He hummed as he stared at Drake. “You do care. Interesting.” Flynn led him into a spacious library and took a seat on an ornate antique chair. More of a throne. The arms of the chair were gold-plated, ending in the shape of huge lion paws. Flynn drummed his fingers on the edge. “How well do you know these sisters?”
Drake sat across from him in a modest velvet side chair. “I only know Heather, but dangling that money in front of her sister was a dick move. If you pulled title information on the property, then you already know Ashley Storrey has no claim to the house.”
“Eventually, you’ll see it was necessary.” Flynn leaned back in the chair. “I don’t give a flying fuck about that house. It’s Ashley I’m interested in.”
Drake struggled to keep his jaw from dropping. “You offered twice what the place was worth, and you expect me to believe you don’t even want that property? You’ve been trying to build your new hotel in the heart of Savannah’s historic district for years. Stop lying to me. Swinging a hammer makes me strong, not slow-witted, Captain.”
“The hotel would be a perk, it’s true. But that’s not my reason for this deal.” Flynn cleared his throat and leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. His intense blue eyes pinned Drake to his seat. “This is a delicate matter, and until I have all the pieces in place, this needs to stay between us. I’ll alert the rest of the crew once I’ve negotiated an agreement.”
“I’m not keeping secrets for you, and I’m not going to stand here and watch you take her house.” Drake leaned forward his chair. “I don’t give a shit about your delicate matter.”
Flynn shot him a condescending glare. “Let me see if I can make you understand. After Agent Bale dissolved our agreement to assist Department 13 in recovering relics for the government, I made no secret to the crew that I would search out the leader of the Digi Robins for a similar deal and perhaps a cut of their action.”
Recovering relics was an interesting way to describe the service they provided to Agent Bale. When the government agent first approached them, he’d explained that his department still needed to abide by American laws. Because of their past history of piracy, they were more willing to bend the rules. Truth be told, being asked to steal under the flag of protecting his country from paranormal threats had left Drake feeling more alive than he had in a century. Maybe that was why Flynn seemed so determined to continue pirating for the highest bidder.
Flynn twisted the large ruby-eyed skull ring on his finger. “I believe Ashley Storrey is the illusive leader of the Digi Robins, but I needed to develop our relationship and earn her trust. So I made her a deal she couldn’t refuse.”
Drake frowned. “Heather told me her sister is the CEO of an internet security firm with multiple offices. Why would Ashley be a part of a dark web group that steals from the rich and pays for medical care for people in need? When would she have time for that, and why would a wealthy businesswoman risk breaking the law?”
“I’m not going to bore you with the details of my investigation, but my gut says it’s her, and she meets the profile. She’s savvy in programming, and her business already watches the dark web in order to protect their clients from virtual calamities.” He cleared his throat. “Forming her side company would be simple for a smart woman like that. I don’t care about her reasons for forming the Digi Robins, only that my crew can get an even share of the money.”
Flynn straightened, settling back into his throne chair again. “I realize you doubt my intentions, but I’m confident over our long history together you’ll find that my first concern is always for my crew. Finding the Holy Grail and Pandora’s Box were only the beginning. This is a chance to keep our piracy alive, to give our existence a purpose again. You should be thanking me.”
Drake mulled over the new information, his gaze wandering around the room filled with priceless antiques that sparkled under the state-of-the-art lighting system. “Heather told me Ashley was wearing a serpent ring.” Drake shifted his attention to Flynn. “Did you know about that?”
Flynn’s bewildered expression answered before he could speak. “She’s a woman. They’d never allow it.”
“That’s what I thought, too, and if she wasn’t initiated into the Serpent Society, the only way she could get one of their rings would be to pry it off their cold dead fingers.” Drake paused. “If you’re right, and she’s really ‘Robin,’ the leader of the Digi Robins, then she could’ve discovered one of her merry band had gotten involved with the Serpents.”
When the Digi Robins stole Pandora’s Box from Department 13, they inadvertently exposed Agent Bale’s distant nephew as a member of the underground thievery ring. Before the youth died, it also became clear he’d hired Dr. Trumain to open Pandora’s Box, entangling the Digi Robins with one of the oldest cults on the planet.
Flynn stroked his copper goatee. “You think she was at the Bonaventure Cemetery the night Dr. Trumain was killed.”
“If she’s who you think she is, then yes.”
“She’s wearing Trumain’s ring.” A crease lined the captain’s brow. “Agent Bale’s team closed the site and cleaned it. The locals don’t even know two people died that night. How could she have gotten past them to steal it?”
Drake crossed his arms, struggling over how much to share with the Captain about the psychic attacks he’d suffered over the past few days, but Flynn’s earlier words about his loyalty to his crew came back to haunt Drake. Ian Flynn had always been a greedy bastard, working all of
