Battles and Secrets (Queen of Piracy Duology #2)

Chapter 28: You can't choose family

The endless noise of my crew's conversations no longer bothered me. That silence between Giacomo and I was horrible. I thought my friends and allies had hidden the truth about Ricci, but they also seemed surprised. Francis walked closer as if he feared something... Could Giacomo be dangerous? I took such a long sip of sangría that I thought I'd choke... Don't judge me! It was much weaker than rum, so I had to drink more to feel the effects. Nuria wouldn't stop looking at the Tuscan man, seemingly wanting to talk. Luckily, my crew, the kids, and Rosa were too distracted to witness that awkward moment. It wouldn't be easy to explain to Luna and Tess they had a lost uncle... Supposing Ricci hadn't tried to deceive me. Even though I saw no reason for him to lie, one can never be too careful.

"You're kidding, right?" I laughed hysterically. "I thought you were Tuscan!"

"My father and I were born in Florence, but my mother is from Amsterdam," Ricci swallowed hard. "He told me her name was Carolien de Vries."

Maartje frowned, "Wait... You never met your mom?"

Giacomo shook his head in denial, "She abandoned me when I was a baby."

Why would she do that? How weird...

I couldn't stop gawking. For years, I had a brother in another country and never knew about it... Although I had a bunch of questions for Giacomo, the words wouldn't come out. I just kept staring at him and wondering how his past was like. Since I didn't want to freak out in front of everyone, I took a step back. My hands were wetter than the Caribbean Sea.

I finished my sangría glass, "I need some air."

After leaving, I went a few blocks away. My mom's craziness, my feelings, my new half-brother... It was too much for a single captain. My chest felt lighter while I walked around the city.

Giacomo approached, "You aren't easy to follow. I had to run."

"Are you sure we have the same mother?" I chewed on my lip. "Perhaps you heard it wrong and her name is Caroline."

"I'm certain it's Carolien. Dad said she was blond and had blue eyes," he glanced at the night sky. "I have no idea why she left."

I shook my head in denial, "This is insane!"

"Why are you so upset we're siblings?" Ricci rolled his eyes. "I'm offended."

"I had a horrible experience with my younger brother. He joined my enemies and tried to kill me," I sighed. "Don't worry, you're not related to him."

"Our mother and your brother tried to murder you?" Ricci scowled. "Madonna mia!"

I shrugged, "You can't choose family."

The Tuscan man chuckled, "I'm glad you're my sister. Besides being smart and funny, you're a fantastic captain."

I raised a brow, "If you're my brother, you should annoy me instead of giving me compliments."

"Certo. I'll tell Nuria and Maartje you almost kissed Miguel if you don't hug me now," Giacomo grinned mischievously. "Brotherly enough?"

"That isn't true! We were just..." I cleared my throat. "He asked me to remove dirt from his hair. That's why we were so close."

Ricci crossed his arms, "I'm younger than you, but I wasn't born yesterday."

I rolled my eyes, "Fine! How did you know?"

"I was way ahead of Nuria. You weren't fast enough to pull away," my brother shot me a provocative gaze. "Besides, one doesn't have to be a genius to know you two have something going on."