“Aye lass, I’m here. I think I’ve found something. When she didn’t respond he stopped and yelled, “Esa?”
“I’m here Jacque, are you all right?”
Hellsfire! He dropped his weight against the dirt wall and steeled his jaw against the chaos of emotion her sorrowful tone stirred within him. It sounded as though she were crying enough to fill the quarterdeck of the Sainte-Anne! His heart jumped into his throat. “I love ye Esa, whatever happens, remember that, aye?”
“I-I will.”
Anguish seized every muscle, every bone in his body. He attempted to shackle his feelings, but to no avail. He slid to the soil and cried into his hands.
God, he didn’t want to leave her! This was the hardest thing he’d ever had to do. And the longer he detained, the harder it became for him to drive that shovel in the ground just one more time. He couldn’t take much more, nor could she by the sound of it. Better to get it over with.
He lifted the flashlight and surveyed his progress, clutching the shovel once more, and finagling it between a slight break amid the object and the earth. He pried, but the stubborn entity wouldn’t give an inch. Using all his strength, he powered down on the handle and secured his boot on the head of the shovel and pushed—Oof!
The object gave way and Jacque fell forward, into the pit. He recovered the flashlight and bent to collect the small box. He hesitated. This was it; his moment of truth. He allowed Esa’s image to enter his mind, but only for a fleeting moment out of fear he’d once again be tempted to abandon his duty and bolt topside.
The box wasn’t locked, but beheld another skull and cross bones on the lid. Without wasting another second, he flung the top open. His mouth fell open in awe upon seeing the delicate contents inside.
His heart raced, the blood pumped at cannon speed just as it did before a raid. He swallowed, his fingers tracing the outline of the cloth, almost afraid to reveal its valuable contents. With a shaky breath, he lifted the object and peeled off the cloth. A slow, wicked smile curled his lips as he withdrew the coveted pillage. “Yo-ho-ho!” He’d done it! He’d found his treasure!
The Hope Diamond. Sita’s stone. And, as Esa’s kin had so appropriately dubbed it, the Devil’s Diamond. Whatever one cared to call it, it was his! He shined the light directly on the gem, watching the shimmer and sparkle as the expensive babble flirted with him. It was breathtaking.
Almost as beautiful as Esa.
Almost.
This is what he’d been searching for, what he’d been sent to find. Now he would take his vengeance. He tugged the gathering the rest of the way free and dropped the exceptional stone in the palm of his hand.
And froze.
The jewel was but a mere fraction of the size he remembered.
Godsteeth! The stone had been cut! It couldn’t be more than thirty karats in weight! How the hell would he explain this to Louis?
His body went stiff. He held the small loot in his hand…yet time hadn’t called him home. Baffling, indeed. Was he to track the scattered remnants of the stone? Surely not. There wasn’t enough time!
Closing his hand over the cool stone, Jacque clamped his eyes shut and whispered to the powers that be, “I am ready.”
After several minutes, he opened his eyes again. Why the hell was he still here?
Should he laugh, or cry?
“Dammit! Give me justice, I beg you!” His voice was loud and strong as it filled the small cavern.
“Jacque. Do you need something?” Esa called.
He didn’t answer, but the sound of her voice served as a buffer between his rage and disappointment. Was this his destiny? Was she? Dare he hope to believe it might be true? That his whole purpose for being here was her? His heart didn’t question it, yet his mind couldn’t fathom such reasoning behind his unthinkable adventure.
Yet, he held a fortune in his hand. If he were forced to remain in the future, he could give the lass the life she longed for, the life she deserved.
What could he do if Fate chose to change the rules midway through the game? As much as it pained him to think of the ill fate of his bloodline, he was resolved there was nothing to be done about it. Perhaps his line was meant to pick up here.
Coming to his feet, he kissed the devil stone before tucking it into his pocket. Resting a hand on the first rung of the makeshift ladder, he bowed his head in prayer. “Sita, if ye hear me, please spare me ye wrath. I only wish to use the stone for good, and not greed. Let ye curse lie in this pit and free the lass’s family of any future suffering. I beg ye, if there is a life to be paid for its resurrection, please, let it be mine, and let it end there.”
