To Catch a Pirate

by Jade Parker

  They’d thrown her father in prison. He’d become a man broken in spirit and heart. Even if they didn’t kill him, he now had no more life to him than a corpse. Crimson Kelly had stolen her father when he’d stolen the gold.

  She’d get the treasure in order to return her father to her. But Crimson Kelly she’d see hanged.

  Of course, she had to find him first. And James Sterling was the key to unlocking that door.

  So tonight she wore her royal blue gown. Her hair she’d brushed to a fine sheen and left hanging loose, past her shoulders. It was thick and luxurious, her crowning glory. While she was not vain, she knew young men found her beautiful. She intended to use her beauty as a weapon against Sterling.

  He’d kissed her once. He’d hinted that he wanted to kiss her again. The first kiss he’d stolen. The next one would cost him dearly.

  When she was satisfied with her appearance, she stepped out of what passed as her private quarters, where her bed was nestled, into the larger part of the captain’s cabin. Here was a long table with five chairs on either side and one at either end so eleven of her officers could join her for supper.

  At her desk, Nathaniel often discussed their plans and their course, mapping out the route. He was the skilled seaman. By all rights, he should have the captain’s cabin. But this venture was her idea, her quest. So she slept in the nicest quarters on the ship and felt only a bit of guilt about it.

  Tonight she’d use it to bait Sterling into helping her.

  She’d sent Nathaniel and several men to fetch the pirate. Before they brought him up, though, they were to make him take a bath and give him fresh clothes. Since he’d be sharing her meal, she didn’t want the odors from the brig trailing in with him.

  As she paced in front of her desk, she wondered what was taking them so long. In her experience, ladies always took longer to prepare themselves than gentlemen. Hadn’t her father spent countless minutes waiting on her mother?

  Surely Sterling would relish the opportunity to rid himself of the filth that had accumulated since his capture. And clean clothes were a luxury she had little doubt he’d been without for a while. He was close to Nathaniel in height. A bit taller, a bit broader across the shoulders, perhaps. But close enough that Nathaniel’s clothes should fit him comfortably.

  Tonight she would treat him like a civilized man instead of the barbaric pirate he was. She’d appeal to the decency that she was certain resided somewhere within his soul. She’d not think about the kiss. She’d not get angry. She’d be reasonable. And in turn, so would he.

  After all, she’d used valid argument and logic to convince Nathaniel to help her. She’d apply the same approach to Sterling.

  Hearing the thunderous footsteps, she stopped her pacing, took a deep breath, and faced the door. They were bringing him to her. With any luck, before the night was done, she’d have their destination plotted and the course marked.

  The knock sounded on her door so loudly that it almost vibrated through her chest.

  She swallowed hard and touched her mother’s necklace, gathering her resolve to portray a calm facade. “Enter.”

  The door opened and Nathaniel stepped in. “Captain, we’ve brought the prisoner as you ordered.”

  Silently, she thanked him for using her title and for making it clear that he followed her orders. She needed Sterling to see her not as the frightened girl in the hold but as a young woman who had control not only of this ship but of her destiny.

  Two crewmen, standing on either side of Sterling, holding his arms firmly, shoved him into the room. He was still manacled, but he and his clothes were now clean. Which should have been an improvement. Should have made him look less threatening.

  But her heart had started pounding and her hands had dampened while her mouth had grown dry. It seemed her body was as confused as she. How could he now appear so much more dangerous?

  Why was she suddenly so unsure of her plan, terrified that it would result in disaster? Perhaps it was because she could almost forget he was a pirate. Perhaps because for one insane moment she wondered what it might be like to stroll through a moonlit garden with him, dart behind a rose-covered trellis, and rise up on her toes …

  “Mr. Sterling, I thought you might like to join Mr. Northrup and me for dinner.”

  Nathaniel’s eyes widened at that pronouncement because the plan had not been to include him, but suddenly Annalisa was feeling less confident. Being alone with Sterling, where no bars separated them, was probably not the wisest of moves.

