How could a girl say no to that? How could a girl speak period? She nodded her head.
“We need to go. I’m going to be late.”
“Lead the way,” Becki said tucking her hand in his.
The drive to her house was glorious; there was no other way to describe it. His car was just as fast as she remembered. They rode with the top down enjoying the warm breeze blowing through their hair. Glancing over to smile at Becki every once in a while, Royce held her hand all the way home. This day promised to be perfect!
Royce pulled up in front of her house. “Don’t touch the door handle,” he warned before getting out of the car. “That’s the rule from here on out.” He walked around the car, opened her door, and offered his hand to help her out of the car.
She placed her hand in his as if she were a queen. “Thank you, Sir. You shall receive a token of my favor. A kiss, I think.”
Royce jerked her to him and kissed her right there, dipping her backward over his arm with flair. Becki came up laughing. “Ok, you are not going to blame me for being late. Go play, I will see you tonight.”
Royce insisted on walking her to the door, and he made sure she locked it behind her.
“I will look forward to seeing you in that sexy black dress,” he said through the door. Then turning, he strutted toward his bad-ass car. He felt like he was twenty years old again as he roared out of the drive way. Royce loved this car; he loved the girl, too.
# “Where is Royce?” Landon asked as he boarded the boat. “He had to stop by Becki’s house,” Sean answered.
“Great,” Landon said with mock impatience, “he’ll be late for sure
now.”
“Looks like you brought plenty of gear, Kurt,” Landon observed.
“Did you forget how to count?”
“Nope,” Kurt responded, secretly looking forward to Landon’s
reaction to Joanna. It was time someone knocked him off his “Mr.
Irresistible” ego trip. Joanna was a far cry from the busty but brainless
variety he seemed to be drawn to lately. This promised to be an
interesting dive in more ways than one. Kurt punched in the GPS
coordinates and settled into the Caption’s chair to wait for the fireworks. Royce strolled down the dock whistling as he walked. He couldn’t
wait to see Becki this evening. If she thought dancing with that wicked
warlock was fun, wait until she saw his dance moves.
“Hi, beautiful day for a cruise,” he called to the trio on deck.
“Where’s Jo?” he asked Sean.
“Jo’s below working out a problem with our computer systems,” Sean
said absently. He was checking and double checking the coordinates in
his system. Royce chose to use a more hands-on approach and grabbed
the paper maps.
“Is Jo another member of the special ops team?” Landon asked Kurt. “Yep,” Kurt answered truthfully.
“I don’t think we’ve met,” Landon frowned.
“Let’s get this party started,” Kurt announced as he fired up the
engines, completely ignoring Landon’s line of questioning. “It’s going to
be a hot one today folks, but the water is fairly calm and visibility is
good. Hopefully, Neptune will smile on us today.”
The ride to the harbor would take a fair bit of time, so Kurt settled in
to enjoy the ride. He loved the coastline. Wildlife was abundant and
could be spotted in and out of the water. South Carolina was the perfect
place to live.
“Sean, did you consider the possibility of tunnels along the harbor?” a
feminine voice asked from below deck.
“No, I never even thought of that possibility!” he said practically
leaping down the stairs. “You are a genius, Jo. What made you think of
that? It would explain so much--”
“Joe certainly has a high pitched voice,” Landon whispered to Kurt. “Not Joe, J O E. It’s Jo-- J O, as in Joanna St. John, Royce’s little
sister,” Kurt explained.
“Damn, I thought I scented a woman. I assumed it was residual,”
Landon snapped. “Are you seriously telling me there is a woman on this
boat, heading into God knows what?”
“Here we go,” Kurt laughed as he anticipated Joanna would make an
appearance anytime now. After all, Landon had made no attempt to
hide his anger at the possibility of compromising the mission with the
presence of a woman.
Landon was somewhat superstitious. He believed that a woman’s
presence on a boat was a bad omen and made the seas angry. Of course,
he also believed that disaster was sure to follow if you stepped onto a
boat with your left foot first.
To demonstrate his sensitivity to Landon’s paranoia, Kurt was always
very careful to make a point of stepping on deck with his left foot first.
Of course, he made sure Landon was watching.
In a whirlwind of fury, Joanna stomped up the stairs. She had clearly
overheard Landon spouting superstition like an old sailor.
“Yes, Wolf,” she said scathingly with blue sparks shooting out of her
eyes. “A woman is on board.”
Royce, who had been engrossed in reading his maps, not really paying
attention to the conversation, knew that shooting blue sparks were a bad
sign.
“Kurt, what is it they say about a dog being near fishing tackle?”
Joanna asked with heavy sarcasm. “You might want to move it to the
other side of the boat,” she suggested to Landon.
Stepping closer to Joanna, Landon goaded, “A fully clothed woman is
bad luck, but a naked one can turn the tide. How far are you willing to
go to see this mission succeed, JO--anna?”
