in yer blood, boatswain.”

  He strode down the deck while the sails snapped above them. The thick lines groaned as the wind pulled them tight and the ship inched away from the shore.

  The Sea Dog had three masts, and once the ship hit the open Atlantic, she imagined it would race through the waves. She hadn’t realized how much she missed being on the ocean. The freedom of the wind ran deeper in her DNA than she’d ever fathomed.

  Keegan stood behind the wheel, guiding the ship down
the Savannah River toward the sea. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d been this excited. Magic. She slipped her hand into John’s, her fingers lacing with his. The simple touch felt natural, right.

  Meeting his eyes, she smiled. Hell, it was probably a toothy grin. “Thank you for arranging this.”

  He squeezed her hand, his dark eyes sparkling in the fading light of the sunset. “I want to show you something.” He walked her up to the bow as the sails filled and the Sea Dog picked up speed. “Leaving the mouth of the Savannah River has always been my favorite part of this journey.”

  The lights on the Talmadge Memorial Bridge reflected on the water as they passed underneath, headed for the open ocean. She gripped the railing, smiling as the wind stung her cheeks and blew her hair back. The wooden ship creaked, cutting through the waves as they sailed into the Atlantic.

  She grinned at John, shouting over the wind. “This is amazing.”

  “Aye.” He nodded, and even as twilight settled over them, the twinkle in his eyes was impossible to miss. This was his true self, his real identity, not the businessman behind a desk.

  She swallowed a lump in her throat. The more time she spent with John, the more she understood the pirate he kept hidden from the world, and the easier it was to forget he was her boss. Her emotional footing was slipping, and if she wasn’t careful, she’d be falling for a pirate. An immortal pirate.

  Looking out at the horizon, she gripped the railing tighter. She prided herself on taking risks and long shots, but this was far out of the bounds of her usual dating pool. Definitely wandering into uncharted waters.

  Above the deck, Greyson and Duke tied down more lines. Drake finished securing the anchor on the side of the bow and jogged down the stairs below deck as a woman with dark hair in a messy bun came up.

  She headed straight for them and offered her hand. “I’m Dr. Charlotte Sinclair. You must be Harmony.”

  Harmony nodded, taking Charlotte’s hand. “You’re the historian, right?”

  “Yeah.” She smiled, dropping her hand. “You can call me Char.” She glanced at John and back to Harmony. “John tells me you’re going to try to pass off a replica of the box to a buyer online?”

  Harmony struggled to keep her expression neutral, but she wanted to elbow John. Hard. The more people he told about the Digi Robins, the better chance of them being caught. She thought she could trust him.

  “Drake is making us a copy.” She shrugged, hoping it seemed like no big deal. “I’m meeting the buyer as soon as possible. Alone.”

  “Wait.” Char’s eyes narrowed at John. “You haven’t told her your plan, have you?”

  John rolled his eyes. “Haven’t had much chance yet. We just set sail.”

  Char placed a hand on her hip. “You were the one who told me this had to happen fast. I only agreed because I thought Harmony knew.”

  “And she will.” John looked at Harmony. “Sorry, love. While we were gathered below deck, I asked Char to watch over you when you deliver the replica. Drake’s copy is impeccable, but having backup wouldn’t hurt.”

  Harmony pulled her hair back from her face, heat flushing her skin. “I told you, I can handle this.” She turned to Char. “I appreciate the offer, but my group doesn’t accept any outside help. I’ve already said too much to John.” She shot him a glare. “Obviously.”

  Char relaxed her posture and shook her head. “My offer stands if you need me. No one will ever know I’m there.” She looked at each of them and finally walked back toward Keegan at the helm.

  Harmony stared at the dark water below. “You put the entire Digi Robins at risk by talking about the exchange. I told you in confidence about my buyer. Now half this ship knows.”

  He came closer, his fingers brushing the back of her hand. She retracted it, crossing her arms. John sighed and leaned on the railing. “None of your band of thieves would ever know Char was nearby.”

  Harmony rolled her eyes, refusing to even glance his way. “No offense, John, but a historian is the last person I need shadowing my meeting.”

  Harmony had actually been warming to the idea of allowing John to be her wingman, but if he was already recruiting others, it was pretty obvious his part in this deal would need to stop with his wire transfer of funds.

  “Skye’s not the only woman on this ship with psychic abilities, love. Char has a gift as well.” His gaze bored into her. “Do I get a chance to explain myself?”

  “No.” She narrowed her eyes and raised her chin a notch. “Actually, you don’t. I shared information with you that should’ve stayed between us, and you broke that trust.” She stared at the water again. “You gave us your financial backing. That’s enough. I can take it from here.” She met his eyes. “You’re not my boss out here. We were supposed to be partners.”