  He seemed to have recovered quite nicely from his earlier ordeal. She noted no stiffness in his movements as he assessed the room as though he thought he had a chance of escaping through the portal. Finally, his eyes came back to her. It irritated her that he could dismiss her far more easily than she seemed capable of dismissing him.

  “I’d be honored.” He bowed slightly, mockingly so. He held up his shackled wrists. “I assume we’ll dispense with these bothersome encumbrances.”

  “No, we shan’t,” Nathaniel said before Annalisa could speak. He looked over at her. “We had a bit of a scuffle on the way here. I think Sterling has the notion of trying to escape.”

  “You can hardly hold my actions against me considering what happened the last time I was taken from the brig,” Sterling said.

  “Yes, you were treated quite unfairly this morning. How is your back?” Annalisa asked.

  “Feel nary a thing.”

  She doubted that. But she also doubted he’d admit if he did.

  He rattled his chains. “Now what about these?”

  She looked at Nathaniel. “We’re in the middle of the ocean. Where could he go?”

  “Free about the ship, I think he could do a great deal of harm.” He held her gaze. “To you especially.”

  “I’ve never harmed a woman in my life,” Sterling said defensively.

  But that didn’t mean that he wouldn’t. Annalisa remembered his threats in the hold. She nodded toward Nathaniel. “You’re right, of course. Sterling, have a seat.”

  She dismissed the two crewmen. They closed the door in their wake.

  Before she could pull out her own chair, Nathaniel moved quickly to do it for her. He was always courteous, always polite. She was at an age when she should be courted, attending balls and having fun. Instead, she was suffering the hardships of the sea. She smiled at him. “Thank you, Nathaniel. If you’ll do the honors …”

  She sat, paying little attention as Sterling took his place and Nathaniel sliced and served the seasoned beef. Meals were always better at the beginning of the voyage, while the meat was fresh. Potatoes and carrots completed the offerings. When Nathaniel had filled everyone’s plates, he sat. Annalisa concentrated on cutting her meat into smaller portions. She was suddenly very self-conscious that they’d kept Sterling in chains, especially as they rattled with his movements below the table. She was acutely aware that his eating would be awkward, perhaps even embarrassing for him. She glanced up. “Would you like me to cut your meat into smaller portions?”

  He grinned easily. “Yes, please.”

  His eagerness surprised her. As she got up and walked to the far end of the table, she felt Nathaniel’s eyes on her, his disapproval evident. Sterling’s shackled wrists were in his lap, hidden beneath the table. She brought his plate nearer to her and began cutting his meat into more manageable pieces. She noticed that his portion was thicker than hers, would be more difficult to handle. She wondered if Nathaniel had done it on purpose, to give Sterling no choice except to eat like a barbarian.

  “You always smell so sweet,” Sterling said quietly.

  She was certain her face was turning red, because her cheeks felt so hot. “You smell somewhat better than you did. Did you enjoy your bath?”

  “I’d have enjoyed it better without an audience.”

  “You can hardly blame us for not trusting you, Mr. Sterling.”

  “Don’t blame you at all, m’lady. But if they’d explained ha
ving a bath meant sharing a dinner with you, I might not have fought them.”

  She stopped slicing the meat and looked at him. “They didn’t explain —”

  “They said nary a word.”

  “My apologies, Mr. Sterling. You’re our first prisoner. I’m afraid we haven’t quite worked out our protocol.”

  “I’d be more than happy to provide suggestions.”

  She didn’t like being this close to him, seeing the scar on his cheek, wondering how he’d come to have it. Looking into eyes as green as the sea.

  “I’m sure you would.”

  She turned back to the task at hand, quickly finished up, and shoved his plate back into place. “There.”

  Before she could retreat, he grabbed her hand. She jerked back to face him. His eyes captured hers, holding her attention as he grinned. “Thanks, m’lady.”

  He kissed the back of her hand and winked at her. It was only then that she noticed he was no longer shackled.

  A chair scraped across the floor as Nathaniel came to his feet. “See here, Sterling!”

  “You’re not shackled,” she said lamely.

