Battles and Secrets (Queen of Piracy Duology #2)

Chapter 32: The right choice

My back wouldn't stop sweating. Reyes and his men kept chasing us relentlessly... Didn't they have anything better to do? Probably not! I glanced in every direction, wondering where to go. Miguel wouldn't stop looking back, seemingly scared. I wanted to get rid of the horrible feeling that returned when I thought of Juliette putting her hands on Gálvez... I couldn't watch that without freaking out! Such a witch... I'd never felt that before, not even when other ladies looked at Dirk, which wasn't common since he shot angry glares at everyone. I pressed my lips together while recalling his cruelty... There was no doubt I'd made the wrong decision by staying with him. The big question was... Should I make the right choice or forget the four-letter word forever? Besides thinking of that, I remembered a place Miguel and I could hide. Perhaps we wouldn't die that night if I wasn't wrong about the location.

"Andrew has a house here," I panted while running faster. "He gave me the key in case we needed to hide."

Miguel turned to me, "Is it nearby?"

"I believe it's that way," I pointed to the beach towards the left. "Maybe we can get there before the idiots reach us."

He sighed, "We should lose them first."

I nodded and approached a fruit stand. Throwing countless oranges and apples behind me, I pulled Miguel closer so that he wouldn't trip. Every man chasing us fell on the floor. Reyes tripped on some oranges and bared his teeth, seemingly furious.

I chuckled, "Can't go wrong with a classic."

The Spaniard laughed. We quickly turned left and reached a quieter street. I looked in every direction. No men were there, so I sighed in relief. Wiping the sweat off my face, I walked towards the beach. Knight had said the house was light blue with two floors. Luckily, a residence that matched the description was a few steps away.

"Do we really need to get in?" I rubbed my chin. "The Armada guys disappeared. Perhaps we can return to the street."

Miguel discreetly pointed back, "I'd take that away if I were you."

I gulped as Reyes came back with more SHA men. Although he hadn't seen Gálvez and me yet, it was a matter of time until it happened. We'd probably be doomed if we remained outside... I had to enter the residence of a stranger! Wasn't that great? Not a complete stranger, but still.

I opened the door, "I hate it when you're right."

After we entered, I locked the door and closed all the curtains. Now it was too dark... Great! More problems! Even though I didn't want to light the candles, I had no choice. Knight's residence wasn't dirty like Atkins' and he had a better taste for paintings. The furniture's wood was lighter, the walls less destroyed, and the fabrics of the armchairs and sofas more colorful.

I glanced at a painting, "How long do you think we should stay here?"

"Probably until the SHA disperses," Gálvez peeked through the window and closed the curtain. "I don't believe they'll vanish soon."

I smiled sarcastically, "That's wonderful!"

Hoping he wouldn't notice my absence, I went to a bedroom. Sitting by the bed, I controlled myself not to cry... Guess what? Juliette had made me crazy! If I said her cruelty had caused my misery, I'd be lying. Just like kissing Miguel, hearing that annoying lady's nonsense made me more aware of my feelings. If Maartje were at that dinner, she would've said I was jealous of the witch... and I really was.

I put both hands on my face, "Why can't I stop feeling this way?"

I stared at the chandelier. Could I be preventing myself from having something beautiful? If Dirk was horrible, there was no way I'd love again... or would I? The agony slowly killed me like a poison that had only one antidote... The man who'd been my best friend and taken care of me for years. The one I should've given my heart to since the beginning.