A Fistfull of Charms(33)

Jenks shrugged, squinting at the morning sun as he took off his knit hat and messed with his gear. “She thinks you like him,” he said, and I blinked.
“Miss?”
I jumped and spun when Marshal’s hand landed on my shoulder.
He tightened his grip, and I looked into the depth of his brown eyes, surprised. “Ready to go?”
“Uh,” I stammered, my gaze flicking behind him to Debbie. She was glaring, adjusting her fins with sharp motions before she fell over the back of the boat. It was just me, Marshal, Jenks, and the guy at the front of the boat hunched over his game in the sun. Yesterday’s fiasco at the pool was making a whole lot more sense. “Ah, Marshal? About the dive…”
The witch’s lips turned up into a smile. “It’s okay, Ms. Morgan,” he said solicitously. “We’ll take it step by step. I know the straits look daunting, but you did well at the pool.”
Pooal, I thought, liking his mild accent. “Uh, it’s not that,” I said as he selected a tank and beckoned me closer. But when I met his eyes, I was shocked to find him grinning at me, more than a hint of attraction in his dark gaze. “Captain Marshal, I’m very sorry,” I said flatly. “I should have brought this up earlier. I didn’t come out here to dive on the wreck.”
“Sit,” he said. “Right there so I can get your tank hooked up.”
“Captain.” He took my shoulders and sat me down, reaching to adjust my gear. “I meant to ask you before we got all the way out here…” I looked at Jenks for help, but he was laughing at me. “Damn it,” I swore. “I’m sorry, Marshal. I’m out here on false pretenses.” 
“I’m flattered, Ms. Morgan,” Marshal said, glancing up under his hairless eyebrows. “But you paid for a dive on my wreck, and I feel obligated to do my best to fulfill it. If you’re going to be in town a few more days, maybe we can have dinner.”
My jaw dropped, and I realized why he had been watching me. Oh God. Debbie wasn’t the only one who thought I was interested in him. Suddenly I saw my stammering attempts at trying to talk to him in an entirely new way. Jenks snickered, and I felt myself blush.
“Captain Marshal,” I said firmly. “I’m not looking for a date.”
The man’s face slowly lost its expression, his faint smile wrinkles easing to a smooth nothing as he straightened. “I, uh…You’re not? I thought you two were brother and sister.”
“He’s my partner,” I said, adding a quick, “business partner.”
“You like women?” Marshal stammered, backing up a step and looking like he was going to die of embarrassment. “Shit, I hate it when I misread people. God, I’m sorry.”
“No, it’s not that either.” I said, wincing as I pulled the hair out of my mouth, which the wind had tugged from my braid. “You’re an attractive man, and any other time I would be salivating at the idea of a private lesson at your pool…pooal…but I need your help.”
Marshal zipped his coat up, looking uneasy. I glanced at Jenks and took a breath. “My old boyfriend is on that island, and I need to rescue him without anyone knowing about it.”
Smooth features blank, he stared at me, the sun glinting off the top of his head.
“I’m an independent runner,” I said, shuffling in my waist pack and handing him one of my black business cards. “A pack of Weres kidnapped my old boyfriend and they’re holding him. I need to get over there undetected, and you were in the book. Uh, if I could borrow a second set of gear and tanks for him to swim out with, that would be…great. I’m prepared to pay for it. You, uh, have my credit card on file, right?”
Brown eyes blinking, Marshal brought his gaze up from the business card. Squinting, he peered at Jenks, moving his head this way and that like an owl. An intent look came into his eyes, almost predatorial. Jenks backed up a step, and nervous, I watched. “What are you doing?” I finally asked.
“Looking for the camera.”
My jaw clenched. “You don’t believe me.”
“Should I?”
Disgusted, I felt my anger rise. “Look,” I said as the wake from a passing ship hit us and the bobbing boat added insult to my clenched stomach. “I could have come out here and shot you all with sleepy-time potions and took what I needed, but I’m asking for your help.”
