Page 91 of Stilettos & Secrets on the 7 Seas

Mortas raised his head. “Get her off me.”

I bit my lower lip. She was living out one of my fantasies.

“For fuck’s sake, get her off.” Mortas bucked and kicked, but Sasha held firm.

A small crowd gathered. Most of the crew kept to their tasks, sneaking looks at the brawl on deck. I glanced up at Max. He and Rowan stood at the helm concentrating on getting the ship the hell out of here.

“Sails,” Max shouted. Yards of fabric dropped above me, caught the wind, and popped into perfect sheets. TheSea Stormturned slightly to follow theRangeras it headed out to sea, sneaking past the Royal Navy.

A cannonball hit the water too close to our ship as Rogers’ ships continued firing on theLark. I lost my balance and fell to one knee. “You don’t want to kill him,” I said to Sasha again.

Caiyan swung around behind O’Malley. “Jen’s right, ye cannae kill him.”

“Watch me.” Sasha ripped her blade through Mortas.

He screamed, then glared at Caiyan. “Do something.”

“Now,” Sasha commanded.

Logan drew his sword and lunged at Mortas. Caiyan disarmed him in one swift move.

“No!” I stepped forward, speaking at Sasha with such force that her mouth fell open. “You can’t kill Mortas because…uhm…because he’s Max’s brother and because Max is your brother, too.”

Mortas and Sasha looked at me in horror. Even Caiyan’s face held a rarely seen glimpse of shock.

“Who’s Max?” Sasha asked, narrowing her eyes into suspicious slits.

“Captain Smith.” I yelled above the battle noise and pointed toward the helm.

Mumbling among the crew made me realize what I’d done. I felt sick. I’d stated facts without proof. If the crew knew Max’s father wasn’t the captain of theSea Storm, he’d lose his ship. His way of life. I destroyed him while saving my most hated enemy.

Caiyan accused me of being reckless.

Maybe he was right.

The sails billowed overhead. We picked up speed, but we were heading straight toward Rogers’ ship, in the wake of the fire ship.

A cannonball contacted theLark’shull and she slowed, blocking our exit. We were going to crash into the ship. The men didn’t seem alarmed. They worked the sails, the lines.

Pulling. Pushing. Turning.

“We’re going to hit it.” I grabbed the railing, holding tight. I caught sight of Caiyan doing the same, a grim look on his face. He turned, saw me, and yelled, “Hold on.”

Mortas lay in a pool of blood. Sasha sat paralyzed by my poorly timed delivery of a sneaky suspicion.

The heat of the fire from theLarkburned my face. Nausea swirled like a maelstrom in my gut at the sudden rocking of the ship in tempestuous waves, or the conjunctive vulnerability of the crew. I wasn’t sure.

Closer, closer, closer we sailed until I could see the wood grain of the aft end of theLark.

Cannons fired from Rogers’ ship missed us by inches. I held my breath to avoid filling my lungs with smoke. A tremble rumbled through the ship. Wood splintered on theLarkas it took a direct hit in the stern. The main topmast, its sails a fiery inferno, snapped and fell. I closed my eyes and gripped the railing, waiting for the impact.

My head spun.

My lungs burned.

My stomach churned like it did when I jumped.

I blinked open my eyes. Caiyan had been thrown to the deck. “Jen, what are ye…” his voice lost in the loud whooshing in my ears.

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