by Lisa Kessler
She promptly exited the stage but not before Captain Flynn had a private word with her.
Keegan cursed under his breath, rushing to her side. “Are you all right?”
“I’m fine.” She narrowed her eyes. “According to the captain, Agent Bale warned you a few days ago that Bruce was seen in Savannah. Would have been nice to know we might be putting on a show tonight.”
He’d square this up with the captain later. “You had enough on your plate, love. We didn’t think he’d risk coming here. Didn’t realize he wasn’t thinking clearly.” He gestured at the crowd. “But these folks all thought it was part of the event. No harm.”
Char lowered her voice. “They could have been killed.”
“Nah, he wouldn’t have fired.”
She crossed her arms. “Pretty risky bet. Even for a pirate.” She glanced over at the couple who’d helped subdue Trumain. “The Sloans took a big risk, too.”
He nodded. “They were the only ones who realized this wasn’t an act. Sasha’s a police detective. And he’s…” Keegan pondered his earlier conversation with Aren Sloan and shrugged. “He’s got a keen sense of smell.”
Char stared at Keegan like he’d grown two heads. “How could you possibly know that?” She shook her head. “They told me they’re in town for an anniversary and Flynn encouraged them to donate to our event.”
“Glad they were here.” He met Char’s eyes. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you about Bale’s warning. I just wanted tonight to be a success for you.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “Agent Bale was backing us up. I swear you weren’t in any real danger.”
“Oh, I think I was. He pointed a gun right at me.” She shook her head, and Keegan realized she was fighting back a smile. “But what kind of pirate would I be if I can’t handle a little danger?”
God, he loved this woman.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Charlotte might’ve been immortal now, but she was bone tired by the time the final donor left the exhibition. Aren and Sasha Sloan were chatting with Flynn before heading over her way.
“Thanks for your help with our…previous director tonight.” Charlotte forced a well-practiced smile.
Aren’s green eyes sparkled in the light. “Glad we could hustle him out of here without anyone getting hurt. The guy from the band was great, too.”
“Keegan is a true privateer at heart.” She looked over her shoulder at the stage where Keegan wrapped up cords. She faced forward again. “I hope this won’t be your last trip to Savannah. If you’re working with Ian Flynn, you must be real estate developers, right?”
“Not really.” He chuckled. “I represent investors who are looking to expand to the East Coast.” He handed her a business card. “If you’re ever in Reno, look us up.” They started to go when Aren turned back. “This is going to sound strange, but…” He came closer, lowering his voice. “My father closed a deal with Ian Flynn more than thirty years ago. I have a photo of them shaking hands at a press conference.” He scanned the area. “Long story short, Sasha and I know that what the party crasher was spouting off about the Sea Dog crew is true.”
Charlotte’s heart skipped a beat. She glanced back at the stage, and Keegan met her eyes. She wished she could send him a signal. This would be a great time to interrupt. She kept her expression neutral as she turned to the Sloans again. “I’m not sure I follow you.”
Sasha squeezed Aren’s arm. “My husband is trying to say we already suspected that Ian isn’t really Ian Flynn the third, and we’ve got some psychics with powerful gifts in our Pack, so it’s not a stretch to believe you might have one, too.”
Pack? What were they talking about? Charlotte’s practiced smile faded. “Why are you telling me this?”
Keegan came up beside her, his hand resting on the small of her back. Apparently, he’d gotten her mental SOS after all. “What’d I miss, love?”
Aren’s gaze flicked to Keegan, then back to Charlotte. “I’m telling you this because the guy you’re working with is with the government, and they’re not always as good at keeping secrets as they claim.”
Keegan tightened his hold on her. “What are we missing here, mate?”
“I came to meet Flynn for more than investments.” Aren took his wife’s hand. “I did some digging after my first meeting with Ian Flynn. We have a couple of journalists in my Pack. It didn’t take long to start connecting impossible dots.”