Oh, this was going to be an entertaining day all around. Kurt glanced
toward Royce to see how he was going to react to the latest comment
from Landon, but he wasn’t paying all that much attention to the
spatting couple. After all, Joanna was easily capable of holding her own
without interference from big brother.
“I’m sure that line of shit was dreamed up by a man who had trouble
getting laid, which explains why you know so much about it.” Royce decided now would be a good time to intervene before Joanna
lost all control and turned Landon into a goat or something far worse. “Jo,” Royce said catching her arm before she decided to use it for
evil. “Landon’s on our side. Where are your manners?”
“He started it,” Joanna complained as she wrenched her arm away
from Royce.
“I’m finishing it,” Royce declared. “Enough!”
Joanna knew when to retreat and just what to say to get Royce off
her ass. “Sorry, I’m just uptight today. PMS.”
Kurt inwardly groaned. Deja vu. He knew entirely too much about a
woman’s temperament in conjunction with her cycle. At one point
there had been four girls, including Becki under his roof. He had never
known what he was walking in to.
Royce, on the other hand, called her out, “Nice try, Jo, but I’m not
buying what you’re selling.”
Damn! Joanna rolled her eyes and turned to go below deck without
another word.
Kurt frowned remembering a recent conversation with Becki.... “We need to talk,” Royce insisted dragging her to the front of the
boat where they could have some privacy.
“What the hell is wrong with you? You’re antagonizing someone
who is trying to help us. In case you don’t get it, there’s a Wo
lf just
under the surface! For God’s sake, Joanna, get your shit under
control.”
“A lot has happened in the last few years, Royce. Let’s just say I’m
somewhat off men right now. I’m a little touchy,” Joanna explained
rubbing a stress knot that had formed in her shoulder. “Sorry, I’ll tone
it down.”
“What do you mean a lot has happened, Jo? What happened?” Royce
knew that it took something major to rattle his sister. What the hell had
happened while he was MIA?
Joanna smiled at her brother and patted his chest. “Nothing I
couldn’t handle. I’m fine; I’ll even apologize to the Wolf,” she said as
she walked back toward the group.
“This discussion is not over, Joanna. We’ll put it on the shelf for
now, but you and I are going to talk,” Royce assured her as she walked
away.
“She’s a Witch!” Landon whispered as soon as Royce and his sister
had moved away from them.
Kurt laughed and said, “What? Just because she didn’t fall at your
feet, you result to name-calling?”
“No,” Landon explained slowly, “I mean she’s a real Witch. Black
heart… crooked teeth… wart… that kind of Witch!”
“He’s right.”
Shit! Landon had forgotten all about Sean!
“Well, except for the black heart and crooked teeth part,” Sean
grinned. “I’m pretty sure she doesn’t have warts either.”
Kurt clapped Landon on the back, “Way to go, buddy.” “Joanna’s mother is a former council member; she’s also a pure-bred
Witch. The bloodline is very strong. It was only slightly diluted in Joanna
even though her father was not of pure-blood. Her powers are every bit as
strong as her mother’s now, so don’t piss her off,” Sean warned Landon. “I think it’s a little late for that bit of advice,” Landon reminded him as
he watched Joanna rub tension out of her neck and shoulder. “Look, can you give her a break? She got into a-- situation a few years
ago, and she’s doing the best she can. Royce doesn’t know about it, and I
won’t be the one telling him. Let’s just say she’s been through some shit
and leave it at that. Jo’s temper sometimes gets the better of her. She
always feels bad later,” Sean promised.
“Sounds like someone else I know, huh, Landon?” Kurt observed.
“Like the kid said, give her a break. You might be surprised.” “Um, yea, I’ll have to take your word for that,” Landon said
pessimistically.
“I’m sorry for my behavior earlier,” Joanna said as she approached. “I’ll
just claim jet lag if you’ll allow it. My mother would be appalled at my
behavior,” she confided.
“I’m Royce’s spoiled baby sister, Joanna,” she said, extending her hand
to Landon. “And you are?”
The smile that accompanied her apology went straight to his heart. He
was honest enough to admit that he had antagonized her more than he
should have. His only excuse was her eyes; they were a beautiful shade of
blue that actually sparked when she was angry. She was, without a doubt,
the most glorious woman he had ever encountered.
“Landon Smith,” he responded as he reached for Joanna’s hand. With
his trademark charm firmly in place, he brought her hand to his lips. “I’m
pleased to meet you, Joanna.”
A blush swept across her face. To the untrained observer, it would have
appeared to be a flush resulting from the attention of an attractive man. To
Royce, who was accustomed to Joanna’s temperament, recognized the
warning signs immediately. All hell was about to break loose. Royce inserted himself between Landon and Joanna. Grasping her
shoulders, he gave her a slight shake. “Jo, we have a job to do here,” he
reminded her sternly.
Joanna shook off his hold and stomped back down the stairs. Everyone
went back to their business except Landon. He watched as she
disappeared below deck wondering what he had done wrong this time.