  “Picked the locks. Can’t stand being in chains.”

  She snatched her hand free of his. “And the lock to your cell door?”

  “That one remains a mystery to me.”

  She didn’t believe it. Not for one moment.

  She heard a thump, and suddenly Nathaniel had Sterling by the front of his shirt, jerked him out of the chair, and slammed him against the cabin wall. She heard Sterling grunt, whether from the impact or the pressure of wood against his cuts, she did not know.

  “Nathaniel!”

  She moved to break them apart, only to find Nathaniel still, his eyes wide, because even though he held Sterling, Sterling pressed a pistol beneath Nathaniel’s chin. Nathaniel’s pistol. Sterling had no doubt snagged it when Nathaniel had pushed him against the wall.

  “Tell him to back off, m’lady,” Sterling ordered.

  “Nathaniel, release him.”

  “Not until he drops the pistol.”

  “Then we’re at a standoff, mate,” Sterling said. “I’m not giving up my advantage. I’ll not feel the bite of the cat again.”

  “We’re not at a standoff,” Annalisa said. “Nathaniel, I order you to release him. Sterling, I order you to lower the pistol. Both of you, on the count of three. One, two, three.”

  Nathaniel dropped his arms to his side. But the pistol remained beneath his chin.

  “Sterling, I brought you here to offer you an opportunity to be part of this crew,” Annalisa said.

  He slid his gaze over to her. At least she had his interest.

  “First you capture me, threaten me with hanging, then you take a cat-o’-nine to me, and now you want to make me part of your crew?”

  “We need your help to find the treasure. We tried bullying you. That obviously didn’t work.”

  “So you thought to sweeten me up?”

  “I thought to approach you with a bit more civility. You can’t escape. And if you shoot him, I’ll give my life to see you hanged.”

  He seemed surprised by her response. “Do you care about him that much?”

  “He’s part of my crew. I care about my crew.”

  Without a word, he lowered the pistol, tossed it up, caught it by the barrel, and extended it toward her. She took it from him. “Thank —”

  Before she could finish, Nathaniel’s fist snapped Sterling’s head back. His skull cracked against the wall. With a groan, he slumped to the floor.

  “Nathaniel!” She scolded him fiercely before kneeling beside Sterling. She tried to convince herself that she’d show the same concern toward any man who was hurt. That the concern she was now expressing for this man was not out of the ordinary. “Are you all right?”

  Sterling shoved himself into a sitting position and leaned against the wall. He pressed the back of his hand against his bleeding lower lip. “Couldn’t be better.”

  “Let me see.”

  She raised her hand and he shoved it away.

  “Don’t touch her, you vile dog!” Nathaniel ordered.

  The ship suddenly roiled. Nathaniel teetered, trying to catch his balance. Annalisa had no opportunity to catch herself before she toppled into Sterling’s lap, the pistol flying from her hand to land beyond reach. Because he was braced against the wall, he was as steady as a rock, his arms strong as they came around her.

  “I think I could learn to enjoy storms,” he said, grinning arrogantly.

  “Unhand me.”

  “Or what, m’lady?”

  Reaching down, she snatched the knife from inside her boot and had it at his throat before he realized what she was about. She took keen satisfaction in watching his smile dim. “I’ll have you flogged again.”

  Suddenly, the pistol was pressed against Sterling’s temple. Nathaniel had apparently not only recovered from his spill but recovered the pistol as well. “Release her.”

  “Do you treat all your dinner guests so rudely?” Sterling asked.

  “Only the thieves. Now release her.”

  “If he kills me, you’ll never get what you want,” Sterling said.

  “I’ll take my chances,” she said.

  Just as he loosened his hold, the ship tilted again. Nathaniel staggered backward and landed with a thud on his backside, and Annalisa found herself held even more tightly. To her horror, blood trailed down Sterling’s throat. She’d accidentally cut him. “Oh, dear Lord! You’re bleeding!”

  “Don’t fret over it. I consider a bit of bloodletting a fair trade to hold you in my arms.”

