by Lisa Kessler
And so far…nothing seemed any different. She wasn’t stronger or faster, her eyesight and hearing were the same, and other than her wounds being healed, she’d never know she was immortal.
Had it even worked? She wasn’t ready to test it.
Keegan took her hand and led her straight to his bathroom. He turned on the shower and faced her again, his green eyes scanning her from head to toe. When he finally spoke, his voice was low and tender. “Thought you might want to wash the blood off.”
She looked down at the bloodstained hole in the side of her shirt, then back up into his eyes. “I don’t think I thanked you for saving me tonight.”
He chuckled, averting his eyes, almost boyish. “You saved us. I just brought the cup to your lips.”
“John told me you stole a pouch full of herbs from Agent Bale.” Her voice dropped to a whisper. “If you hadn’t, he was going to let me die.”
Keegan lifted his gaze, his expression suddenly stoic, no sign of a smile. “I never would have let that happen, love.”
And there it was. Love.
Steam plumed around them, slowing time and distancing them from the rest of the world. She brought her hand to his cheek, her eyes searching his. “When Bruce unleashed that holy wind, or whatever it was, and forced me back into my body, the pain was instant and overpowering. I thought I was dying, and I only had one regret.”
“What’s that?” he whispered.
“That I didn’t get to tell you…I love you.” He started to speak, but she placed her finger against his lips to silence him. “I’m not done.” Her voice wobbled. “No one’s ever put me first until you. I wasn’t sure how to trust it…or respond.” She swallowed the lump in her throat. “But I’ve never been more certain of anything, and I was so scared I might die before I got the words out.”
He slid his arms around her, his body pressed tight against hers. He kissed her forehead and met her eyes. “There was a moment when I thought the waters from the cup reached you too late. I thought I lost you. But I never for a second regretted caring for you, Char. Not once.”
She kissed him, tasting his mouth long and slow until her heart pounded in her ears and her body ached for more.
When he finally pulled back, her knees were weak. His green eyes searched hers. “Loving you”—a roguish crooked smile quirked at the corner of his mouth—“has been the best adventure I’ve ever been a part of, and I’ve walked this earth a long time.”
She laughed, rising on her tiptoes to kiss him. He growled into her mouth, his tongue parting her lips, tangling slowly with hers. God, he made her feel so alive.
Her lashes fluttered open as he stepped back to test the water. When he turned toward her again, she caught the bottom of her shirt. “I’ll wash your back if you wash mine.”
He raised a playful brow. “I’ll wash yer front, too.”
His nautical brogue still had her heart fluttering. She wondered if it always would. Apparently, she had lifetimes to find out. The weight of eternity threatened to overpower the mood, but before she could surrender to it, Keegan stepped into the shower and reached his hand out to her.
Her gaze ran up his muscled, tan arm, to his broad shoulders, to his sexy smile and the hunger burning in his eyes. Forever could wait. The present was too intoxicating to ignore.
She took his hand and got into the shower, the hot water shocking her for a second. Keegan’s lips fused to hers, his hands running up her back. His erection pulsed between them as he kissed his way down her neck.
She reached for the soap. “Let’s get clean first.”
He took the soap from her with an impish gleam in his hungry eyes. He lathered it up in his hands and ran them along her abdomen, higher to her breasts, kneading them until he coaxed a moan from her. Then he massaged her shoulders, and her legs turned to rubber.
His arm wrapped around her middle, supporting her weight in a heartbeat. “All right, love?”
She nodded with a breathy sigh. “Didn’t realize I was so tense.”
He turned her around to face the wall of the shower while his strong hands rubbed her shoulders and down her back. This kind of care was unfamiliar territory for her but damn, she could get used to it. He came up closer, his body sliding against hers as he wrapped his arms around her from behind. He hummed a slow tune just below her ear, but she couldn’t place it.
Leaning back into him, she whispered, “I’ll never get tired of hearing you sing.”
His voice was low, meant for her alone. “It’s a tune I sang to myself at night when I was the only man at the helm. Just popped in my head. I haven’t sung it since the night the Sea Dog sank.”
The heat of his chiseled body touching her warm skin had her senses on overload. He caressed her slowly, his fingers splayed wide and possessive over her abdomen.
She swallowed the lump in her throat. “I don’t think I know this shanty.”
The humming turned into words, his lips brushing her ear as the melody wrapped her in its spell.
Til my heart ceases to beat,
Til my boots cease to wander,
Til my breath comes no more,
I will search for her.
Tis not gold nor silver,
Tis not jewels nor coins,
Tis not rum nor whiskey,
She’s more precious than those.
Through the oceans,
Through the stars,
Through the battles and wars,
She’s worth facing those foes.
Give me the strength,
Grant me the will,
And I will love her,
I will love her still.
She turned around in his arms, staring up at the raw honesty in his eyes. Her vision blurred. “I need you.”
He lifted her, and she wrapped her legs around his waist. The warm water splashed against his shoulders, bathing them both as he entered her, uniting their bodies. Her lips hovered over his, sharing their breath. She imagined her soul mingling with his, tying their spirits together.
