approach.
Claire felt as confused as he looked. âWith the map Iâd had, I was looking for a place where pirates thrivedââ
âAgain, that doesnât narrow it down,â Vincent reminded them.
âI realize that. But now with the rest, it no longer reads, âWhere the black flag flies,â it reads where it âflies at half-mast. â â
âMeaning pirates have died there?â
âPerhaps. It could also mean a place where pirates arenât welcome,â Claire explained.
Nate nodded. âMakes sense. So weâre looking for ports that have at least one bold shore and that either arenât friendly to pirates or pirates have died there.â
âYou both have lost your minds. This isnât a treasure hunt, itâs a hopeless endeavor.â
âItâs real enough and itâs out there. We have only to find it.â
Vincent turned to Nate. âWhat if you canât find it? The crew wonât be happy to wait indefinitely while you make sense, the galleon weââ
âVincent.â
Nateâs harsh warning snatched Claireâs attention from the map. She looked up in time to see the apology in Vincentâs eyes and the scowl on Nateâs face.
âWhat galleon?â she asked. Then her jaw fell to the floor. âYou own a galleon as well?â
Fury swirled in the bottom of her stomach and spiraled upward. If the blasted man owned this ship and a galleon, he had no business looking for the treasure.
âSit down, Claire.â
For a moment Claire was stunned. She hadnât realized sheâd stood. But now that she did, she remained that way.
âNo, I wonât. And I wonât be told what to do, not by a lying bastard like you.â
Nate stood then as well, and he loomed over her, his eyes sharp. Claire kept a firm hand on both sides of the map. A fact Nate didnât miss. Not if his frown was any indication.
âYou need to decide and you need to decide now. You either trust a lying bastard enough to go searching for this treasure together, or you donât.â His smile was as thin as the compassion in his eyes. âEither way, Iâm going to look for it. And as my memory is very goodââhe shifted his gaze to the map, chuckling when Claireâs hands spread to hide itââI donât need the map or you any longer. Am I clear?â
âYouâre going to take it without me?â The hell he would, she thought.
âIâm simply laying out the facts. I have a ship, and the complete map.â He tapped his temple. âI wonât undertake this venture with you jumping down my throat every chance you get. Youâve already made it more than clear what you think of me.â
Claire sputtered. She couldnât believe Nate had such nerve. âYou expect me to be happy that I have to share this with you when you clearly donât need it?â
He snatched the map from under her hand, growled when she stretched to take it back. He rolled up both pieces and handed them to her. âIf you can figure out this map and get there before me, the treasureâs yours.â
Answering was impossible due to the storm of emotions blowing within her. How dare he! How dare he dangle his riches before her knowing she had nothing. And he knew it. Hell, anybody looking at her knew it. And he had the audacity to use it against her!
Search for the treasure without him? She would in a heartbeat if she could, but sheâd lost everything in the game. She was destitute. If she let Nate go off to find the treasure, he would. And heâd keep it and then where would she be? Claire braced against the table, hung her head. She had no choice.
And oh, how she loathed that.
Being poor in and of itself wasnât so bad. She could feed herself and live by her own rules. But being controlled by anybody left Claire with a bitter taste in her mouth. Sheâd lived that
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