  Without waiting for a reply, she walked back toward the port side, grateful to see Skye returning with an older man carrying a tray full of desserts.

  Skye smiled, calling Harmony over. “This is One-Eyed Bob, our ship’s cook.”

  In spite of her annoyance at John, Harmony couldn’t hold back a smile. “You’re Bob from Bob’s Seafood in Savannah.”

  “Aye.” He nodded, holding the tray of goodies out toward her. “Have you visited my restaurant?”

  “Yes. A few times.” She took a hush puppy and popped it in her mouth. It was still warm, and the sweet flavor made her groan. “Oh my god, these are so good.”

  He grinned. “My own secret recipe.” His good eye tracked John as he disappeared below the deck. He focused on Harmony again. “Did I interrupt something?”

  “No.” Harmony glanced over her shoulder, relieved to see John was out of sight. She faced Bob again and rolled her eyes. “I know John means well, but if he tries to make plans behind my back again, I swear I’ll toss him overboard myself.”

  A heavy hand landed on Harmony’s shoulder. She looked up to find Drake biting back a smile. He took a hush puppy with a chuckle. “Now that, I would pay to see.”

  Chapter Thirteen

  John’s text with the coordinates for the exchange came through just as David fastened his seat belt in the cockpit of the helicopter. He shouted the location to the pilot and then sent a reply.

  Be there in twenty minutes.

  After his earlier experience at John’s house being near Pandora’s box, he came prepared this time, with a magically charmed container to store the relic. He loaded the container behind his seat, hoping it would be strong enough to silence the whispers of the box. All he needed was for the cursed thing to lure the pilot away from the controls. Hopefully the charmed symbols carved into the container, combined with the white noise device inside, would keep them immune from the box’s temptation until he could get it secured in the vault.

  He set the heavy briefcase with the Sea Dog crew’s payment between his legs and buckled his harness. “Let’s get out of here,” David shouted over the roar of the propellers.

  The pilot nodded and pulled back on the stick. They left the city far below. David watched the lights shrink and fade in the distance, replaced by the inky blackness of the water. Faint white splashes of cresting waves were the only clue they were over the ocean.

  He’d get Pandora’s box locked in the vault, and then he could deal with his brother’s progeny. He had to get Chris away from the Digi Robins before he got arrested. David couldn’t stand by and do nothing while the kid flushed his life down the toilet.

  But he also couldn’t walk right up and introduce himself as Chris’s great-grandfather’s brother, either. He’d have to scare him straight without revealing they were blood relations.

  “We’re coming up on the ship, sir.”

  David nodded, unfastening his seat belt. “Get me as close as you can to the deck. I’ll take the ladder down. Once I have the cargo, we need to get back to D.C. right away. Understand?”

  He gave the thumbs up. “Yes, sir.”

  “Good.” David tossed out the rope ladder. “We hav
e to wrap this up fast.”

  The pilot pointed at David’s briefcase. “Can you make the climb down with that? I can lower it to you with the wench.”

  The pilot wasn’t aware that David’s briefcase was full of gold bars. The terms of his deal with the Sea Dog crew was simple and very old-school. No wire transfers, no checks, and no cash. “I’ll be fine. Use the wench to lower the container for the box.”

  David attached a steel cable to the D ring at the center of the safety harness and turned around to grab the briefcase. He snapped the handle of the case to another ring on the harness and checked all the fasteners.

  Satisfied everything was secure, David stepped out of the cockpit, gripping the ladder. “Let’s do this!”

  The pilot lowered the helo closer to the bow of the Sea Dog, and David started down the ladder. The added weight of the case hanging from his chest made the climb down slow and clumsy. He wished he’d thought to bring gloves, but it was too late now. By the time he dropped onto the wooden deck his hands were raw.

  He looked up, watching the container as the wench lowered the cable. Once he could reach it, he unclipped the container and gave the pilot a thumbs-up. The helicopter rose and circled away.

  David set the empty container on the deck and straightened to his full height, his eyes narrowing on Harmony Andrews. “What are you doing here?”

  He shouldn’t be paying off the pirates to retrieve the relic when it was one of their employees who stole it. Had they been setting him up the entire time? Rage simmered in his gut.

  Harmony raised a brow. “Making a return.”

  John Smyth came up from below the deck. Colton followed him with the black box in hand. David unfastened the briefcase from his chest and set it on the deck.

  John stopped beside Harmony, his gaze falling to the briefcase at David’s feet. “May I?”

  “No.” David picked up the briefcase again, his grip tight on the handle. “Actually, I’m tempted to toss this case overboard. I won’t be played by a crew of pirates. I offered to pay for you to find a missing piece.”