The Pirate's Jewel Read Online Free

was
afraid she knew what it was. If her father had forgotten about her, she’d
rather know. “Did he say he wasn’t coming?”
    Nolan stilled his tapping thumb. “Not exactly. But, I assure
you he won’t come.”
    Her suspicions increased that he was hiding something
about her father. “I well remember the argument you two had at our last
meeting. I won’t be a pawn, Nolan.”
    His lips curled in a tight, closemouthed smile. “ You
remember? I have the scar to remind me of it. Nor am I the one who made you
a pawn.”
    Jewel clasped her hands in her lap and made her decision.
Though she was tempted to take Nolan’s offer, his mere presence proved she
hadn’t been as foolish as she thought in pinning her hopes on the map. “You won’t
get anything from me until I see my father.”
    “Bellamy’s dead.”
    Nolan’s unblinking stare, the way he held her gaze, the
way his jaw jumped after he spoke—all told Jewel it was the truth. The tips of
her fingers to the roots of her hair went numb with shock. She remained snared
in Nolan’s harsh gaze, unable to even blink.
    It occurred to her briefly that he’d had something to do
with her father’s demise, but the anguish she saw in his eyes banished the
thought. Besides, how could he face her if he were responsible?
    As the weight of his words settled around her heart, grief
was not what she felt. That would be for the sudden loss of someone you knew.
The anguish she felt was for the loss of a part of herself, the part that would
never know a father. Bellamy Leggett had died without giving her so much as an
hour of his time.
    A hot tear rolled down her cheek, reminding her that she
hadn’t stopped existing like her dreams had. “How did he die?”
    Nolan sat forward. “I’m sorry.” He spoke to her clasped
hands rather than to her face, and his gentle tone was more unnerving than his
anger had been. “I wanted to spare you. He died at sea.”
    She wiped her cheeks. “Did he ever say anything about me?”
    Nolan hesitated. Her unwavering gaze forced him to look
up. She would never have a father, but if she knew he had thought of her, it
might allow her to feel the grief she should while whisking away her sire’s
betrayal.
    “He mentioned you often. He wanted to come for you, but
his life was too dangerous. Let me buy the map from you. Bellamy wanted me to
find the treasure.”
    The grief finally came, but it only worsened the shock. Jewel
felt as if her life would never be right. With all her childhood plans irrevocably
smashed, she felt like she was floating, unattached to anything.
    Nolan reached across the table to touch her hand. “Let me
help you, Jewel.”
    The weight of his warm hand resting on hers grounded her,
gave her reason to hope. She lifted her gaze to his. His deep blue eyes burned
with sincerity. No one had ever looked at her like that before. He truly wanted
to help. “I want to go with you to find the treasure.”
    A crash startled them both. Nolan quickly withdrew his
hand in a swift, guilty motion. Latimer Payne stormed past and out the door
without a backward glance at the chair he had overturned. Jewel’s fate was
sealed. She had to ally herself with Nolan. Her only other option had just been
closed. And all Jewel felt was a tremendous flood of relief.
    All traces of compassion melted behind Nolan’s scowl.
“That’s not possible. I’ll leave you with enough coin to ensure your security,
and more than triple that once I find the treasure. Take what I’m offering
now—there is a chance I might never find the actual treasure. The map isn’t
clear.”
    Jewel leaned forward to touch his arm. “That settles it
then. I’ve studied the map every night since my father gave it to me. If you
take me in the right direction, I know I’ll be able to recognize where the
treasure is buried.”
    Nolan pulled away without the slightest effort to be discreet.
“Absolutely not. Be sensible. Sell me the map.”
    Jewel laughed. If she could be