A Pirate's Possession (2 page)

“Best hand wins,” he said. The cards snapped as he shuffled.

“My name's Sid,” said the man to her right. “Just thought I'd tell you now who it'll be winning the map.”

The man across from her shook his head. “That'll be me, James.”

“What's the matter, boy, don't have a name?” Sid asked.

“Clarence,” Claire said, using her father's name, as she usually did if anyone bothered to ask. She held her breath, but Nate wasn't paying her any more mind than he was the other players, less in fact since he didn't bother to do more than nod that he'd heard. His eyes barely touched on her, certainly not long enough to see past the shadow of her hat and the dirt on her face. Did he not think her capable of coming on her own? Did he believe she'd given up on ever finding it, or had he long since forgotten she even existed? Her eyes narrowed. None of those possibilities sat well with Claire.

Although she really should be relieved that he wasn't looking too closely.

“And you?” Sid asked.

“Nate.”

There was a long pause as everyone turned to the man who was shuffling.

“Cale,” he answered grudgingly, dealing each of them five cards.

With the cards now in play, more spectators circled the table. Unfortunately with them came the combined smells of men who stank of rum and stale tobacco, and who'd gone far too long between visits to the bathhouse.

Claire looked at her cards one by one. A ten, an ace. Her heart pumped, another ten. The last two cards were useless, a six and a five. Still she had a pair and she had to hope it was good enough.

“You're first,” Cale said to Sid.

“Why me?” the grown man said. Though he had to be at least fifty, if the field of gray hair on his head was any indication, it didn't stop him from whining.

“Because you were here first.”

Sid sighed, turned over his cards.

“Ace high.”

Claire exhaled slowly then looked at James.

“Pair of eights, king high,” the man said, his eyes sliding from Claire to Nate as he tried to gauge their reactions.

Claire swallowed hard. She was one step away. Hunger for the map gnawed along her nerves. She needed this. Her life was consumed with finding this treasure and she was tired, so very tired, of coming up short. If she lost . . .

She took a deep breath. She wouldn't; life wouldn't be that cruel.

“Pair of tens,” she said, flipping over her cards. “Ace high.”

James inhaled sharply.

All eyes turned to Nate. Claire's palms were damp and her feet tapped under the table. Please, please, let him have less than her pair.

For the first time since Nate had arrived at the table, he smiled. And as his teeth flashed against his golden skin, Claire felt her world begin to shatter.

“Three threes,” Nate said. He laid them out one at a time but all Claire saw was a blur of suits.

She'd lost. Just like that. Feeling sick, she rose unsteadily.

“You all right, boy?” Nate asked.

Claire couldn't look at him, not at him or anyone else. She had nothing. Nothing! The paper on the table was so close and her body shook with a need to take it. Take it and run. Her hands curled at her sides, but she didn't move them. She'd never get out of the tavern with it; Nate would catch her before she made it to the door.

Nate. The bastard didn't deserve it! She bit her lip when tears stung her eyes. With a last look at the paper that would have made every difference in the world to her, she pushed her way through the crowd.

“Hey, boy,” Sid called. Claire could hear him work his way toward her.

She increased her pace. She needed to get out now. The last thing she wanted when her world was falling apart, when her plans and dreams were turning to dust, was to talk. Despite her hurry, however, he managed to grab her arm before she made it to the door.

“Hey, what's your hurry?”

“What do you want?” Claire asked, pulling her arm free.

“Easy,” he said, raising his hands. “You just look so down I thought maybe a wench would help you forget your worries.”

“I don't have any money,” she mumbled, keeping to her ruse.

“Well, there's one just outside that's so besotted she won't know if you stick it in 'er.” He smiled. “At least she didn't when I was back there.”

Claire's stomach roiled.

“When I want a tumble, I'll find a partner that's willing. I won't need to prey on anybody that's so drunk they don't know any better.
I'm
not that despicable.”

Sid went red, and just as Claire figured out his intention, it was too late. His fist connected with her cheek. Fiery pain rippled across her face and sent her careening backward. She crashed into a table. Her hands scrambled for purchase. Warm liquid sloshed over her fingers and trickled down her face. She lost her balance and tipped sideways, taking the table down with her. It knocked her on the head and sent her hat rolling.

“Get the hell away from him,” Nate roared through the ringing in her ears. She looked up, saw Nate give Sid a hard shove. “Step back or you'll know what it is to be hit by a man who more than doubles your size.”

Sid muttered a curse then wove back into the crowd, shoving past James, who'd also come to see what was happening.

Nate turned his attention back to her.

Oh hell
, she thought. Clambering to her hands and knees, sliding on the wet floor, Claire reached for her hat.

She was too late.

Nate's strong hand reached it first. She'd be lucky to get out now without being recognized and she didn't want him to know who she was. She'd envisioned seeing him again, after she was wealthy and had found the treasure. After she was dressed in the prettiest fashions and could show him what he'd turned his back on. She hadn't ever imagined it would be like this, when she had nothing. Feeling as though the walls were closing in on her, heart pounding in her veins, Claire sprang to her feet. With her eye on her escape, she yanked her hat from Nate's grasp and ran for the door.

“Wait!” he called, but this time she didn't let anything slow her down. Shoving and pushing her way through, ignoring the curses aimed her way, Claire hit the door before Nate could stop her and, once outside, ran for the jungle and the cover it provided.

Two

It couldn't be. It was a trick of his eyes, the light, or something. Yes, the boy was small, had hair the same color as Claire's, but hers was long and curly, not chopped ragged like the lad's was. Besides, she would never step foot into such an establishment, and she certainly wouldn't need to gamble for a piece of a treasure map, even one she'd spoken about in great length. Not when he knew for a fact that she already possessed more money than she could ever spend.

