The Captain straightened. “Mister Davis is going to bring us the map this morning. Franklin, with me. The rest of you, get the supplies prepared for tomorrow.”
“An’… them?” Miller asked, nodding his head at the three fallen, bloodied corpses.
Ambrose waved his hand. “Send them to the sharks with the squire and Kearns.” And with that, he dismissed the crew from his caring.
Franklin came to Ambrose’s side, and Ambrose gave me a cool smile. “We are taking Mister Cross with us to retrieve the map.”
I narrowed my eyes at him. “Two fully armed men against myself and Silas with his one leg?”
“I am not about to underestimate you again,” Ambrose said with a grin, grabbing me by the back of the neck and steering me toward the tent flap. Bosun swooped over our heads and alighted upon Ambrose’s shoulder, and I had never wanted to strangle an animal more than that parrot at that moment as he began to preen his feathers, heedless of the danger he had put me in. Franklin hauled Silas to his feet, undoing the rope that secured his ankle to his wrists but not giving him his crutch that was propped against the tent wall.
Once we were out of the fort and into the cover of trees, Ambrose undid the bindings around my wrists so I could stretch my aching shoulders. “I’m sure you’re bright enough to realize that any funny business will get Mister Cross here in a heap of trouble.”
“I won’t go anywhere,” I promised bitterly, glancing over at Silas, who was watching me silently. “Can you at least remove his gag?”
Ambrose gazed at me for a moment, then gave me a smile that was surprisingly kind. “Aye, I can do that,” he said, turning to Franklin. “You heard the lad.”
Franklin glowered, but he pulled the dirty rag from Silas’s mouth, letting it drop around his neck instead. Silas licked his lips and nodded. “Much thanks, Captain, Mister Davis,” he said politely.
Ambrose slid his arm around my shoulders, and I let him. The more I was willing to go along with him and act like we might one day be lovers again, hopefully the more he would be willing to make small concessions to me that would keep Silas safer.
After a time, we paused for a short rest and to drink some water. I took the pouch from Ambrose that he offered. “May I give some to Silas?”
Ambrose waved his hand airily. “As you wish.”
I moved to Silas, giving him a warning look with my eyes to trust me, holding the water to his mouth. He eagerly drank several large gulps before pulling back. I took out my handkerchief from my pocket, wet it with a few drops of water, and used it to clean the blood and sand from Silas’s face. “Are you doing all right?” I asked, keeping my tone light.
“Yes,” Silas said. “Are yeh?”
I nodded. “Yes. I have made a deal with Captain Ambrose.”
“Jamie, no,” he said softly in his low rumble. “Wha’ever deal yeh made ain’t worth it with tha’ devil.”
“It’s all right,” I reassured him with a hand on his shoulder. “You will be safe.”
“I don’ need yeh to protect me,” Silas said, but his tone was kind.
I gave him a weak smile. “You’re my friend, Silas. I will not let them hurt you. Please, trust me.”
“I trust you, Jamie Davis. It’s that bastard I don’ trust.”
Ambrose grinned at that as he held up a cracker for Bosun to nibble on, like he was pleased with the assessment. “That’s awful gracious of you to say, Mister Cross.”
Silas glowered at him. “For God’s sake, ‘e’s just a boy, Ambrose.”
Ambrose raised a brow. “He’s a man like you or I, and he don’t need you babying him.”
Silas looked like he wanted to argue, but I gave him a shake of my head. “I can make my own decisions,” I said, looking pointedly between the two of them, and both of them went astonishingly quiet. While I appreciated Silas’s concern, I did not need him raising Ambrose’s ire and potentially bringing repercussions upon himself.
We started off again; I led the way, with Ambrose by my side. Dandy that he normally was, his black coat was looking somewhat worse for the wear, and I felt a tiny bit of pleasure when his sleeve snagged on a bush and ripped slightly. I tried not to go too fast so as not to push Silas, but he kept our pace as sturdy as any other. We paused to eat some rations and drink more water, and the sun was high overhead when I found one of my stone arrow markings on the ground. “Almost there,” I said to Ambrose.
Ambrose nodded and waved his hand at Franklin and Silas. “I’ll take the lad from here, you two wait.”
Suspicion rose in my stomach, but I left the two sailors and walked by Ambrose’s side into the trees until they were lost from view. When he was sure they were out of earshot, Ambrose gave me a gentle side-squeeze. “Just the two of us again, eh, Jamie?”
I glowered slightly at him. Only a few days ago I would have relished the moment to be alone with him, but now it sent an unpleasant chill up my spine. “You said you wouldn’t do anything I didn’t want.”
“And so I shan’t,” Ambrose agreed. “That fire in your eyes is so pretty, though.”