Keegan rubbed her back. Could he sense her growing tension? Charlotte cleared her throat. “Your Pack …” She frowned. “Are you blackmailing me?”
“Definitely not.” Sasha shook her head, nudging her husband. “Aren’s trying to tell you that we’re…different…like you. We’ve realized recently that we’re not the only ‘supernaturals’ in the world, but the one constant around all of us seems to be the government. For now, they’re keeping our secrets, which protects us, but if that ever changes, we’re all going to need to band together in order to survive.”
Keegan cocked a brow. “So, what are you, exactly?”
Aren chuckled with a wolfish grin. “Not immortal like you.” His gaze locked on Charlotte’s as his smile faded. “We’re shifters. Just keep my card, and let me know if you ever need us. We’ll stand with you and your…crew.”
“Shifters?” Charlotte rubbed her forehead. “As in…” The pieces started to fall into place. “Keegan said you had a good sense of… Oh my God, werewolves are real?”
Aren scanned the area and lowered his voice. “Best we don’t let that get out. But yes. And my Pack wanted me to make contact, just in case the government ever stops protecting our secrets.”
Charlotte struggled to string words together. “Does Flynn know?”
Aren nodded. “Yeah. That’s why he encouraged us to attend your function. He wanted us to meet his crew.” Aren took out a business card and handed it to Charlotte. “If that Bale guy ever turns on you, just know you’re not alone.”
Charlotte took the card, and Keegan offered his hand. “Thanks for the heads up, mate.”
Aren skipped the handshake and clasped Keegan’s forearm. “If you’re ever in Reno, look us up.”
Aren and his wife walked away, leaving Charlotte turning his card over and over.
Keegan ran his hand up her back. “The longer you live, the more odd folk like that you’re going to meet. Comes with the territory, love.”
She looked up at him, puzzling at his words. “The Sloans weren’t your first ‘supernaturals’? What exactly is lurking in the shadows out there?”
He sobered. “Hard to make a list for you, but I’ve met a few psychics, some nasty ghosts, and a couple of sirens. As the years pass, you’re liable to discover most of the myths and folktales have a nugget of truth in them. Something humanity couldn’t explain, and rather than be forced to believe in magic, the stories are believed to be fiction.”
“And now we’re part of it.” She tucked Aren’s card in her pocket. “You don’t think they’ll tell anyone about my power or that the crew is immortal?”
“Nah.” He turned her around to wander back into the garden.
“Did you know they were werewolves?”
He didn’t answer until they reached the stage. “No, but there’s a power there. You can sense the…otherness.” He stopped and stared into her eyes. “Aren mentioned he could tell your crazy boss was agitated not acting. I’ve been told madness has a scent.”
Her mind whirled, digesting the new information as Keegan brushed a kiss to her cheek and boosted her up onto the edge of the stage. “I’ll be right back, love.”
He jogged over to help the museum volunteers put away chairs and tables while Bob packed up the bar. She sat on the edge of the stage and circled her ankles, resting her aching feet.
When she looked up again, Agent Bale came down the center aisle of the garden in his government-issue black suit. He stopped in front of her. “Sorry for the intrusion tonight.”
She sighed, too tired to fight. “The
review in the paper should be interesting tomorrow, but I think everyone had a good time overall. How’s Bruce?”
“Sedated at the moment. I’m taking him back to D.C. for formal questioning. We were lucky he showed up tonight.” He scanned the area and lowered his voice. “He’s our best chance of recovering the rest of the relics the Serpent Society took.”
“Good.” She lifted her head to meet his eyes. “I understand your vault was robbed recently.”
“Yes.” A muscle in his cheek jumped. “I’m hoping you can sway the pirates to retrieve it.”
She shrugged. “Might help if we knew what it is.” She waited.
“This can’t get out to the public.”
Charlotte rolled her eyes. “Obviously.”
His features were stoic as he whispered, “Pandora’s Box is missing.”
