Ocean Storm (Queen of Piracy Duology #1)

Chapter 17: Now or never

On the next day, the events of the previous night still were in my mind. I never imagined Dirk would be alive after I'd thrown him into the ocean, which was a silly thought since many sailors could swim. What intrigued me the most was how did he find me in Nassau... Was it a coincidence, or he'd been looking for me to get revenge? Apparently, the redhead didn't work for the RNN or any other navy, so I didn't know what to think. Even though I was relieved that Dirk hadn't drowned, I feared he'd try to kill me if we met another time. Although the angry sailor consumed my thoughts significantly, another man was also in my mind. Yes, Miguel was still in my head... My heart started beating faster and the shivers of pleasure came back once I thought of the Spaniard. There was no way I could forget our experience at the beach. Somehow, being with Miguel that night helped me feel less stressed about coming back to Sea Urchin. I bit my lower lip, nervous since I had to face Captain Monster soon. Although I still felt insecure about sticking with my plan, the crew could stop respecting me if I didn't act fast. They had no idea what I intended to do, but I felt a need to help them before those terrible men did any more damage.

I swabbed the poop deck with Maartje as I observed Captain Fletcher. No, it wasn't as bad as it seems, it was just the closest place to the stern. The captain walked from one side to another as if trying to find new prey. Quartermaster Knight did the same, but with a slightly less aggressive look in his eyes. The cutlass I'd stolen from Dirk was partially hidden on my vest. I'd usually have put the sword on my brown belt, but I needed to leave it less exposed than I did back in The Revenger. Hopefully, it was far enough from the two bloodthirsty men's eyes.

Maartje frowned, "Is that sand on your clothes?"

I bit my lower lip, wanting to hide away for a moment. I couldn't believe my outfit still had evidence of my little adventure with Miguel. Although I was typically a good liar, I rarely succeeded in deceiving my cousin.

What will I tell her now?

I faked a smile, "Yeah. I laid down on the beach yesterday to observe the stars."

My cousin narrowed her eyes and raised a brow as she kept examining me. I could feel she was suspicious as I kept cleaning the floor. God, the woman watched me like a hawk! Getting closer, my cousin widened her eyes while Francis sat by my right.

I caressed the dog for an instant, "My cousin is creepy, isn't she, buddy?"

He barked, but I couldn't tell if he had understood me. We were so close that I could say Francis had become my dog.

Maartje knit her brows, "I heard that!"

I chuckled while shaking my head in denial. She definitely got that curiosity from her father. Maartje gawked for a moment. What was wrong with her? I raised a brow, wondering why she wouldn't stop analyzing me.

"You have two love bites on the neck and your hair was messy yesterday..." my cousin smirked and gave me a pat on the back. "You did it, Storm, didn't you?"

Did Miguel really leave marks on me? I can't feel them!

I laughed and rubbed my neck, "Yes, and it was pretty good, but I won't talk about it."

Maartje cocked her head, seemingly attempting to imitate Francis's look. She walked around me while smiling mischievously. I rolled my eyes and laughed again. My cheeks probably got red at that moment.

"At least tell me something!" she grinned widely. "What's his name? Is he Dutch? How handsome is he?"

"All right!" I put my hands in the air as if I surrendered. "His name's Miguel, he's a Spaniard and incredibly attractive."