Page 95 of Stilettos & Secrets on the 7 Seas

Did I tell Max about the Mafusos and Mortas and his evil ways, or stoke the embers of the potential bond between two brothers? Would Mortas try to convince Max to join the Mafusos? Of course, he would. Damn, my moral integrity was being tested today.

My inner voice held up a quote from Alexander Hamilton.Our great error is that we suppose mankind more honest than they are.

“I don’t know your father personally, but let’s just say he surrounds himself with people who make bad decisions.”

“And my brother?” Max asked. “He’s no good?”

“Captain Crunch, yourhalf-brother, is not always on our side.” I swallowed, and the truth stuck like a grapefruit in my throat. How did I put this gently? “He’s sort of like Captain Vane. He’s good when it suits him.”

“My da told me I was cursed. The way I could move my ship, like a ghost. It came from my ma’s gypsy blood, but he loved me despite my curse.” Max listed to the right. Rowan reached out and steadied him.

I decided to maneuver away from the theory of tainted gypsy blood and open the idea that Max had a family. “The time traveler that we are searching for is on your ship. The one who stabbed Captain Crunch. She’s your sister.”

“Sister?” Max’s forehead creased and he glanced at Rowan. “Our cabin boy is a girl?”

“Yes. Her name is Sasha. Your mother had twin girls before she jumped here. Sasha has a twin sister, Fredericka. She’s in our time.”

“Can I go to your time?” Max asked. The excitement of an adventure sparked in his eyes.

Rowan’s concerned expression turned stoic at the mention of Max traveling to my time.

“I have two sisters?” Max’s face lit up. He had a family, which outweighed the unusual circumstances of the gift he’d always thought was a curse.

“Max, dinnae believe these fairy tales.” Rowan squeezed Max’s arm gently as if they were in a bad dream and needed to wake up.

“I’m telling the truth.” I stomped my shoe on the deck. “For heaven’s sake, Rowan, how do you explain what Max can do?”

Rowan grunted, ignoring me. “Yer da was a good man. He wanted ye to be captain of theSea Storm.”

“About that,” I said. “Your crew might have overheard the good news about your dad during the scuffle.”

Max grew rigid and turned to check his crew. The men walked the deck on wobbly legs, glancing at their captain, whispering between themselves.

Rowan made a head-nod, chin-lift motion at Shrug that I assumed meant my time for telling fairy tales was over. Shrug came up behind me with his rifle. “I’ll take her back to her cabin, Captain.”

“I can explain about the ship,” I told Max.

Max rubbed his eyes. The gun flailed about as if he waved a water gun. “Take her below. Lock her in the cabin, then search the ship for this cabin boy.”

I bobbed, dodging the barrel. “Wait, I need to heal Captain Crunch.” At least stick my finger in his wound until he explained how he planned to get Vane’s map.

“Are ye a real healer?” Max asked. A hint of my dishonesty ticked his voice.

“He needs merely a stitch.” Rowan nodded at Shrug. “Send Logan.”

My eyes went wide. “The carpenter?”And hired assassin.

“Aye, until I decide if what ye say is truth, ye’ll remain in yer cabin.” Max bobbed and weaved, the effects of lateral jumping overtaking him.

“Listen to me. Crunch is not a good person. We don’t work together.” Except on this trip, thanks to Caiyan. “He’ll turn you to the dark side.” Oh, for heaven’s sake, did I hear myself?

“Aye, I wished my ma was here. There are many questions I’d like to ask her.” Max’s words faded away as Shrug poke-checked me toward my cabin.

Me too.So many.

Thirty-One

Imprisoned inside my cabin again, I went to the window and watched the waves roll smoothly away from the ship as we sliced through the Atlantic Ocean like a knife through freshly churned butter.

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