~ * ~
“Jacque!” Esa squealed when a hint of raven tresses appeared at the opening of the trapdoor. His endeavors of finding the diamond must not have been successful. Did that mean he would remain in her time?
Her heart soared, yet at the same time, broke for him. He must be absolutely devastated. She ran to him, his arms open and waiting. Despite his misfortune, he flashed a radiant smile.
“Oh Jacque, I’m so sorry.” She hugged him so tight her arms began to go numb.
He was covered in filth from head to toe, as though he’d rolled in the dirt like a dog. He looked into her face and quirked a playful brow. “Are ye?”
“Of course I am. I know how much finding the diamond meant to you.” She buried her face in his chest and snuggled close, not caring that she now shared a great deal of his soot. “We’ll keep looking, I promise. I’ll help you. We’ll find it if we have to tear the whole damned yard apart!”
“Esa!” Larisa cried.
Jacque chuckled. He seemed to be taking it all very well. Much better than she would have expected. She was just so glad to see him; she couldn’t find the right words to convey her mirth.
“Open ye hand, lass.”
“Why?” she managed through her sobs.
“You talk too much, come now, open ye hand. I promise it won’t bite.” He winked, the sexy grin resurfacing. “Ah-ah,” he scolded, waving a finger in the air when she opened her mouth again.
She closed her eyes and held out her hand as requested and felt a cool weight hit her palm. Her eyes flew open in surprise and she peered into her trembling hand.
Her jaw fell slack and she gasped. “Oh-my-Gawd!” she said, her words barely audible. “It’s the diamond!” She took a minute to catch her breath.
“Esa! Put it down! Don’t even look at it!” Larisa shouted from behind her. She’d taken a step in her direction, but fear stopped her from coming any closer.
“Please Esa, do as she says, put it down,” Rick echoed his wife’s concern.
But she didn’t—couldn’t. So mesmerized by its beauty, she could only stare at it. “It’s positively stunning,” she managed to whisper. “My God Jacque! Do you know what this means?” Wait a minute. Something wasn’t right. He’d found the stone, yet he hadn’t vanished into thin air. Did that mean…she was afraid to even think it.
“Aye lass, though it’s a mite smaller than the last time I saw it, now I’ll be able to provide for ye proper. We can start our own business, perhaps try our hand at a family of our own.” His fingers traced the curve of her quaking chin. “That is, if ye’ll have me?”
“W-What?” What was he saying? Surly he couldn’t be asking her to—her heart lodged in her throat! Trembling hands covered her mouth as Jacque dropped to one knee. Dear God, this was really happening.
He closed her hand over the stone and held it in his. “Esa, will ye make me the happiest man to have ever lived and do me the honor of becoming my wife?”
Seeing him there, on bended knee, was even better than she’d dreamed every night since they’d met! Heart soaring, she didn’t have to think about her answer. “Oh my god Jacque, of course I’ll marry you!”
~ * ~
Seeing how upset the expectant Larisa was over the excavated diamond, Jacque trekked down the lengthy drive with his treasure and waited across the street for
Esa to collect their bags and pick him up.
He marveled at the stone while he waited, never having had sufficient time to truly appreciate its rare beauty before.
The diamond caused Larisa such anxiety that he’d offered to put it back in the ground. But she graciously declined. “No, it belongs to you. Perhaps it will be all right in the right hands. Please, just get it off my property.”
He offered to split whatever riches it might bring with her, but she assured him she didn’t need it, nor did she want anything to do with what she referred to as blood money. “My ancestors lost their lives over that stone. I don’t want anything to do with it,” she’d said, refusing to even blink at the brilliant jewel.
He just couldn’t understand it. How could these women have been sired from such a treacherous bloodline and remain free of so much as an ounce of greed?
A frightful noise Esa referred to as a car horn startled him and he jumped back a foot.
