Page 101 of Paid to the Pirate

“I… did steal the Crimson Eye,” I whispered, covering my mouth with my hand. “But only for a moment, to hide. I thought you’d be distracted looking for it instead of chasing me. I never thought you’d think I took it. How could you?”

“You’re a master of deceit,” Colt whispered. “How could I not?”

“Because you knew I cared about the crew! I would never do anything to jeopardize their future.”

“And I thought you averse to killing too, yet you slew Maurice.”

“He deserved it!” I fought the tears, not wanting to explain the truth about Maurice when another realization hit me. “Wait, I don’t understand. You never found the Eye?”

“No,” Colt said in a low voice, scarcely breathing. “Where is it?”

“I sewed it into your mattress,” I confessed, picturing the glittering ruby in my mind. “You careen without fail every three months and you always strip and wash the bedding, air your mattress... You perform such a thorough cleaning I thought you’d find it immediately.”

At my confession, murmurs rose from the men.

Colt closed his eyes as he brought a hand to his head. “After you fled we sailed less-familiar waters looking for you. When we next careened it was in an unknown cove and we were attacked. It put a quick end to our scrubbing and after that, the men were too spooked for my overly thorough maintenance. We did the bare minimum the next two times we pulled her ashore and I cleaned the bedding but not the mattress,” he said, groaning. “And then we traded her to Captain Arbuckle forThe Dread Night.I thought we got the better end of the deal.” Colt fisted his hands and yelled, “Fuck!I’d been sleeping above it the whole time.”

I sucked in a breath. “So, the Eye might still be there? AboardThe Dark Blade?”

Colt cursed and demanded, “Are you lying to me?”

“No!”

“Swear it!” Colt ordered, grabbing me. “Swear to me the Eye is on my ship. My old ship.”

“I swear it. Sewn directly into your old mattress. As long as no one else has found it first.” I tried to dislodge Colt’s grip but couldn’t, so I attacked with words instead. “You can go fuck off and find it yourself! I don’t care if you do, I don’t care if you die on your journey. Ihopeyou do.”

Flinching, Colt released me just as roughly as he’d grabbed me. He took a long breath and stood, spinning away from me. He raked his hands through his hair and then placed them on his hips as he stared out to sea, deep in thought.

“They’ll probably be in Nassau now,” Johnson said. “Arbuckle always docks there this time of year. If we hurry, we might catch them.”

Colt swore through gritted teeth. His shoulders rose and fell with a deep, frustrated breath.

“Set a course for Nassau.” He spun around to face me. “She comes with us.”

I lifted my chin as I stood and declared, “I will not. I’m leaving this ship just as you decreed and I never want to see you again.” With a rigid back and fisted hands, I stood boldly before the murdering captain, challenging him. “If you keep me here, I will slit your throat in your sleep. And if you prevent me from doing so, I will slit my own throat before I ever spend one night in your presence.”

I mean it.

I tried to infuse my gaze with all the hatred I could summon. My heart pounded as I tensed my body, preparing for a fight. After a pause that lasted an eternity, Colt’s shoulders slumped. He stepped aside in silent permission to let me go.

I’d won.I’d won?

A strange sensation shot through my heart, almost like disappointment. I shook it away, but before I could act, someone interrupted.

“Beggin’ your pardon,” Sedge called out coldly. Despite his words, there was no hint of pleading in his deadly voice. “But what we do next is no longer your decision.”

I wasn’t sure he could have been called afriend,but as Robert’s closest companion, the bald shipmate looked as if he wanted to murder me for hiding the Crimson Eye and Colt for killing Redhands.

Sedge’s eyes pinned me to the deck and the hair on my neck stood on end. Colt didn’t move but he returned Sedge’s stare with enough menace to make me think he might kill him first. Johnson immediately stepped into the circle of shipmates and spread his arms wide in a gesture of calm to everyone.

“You killed Robert,” he said gently to Colt. “And while he’s not missed by many of us, this isn’t a lawless ship. You cannot execute men at your discretion. Not to mention, you’ve been hiding this gem from us for years,” Johnson accused, as if he wasn’t aware of the fact all along. Was he lying to gain favor from the crew? I watched Johnson with cautious, nervous interest.

“I’m sorry but your captaincy is on hold until we decide to reinstate it or to vote a new captain in your place.”

I raised my brows in surprise.What a quiet, clever little backstabber Johnson is.

“I suppose you think you’re the man for the job?” Colt asked between gritted teeth.

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