Page 47 of Pirates in Calusa Cove

Monty tossed his head back and laughed. “Trinity did say you had a way with words.”

“Sorry. That was?—”

“No, son. That was fine,” Monty said. “You forget. I grew up in this town.” He motioned across the water and up toward Manatee Island, where Keaton knew Audra had been born and raised. “My family was dirt-poor, and when I say that, I’m not exaggerating. The only family who had less than us would’ve been the McCains. I went off to California on a scholarship with no money, nothing but a dream, and a big fucking chip on my shoulder. I thought I was too good for this place. Too good for the great legends this place was built on, or the good people who’ve lived here for centuries. I had no intention of coming back until I had Trinity. She made me realize there’s more to life than making millions and proving to people that I wasn’t some dirt-poor, barefoot kid from backward Florida.” Monty shook his head, laughing. “Somehow, I managed not to screw up her life too bad, but she’ll never understand what it’s like to wonder if you’re going to have breakfast the next morning.”

“Trinity’s a good person. I wish she’d stop trying to prove to this town she’s cut out for its way of life.”

Monty chuckled. “That’s a combination of her desire to be liked for who she is, not what she represents, and her need to be seen as a capable human. The former, well, she has friends, and that’s all she needs. Anyone else can go screw themselves—a lesson she could learn from Audra,” Monty said. “The latter will only happen ifshe stops being so flashy and showing off just because she can.”

“That’s what I told her.”

Monty leaned forward. “Telling my child anything like that is like asking you to ignore your instincts.” He tapped his knuckles on the table. “I have a feeling you’re going to be really good for my kid. Don’t mess it up.” With that, Monty disappeared inside, leaving Keaton alone with his thoughts. They comprised only a few.

Monty wasn’t exactly who he’d thought he was—and that was a pleasant surprise.

His feelings for Trinity ran way too deep. A thought that didn’t shock him but totally petrified him on all sorts of levels, but he wasn’t going to spend any time contemplating them.

But it was the final thought that he was going to do something about, and that was to learn more about the Legend of theFlying Victoria. Not that he believed any of that crap, because he didn’t.

But he wanted to learn more about Ralph and his family. They might have missed something, and it was time to find out.

CHAPTER 9

Trinity saton the back patio with Baily, Audra, and Chloe, the FBI agent, of all people.

She’d seen Chloe around town several times over the last year, but lately, she seemed to be coming around more often—and hanging out with Hayes. Trinity had seen them once at the coffee shop together and a second time milling about the marina.

She hadn’t thought too much about it, but now she wondered if there wasn’t something to it. Not that it was any of her business.

“Thanks for letting me join you tonight,” Chloe said. “While I’m used to eating alone in hotels, it gets old after a while.”

“How long are you staying in Calusa Cove?” Trinity asked, staring out at the canal, unable to make eye contact. While she was glad Chloe had stayed, she knew one of the reasons Chloe stuck around was because she was a federal agent, and Keaton didn’t want Trinity andthe rest of the ladies to be without the protection of someone who held a badge or who had served.

“Just tonight,” Chloe said. “I met with Dawson about a case I’ve been working on this past year. Tomorrow, I need to head over to Tampa.”

“Did your meeting with Dawson have anything to do with my friend Mallary?” Trinity held up her hand. “I understand if you can’t get into the details. It’s just that I feel responsible for what happened out there, and not knowing anything makes me crazy.”

Chloe set her wineglass on the table and leaned forward. “I’ve spoken with Dawson and Keaton about what happened out there, and you are not responsible. You did what any normal person would have done in that situation.”

Trinity let out a long breath. Tears welled in her eyes. “I don’t know about that. I keep replaying my actions, and I can’t help but wonder if I shouldn’t have given them the jewels. Maybe they would’ve let us both go.”

“No.” Chloe shook her head. “While I don’t work cases like that, I’ve been at this job too long and seen too much. Criminals like that don’t leave witnesses behind.”

A guttural sob caught in Trinity’s throat.

“I’m sorry.” Chloe reached across the table. “I didn’t mean to imply your friend was dead.”

“But that’s most likely what happened.” Trinity swiped at her cheeks.

“I won’t lie to you,” Chloe said. “It’s possible. However, because they don’t have the jewels from theFlying Victoria, it’s quite probable they’re keeping her alive to use her as leverage to get them.”

“Then why haven’t we or her family heard from them yet?” Trinity asked. “Why haven’t they reached out asking for the jewels in exchange for her?”

“I don’t know.” Chloe leaned back. “There could be a dozen reasons why. One reason could be that they’re watching you, checking out where and who you’re with while assessing the situation and waiting for the right time. They could even be using her to deep dive in the area.”

“But I have the jewels and Mallary knows that,” Trinity said.

“That’s true. However, we haven’t released to the news that we found the jewels. For all the pirates know, you dropped them when you dove off your boat during the fight, and they sank to the ocean floor. That’s why Agent Ballard has requested the Coast Guard keep an eye on the area. He’s the agent in charge of Mallary’s case. I’m just helping out where I can.”

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