CursedLaird Read Online Free PDF Page A

regulator.
    Thief. The man was nothing more than a pompous,
self-absorbed thief. Claimed every discovery as his. Hell! He didn’t even like
to dive past recreational limits. Heat boiled in her gut as she closed her eyes
and forced the rising anger to subside. Don’t waste air. Remain calm. Besides, it wouldn’t do to dwell in the past. Nothing good ever came of it.
    Caledonia shook her head as she followed Percy and the
towfish cable out of the dark crevice, leaving the statue behind. As she
reached the ledge, she glanced back in the direction of the perfect man.
Unwarranted sadness filled her soul because she had to leave. Every ounce of
her wanted to stay and explore the ruined abode and study her latest find.
    At the top of the pit, she released the towfish cable they’d
used as a guideline. The pale-green light of the glow sticks led them to the
anchor chain. A muffled clank broke the silence of the water. Chin tilted, she
spotted the murky shadow of the large cowbell Poppa used to notify her of
problems on the surface. One clank equaled visitors. Two notified her of
equipment issues that required her to return to the boat.
    Since another clank didn’t immediately follow, Caledonia
focused on the surface. They ascended as fast as feasibly possible. Percy
pointed out the hazy shape of a boat’s bottom floating alongside the Marcail
Struana . Not large. An outboard motor positioned at the rear hinted of a
fishing boat.
    Caledonia took no chances. She attached the camera to the
anchor chain out of sight of the surface. Not sure who visited, good or bad,
she decided to keep the evidence of their exploits secret. Breaching the water
as if nothing were amiss, Caledonia signaled to Poppa they’d arisen. He
scurried to her assistance, taking the scuba tanks and fins. She grabbed the
ladder and made her way onboard, followed by Percy.
    The moment she gained her balance, the hairs on the back of
her neck stood on end. She crossed the deck to where Abel stood as if he
guarded against invasion. She looked over the side. Kip sat in a fishing boat,
smiling at her.
    “What do you want?” she snapped.
    “You.” His one-word answer and the smug,
I’m-too-sexy-for-myself look on his face turned her stomach. Today’s eye
color—aqua.
    “I told you last night, I’m not interested in your job
offer.”
    “Listen, Cali,” he said. “Be reasonable. I know you’re not
doing well in the business right now. Let me help you.”
    She tugged the drysuit off her shoulders and let it hang
around her waist. Underneath she wore a one-piece, plain, green bathing suit.
She crossed her arms over her chest and stared directly at him. “How we are
doing is none of your concern. Now shove off.”
    “You want me to hop over the rail and knock some sense into
him?” Abel asked. Before she could answer, Kip made a fool of himself.
    He stood too quickly, making the small boat wobble. His
comedic movements to remain in the boat without turning it over almost made her
laugh. But in his presence, she refused to smile. But that didn’t stop Abel and
Percy from making fun of him.
    “For a salvage king, as you claim yourself to be, you’ve got
the sea legs of an ostrich,” Percy shouted before he laughed loudly along with
Abel.
    Once he gained his balance, she read the anger mixed with
embarrassment in his expression. He prided himself on being a top salvage
entrepreneur. But she knew it wasn’t in him to do the hard work. All he wanted
was the glory and a chance to sell whatever was found to the highest bidder. It
killed her inside to know what he’d done with several historical artifacts she
wanted to donate to a museum. Caledonia tilted her chin and forced her anger to
subside. She couldn’t change the past, but she’d be damned if she’d let him
interfere with her future.
    “I know you’re up to something, Cali. Let me help.” He widened
his eyes, trying to look like a large-eyed puppy but failing. In their younger
days, that would