The Pirate Hunter. Laura Martin

      He stood directly in front of her and gently lifted her chin so she was forced to look into his eyes.

      ‘I’m not going to hurt you, Mia,’ he said quietly, ‘You saved my life.’

      Her eyes remained stony and no emotion was displayed on her face.

      ‘I have a job to do, a very important job, and I will need your help.’

      ‘What choice do I have?’ she said quietly in a voice that betrayed every ounce of contempt she held for him.

       Chapter Two

      ‘You’ll never catch them in that,’ Mia mumbled quietly.

      Will turned to look at her with inquisitive eyes. It was the first time she’d spoken since they’d left the fort, despite his valiant efforts to engage her in conversation.

      ‘Well, you won’t,’ she said after a few seconds.

      ‘I won’t be able to outrun them,’ Will corrected her. ‘I will be able to catch them.’

      Mia fell silent again and looked around the dock. She knew some of the sailors judiciously avoiding her eye—she wasn’t going to get any help from them. And the shackles that restrained her wrists weren’t conducive to escape, either.

      ‘I hope you’re not thinking of running away, young lady,’ Thatcher said sternly.

      She smiled her sweetest smile. ‘Why would I want to do that?’

      Thatcher grunted.

      ‘I’m being treated so well.’

      ‘Were the shackles really necessary?’ Will asked, turning back to look uneasily at the chains on her wrists.

      ‘Can’t be too careful, Greenacre. This little lady had evaded us for months.’

      ‘Would have been longer...’ Mia muttered, looking pointedly at Will.

      Not that she really regretted saving him. If she hadn’t jumped into the sea he would have been dead and she would have been free, but her conscience would never allow her to forget she had killed a man. And in her eyes allowing him to drown when she had the capability to save him would have been murder as sure as shooting him in the heart.

      ‘Shall we, my lady?’ Will asked, motioning to the ship.

      They walked up the gangplank and on to the ship. She saw Will hesitate for just a second before he placed his foot on the wood of the deck, overcoming the memories of what happened the last time he was aboard a vessel like this.

      The crew were all lined up along one side, waiting patiently for their orders. One man stepped forward and approached their little party.

      ‘Captain Little. Pleasure to have you aboard, Mr Greenacre.’

      The Captain was a lithe man of about fifty. His eyes flitted backwards and forwards all the time as if taking in every detail and his skin had the weather-beaten leathery look all sailors shared in the Caribbean.

      ‘Thank you for your hospitality, Captain.’

      ‘May I introduce my First Mate, Ed Redding.’

      A young man stepped forward and shook Will’s hand. He glanced at Mia and smiled sadly as if commiserating with her for getting caught.

      ‘And this is Lieutenant Glass.’

      Another man stepped up and shook Will’s hand.

      ‘A pleasure to serve with you, Mr Greenacre. It will be an honour to assist you in catching these pirates.’

      ‘Lieutenant Glass is here at the Navy’s request. He will be representing their interests in our voyage.’

      ‘I am here to give whatever help I can.’

      Mia studied him. He looked rather dashing in his pristine white waistcoat and blue coat—each of the buttons shimmered in the sunlight and reflected the mid-afternoon rays. There was not a hair out of place in his ponytail and not a single scuffmark on his shoes. He was most likely a stickler for rules and routine.

      She diverted her gaze back to Will and watched as he walked down the line of assembled men, greeting each in turn, asking their names and a little about their lives. He was good at getting people to like him; Mia could see that already. The crewmen were not used to a Commander who took an interest in them as people. In a few days they’d probably lay down their lives for him.

      ‘When do we sail?’ Will asked when he was back by the Captain’s side.

      ‘The tide is favourable for the next few hours. If we miss that, we shall have to wait until the morning.’

      Mia willed them to wait until the morning. That way she might have a chance of escape. Once the ship was out to sea she had no chance.

      ‘No time like the present,’ Will said with a smile.

      ‘Where shall I set a course for, sir?’

      ‘Port Royal, Jamaica. I have some information to pick up there.’

      Mia allowed herself a small, inconspicuous smile. Port Royal was a notorious haven for pirates even now with their new Governor, but it wasn’t where her brother would be hiding out. He’d always said that although you could lose yourself in the crowds in Port Royal and Tortuga, if someone really wanted to find you and had enough gold they would be able to buy information about your whereabouts.

      ‘We will leave within the hour,’ the Captain assured him.

      ‘That’s my cue to leave,’ Thatcher said, clapping Will on the back, ‘Best of luck and, whatever you do, don’t let those pirates engage you in the open.’

      ‘I’ll see you soon, old friend.’

      Mia watched as Thatcher walked back to dry land and felt her hope of escape ebbing away.

      ‘Shall we make you more comfortable?’ His voice was low and close to her ear and sent shivers down her spine.

      ‘I can’t imagine that would be conducive to your plans,’ Mia replied.

      ‘I am sorry, you know,’ Will said. ‘I didn’t plan any of this.’

      Looking into his eyes, Mia nearly believed him. In fact, she wanted to believe him, but had to keep telling herself to stop being so naive. He was using her. He would extract whatever information he could from her, then deliver her back to the Governor to spend the rest of her days in chains.

      ‘Let me go,’ Mia said quietly so only Will would hear.

      He shook his head.

      ‘I’m sorry, that just isn’t possible.’

      ‘I saved your life.’

      ‘And I’ll always be grateful for that.’

      ‘But your gratitude doesn’t extend to giving me my freedom.’

      Will sighed and turned so he was facing her directly. He placed his hands on her upper arms and looked squarely into her eyes. Mia shivered a little at the contact and the proximity of his body.

      ‘When this is over I will argue your case, that I promise. I will do everything in my power to see you have your freedom back.’ His voice hardened. ‘But you have to understand, my priority is catching these pirates and I won’t let anything stand in my way.’

      Mia swallowed hard, but held his gaze. He was a driven man. He reached over and took her hands in one of his, holding them still so he could unlock the shackles on her wrists. His hands were slightly rough against her softer skin, but his touch was gentle.

      ‘Shall I show you your quarters?’ Lieutenant Glass offered, breaking the moment.

      ‘Thank