“Anne.”
“What?” she snapped, whirling on him, the firelight in the distance flickering across his face. “What do you want me to say? I’m not going to make this easy on you.”
“None of this is easy on me. But I stand by my decision.” He reached for her, but she raised her hands to ward off any contact. He ran a frustrated hand over his jaw. “Do you have any idea of the danger we face in returning to Nassau?”
“Of course I do.”
“Then you should know that I would never want you anywhere near there again. When I saw what they did to you.” Teach’s voice cracked. “Losing you is the one thing I could never recover from, Anne.”
She stared back at him defiantly. “And you think I’ll be able to go on if something were to happen to you? The danger exists for you, just as it does for me.”
“But Easton was right. You would be a distraction. I couldn’t focus, worrying about you. It’s bad enough that I have to leave you here, but at least Webb won’t be able to get to you. You’ll be safe. The men I’m leaving behind are good men, Anne. And so are the ones I’m going back for.”
The two of them stared at each other, neither one willing to look away first. Teach was still. Anne understood what lurked beneath his stillness, because she felt the same flow of yearning, but she was too angry right now to give in.
John appeared in the doorway, but he hesitated, as if sensing the tension in the air. “Easton is waiting for you.”
Teach nodded. “Tell him I’ll be there.”
Ducking out of the room, John retreated.
“I suppose I’ll see you in a fortnight,” Teach said.
Anne’s throat was tight and she simply nodded.
“Look for Easton’s colors when we return. We’re taking his Jolly Roger with us. If all is well, we’ll fly his flag.” Leaning forward, Teach pressed a swift kiss on her forehead before pulling away. “We’ll celebrate your birthday when I get back. I love you,” he murmured, and strode from the room, closing the door soundly behind him.
Anne turned, staring sightlessly out the windows at the group on the beach, resentful of their freedom, and wishing she’d told Teach she loved him in return. Unaware of the passage of time, she jumped when she felt a hand on her shoulder. It was John.
“So you’re my appointed nursemaid, are you?” Anne asked.
John shook his head. “I’m your friend. And I’d rather spend time with you than the likes of them.”
Sighing, she attempted a smile.
“It wasn’t an easy decision for him to make,” John said.
“I know.”
He motioned to the plate of cold food on the table. “You haven’t eaten anything. I’m supposed to make sure Teach finds you in the same condition that he left you in.”
“I’m not hungry.”
“Could you pretend to be? I take my job seriously and would prefer Teach not come back and beat me to a pulp.”
Anne laughed outright. “I’ve heard of your fighting skills. I doubt even Teach could best you.” She didn’t imagine the straightening of John’s shoulders or the proud tilt of his chin. If there was one thing John was good at, it was a physical fight. A sudden thought occurred to Anne. “If I eat, will you promise me something?”
“Anything,” John said, completely unsuspecting.
“I want you to teach me how to fight.”
CHAPTER 36
Teach
“Looks like Webb decided to practice in my absence,” Easton muttered. A single figure swung suspended in a metal cage over the low-water mark of the bay.
Teach shivered at the sight. It was too dark to see him clearly, but from the way the body slumped, Teach guessed the man had been alive when he’d been gibbeted. It was common practice to punish the condemned by leaving them to die of thirst.
The flickering lights of Nassau glittered like stars in the dark as Teach and the others rowed through the shallow waters of the port toward the dock. They’d agreed it would be best to arrive at night, when no one would be able to recognize the Fortune and alert Webb. Although it was dangerous, Easton had managed to convince them to leave the ship anchored farther out than Teach would have liked. But because of it, they’d managed to slip undetected into the harbor.
There were fifteen men in all in the skiff. Four from Easton’s crew, four of Kitts’s soldiers, and four of Reva’s men. The rest they’d left on the Fortune. Six days prior, they’d left John, Anne, and Benjamin behind with Reva and the others to repair the Killorn.
The thought of Anne made Teach’s insides contract painfully. He could still picture her face, the sting of his betrayal in her eyes. He vowed to make it up to her somehow.
But first, they had to get to Webb.
Navigating through the water to a dark inlet of the port, they secured the longboat before climbing up the wooden stairs to the wharf. It seemed as if a lifetime had passed since they’d last been there, but it had been just more than three weeks. Teach remembered the first time he’d arrived in Nassau, with the threat of mutiny hanging over his head. The threat was still there, and Teach wondered if he’d ever come to view this city with anything but dread.
Easton pointed in the direction of the fort and moved off with ten of the men in tow, including Hillel, his first mate.
Teach and Kitts headed toward the governor’s mansion with two of Kitts’s men accompanying them. Nobody spoke, fearful of bringing attention to themselves. The four of them walked with purpose, even though the outcome of their mission was unclear. So many things could go wrong, but Teach had come too far to turn coward now.
There were two guards at the gate to the governor’s mansion, with more stationed inside the courtyard. They held up their lanterns and muskets as Teach and his companions approached, but relaxed visibly when they saw and recognized Kitts and his men.
“It’s good to see you’re back, Kitts,” one of the guards said, eyeing Teach. “What brings you at this hour?”
“Webb gave me specific instructions to come to see him when I returned, regardless of the time. I’m simply following orders.”
Even Teach was convinced of Kitts’s sincerity. Teach shot him a guarded glance, but Kitts didn’t return his gaze.
They were waved through, their footsteps echoing in the courtyard. Teach looked at the mansion, noting that only one window was illuminated from within. The butler opened the front door, seemingly unfazed by their appearance, although it was past nine. Since they’d made it past the guards outside, the older man clearly wasn’t concerned.
“I’ll let the governor know you’re here.”
Instead of waiting in the foyer, Teach and Kitts followed the butler. The older man looked at them over his shoulder. Teach smiled. “We don’t want you to have to walk all the way back to let us know he’ll see us.”