Her eyes widened, jaw slack for a second. She blinked. “As in the container that holds all the evils of the world? That box? You’re kidding me.” She shook her head. “It’s seriously real?”
“As real as the Grail.” Not even a hint of a smile.
“Oh shit.”
He cleared his throat. “To say the least.”
“Do you know who took it?”
“I have a working theory.” He paused as Keegan came to her side. He looked at each of them. “If I’m right, this isn’t a group of religious fanatics like the Serpent Society. They’re internet-savvy and fancy themselves to be twenty-first-century Robin Hoods. They’ll sell it to the highest bidder without any thought about the consequences. They don’t believe in anything other than profit.”
Keegan tipped his head toward the rest of the pirates. “Shouldn’t you be addressing the whole crew?”
Charlotte didn’t realize the crew was all that was left. Keegan called them over, and Bale quickly briefed them on the missing…box of evil. “The government can’t steal it back, or arrest the thieves, without risking the press discovering Department 13 exists, not to mention that Pandora’s Box is real.”
Captain Flynn’s mouth pulled into a hard line. “This is not our problem. The Grail was ours to reclaim. There’s nothing in this mission for us.”
Keegan shook his head. “I disagree.” The others turned to focus on him. He grinned with a spark in his eyes. “Until we lost the Grail, we were fading, mates. I forgot the rush of a good fight and the hunger for finding a treasure. This hunt for the Lord’s cup gave that back to me. I’m not ready to fade into the shadows again. We’re pirates! Think about it. This way we can steal without any threat of hanging for it. In fact, we’re being patriots, mates. I’m in.”
She loved seeing the fire in his eyes and hearing the swagger in his voice as he pleaded his case. Hell, she even loved that he tried to be sure her night was perfect by not worrying her about Bruce. It backfired big time, but his heart had been in the right place. He knew tonight had been important to her, and he did everything he could to support her.
Until Keegan, she’d never had someone in her corner before. Didn’t hurt that he was good-looking and sang in a rock band, either.
Keegan caught her staring and winked as he went on. “So, mates, I propose we work with Agent Bale. We’ll procure his relic, and he can buy it from us. The gold will fill the coffers and help any of us who might be struggling. Eternity doesn’t come cheap.”
Captain Flynn glanced at Agent Bale. “Is there gold in this deal?”
Agent Bale smirked. “I can make a bank transfer for your services.”
“Good enough for me.” Keegan raised his fist. “Who’s with me?”
One by one the crew called out, “Aye,” and again it all came down to Flynn. He turned to Charlotte, his gaze calculating. “You welcome this adventure, too?”
Did she? She looked over at the historic William Scarbrough House, home of the maritime museum. She knew the rooms and hallways as well as she knew her own name. Until now, she’d spent most of her life in that museum, bringing history to life, retelling the adventures on the seas.
This would be a chance to actually live them.
“Yes.” She took Keegan’s hand and nodded at Flynn as a grin crept up on her. “I mean, aye.”
She couldn’t be sure, but it almost looked like Flynn tried not to smile as he looked over at Agent Bale. “Aye. We’ll have to agree on a price.”
Agent Bale shook his hand. “I’ll call you tomorrow.”
Charlotte waited until Bale disappeared into the darkness to scoot off the edge of the stage. Keegan chuckled, catching her waist.
“Where are you off to?” He boosted her back up onto the stage before she could protest.
The rest of the crew gathered closer to the stage. She crossed her arms. “What’s going on?”
“Trust me?” His eyes sparkled.
Charlotte smiled. “You know I do.”
“Good, then wait right there.” He turned and jogged up the center aisle of the courtyard, leaving her with a crew full of smiling pirates.
She focused on One-Eyed Bob. “You’re not going to let me in on the surprise?”
The cook chuckled, shaking his head. “Wouldn’t be much of a surprise then, right?” He glanced over his shoulder. “Keegan wears his swagger like a second skin, but the boy has been nervous for more than a week.”
