AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“No. I meant a bet. A fight to settle this.”
“You and me?”
The man threw his head back in laughter. “Only an idiot would pick you to fight. I’m not an idiot, and I know what you can do with a sword. So, no, not you. How about that boy of yours?”
Cross’s anticipation was almost palpable. His body language indicated he expected Isaiah to refuse, too, giving the man grounds to switch tactics and just take what he wanted.
To hell with that.
“How about two versus two? You take your pick. Mine’s the boy and his protective friend. It’s only fair.”
Silence. The man’s expression narrowed, analyzing the words for some sort of trap. Then the man relaxed and nodded.
“Fine. I pick Dan and someone else. They fight with hands and whatever weapon they feel comfortable with—except a gun.”
“No guns.” Isaiah leaned forward. “If we win, you leave this ship alone, taking only the complimentary bottles of wines I will offer. And you won’t come back to harass us.”
Cross frowned. “And if we win?”
“You get your jewels and your wines.”
“I can still just take them.”
“And I can still announce the truth and expose what you are: a fraud. Not the captain I killed but the one who struck a deal with me. TherealIsaiah. And don’t even think about killing all of us. My death ensures the release of a couple of my treasures, along with the truth. When they find out you were alive all along….”
For the first time, Cross’s mask dropped as he snarled. But he put it back on swiftly, attempting a tight smile.
“Let’s not get into that. The fight will do. We keep to the terms. No cheating.”
“Of course not,” Isaiah retorted. “Another handshake?”
“Sure. To seal the deal and all. Imagine, you are shaking a supposed dead man’s hand.”
“Yeah, hilarious.”
But Isaiah went with it, taking the offered hand and hoping this wasn’t a mistake.
Chapter 7
Nicola’s ears rang with every word uttered, painting a picture that didn’t make sense at first…then, made too much sense and sent her mind reeling. It echoed within her, stunning her into stillness as she hid in the closet and waited for the conversation to end. The man named Cross sounded as agreeable as ever, his confidence level to the roof.
She wanted nothing more than to punch the guy.
“As a sign of faith, I will give you a few minutes to gather those wines and your jewelry collection. I don’t want to hang around after my victory. We would like to depart as soon as we can—with our prize, of course—to give you privacy to cope with the loss.”
Oh, yes, she wanted to knock him down. The thought simmered inside her as the man walked away and the cabin door closed. It grew as her temper flared, knowing Moon would be vulnerable and Maddox would be torn between keeping them alive and keeping his secret. Would Cross’s group break the deal if they found out there was a vampire in Isaiah’s crew and Isaiah had deliberately pitted that vampire against Cross’s men? Would it help, or would it make things worse?
“Darling, are you in there, or is it my imagination?”
She jolted from her reverie, dumbfounded. Then she straightened her shoulders and marched out of the closet. Isaiah didn’t seem happy to see him, and she knew why.
“How did you know I was here?”
“The same way I knew you were watching me bathe and the same as how I know you are always in the center of trouble.”
“No, I’m not,” she shot back. “And I snuck in. I don’t think they even noticed me back there, and it was a good opportunity to spy on the man.”
“You shouldn’t be here.”
