Didn’t matter.
“Everyone seems to keep forgetting that this is a military mission. I can’t just take on civilians and write it off. I answer for every action I take, every decision I make, Miss Montclair.
Her smile widened and a thread of unease wound through him. “Precisely. But, at this point, I’m no longer a civilian, am I?”
He needed to walk away from this conversation. Take the key. Leave her here. “What are you talking about?”
“I’m an informant.”
He blinked.
“Anyway, I’m not giving you the key unless you take me.” She took a step back as if to prove her point.
“I could order you to hand it over.”
Her smile didn’t waver. “But, you won’t.”
He wouldn’t. Damn it.
He could go without it. Anything locked with a key could be opened if one had the right tools. But time could be of the essence, especially if Thorne was after the same thing.
A groan rumbled in the back of his throat. “One day. And when Christian and Samantha catch up, you go back to their ship.”
She nodded.
“Very well.” He pressed two fingers against his temple. “Go get your things. Quickly.”
*
Icy raindrops peltedIsaac’s face. “Hold fast!” The wind ripped his shouted orders from his throat and he cursed, tightening his hands on the wheel as theTempestshuddered down a swell, a foaming wall of water crashing over the deck.
The storm had come upon them not long after they left. At first, a mild nuisance, it had built into a menacing force over the last hour. One he didn’t have time for. He fought the rudder with a growl as the wind threatened to blow them off course. The aggravations on this trip continued to build.
Silas had barely spoken to him since they left, making his disapproval of their newest passenger clear. “Ain’t right,” he’d said.
For the last few hours, he’d had plenty of time to make excuses for why he’d let her come. Knowing her, she’d have tried to stowaway a third time. So, he was just trying to save himself the frustration of dealing with that. Had nothing to do with their almost kiss earlier.
Damn Thorne for interrupting.
He glanced down to the main hatch, mulling what exactly the blasted pirate was after now. Last time, it was a map to a buried treasure. And Miss Montclair hadn’t been wrong. Her key had certainly caught the pirate’s attention. Enough so that he’d almost gotten the jump on Thorne while he examined it.
But why hadn’t Thorne taken it? Christian had taught him there was no such thing as coincidence. A heavy weight shifted in his gut, one that had been there since they set sail. Water streamed into his eyes and he swiped it away, staring into the gnashing waves ahead of them.
He’d had enough interaction with Thorne to know that what the pirate wanted, he would get. One way or another. If he wanted the key, or more importantly, whatever the key unlocked, he would stop at nothing to get it.
A bolt of lightning struck nearby, and Isaac flinched at the blast of thunder. He could use her as bait to draw the pirate out. The thoughtsent his stomach roiling.No. He shook it away. Too risky. Thorne didn’t play by the rules and would kill an innocent without blinking.
It had been a foolish move to bring her. If Thorne found out she was with him, he would absolutely use her against him. He shuddered as the memory of how the pirate had nearly killed Samantha to get to Christian flashed through his mind. With a swallow, he returned his attention to maneuvering theTempest.
She thought she’d be safest here on this ship. But the truth was, Thorne had already proven he wasn’t keen on killing his son. Which meant she would have been infinitely safer on board theSiren. His shoulders tensed as another rumble of thunder vibrated through the ship.
He now had two jobs. Capture Thorne. And protect Miss Montclair. His pulse quickened when he closed his eyes and saw her parted lips, smelled the ghost of her jasmine scent. Ever since her charade back at the smuggler’s den, he couldn’t stop thinking of her. Mostly of how her bottom felt in his lap. But also, her reckless kiss. Even now, his body stirred to attention.
“Lieutenant?”
He snapped his eyes open. Silas stood in front of him. “You should take a break. The wind is shifting. Worst of the storm has passed.”
Isaac stared out over the water, and the next several flashes of lightning confirmed his first officer’s observation, the rolls of thunder taking slightly longer to reach them. He nodded and let his first officer take the wheel.
