Page 22 of Pirates in Calusa Cove

“I know.”

“Each one, like your tattoo, tells your story,” she whispered. “Only, I don’t know them.”

“No, you don’t, and honestly, some I might not ever talk about.”

“I can only imagine what this one is from, and it’s not painting a very nice narrative.” She traced a dainty circle around the combination burn marks from being tortured by electrocution and knife wounds. His captors used to increase the pain, hoping to get him and his buddies to talk. It didn’t work. However, Ken was dead and nothing they did would ever change that fact.

He brought her hand to his lips. “The only important thing about any of these scars is that I’m alive, I’m breathing, and I’m right here with you.”

“Wow. I would not have expected such romantic words from you.”

“Oh, I can get real mushy when I get going.” He hadn’t had a reason to get going in over ten years. Now, he did—and her name was Trinity.

“Do me a favor. If we last more than tonight, never buy me flowers.”

He jerked his head. “Okay. Good to know, because I would’ve sent some in the morning. Can I ask why?”

She yawned. “Can I tell you that story another time?”

He nodded, kissing her temple. Something told him that as much as he suspected she wanted more, he was never getting that story.

And that meant there wasn’t much of a future outside of a good time.

That shouldn’t bother him, because he never thought about the future when it came to women. But tonight, knowing there wouldn’t be, it crushed his soul.

CHAPTER 4

Trinity leaned backand guzzled half a bottle of water. The sun beat down on her face. A combination of exhaustion and frustration rippled across her muscles and needled her brain.

“I can’t believe we haven’t found it. I thought you marked where the boat was,” Mallary said, frowning. She, too, was exhausted, and it showed, as well as her desperation.

“I marked the spot where my boat was anchored. I can’t be exactly sure where I was under the water. It’s two hundred feet down, and when I surfaced?—”

“Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I know. I get it. You were pretty far from thePrincess Afloatand a hundred feet off the bow, not off the stern where you started, and you had been worried you were dragging your anchor anyway. It’s just that we’ve been at this all day.”

“And dragging anchor. We can’t stay under for too long. You’re getting tired, so one more dive, and then we’ll have to call it a day.”

Mallary bolted to her feet. “Are you kidding me? We have to keep going. My brother’s boat is down there. I know it.”

“Well, if it is, it’s not going anywhere anytime soon. We can come back out.” Trinity polished off the rest of the water. “Keaton and the guys have volunteered to come out, too.”

“No way.” Mallary shook like a wet dog. “He’s best friends with the chief of police of Calusa Cove. All the cops think my brother’s guilty. If they find anything, they’ll pin it on Jared, and that will be the end of it.”

“Dawson’s not like that.”

“Oh, really?” Mallary strolled to the stern of the boat with her back to Trinity. She raised her hand to her forehead. “Every cop believes Jared’s a thief and a liar. I’m so tired of it. Even that sweet girl I helped him with turned on him.” She glanced over her shoulder. “Are you going to turn on him, too?”

“No.” Trinity jerked her head. “I know you’re frustrated. But we can’t even be sure of what I saw. I was at least twenty feet away. I was running out of oxygen and had to come up. Otherwise, I would’ve explored more.”

“That’s what you say,” Mallary mumbled.

“I’m going to pretend you didn’t just say that.” Trinity could understand many things, but Mallary had come in hot today. She’d been snippy since they had met at the marina. “Okay, I’m sure I could talk the guys into having Dawson pass on the dive and just have Keaton, Hayes, and Fletcher do it.”

“Since when do you trust any of them?” Mallaryturned, planting her hands on her hips. “Especially, Keaton. He’s been nothing but a jerk to you.”

“Yeah, well, we hashed out our differences last night.”

“What does that mean?”

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