Battles and Secrets (Queen of Piracy Duology #2)

Chapter 4: Mystery and hostility

The mysterious young woman wouldn't leave my mind. Although I talked to my friends and laughed while we returned to Ocean Storm, her words still haunted me. We walked around Havana, I stole a gift for Dirk, the night had arrived... and I still thought about that woman. I bit my lower lip while trying to imagine how horrible would the attack she mentioned be. Besides, I had to find out who she was. What if she worked for the navies and attempted to fool me? I wanted to tell Laurens, Maartje, and Miguel about the stranger, but I wasn't sure if it'd cause more problems. Maybe my cousin would get angry again because I excluded her from dangerous pirate affairs... Who am I kidding? I didn't care! I had to tell her. In fact, I needed to reveal what happened to all my friends. The Sea Hunters Alliance affected all of us, so I shouldn't hide it.

"I can't believe you stole this black vest for Dirk," Maartje frowned as she pointed at the gift. "He always complains of everything you get him!"

I sighed, "It'll be different this time. The guy I once loved is still in there somewhere."

I bit my lower lip while gazing at the stolen vest. That was one of my attempts to improve my husband's mood. Although I hadn't succeeded in pleasing him since our second anniversary, I had to try again. I couldn't let Dirk's sourness ruin our relationship... at least not entirely.

Maartje stared at her toes, "What if this Dirk you're talking about never existed? Perhaps he hid his true self at the beginning and only showed it later."

Could my cousin be right? God, I hoped not... Especially because it involved the man I chose to spend the rest of my life with. I didn't make a mistake... or did I?

"Dirk and I had many bad moments, but I need to make this work!" I ground my teeth and looked away. "I must fix this!"

"How many times did he try to please you?" Maartje raised her brows. "Come on! You're the only one who's making an effort."

My eyes bulged, "Dirk took a bullet for me once! There's no way he doesn't love me."

My cousin knit her brows, "A lot can happen in four years and a few months."

I let out a pronounced sigh. Dirk and I were mad in love when our relationship started, so what happened? No, nothing happened! Everything was fine. I'd chosen the right man. That was just a phase... Perhaps a phase that lasted years, but still.

"Anyway, I have something important to share," I gulped as I remembered the mysterious lady. "Call Laurens and Miguel since they're distracted talking."

Maartje shrugged, "I'll call them, but you can't hide from your relationship issues forever. Changing the subject won't change the truth."

No, but it'll make it less painful.

I took a deep breath as my cousin spoke to my two other friends. Although talking about the mysterious woman wouldn't be pleasant, at least it didn't smash my heart. Besides, I had to mention her sooner or later.

I turned to my friends, "This weird thing happened when I went to get our other drinks..."

I told them everything. Luckily, Maartje didn't get angry that I went to talk to the lady alone. I felt a headache once I recalled the RNN was involved in that mess. I hoped no other Van Acker family member had joined them... The last thing I needed was more problems.

Laurens put a hand on his chin, "This lady must be hiding something."

"Something?" Maartje chuckled nervously. "Darling, she's probably hiding many things."

Miguel raised a brow, "Do you know who the woman could be running from, Storm?"

"Probably Navy or Armada men," I bit my lower lip. "Did I say it correctly? Luna will laugh at me again if I keep mispronouncing Spanish words."