  “Oh, you arrogant dolt!” She pressed against him. To her surprise, she came free of his hold quite easily.

  The ship dipped again, and Annalisa scurried back. She heard the groaning as though the ship was protesting its treatment by the sea. “The storm’s worsening.”

  She tucked the knife back into her boot, then scrambled to her feet. The ship lurched and she grabbed the table to steady herself and prevent her fall. It was bolted to the floor, unlike the chairs, which scattered across the planked flooring.

  “We’re going to have to get him back into the brig,” Nathaniel said.

  “Don’t be daft, man,” Sterling said. “You’re going to need all the help you can get up top.”

  “You’re mad if you think we’re going to trust you. You’ll slit our throats first chance you get.”

  Sterling jerked his gaze to her. “I plan to escape, but not during a storm that’ll capsize a small boat. And I don’t fancy being shipwrecked.” He shoved against the wall, pushing himself up until he was standing. “I’m worth my salt up top.”

  “I’ll have your word that you’ll fight the storm and not us,” she said.

  “You can’t honestly believe you can trust him,” Nathaniel said.

  She knew she shouldn’t trust Sterling. He was, after all, a pirate. And they’d not treated him particularly well.

  “Your word,” she repeated. “Even though I can’t see it or hold it in my hand, I do believe it is of value. If you give it to me, I shan’t throw it in your face.”

  “You have it.”

  “How do you know you can trust him?” Nathaniel shouted.

  “Because I can’t swim, mate. I’ll make my escape when the waters are calm.”

  She didn’t have time to consider the absurdity of a pirate who couldn’t swim or reflect further on the wisdom of trusting him. He’d managed to free his hands, but his ankles were still bound by the chains. “Unshackle him.”

  “Anna —”

  “Do it!”

  With a harsh breath, Nathaniel did her bidding, kneeling at Sterling’s feet, key in hand. She thought she could almost read the thoughts crossing through Sterling’s mind — that perhaps he could get away with kicking Nathaniel.

  “Don’t even consider it,” she warned.

  He shifted his gaze to her, grinned his devilish grin.

  The sha
ckles clanked as they hit the floor. Stepping away, Sterling opened the door, stopped, and glanced back over his shoulder. “You should stay here, m’lady.”

  Then he disappeared, bounding down the short hallway. A shiver went through Annalisa as she remembered the last time he’d disappeared and the terror she’d felt then. It wasn’t so different from what she felt now. Only this time, she had no intention of hiding.

  She hurried after him, the ship bucking like an untamed horse. She lost her footing once, twice, but finally made it to the doorway. The wind had caught the door when Sterling went through it, holding it open as though the storm was inviting them out to play.

  She watched in horror as huge swells crashed over the sides of the ship, knocking men off their feet. They scrabbled to latch onto anything that would keep them anchored.

  She felt Nathaniel’s presence behind her. Glancing back, she could read the hesitation in his face. He slid his gaze to her. “Stay here, Anna. The strength of the waves will wash you overboard.”

  “I could tie a rope —”

  “Stay here! I can’t save the ship if I’m worried about saving you.”

  He wound an arm around her waist, drew her close, bent his head, and kissed her. Hard.

  Then, like James Sterling, he was gone.

  To fight the storm.

  She heard him shouting the order to batten down. She watched as men began hammering closed hatches. She watched as others climbed the rigging, to secure the sails. They were all risking their lives.

  And she wasn’t. She couldn’t ask of them what she wasn’t willing to do.

  Stepping out onto the deck, she was immediately caught by the strong gale and smashed against the railing, the breath knocked out of her. She fell to her knees.

  Struggling for breath, she glanced up and saw Sterling at the helm. The lightning flashed, outlining the concentration on his face. She looked in the direction he was gazing, and her stomach roiled as forcefully as the ocean.

  A wall of water had reared up … and there was no escaping it!

  Bloody hell, but it hurt being dead!

  James didn’t think there was a single part of him that wasn’t in agony. Battered and bruised from head to toe. Well, maybe his little toe had been spared. He wiggled it. No, it hurt, too.