“Nervous? About what?”
Movement caught her eye. She lifted her head to see her mom and dad coming down the aisle with Keegan. Her dad had a folder under his arm. Had to be the contract Agent Bale wanted her to sign. But why would that have made Keegan nervous?
“Sorry for the wait, love, but I promised yer folks they could be here for this.”
“For what?”
Keegan came forward, but as he approached her, he dropped down on one knee, and Charlotte’s heart fluttered in her chest. He looked up at her with those bright-green eyes and that devilish smile she’d never tire of.
“I’ve walked this earth for far too long, and in all that time, I have never met a woman like you. You’re beautiful, intelligent, and by far the bravest person I know. I don’t deserve you, but that won’t stop me from telling you in front of my crew and your family that I love you.”
Emotion threatened to overwhelm her as he reached into the pocket of his coat and pulled out a velvet box. He popped it open to reveal an antique gold ring with rubies embedded on the band and an emerald in the center.
Keegan stared up at her with a gentle smile. “Dr. Charlotte Sinclair, will you be my wife?”
She didn’t hesitate. “Yes.”
Keegan sprang up and lifted her off the stage into his arms as the crew cheered around them. She kissed him long and slow before resting her forehead against his. “I had no idea you were planning all this.”
He grinned. “Was terrified you’d come to your senses and tell me to walk the plank.”
“No way.” She held out her hand, and he slid the ring on her finger. “It’s beautiful.”
“I’m glad you like it. It used to belong to a queen.”
She chuckled, shaking her head. “I’m really going to marry a pirate.”
Her mother came up, and Keegan reluctantly set her down and took a step back. Charlotte embraced her parents and her crew until finally, she and Keegan were alone.
Charlotte turned off the garden lights, and Keegan slid his arm around her waist. “I love you.”
“I love you, too.” She stopped walking and stared up into his eyes. “Thank you for all your help tonight, and for the surprise. I’m overwhelmed.”
He cupped her cheek. “You were amazing. And everyone loved your Pieces of Eight exhibit.”
She nodded slowly. “The exhibition seems sort of inconsequential now that forever is waiting in front of us.”
“What you do here has plenty of meaning.” He lifted her hand to his lips and kissed her knuckles. “This place is your home. You don’t have to give this up to chase after treasure with us.”
“You guys need me.” She bumped him with her hip. “I’m the
only member of the crew who knows anything about Pandora’s Box.” Her voice softened. “I’m going to turn in my notice at the museum tomorrow.” He frowned, but she went on. “I’d have to leave eventually anyway when people started noticing I wasn’t aging, right?”
She tugged the lapels of his coat to pull him closer. “Besides, I think I’m through talking about someone else’s adventures. I want to live my own, wherever they take us.”
His mouth curved into a smile as he traced his finger along her jaw. “The adventure is just beginning, my love.”
She turned to kiss his hand and whispered, “I’m counting on it.”
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Acknowledgments
This book never would have happened without my grandparents. My grandmother grew up in Darien, just outside of Savannah and she filled my head with stories of the salt water rivers, and shrimp boats. It was so much fun to go visit her sisters when I visited for book research!
Big thanks to my agent, Laurie McLean, who loved the first book and found a home for the entire series, and to Liz Pelletier from Entangled for believing in the Sea Dog crew and in me.
I also need to thank my intrepid beta readers for this book, Denise Fluhr, Heather Cox, and Elizabeth Neal. And to my amazing Night Angel Reader Group, thanks for all the support for this series! You guys are the wind in the Sea Dog’s sails for sure.
Big thanks to the Ships of the Sea Maritime Museum in Savannah for the tour of the beautiful William Scarbrough house and for talking nautical knots with me. Any mistakes in the book are my own.
And finally, thanks to my husband for encouraging me and believing in my writing. I love you! And I can’t wait to go on more book research adventures with you.