Desire burned in his eyes as he whispered, “I’ll never get enough of you.”
“Good.” Her teeth grazed his lower lip.
A sexy smile curved his lips as he gripped her ass, his thrusts pounding into her with more urgency. He rested his forehead to hers. “Forever has never looked so fucking good.”
…
Once they were dried off, Keegan bent his knees and hoisted Char over his shoulder. He carried her out to his bed, enjoying her laughter and protests the entire way. He laid her on the bed and chuckled. “Did ye forget ye fell in love with a pirate, lass?”
He’d never realized how empty the years had been until now. Every time she smiled, his heart rate surged. He’d never tire of seeing her happy. He lay beside her, and she shifted to rest her head on his chest. He ran his hand up her back, savoring having her close. Having her with him, loving her, gave him hope for the future.
She peered up at him from underneath her lashes. “There’s one thing in my research about the crew of the Sea Dog that I could never find out conclusively.” Her gaze wandered over his face. “Most pirate crews had a checkered history of looting towns and taking what they wanted: money, livestock, women, nothing was off limits, but your crew…I don’t think you ever did.”
“We did our share of terrorizing ships but never on land.” Keegan traced a circle on the back of her shoulder. “That was all Captain Flynn. He had a code, and we abided by it.” He waited for her to look up at him. “I can’t tell you why. I don’t know the reason; maybe no one does. We were merciless against royal ships and their crews, but we never took innocent lives or stole from working folk.” He shrugged. “Good thing, really. I didn’t have the stomach for it.”
“For killing?”
He chuffed, his gaze moving to the ceiling. “I’ve taken more lives than I care to count.” He met her eyes again. “But I never would have taken part in attacking women and children, and I had no use for an honest man’s gold.
If I had landed on another ship’s crew, they probably would’ve dumped me in the ocean centuries ago.”
Char rested her head on his chest again, her voice softening. “I never believed I could take a life. I guess I was wrong.”
His heart clenched. “Those men weren’t innocent, Char. They would have killed us both.” He caught her chin, lifting it until she met his eyes. “You were defending us. Far from mindless killing.”
Her expression softened a bit, her gaze wandering over his features. “Tonight, you saw what I’m capable of. Why aren’t you afraid?”
He lifted his head to brush a kiss to her forehead. “Remember the first night we met, when you came into my dressing room after the show?”
She nodded, a smile teasing her lips. “Too much rum.”
“I like to think it was my dashing good looks.” He winked, and she rewarded him with laughter.
But the shadow of worry still haunted her eyes.
He went on. “You were so alive. I could see the wildness in your beautiful eyes, and I did my damnedest to coax it free, but you tamed it so quickly my head spun.” He shook his head. “I doubt there are many people in this world who could be trusted with so much power, but the gods couldn’t have placed it into stronger or wiser hands.”
She rolled her eyes, laughing again. “I hope you’re right.” She sobered, her voice softening. “I’m going to sign Agent Bale’s contract. If I ever slip and hurt anyone who doesn’t mean us harm, promise me you’ll contact him and tell him where to find me.”
His chest tightened. “That’s asking too much of me, love.”
“Bullshit.” Her dark eyes held his, daring him to look away. “You gave me that cup. They can’t kill me, but his department are the only ones who could contain me.”
He ground his teeth, but he didn’t break eye contact. “It’ll never come to that.”
“But if it does…”
He set his jaw. “It won’t.”
“Keegan, please.” The pleading in her eyes broke his will.
“Fine.” He caressed her cheek. “But you have to give me something in return.”
“All right.”
“Don’t ever put me in that position. It would break me to see them lock you away.” He meant every damn word.
She propped herself up on her elbow, her long hair falling around them as she ran her hand up his chest to cover his heart. “You’re the ship’s pilot. If anyone can keep me sailing in the right direction, it’s you.”
“I’m a hell of a moral compass.” He caught her lips, tasting her mouth as he rolled her underneath him and whispered, “But I will love you, and protect you, until the end of time.”
Chapter Twenty-Six
David sat in Heather’s living room, watching the ethereal medium meditate.
When she opened her eyes, her gaze was distant. “Pokey says the cup is safe for now. The one-eyed cook has it locked in a vault in the basement of his restaurant.”
A crease marred her brow. She closed her eyes again, mumbling something under her breath. She nodded, having a conversation David could neither see nor hear.
Her eyelids fluttered, and finally she looked at him, grounded in the present again. “He says you need to check the lockdown warehouse. Does the number 999666 mean anything?”
He frowned, jotting the number on his notepad. “I’ll look it up when I get back. Thanks, Heather.”
Her expression softened. “He also says his work is completed…for now.”
“He’s quitting?” David shook his head in disbelief. “Tell him I still need him.”
She opened her hands. “It doesn’t work like that. He wants you to know that he’ll still be looking out for you from the other side, but the men who killed him died at the base of Tybee Lighthouse. You avenged his death. He’s ready for some well-deserved rest.”
David glanced out the window and decided not to correct her. The leader of the Serpent Society escaped, and Dr. Bruce Trumain from the maritime museum had disappeared along with the religious relics the society had gathered. David would find them. Eventually.
