Page 81 of Stilettos & Secrets on the 7 Seas

“’Twas a pleasure meeting ye, Miss Jennifer.” Caiyan lifted my hand and kissed the back of it. “Go home,” he growled in a low, gruff tone. “’Tis an order, no’ an option.”

Caiyan left me with Shrug and disappeared down the stairs.

“Over my dead body.” Which it might be if I ditched Shrug and went poking around theRanger.

Rowan waited for Max by the stairs. A troubled look had his brows drawn together. I followed his gaze to Max and Mortas standing face to face, their profiles silhouetted by the setting sun. By the looks of it, they were discussing gunning maneuvers. My gut clenched, and I sucked in some air. “Oh my god. It can’t be.”

“Max!” I called out. Rowan frowned. “I mean, Captain Smith.”

Both men turned toward me, and my presumption was undeniable. How could I have been so blind?

Max hurried over to me and gathered my hands in his. “Dinnae fret. We shall be together soon,mon bel ange.”

My beautiful angel?This guy had game, but I kept some space between us. No need for any more lip-locking.

He motioned toward the stairs. A signal for Shrug to escort me from the fort.

“Move, witch.” Shrug stabbed me in the back with the butt of the rifle.

Had the man not learned from our last rumble? I swallowed hard and placed one foot in front of the other, queasy with the feeling that Mortas was here for something other than the eye.

Twenty-Seven

Shrug fussed all the way back to the town about not getting any pig. I was running scenarios through my head. Looking for a way to ditch Shrug, find Marco, and prevent Mortas from accomplishing his evil deeds.

Caiyan’s order to go home irked me almost as much as the disturbing thing I’d discovered. How dare he tell—no,order—me to go home. I’d leave when I was good and ready.

A hound-sized rat scurried across the foot path. I leaped toward Shrug with a squeal I can only describe as pig-like.

“I’ll git ’em.” Shrug aimed his gun at the rat, blasted off a shot, and took out a scrubby tree branch. The rat was long gone.

“Don’t fret, witch. There’s plenty more of ’em where we’re goin’. We can catch one for supper.”

Maybe I’d be good and ready sooner than later.

When we came to a fork in the road, I dug in my heels. One way led to the beach. The other led to my plantation prison. “I’m not leaving without my manservant.”

Shrug pointed his rifle at me. “Ye go where the cap’n ordered yerself.”

The aroma of burnt carcass floated up from the left fork.

“I bet that pig’s almost done cooking. Be a real shame to waste it. Why, we could take it to the plantation. Have a feast while we wait for Captain Smith to return.” I batted my eyelashes and added a lot of southern slather in my accent.

Shrug stopped and sniffed the air. “Mayhaps, we take the pig wit’ us.”

My idea, but making him think it was his worked, too.

Men scurried along the beach, loading supplies into their rowboats and rowing back to their ships with gusto. The hope of sinking the English spurred them onward.

In the distance, Max and Rowan were already climbing the ropes to theSea Storm.

We found Ace turning a fat pig over a fire. A mango was wedged between its jaws and sad, empty eyes stared at me. My stomach did a tipsy-turvy, and I swallowed hard to control it.

Ace’s eyes lit up when he saw us. “’Ello, puppets. What’s yer pleasure? I’ve got bacon, ham, and the best pork chops this side of Tortuga.” He paused when he saw my face. “Ye look a bit green about the gills. What’s going on, love?”

“We’re here for the pig,” Shrug announced, licking his chapped lips and sliding his rifle strap over his shoulder.

Ace bent down close to my ear. “Me pirate escort dashed off when they saw the ships in the distance. I didn’t know if I should wait or make a go for it.”

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