Anne and Alastair spoke simultaneously.
“I shot someone.”
“She shot someone.”
“What?” Teach gazed incredulously at Anne. She stared defiantly back.
“He deserved it. I only wish my aim had been better.”
Shocked, Teach turned to Alastair.
“Aye, it’s true. She nearly took off his foot.” There was a hint of pride in Alastair’s words. “Give her a few more weeks of practice and she’ll be a fine shot.”
“What exactly happened?”
Alastair opened his mouth, but it was Anne who answered, her voice bitter. “We ran into the town whipper.”
Teach closed his eyes. He’d seen the whipping post used in several ports. When anyone wanted their slaves “corrected,” they’d pay up to eighteen pence to the town whipper to teach them a lesson. Oftentimes a bell-ringer would stand nearby and draw a crowd. No wonder Anne had been so upset when he first arrived.
“They also said they could fetch a handsome price for me.”
His eyes snapped open and he clenched his fists. “Who was it?” he demanded.
“It doesn’t matter now.”
“Of course it matters.”
“I’m fine, Teach. But whoever they whipped, that person is suffering somewhere. And we’re helpless to do anything about it.”
“All the more reason to finish the job you started.”
Alastair stepped in between the two of them. “Stop this. You two are worse than Coyle and Cara. Teach, you have to leave. It’s too risky for you to be here.”
“But I just—”
“Please,” Anne said, placing a hand on Alastair’s arm. “Can we just have a moment?”
The Irishman shook his head. “I’m sorry. I understand how you both feel. I do, which is precisely why you must leave now. I will keep Anne safe until we meet up with you again.”
“What do you mean, meet up with me?”
“I’m not letting him go after Easton. It’s too dangerous,” Anne said.
Alastair raised his eyes to the sky, as if asking for patience. “Nobody is going after Easton. We’re leaving Nassau. I have a small sloop anchored in the harbor. We spent most of today going over our supplies. Tomorrow Cara and Coyle will purchase the last few items we’ll need. Anne and Beth will pack up the rest. We have to keep up appearances that everything is normal, but we plan to meet you on one of the surrounding islands, once you have your crew.”
As much as Teach wanted to believe that it would be as easy as Alastair said, he didn’t want to leave anything to chance. And he didn’t want to jeopardize the lives of his men. “How do we agree upon the island?”
Alastair waved his hand at them. “Come with me.”
Teach clasped Anne’s hand in his as the two of them followed Alastair into the kitchen.
“Stay here while I go fetch a map.” The Irishman disappeared through the door to the tavern. The voices were not as boisterous as they had been when Teach had first arrived at the Fox. Well past midnight, most of the patrons were deep in their cups.
Drawing Anne into his arms, Teach held her, content for the moment to feel her heart beat against his chest. “I don’t want to leave you,” Teach murmured into her hair.
“We have no choice. We have to trust Alastair. He’s gotten us this far.”
Her words reminded him of when his father had gone to deal with the piracy charges. Anne had been right then. He hoped she was right this time. “Does Alastair have a crew who can sail the sloop?”
“He has a small number of men who are loyal to him. Coyle went to make sure they’re ready.”
Teach grimaced at the mention of that name.
“What?” Anne asked, her voice bemused.
Hating the part of him that wanted to know, but unable to stop himself from asking, Teach paused. “Do you . . . care for him?”
“For Coyle? Of course.”
A needle of jealousy pierced Teach’s heart. “I see.”
“No,” Anne said, shaking her head. “I don’t think you do. Coyle is like a brother to me. He and Cara are like family.”
Teach didn’t know Coyle, but he could see that Coyle did not regard Anne as a sister. But if she didn’t realize it, Teach wasn’t about to clarify. Instead, he reached for the weapon in the back of his waistband. “I want you to keep this loaded. At all times.”
Her blue eyes locked on his. “I will.”
“Do you know what they call this pistol?” he asked, the corners of his mouth lifting in a smile.
She shook her head.
“It’s called a Queen Anne’s pistol.”
Anne’s fingers tightened, and for a second Teach feared it might be loaded.
“I swear to you, I’m not joking,” he said, choking on a laugh. Before Anne could respond, Alastair returned to the kitchen.
The Irishman lit a small candle and set it down on the table before spreading out the map he held in his hands. “Now come here so we can choose where to meet. I’m tired and need to get some sleep.”
It didn’t take them long to decide where they would meet up with the Triumph. It was a small island southeast of the port of Nassau. It would take them two to three days to sail there, weather permitting. They would hide in one of the small cays, out of sight from the shipping lane.
“What does Webb have planned for you tomorrow?” Alastair asked.
“I’m to spend the day at the fort again, visiting with my men and going over maps. Webb thinks he knows where Easton is hiding.”
“I’ve heard stories about Easton. About as ruthless a pirate as they come. Webb’s wanted to go after him for several months, but he couldn’t find a crew willing to risk their lives for it.”
Teach stood up straight. “Webb told me several men have gone after him.”
Alastair shook his head. “None that I know of. Webb didn’t offer anyone any wages, just a share of the future profits when they captured Easton. There was no guarantee they’d ever capture the man, so you can imagine why nobody jumped at the chance.”
“No prey, no pay,” Teach muttered.
“Aye. They could callus their hands reefing sails for years before they saw a pound for their efforts.”
“Webb’s offered me five hundred pounds to capture him.”
Alastair let out a low whistle. “That doesn’t sound right, especially coming from Webb. The man’s a cheap bastard. It’s a good thing you’re not going after Easton. Even if you did survive the encounter, you wouldn’t see a single coin for your troubles.”
Rubbing the back of his neck, Teach sighed. He hadn’t truly believed the governor when he’d mentioned that amount. “What do you think will happen when I don’t bring Easton back?”
“Webb might send someone after you. He won’t appreciate the fact that you took him for a fool.”
Anne frowned. “But we’ll be long gone before that happens, won’t we?”
“Of course. He won’t know where to find us.”
“You’re awfully confident in your abilities. I like that. It doesn’t make sense to go into something already expecting defeat,” Alastair said.