But then, he thought angrily, maybe she would come here for the damn map. How the hell would he know? It wasn't as though he was an expert on the woman and it certainly wouldn't be the first time she'd proven him wrong. Given all this time, who knew what she was capable of now?

“Get out of my way!”

Nate turned. Cale was making his way over.

“Is the kid all right?” he asked.

“Yeah, but he'll have a hell of a bruise come morning.”

It was lucky that
hadn't
been Claire, or Sid would be lying in the street about now wishing he were dead. Despite Nate's feelings toward her, he wouldn't stand by and let harm come to a woman. It was a rule he'd lived by since he'd been a young lad and had seen firsthand the abuse a man was capable of inflicting on a woman.

“Stupid idiot,” Cale muttered, jamming his thumb in the direction Sid took. “Anybody could see the only thing that kid was interested in was the map.”

“Yeah,” Nate agreed, his eyes drawn to the door despite his reasoning. It wasn't her. She was likely in San Salvador, where he'd last seen her, surrounded by a passel of children. The thought did strange things to his guts.

“Well, he may not think so right now, but he's better off without that treasure.”

“How long did you look for it?” Nate asked, pulling his gaze from the door.

Cale's blue eyes hardened. “Too damn long.” And without another word, he strode outside.

Nate was contemplating Cale's words when a fullbosomed wench rubbed up against him. She was much shorter than Nate, and with her low-cut bodice, Nate could nearly see down her gown.

“Can I interest you in anything?” she asked, trailing her fingers up his chest. She licked her painted lips, pressed herself up against him.

Looking at her, long hair loose and curly around her shoulders, all he could think of was that it wasn't red. And that just made him angry.

“Not tonight.” He smiled to take the sting off the rejection. Not that he really believed she was interested in him. He'd seen her lingering about the table and no doubt figured if he could put up the stake for the game, he had more where that came from.

“Are you sure?” she asked, taking a deep breath that pushed her already impressive breasts upward.

“Yeah, I'm sure.”

Nate watched her stroll away, generous hips swinging beneath her full skirt. If only he wasn't partial to more slender women. He gnashed his teeth, shook his head. He felt as much as saw the other man come to his side.

“I'm not sure even the promise of a treasure would distract me from that,” James said as he stepped beside Nate. Because of the crowd, they stood shoulder to shoulder.

Nate shrugged. He'd never met this man before and knew the only reason James wanted to talk was the map Nate had folded and put in his coat pocket. Since Nate had no intention of discussing the map or the treasure, he saw no point in encouraging the conversation.

“A man of many words, I see.”

“I can be. When they're important.”

James chuckled. “Why don't you let me buy you a drink? You don't have to say a word, just listen to my proposition.”

“I don't want or need a partner.”

It was impossible to miss the tightening of the man's jaw. But it eased as quickly as it had come. Then he swung an arm around Nate's shoulders, a task not just anyone could do considering Nate's height.

“Well, then, you have nothing to lose and you'll get a free drink from listening to my rambling,” James cajoled.

James grabbed a nearby table as soon as it emptied. Once Nate sat down, James nodded and went to fetch their drinks. With the game now over, those people that had come only for that were making their way outside. Nate felt himself breathe a little easier.

He'd always hated crowds and he wasn't particularly trusting of strangers, a trait that served him well in his work. Therefore, he accepted the drink and was content to enjoy his rum while he waited for James to begin what would no doubt be a proposition to go looking for the treasure together.

If he'd bet on it, he would have won again. Barely swallowing his first sip, James began to talk.

“A joint venture would be profitable,” James said.

“The only one who stands to gain from a joint venture is you.”

James shrugged that off with a wave of his hand. “But since you only have half the map, surely another pair of eyes trying to decipher it would be better? You'd waste less time.”

Nate chuckled. “Actually, the more people who look at it, the more trouble I've got.” He eyed James over his crockery mug.

“You have a ship, then?”

Nate set his drink down, studied the man across from him. Cool gray eyes regarded him out of a rather square-looking face. From what Nate had sensed of James thus far, he wasn't a man easily fooled. And though some would think James foolhardy for even discussing such a venture, Nate had a different thought altogether. It wasn't foolhardy if the man knew going in he wasn't going to convince Nate that a partnership was a sound decision.

James didn't expect Nate to agree to something so ridiculous, because, as Nate had already explained, he had the map. Why share the treasure when he didn't have to? Nate leaned forward, his gaze locking on to James's. He knew the real reason they were talking. James was digging for information.

Nate didn't plan on giving him any. Other than his crew and a handful of people he considered family, nobody knew anything about him. That was best, considering the fewer people who knew he sailed under the name “Sam Steele,” the better. And the longer his life expectancy became. Not that he was incapable of defending himself; hell, he'd managed just fine these last three years. However, he was a man who preferred to keep things close to the vest. It was simply less messy that way.

“I have my ways of getting around,” he answered vaguely.

“I'm sure you do. But I have a ship. You're welcome to sail with me.”

Nate's lips pulled into a smile. “As I said, I have my own ways.”

“It's been said that the map hasn't been seen in its entirety for near a hundred years. Are you confident you'll be able to find the treasure simply based on what you won today?”

“As confident as you were when you put your coins into the pot.”

James took a swig of his drink, wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. His nostrils flared as he contemplated Nate.

“Men all over the Caribbean have told one version of it or another. I've heard it's more of a riddle than an actual map.”

“Is that so?”

“A map leading to a treasure of that size isn't a secret. You won't be the first to go looking for it.”

“Nor the last, I imagine.”