The last thing he saw was her middle finger pointing straight into the air
above her head.
Landon chuckled and shook his head.
“I’m telling you, don’t bait her. She can be one wicked Witch,” Royce
cautioned.
“Wicked?” Landon smiled. “Sounds like fun. I can do wicked.” Royce gritted, “Need I remind you that we’re talking about my baby
sister? And while we’re on the subject, I would appreciate it if you
wouldn’t use words like naked when referring to her in my presence. I
won’t allow you to toy with her, Wolf or not. Clear?”
“Crystal,” Landon acknowledged.
Joanna was beautiful, bright, and fearless. Royce needn’t worry; it
appeared that she was quite capable of taking care of herself. Landon
glanced toward the passageway to the cabin below and muttered, “I’m
probably the one at risk here.”
No matter how quietly it was uttered, Kurt heard Landon’s statement,
loud and clear. Smiling, he pondered the impending fall of the mighty
Landon Smith. Kurt wondered how long it would take for his friend to
realize that trying to charm Joanna was the equivalent of waiving a red
flag in front of the proverbial bull. Considering the confused look on his
friend’s face at this moment, it might take him a good while. “Look alive mates. Land ho!” Kurt said. He was suddenly in an
extraordinarily jovial mood.
As the Battery drew closer, Seth and Joanna finished up below and
then wondered around the deck.
“What is that place?” Joanna asked, pointing to an overgrown
structure situated on an island resting in the middle of Charleston
Harbor.
Landon answered “That’s Castle Pinckney. The government built it
in 1810. During the Civil War it was used as a prisoner of war camp and
after that an artillery position. It’s built in the shape of a horseshoe. The
Ghosts of Castle Pinckney was written by a guy who grew up out there, E.P.
McClellan. He had some great stories. Everyone still talks about the
ghosts there.”
Unable to hold back a shiver, Joanna reached out to touch Landon’s
forearm as he leaned on boat’s railing next to her. “You need to stay
away from that island, Landon. It’s not for your kind. There is
something-- I’m not sure…” she paused unable to identify the feelings
assailing her. “Just stay away,” she urged as she turned and walked away. Landon glanced meaningfully at Kurt, who smiled and shrugged.
Talk about a red flag in front of a bull, Joanna would have been better
off to keep that last part to herself. As it was, she just guaranteed Kurt
and Landon a trip to Castle Pinckney in the near future.
“We’ll drop anchor here,” Kurt said. “Sean, where do we start?” Sean pointed to several different areas on the map, “I’ve marked the
areas that are inconsistent with the digital copies. There is no way we
will get them all checked out today, but if we split up, we can make more
headway.”
“Sounds like a good plan,” Royce acknowledged.
“Jo, you stay here on the boat and see if you can catch a signal. The
coin hasn’t beaconed in several months, so it’s unlikely. However, you
work in our favor. Landon and I will take this area,” Sean said, tapping
one of the highlighted areas on the map. “Royce and Kurt will take this
section,” he said, pointing to another area close by.
Kurt took over the conversation, “We’ll use a jackstay search pattern.
I’ve stowed the anchors in the rear compartment and ropes are already
attached. We’ll drop the anchors at opposite ends on the eastern most
side of our assigned sections. Follow the rope from one anchor to the
other. Stay together and let the rope slide through your fingers. When
you get to one end, move the anchor a few feet to the west and then
swim back to the opposite anchor. It’s a tedious process, but if
something is down there, we should find it.”
“Put these on, guys,” Joanna appeared holding up tiny ear buds. Landon looked at her like she was crazy. “We won’t need to listen to
music down there, Joanna.”
“Smart ass, they are not going to be connected to an Ipod. They will
let me keep track of you down there and let me communicate with you
in case of an emergency. As soon as you put them in your ear, they will
conform to the shape of your ear canal and become waterproof,” she
explained. She handed them a second gadget which closely resembled a
wrist watch. “Put these on, too. They will allow you to communicate
with me as well as each other. It works just like texting,” she said, typing
something on her laptop.
Landon’s wrist vibrated and he looked at the screen. Jackass displayed
on the backlit screen. “Nice,” he said, responding with a text of his own. n ur dreams wolf boy Joanna countered via her keyboard.
He turned his gaze toward Joanna and continued to wait patiently
until she looked at him. She finally turned her head in his direction
almost against her will.
“Count on it,” Landon assured her.
# Joanna’s eyes were glued to the screen in front of her, monitoring both teams of divers as they scoured the bottom of the harbor. She had taken a break from trying to figure out how to lift the cloaking spell on the coin. She had made very little headway, and the process was draining. However, there were still some things she wanted to try.
Landon had turned out to be an unexpected pain in her ass. He was clearly used to brainless twits fawning all over him. “Count on it,” he had said. Unfortunately, Joanna had learned long ago that the only thing she could count on from a man was pain and heartache.
Treasure Tides (The Coins) Page 17