“I’m not thirsty.”
“What information do you have about Webb?” The muscles in Teach’s hands twitched. He wanted nothing more than to wrap them around Easton’s throat. If the man wasn’t careful, Teach would finish what Nathan started.
Easton’s amused eyes landed on Teach, as if he could read his thoughts. “Lots.” The pirate wasn’t in a hurry. After another lengthy drink, he took the bottle and upended it over his shoulder, letting loose a string of curses that would make a dock worker blush.
Anne swayed slightly on her feet.
Easton’s face twisted somberly. “I apologize. I’m sorry for offending you.”
“It’s a bit too late for that,” Teach snapped. Turning to Anne, he noted the sheen of sweat on her forehead. Knowing how she felt about needles, he didn’t think it wise for her to be present for the rest of the ordeal. She’d already been through a lot. “Would you like to go up on deck for some fresh air? Benjamin could stay with you.”
She drew in a shaky breath and sat down on the only chair in the room. “No, I’ll be fine.”
“How about I hold your hand?” Easton offered. “Sometimes it makes it easi—”
Teach clutched Easton by the shirtfront and dragged him to his feet, not caring about the pirate’s injury. “If you don’t want to lose your other arm, I suggest you keep your hands to yourself.”
Toe-to-toe, the two men stared each other down, neither one willing to look away first.
“Teach,” Anne said quietly.
Teach looked over his shoulder. Three pistols pointed at him, a reminder that he was still on Easton’s ship. Loosening his hold, Teach slowly released the pirate. Easton’s eyes gleamed with triumph. Teach made a mental note to visit with Easton later. Alone. “You were talking about the information you have against Webb.”
“Ah, yes. It’s not here. I mean, it is here,” Easton amended, pointing to his temple when he saw Teach clench his fists. “But who would believe a pirate? When I began to work with Webb, it became apparent that I’d need to document everything. At the time, Webb was new to this whole pirating thing and so he did as I asked.”
“What do you mean, new?”
“Before I came to Nassau, my crew and I had worked in the Indian Ocean.”
Teach scoffed at him. “By ‘work’ you mean ‘stole.’?”
Easton hissed as the sailor stitching him up inserted the needle. Teach didn’t bother to hide his smile.
“We came to the islands with a significant fortune in tow. The former governor of Nassau, Nicholas Trott, offered us refuge in exchange for some of the treasure. When Trott returned to England, Webb seemed eager to take his place. He gave me a list of ships he wanted us to attack. All of them English.”
“Let me guess, you had a twinge of conscience.”
“Not at all. I don’t feel an ounce of guilt taking money from those bloody merchants. And neither did Webb. But it didn’t take long for me to realize that I’d agreed to make a deal with the devil. Trott was corrupt, but the only word to describe Webb would be evil.”
“What happened?” Anne asked.
“As you’ve seen, I assembled my crew from all corners of the earth. It doesn’t matter to me what a man looks like or where he comes from, as long as he’s willing to work, and work hard. I’ll take a chance on him. Webb isn’t as open.”
Teach chanced a glance in Anne’s direction. Her mouth was set into thin lines and he could almost see the progression of her thoughts. Anne wanted to make Webb suffer.
“At first, I just wanted to agitate him. You know, make him wriggle a bit. Whenever Webb came to my ship, I made sure he was treated to a meal that would only be served in Sumatra or Java. For someone who strictly enjoyed meat and potatoes, even the smell of the spices set him off. But one day, he’d had enough.” Easton’s mouth hardened. “It was the same day he came to tell us about the Deliverance. When he left, he asked one of my crew members to deliver a message. Fool that I was, I didn’t think anything of it.”
“And?” Anne asked. Teach wondered if he should insist she go up on deck.
It was clear Easton had the same thought. “The story isn’t meant for female ears.”
Anne stood. “I’ve experienced firsthand the cruelty of that man. If you don’t believe me, ask Teach. He sewed me up after Webb and his wife were finished with their handiwork.”
Easton swallowed. “Seems we all have a reason to make Webb pay. I’m not innocent. I’ve done my share of killing, but Webb’s different. He does it for sport.”
“What happened to the messenger?” Anne asked. Teach hated to admit it, but a small part of him was curious as well.
“Webb sent him to me in pieces with a note suggesting I use him in the next meal.” Easton didn’t even flinch when the needle pierced his skin this time.
Nobody spoke. Webb had accused Easton of doing that very thing, but Teach was more inclined to believe the pirate. For a thief, the man was surprisingly honest. “So all the rumors about you . . . are they all a lie?”
“Most times rumors are more exciting than the truth,” was all Easton said. “And if you make the rumors bad enough, people will fear you and the sound of your name.”
The only noise in the room was the thin sound of the thread being pulled through Easton’s shoulder. In the distance Kitts could be heard yelling at his men.
“You said you have documents,” Anne said. “Could they bring Webb to justice?”
Easton nodded. “If it comes to that. Like I said, Webb asked me to steal from several British merchants.”
Teach was beginning to understand Webb’s desperation to kill Easton. “Would those happen to be the same merchants Pelham has approached to join their venture?”
“So you’ve heard about their scheme. Yes, those are the same merchants.”
“Which is why you let everyone think you’re Spaniards,” Teach said.
“That was Webb’s idea. At the time it was a good one. I’m sure he didn’t think that one day he might need to do business with the same men he’d robbed.”
“I would have loved to see Webb’s face when Pelham first told him the names of their future associates,” Anne said. “Can you imagine how shocked he must have been?”
Easton chuckled. “I’d like to think there’s a better way of going after Webb and thrashing him at his own game. Besides, I’ll be implicated if any of the information I have gets into the hands of a judge. My head is happily attached to my body and I would like to avoid the gallows.”
“But it’s important for us to know what kind of arsenal we have at our disposal,” Anne said.
Teach tried to catch Anne’s gaze, but she avoided looking at him. “Anne.”
“What?” Her eyes flashed fire.