“Your parents had determined the location to be here.” He pushed the parchment aside to point to the big map on her desk and his finger came to rest on the southern coast of Florida. “They spent years combing the mangrove swamps and forests ashore, but without the other half, they had no idea how far inland to go, or in which direction.”
Her pulse quickened. How many times had she sailed past that very spot?
“And where is the other half?”
He shrugged. “Never even heard a whisper of it. But if Thorne is wanting your half, you can bet he knows where it is—or already has it.”
She jumped to her feet. “If he has it, we could—”
“Never. Only a fool would cross him. A dead fool.” He turned toward the door. “Wherever you hide it, don’t tell a soul. Not even me.”
The door clicked shut and Samantha drummed her fingers againstthe map. There had to be a way. But how? With a sigh, she returned the parchment to its hiding place. Plenty of time to brainstorm on this trip. For now, she needed to get the newly namedHurricaneready to sail.
After setting the shell back on the shelf, she headed below decks. In the kitchen, Francis, the cook, stashed a crate of eggs beneath a counter.
“Looking fetching as always, Captain.”
Samantha smiled. The kindly old man could always bolster her spirits. “Thank you. What else do we need for our voyage?”
He patted a barrel. “Fully stocked, Captain. Can’t fit nary a thing more.”
A bell clanged above.
“Good, because we don’t have much time.”
She slipped out the door and bumped into Tommy, the cabin boy.
“Apologies, Capt’n.” He straightened with a grin. “Say, did ya hear that no-good lieutenant put a reward out for information on your whereabouts?”
Samantha went still.
“You sure did make him mad, beating him the way you did.”
She regained her composure. “How much is this reward?”
The boy’s eyes lit up. “One hundred dollars.”
Half a year’s pay for a deckhand. She chewed her lip. Would her crew remain true?
Tommy read her mind. “Don’t you worry. Ain’t one of us that would snitch.”
Not now. But what if he upped his price? Lieutenant Thompson was quickly becoming a thorn in her side. She would have to find a way to convince him to back off. But how? The damn man would probably die before giving up his chase.
Tommy shifted on his feet while she looked him up and down. He frowned. “You alright, Capt’n?”
Her lips curved up. “How would you like to collect that reward, Tommy?”
Chapter Six
The thrill ofthe hunt never grew old.
Wind tugged at Christian’s hat, threatening to send it into the waves below. TheFalconcut through the swells with grace as she closed in on the vessel ahead of them. He raised his spyglass once more, squinting at the ship. A brigantine. Same type as the one the fire-haired wench captained, but there was no way to know for sure it was her. Not until they got closer.
“Are you certain you want to do this?” Isaac came to a stop next to him and Christian shot him a scowl.
“Don’t start that again.”
Isaac shrugged. “And what if it’s a trap?”