He stood up and cleared his throat. “Thanks for all your help, Heather.”
She followed him to the door. “I saw the news about the mass suicide on Tybee Island. Some kind of cult?”
“Appears to be. I can’t discuss it.”
A knowing smile curved her lips. “National security.”
“Exactly.” David stepped outside. “See you later. Don’t forget—”
“To send my invoice,” she finished. “I will.”
He jogged down the steps to his car and checked his phone. The cleanup team hadn’t been able to hide the massacre at the lighthouse before the coast guard and the media arrived. Brenda had to think on her feet. For now, a cult with a suicide pact fit the bill.
There were still a couple of weeks’ worth of red tape to work through. The local authorities had taken the bodies to the morgue for autopsies, and since David wasn’t sure how Dr. Sinclair’s gift worked, he couldn’t be certain the medical examiner would deem the injuries self-inflicted, and he needed the postmortems to fit Department 13’s narrative.
Later today, he’d be fielding angry calls from the local sheriff and the medical examiner once they received his legal junction to relinquish the remains to his department. This wasn’t his favorite part of his job, but cleanup was a necessary evil. After they secured the remains, his crew could investigate just how Dr. Charlotte Sinclair defeated twenty grown men on her own without the use of a firearm. Or a physical body for that matter.
After a quick flight, he was back in Washington, D.C. Department 13 worked out of a historic brownstone building that used to house an independent bank. The oversize underground vault had been expanded to house the paranormal weapons and talismans for the United States government. He pulled into the parking lot, flashing his badge at the guard at the gate. He waved him through, and David parked his sedan.
He hustled into the building and straight into the elevator. First stop, King’s office. Time to tie off another loose end.
He opened the door, surprising his shamanic computer programmer.
King looked up with a pucker in his brow. “I’m still writing up statements for the next of kin from the Serpent Society. Did you get custody of the bodies?”
“The paperwork has been filed.” David took a seat across from him. “The contract for Dr. Sinclair is drafted. I need you to deliver it to her.”
“I’m flying down to Savannah to see my daughter tonight.” His expression didn’t soften. “I’m not going to force her to sign it.”
“Keep in mind, if she doesn’t agree to my terms voluntarily, she’ll be monitored remotely at all times.”
King took off his reading glasses and sighed. “Why can’t you leave her be? She’s not a threat to national security; she’s a historian for God’s sake!”
“We’ve already had this conversation, King. She’s more than that, and you know it.” David crossed his arms, narrowing his eyes. “Very soon I’ll have documented evidence of how she stopped twenty armed men in less than an hour. Imagine if she was compromised by a foreign government? No amount of secret service officers could stop an invisible assassin, and now she’s immortal.”
David waited for him to protest, but it didn’t come. Good. David released the tension in his shoulders and leaned over, resting his elbows on his knees. “On an unrelated note, I also need you to do a little digging for me.”
King raised a brow. “What exactly are you looking for?”
“A thief. She had the robin tattoo on her shoulder. I saw her in Savannah. She was poking around for the Grail. She seemed to take my presence there as proof the Grail was real.”
“You think she’s one of those Digi Robins we’ve been watching?”
“Yeah.” David nodded. “You’re on their dark-web bulletin board, right?”
“I used to be.” He started typing, then stopped, then another flurry, and finally he sc
owled. “Bloody hell. My password isn’t working. They may have sniffed me out.” King’s fingers flew across his keyboard. “Give me an hour. I’ll get a new identity and log back in.”
“Thanks. She was small, just over five feet tall with long black hair. Dark eyes and skin, maybe of Indian descent. Since they didn’t get the Grail, it’s safe to assume they’re hunting for another big score. We need to monitor them closely.” David frowned and took out his notepad. “I also need you to check on an item and be sure it’s in the vault.” He gave Kingsley the number Heather had mentioned and stood up.
Kingsley leaned back in his chair. “Charlotte told me about…the Grail. She was dying.” His voice cracked, but he pushed on. “Thank you for allowing her to take a sip of the cup.”
David chuffed. It would make life easier to take the credit, but he figured King would find out eventually. “The pirates had me at gunpoint or I never would have allowed her anywhere near that Grail. Now there’s no way to stop her if she ever goes rogue.” He met King’s eyes. “Keegan saved your daughter. Not me. But you can bet your ass I’ll never let another government get their hands on her.”
“Apparently, I need to thank the pirate.” Kingsley put his glasses back on. “I suppose I should get back on this Digi Robins board.” He glanced at him over the top of his bifocals. “I’ll check into the item in the vault, too.”
“Thanks.” David watched him for a moment before turning for the door. “Get Charlotte to sign the document.”
He walked out without waiting for an answer.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
“This is too much, John.” Char messed with the clip-on parrot on her shoulder.
“Next time ye promise a pirate a favor, be wary, lass.” He winked.
“Come on.” She rolled her eyes. “You gave me Keegan’s address and phone number. It took two seconds.”
“And this will take two hours.” He pointed toward the dock, barely repressing a smile. “The local school district is paying plenty of coin for educational tours of the Sea Dog. You’ll be helping your whole crew.”