“Hey handsome, need a ride?” the culprit asked, flashing a smile and wiggling feminine brows as she pulled along side him in the modern carriage.
“Aye mademoiselle. Think ye might see me to the harbor? I’ve a massive vessel and need some help getting it underway,” he said, brows wiggling back at her.
~ * ~
Esa tore her gaze away from the diamond to look at Jacque sprawled casually beside her in all his naked glory on the bed. Being back in his cabin felt like they’d returned home. “Why do you suppose you’re still here?”
“Darling, it doesn’t matter how many times ye ask, the answer shall always be the same. I don’t know why or how or anything else.” He turned on his side and nuzzled her ear. “But I thank God for the remarkable event, otherwise I’d never have met the woman my heart has yearned after for over two centuries. For all we know, you are the reason for my being here.”
“You’re right, I guess I shouldn’t question Fate.” She smiled and ran her finger in the soft hairs on his chest. “I’m sorry, it just seems to good to be true. I’ve just got this feeling—”
“Shhhh, I’ve got something far more worthwhile for you to be feeling,” he purred in that raspy tone that drove her wild with desire and moved her hand to his bloated groin while she chuckled.
~ * ~
Sid tried to make the most of his time alone onboard the yacht. He’d been surprised at how easily he’d gained access to the charter. Of course, the feminine disguise had helped. He’d stayed clear of the crew, being cautious to avoid any contact in case someone should recognize him.
As he waited for Esa and her lover to return, he used his pocketknife to carve a small hole in the closet between the cabin where he hid and the one that appeared to be the most used.
He pulled a piece of beef jerky from his bag and bit a chunk off. Not knowing when the opportunity would present itself to procure the necessities, or where the traveling thieves might be off to next, he’d brought some food and bottled water, but not much. He’d have to move quickly. Thank god there was a bathroom on the cabin. Leaving wasn’t an option. He’d have to act before his rations waned.
But first he must discover their secrets.
That meant he’d have to keep his ears open and glued to the wall. Thus, he was forced to listen as the adventuresome couple made love all hours of the day and night. It only served to fuel his anger.
Muffled speech caused him concern, but he thought he heard someone utter something about a thirty-something karat blue diamond?
His mouth watered. Thirty karat diamond?
Could it be true? If so, how was it possible? Surely it was an exaggeration? Why, he’d never heard of such a jewel, his breath caught, his heart practically stopped beating.
A slight recollection lit a fuse in his mind. He had heard of such a stone before, though he couldn’t recall the exact weight, his mind conjured an image in his deceitful head. But that was just a rumor, some timeless fable the Hindus had built an entire religion upon. How could they have gotten their hands on such a—his heart gave a painful thud.
Esa Keats! That’s how. Working in a museum, she would have exclusive access to such rare artifacts.
A loud thud came from the opposite wall, though he ignored it. Good God, he wanted to shout at the top of his lungs. He was going to be rich! Filthy, get down and wallop in the mud, rich!
His head swam with swirling dollar signs. He started to laugh, but caught himself, stifling his glee with his hands so as not to be heard.
Things were looking up.
It was nearing time to make his presence known.
He dropped the jerky in exchange for the cold metal of the revolver beneath his hand. If Jacque LaFleur had no prints, no social security card, or anything else to prove he ever existed, then certainly no one would miss the conniving swindler when he was gone.
Except perhaps, his whore.
He’d just have to dispose of her as well—make it look like an accident. A lover’s quarrel. He could see the headlines now: “Man shoots lover in jealous rage, then turns gun on self.” Happens all the time.
No one would ever suspect him, not in a million years.
~ * ~
Esa couldn’t be on the upper deck without reliving that first erotically delicious evening with Jacque. A smile broke out on her face and she felt her cheeks flush with heat. She looked sideways at a brooding Jacque.
What was wrong with him these past few days? Why wouldn’t he speak to her? She’d all but begged him to come clean with her. It just didn’t make since. He’d been so happy-they’d been so elated by the fact that time hadn’t relocated him again.