“And because you decided to not break the law means I should?” he said, feet spread wide against the boat’s movement. “Even if I wanted to, I couldn’t let you swim off like that. Even if I believed you, I wouldn’t let you swim off like that. Not only would I lose my license, but you’d probably kill yourself.”
“I’m not asking you to break your license,” I said belligerently. “I’m asking you to let me borrow a set of gear and tanks.”
Marshal ran a hand over his bald head, nearly laughing in anger. “It took me three years to get my license,” he said with a mixture of disbelief and frustration. “Three years. That was for the dive business. Add on another four to get my earth magic degree so I could make my own amulets and the boat could be cost effective. You’re a selfish little white-bread brat if you think I’m going to jeopardize that because your boyfriend ran off and you want to catch him cheating on you. Everything was given to you, was it? You know nothing about hard work and sacrifice!”“He did not run off with another girl!” I shouted, and the guy at the front of the boat sat up to look at us. Furious, I lowered my voice and stood so I could poke my finger at his chest—if I had the guts. “And don’t you dare tell me I don’t know anything about hard work and sacrifice. I worked for seven years as a peon in the I.S., busted my butt to break my contract with them, and put my life on the line every day trying to make rent! So you can shove your holier-than-thou crap right back up where it came from. My old boyfriend bit off more than he could handle and he needs my help. The Weres took him,” I said, pointing to the island, “and you are my best shot at getting over there undetected!”
Seeming taken aback, he hesitated. “Why didn’t you just go to the I.S.?”
My lips pressed together, thinking this could go south really fast if he called the I.S. out here with his radio. “Because they’re incompetent boobs and rescuing people is what I do for a living,” I said, and he eyed me suspiciously, his gaze going to my bruised neck again. “Look, I’m usually better at it then this,” I added, refusing to explain the teeth marks. “I’m sort of out of my element up here. I tried to ask you earlier, but Debbie kept interfering.”
At that, Marshal smirked and relaxed. “Okay. I’m listening.”
I glanced at the bow of the boat and the man with his game. Like he would even notice if a great white shark bit off the back of the boat? “Thanks,” I breathed, sitting down again. Marshal did the same, and Jenks dropped to sit cross-legged where he could see both of us. The sun glinted on his yellow hair, and it was obvious the warmth spell was working: his lips were red again and he was very relaxed, almost basking.
“See,” I said, embarrassed, now that I seemed to have my hat in my hand. “My boyfriend, my old boyfriend,” I reiterated, flushing, “turns out he’s…” I couldn’t tell him he was a thief. “He recovers things.”
“He’s a thief,” Marshal said, and I blinked. Seeing my muddle, the man snorted. “Let me guess. He stole something from the Weres and got caught.”
“No,” I said, tucking a windblown strand away. “Actually, he was contracted by them to recover something, and when he found it, he decided to give them their money back and keep it. I need to get him off that island.”
Marshal looked at Jenks, who shrugged.
“Fine,” I said, feeling stupid. “I don’t blame you if you want to take me back to the dock and tell me to get lost in a ley line. But one way or the other I’m going over the side of this boat. I’d rather it be in a wet suit with one of your charms.” Eyes squinting, I peered at him. “Could I at least buy a spell from you? So he doesn’t freeze on the way back?” 
Marshal’s smooth face scrunched up. “I’m not licensed to sell my charms, only use them in my work.”
My head bobbed, and I felt a finger of relief wedge itself between my heart and the band wrapped about it. “Yeah, me too. How about a trade?”
He leaned toward me, and after meeting my eyes to ask for permission, took a deep sniff of me. I could smell a hint of chlorine on him over his redwood scent. Apparently I smelled witchy enough, since he settled back, satisfied. “What do you have?”
A exhalation of relief slipped from me. Pulling my waist pack around, I dug in it. “Ah, on me? Not much, but I can send you something once I get home. I’ve got some sleepy-time potions in splat balls and three scent amulets.”
Jenks closed his eyes, seeming to soak in the sun. He was smiling.
“Scent amulets?” Marshal said, a hand tracing the line of muscle of his upper arm, hidden under his windbreaker. “When would I ever use one of those?”
Affronted, I froze. “I use them all the time.”