Page 9 of Stilettos & Secrets on the 7 Seas

I glanced down at my phone. If Jake would get a move on, I’d have enough time to get home and ride to Uncle Durr’s wedding with Gertie.

Ace fidgeted in his chair, and a flock of feathers floated in the air.

“Are you going somewhere?” I plucked a wayward pink feather off my dress.

Ace straightened, his face split with an excited grin. “I have a date with a sandy beach, a cold ’rita, and a few pals. Anyone want to join me?”

I looked at him and cringed. I was done with sandy beaches. At least until the next moon cycle. “Can’t. I have the wedding and a day job and enough sand between my toes to last for a while.”

Campy shook his head. “Sounds cool, but I’m meeting my mum in Scotland for holiday before I start the fall quarter.”

Gerry stared at Ace through slitted eyes, like he’d rather throw himself in front of a speeding train. “Uhm, negative.”

“Losers gonna lose.” Ace slunk back against his chair.

Gerry leaned in next to me and squeezed my forearm. “I saw Ferrari stay behind on the big screen. And I wanna hear all the dirty details.”

Campy dropped his pencil. “No shite?”

Ace shot up in his chair. “Do tell.”

Jake entered the room, laptop in his hands, no doubt to take account of my every word. He sat at the head of the table and opened the laptop. “Jen, the floor is yours.”

I explained what happened in Nassau and that Marco stayed behind, leaving out the stars in his eyes every time he said Sasha’s name.

“The guy’s gone mental.” Campy shifted uncomfortably. “Why couldn’t he jump next moon cycle and find Sasha?”

“He’s after the eye.” Gerry scowled at Campy. “He’ll do anything to get it. I always knew he wasn’t a team player.”

“No. That’s not true. He cares about—” I couldn’t rat Marco out.

“He cares about what?” Campy looked at me with eyes that asked what in the hell could be worth staying in the past.

“He cares about finding what Sasha is after.” I glanced at Jake for the OK to tell them. He nodded.

“We think she boarded a ship captained by Charles Vane.”

Gerry shivered. “Vane was a real bad dude.”

Jake paused and nodded in agreement. “Stevenson’s nonfiction about a pirate’s life would be a good reference. It’s the correct era, the Golden Age of Piracy.”

“I didn’t know he wrote a how-to for pirating.” Gerry shrugged and sent me one of those suspicious, secretive glances.

“If Marco doesn’t return next moon cycle, you’ve got to send me back.” Research be damned. I wanted Marco back.

“No way.” Three heads shook at me in unison.

A fourth and much louder voice rang across the room. “No.” Jake stared at me with eyes set in stone.

“Jake. I?—”

“You know we only jump if the brigands jump. Mortas returned. That means Marco has gone rogue.”

A unified gasp circled the table.

“Sasha’s a brigand,” I pleaded.

“She hasn’t been classified yet. I can’t send you unless a brigand jumps to Nassau. I’m down defenders as it is and might need to send you to scout a mission. Alone. Jiminy Crickets!”

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