But since this morning, he’d seemed even more distant. He barely talked, so deep in his own thoughts. And the way he’d made love to her last night reminded her of the night before he found the stone. When he thought it’d be their last…
“Jacque? What’s bothering you? And don’t say nothing because I’m not blind. Did I do something to upset you?” she asked, coming up behind him as he stared out over the glistening gulf and messaging his rigid shoulders. Was he nervous about arriving in Fort Meyers? Was he having second thoughts about settling down?
She’d thought a romantic dinner beneath the radiant moonlight might help soothe his rattled nerves, but she’d been wrong. He was so restless. The tension was visible in his posture. Like he was waiting for something, a dreaded storm that might swallow them up. She even though she sensed fear in his voice when he did speak. Did he have regrets? Was he sorry he’d proposed? God, her chest felt heavy with just the thought.
“Nay lass,” he said, taking her hand and placing a gentle kiss atop it. “‘Tis nothing you did. Come here.” He pulled her in front of him, wrapping his arms and holding her as if his life depended on her being there.
Black ice closed over her heart. Nothing had ever struck more fear in her than his tone, his actions did in that moment.
~ * ~
Indeed there was something wrong. But he couldn’t tell her, didn’t want her to worry. The moon was round. The last time he’d been beneath such a moon, his crew had betrayed him. Without warning, he’d been thrust centuries ahead of his own.
Would it recall his weary spirit without such admonition?
Now, more than ever, he didn’t want to go back. They’d made so many plans. He couldn’t recollect ever having been happier. Not even when his grandfather had gifted him with his first dagger in celebration of his thirteenth birthday, or his crossover into manhood.
A feast of scenarios played out in his mind. Would he suddenly disappear at the stroke of midnight leaving Esa alone and dejected? Would he die, as he should have that fateful night? Or would he return to his own time, and if so, would it be too late to save his family? The thoughts ate away at him until he was nauseous with anxiety.
Would King Louis carry out the threat his callous eyes made but weeks ago?
Better he should die than to live without Esa.
“Jacque?” Soft hands cupped his face. His heart shattered
at the troubled look emanating from such beauty.
“Avast, love. ‘Tis nothing,” half-grinning, he dropped back into a lounge chair and pulled her into his lap, nuzzling her neck.
She didn’t like to talk about the possibility that he might be taken from her. Another common bond they shared. He’d tried to be chipper and bright for her since waking this morning. But it was easy to see she saw through the charade. And why not, when he was filled with such unsettling images and faced with the reality that the moon may well be the gateway to his time portal. With the threat of never waking to that bonny face again looming over his head like a violent cloud, he was doing well not to fall at her feet and sob like a lost child.
“Dammit Jacque, why won’t you talk to me?” Esa slid from his lap and stormed to the other side of the boat. As he watched her silhouette, the seductive shimmer of the moon dancing atop the ocean, a dreaded chill traveled down his spine.
If she knew what ailed him, she’d latch onto him as he wanted to latch onto her. And time be damned if it tried to come between them. He wished it were a force to be reckoned with, for he’d fight to the death if it meant just one more night with his beloved. But how could he fight something he couldn’t see? Something that contained such unspeakable power?
Coming up behind her, he gathered her into his arms and buried his face in her neck and whispered, “I’m sorry lass, I don’t mean to rile ye by keeping dark secrets. ‘Tis just,” he paused, nearly choking on the words. “I’m afraid of losing you.”
She turned, wrapping her arms around his neck and burst into tears.
“Come now, lass. ‘Tis the truth I speak, plain and simple. What are ye tears for? I promise I’m not keeping anything from ye. I’m just scared as hell of being parted from you.”
Her body shook with her sobs.
“Look, I was wrong about the stone. I thought it might take me back, but I’m still here. Ye tears may be for naught, love. Maybe this is where I’m supposed to be. God knows ‘tis where I long to be.” He lost himself in her kiss.
A clicking noise turned their attention toward the stairs leading to the lower deck.
Corsair Cove Page 26