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Chapter One
Jasper
I was awakened by the sound of heavy military combat boots on the dock. It would only be a moment before the thugs would find me in my gondola. I’d been running for days, and even though I had found respite in a nap, they had caught up with me.
Again.
I shot to my feet as I was prepared, not scared—okay, maybe I peed my pants a little but that’s not important. I grabbed my tattered, leather satchel, where I stored all my earthly possessions, and tied it around my waist. Then I made like a sea otter, diving over the side, swimming deep under water—all former signs of me dissipated. . .
It was just too easy.
You might be wondering why I was running from thugs. To best bring you up to speed, let’s say I had an unconventional job. You remember Robin Hood, right? A nobleman who stole from the rich and gave to the poor. Well, it was something like that. I stole from the rich and gave to the poorest of the poor—me.
Before you wag your finger at me, I’m going to set something straight. I was one of those orphan kids who nobody loved, and then aged out of the system three years ago. With only myself to rely on, I couldn’t afford fancy schooling, so I fixed up a busted gondola which had been discarded for trash. Now I spend my days carting around wealthy tourists. Those fancy Nancys don’t always tip, so I filled in the gaps, flexing the petty thievery skills I had picked up in my youth. A day-old bagel here, a bottle of water there. Most people gladly looked the other way and it meant I wouldn’t starve to death. However, my story gets interesting after I picked the pocket of the wrong guy.
How was I to know he was a pirate? Or that he had a real treasure map stowed in his wallet. He did not have the proper peg leg, or hook hand to warn me. To me, he was another man lost in a sea of people. I got the find of a lifetime—an authentic treasure map— then made my escape.
Or so I thought.
Now his thugs were hot on my trail. Which is why I had a thoroughly thought out and perfectly meticulously bulleted action plan—RUN!
Well at the current moment, it was more of a swimming action, but it had the exact same thesis. I power stroked so hard ol’ Henry Ford would have been proud, until I couldn’t hold my breath for a microsecond longer. Finally, gasping for air, I eased my head up, eyes peeled, and I found . . . nothing.
Sweet bliss.
I was on the south end of the docks where all the rich people berthed their huge boats. Perfect place for me to hide because big boats cast big shadows. And, as any good thief would know, big boats also meant there’d likely be supplies I could use. Starting with a change of clothes. I slopped my feet up on the docks, and sloshed forward, feeling the squish of my clothes against my toned-body-builder physique—okay, maybe I had a few extra pounds, but they helped keep me warm on nights I had to sleep outside.
Casing the place with the stealth of a panther, I quickly realized the docks were quiet. Creepily, eerily, quiet, which wasn’t exactly good because it meant I had to be quieter as I sloshed since there was no crowd for me to blend into. The docks may have been empty due to the forecasted storm. High winds rolled through the alleys in between the boats, creating their own little wind tunnels. My teeth chattered so strongly, I felt the reverberations in my toes, but I kept moving because I’d be found if I didn’t. My only goal now was to find the treasure before they found me. The unfortunate part was I needed to get to an island a short jaunt from here and my gondola couldn’t handle these seas. My eyes roved over the moored boats.
My lips curled into a devilish grin, as I narrowed in on the boat I would steal. You might think I loved this boat because it was the biggest or the most expensive. Touché. I stayed away from the biggest boats. They tended to have the best alarm systems. The yacht I had my eye on was the runt of this litter. I also loved it because it was on the far end of the dock where the light barely reached. There were plenty of shadows for me to hide in, and a window near the wheelhouse door that would give me access. Rubbing my hands together, my adrenaline building, I was about to make my move when a bustle from behind alerted me.
Ah, shoot!
I wasn’t alone.
A woman was standing on the dock.
Staying cool, I gave her my best Jack Sparrow gaze. Luckily for me, she looked away. I was safe—for now.
But not if she didn’t shut up! She was crying louder than a newborn, and I didn’t need any noise rockets blasting off my whereabouts. “Psst.” I harshly blew in her direction. “Do you mind crying more quietly?”
Nothing but soap opera sobs.
“Hey lady,” I screeched, while tossing a security check over my shoulder. “You have got to be quiet.”
“I can’t stop crying.” She sniffed, keeping her head down. “My whole family hates me.”
“Er. It can’t be that bad,” I offered, not understanding why I was getting sucked into her personal problems. “I’m sure you didn’t do anything on purpose.” My eyes skirted the docks, which were thankfully still empty. I’d been on the run constantly for a week, and there was no way those thugs would stop now. I couldn’t stop moving, but I also couldn’t hijack a boat with this crybaby standing there. “Well, then maybe go home because a storm’s coming.”
“My sister told me to stay away from her forever. So, I’m going to. I was going to take my boat out, but my captain said it’s too dangerous.” Finally lifting her chin toward me, her eyes washed over me, before her forehead dimpled, and she tacked on, “Hey, why are you all wet?”
I started to stutter out an excuse, but I had a lightning bolt slam into my brain, flashing two words: GOLDEN TICKET! With a treasure map burning in my satchel, and thugs on my tail, this was exactly the break I was waiting for. I leaned on the dock rail with swagger, hiked an Elvis brow, and gave her my best sell. “Why, I’m a ship captain and I was just diving to look underneath my boat to inspect the keel.” Holding out my hand in a noble gesture, I flashed her my dashing lady-killer smile. “The name is Jasper. Nice to meet you.”
She took my hand, letting her eyes meet mine, and I took in the sight of her. Dressed in a ball gown fit for a princess, disheveled dark hair and mascara tears trailing down her cheek, it was clear her night hadn’t gone the way she had planned. She sniffed back another tear, her shoulders quivered on impact, but she pushed through it and managed to squeak out, “You can call me, Evie.”
“Evie.” I squeezed her hand gently, letting her name ring in my ear because something about her seemed familiar. Her skin was so fair, you’d think it had never been touched by the sun, and not a freckle or spot anywhere in sight. Her eyes were dark, and though swollen from crying, they looked pained, like she was in agony so deep, it made me want to whisper. I managed to ask in a normal voice, “Do I know you from somewhere?”
The smile she was beginning to carve on her lips instantly faded. “You have probably seen me on TV. I’m sure I’m unrecognizable with my makeup all messed up, but my real name is Evelynn Darling, the actress.”
