Free A Pirate's Heart (St. John Series) by Lora Thomas

friend in the jungle?”
    Max turned and glared at his friend, “Actually, I thought about just leaving you here so I wouldn’t have to put up with your mockery this trip.”
    Alex roared with laughter, “Now who would tolerate you as captain? I believe everyone on here would jump ship before they would allow you to lead them.” But both men knew that wasn’t true. Max might be many things, but he was a good leader, although a little on the violent side. All the crew respected Max and would as gladly follow him as they did Alex. “Are we ready to sail, Mr. Hart?”
    Max nodded his head to Alex’s question.
    “Good. Give the orders.”
    “Weigh anchor!” Max bellowed, his deep voice carrying to the crew.
    A resounding “Aye, aye, sir” could be heard echoing throughout the ship as The Abyss lurched forward leaving Tortuga. Once clear of the busy docking area, the remaining gray sails were dropped and the ship moved quickly into the warm waters of the Caribbean.
    Max remained topside helping the crew for the remainder of the day. He took the helm so Alex could go to his quarters to work on the shipping documents for Emerald Shipping. Turning his face skyward, he soaked in the sun’s warm rays for several minutes enjoying the feel and smell of the sea.
    Smitty approached Max as the sun began its downward decline. “I’ll take her now.”
    Max nodded his head at the gunner. “Keep our current heading. We’re making good time. At this rate we’ll be in Nassau before the end of the week.”
    Smitty nodded his acknowledgement as Max took his leave.
    Max made a quick stop at the galley. He wrapped several cold mini biscuits and a wedge of cheese in a cloth and headed to his quarters. Once at the door to his room, he took one of the biscuits, popped it in his mouth, and opened the door.
    Max’s quarters were dark. The lamp’s fuse had burned itself short hours ago, which extinguished the flame. He left the door open as he placed his meal down on the small table at the door. Turning the knob on the lantern, he extended the wick. He quickly lit the lamp and closed the door. He had removed his coat earlier in the day so he was wearing only his dark trousers, black shirt and a wide belt with his weapons. Taking off his belt, he tossed it onto the bed. He didn’t notice the unusually large lump. He never made his bed, so the lump in the middle he put off as being just the bunched up quilts he used for occasional warmth.
    Picking up his supper, he walked to the dresser. He laid the mini biscuits on the dresser and took off his shirt and tossed it in the corner. He poured some water out of the pitcher, left from this morning, into the washbasin and splashed the cool water onto his beard. He looked up in the mirror at his reflection. Rubbing the whiskers on the side of his face, he let out a sigh. His brows drew together when he noticed the quilt move.
     
    * * * *
     
    Kristina awoke and began to wonder what time it was. The lamp had gone out long ago, but she could tell they were far out to sea by the sway of the ship. She gave a small stretch and sighed. It had been ages since she had slept that well. She figured it was the sway of the ship combined with the stress of the past few weeks that made her sleep so long.
    As she lay there, she heard the doorknob rattle. She quickly grabbed the covers and pulled them on top of her head. As she peered from under the covers, she could see the light from the hall entering the room. The door remained open for several minutes, giving her hope that whoever opened the door, did so by accident. A soft creak was heard. She could smell the faint scent of sulfur from a match and hear the door as it closed. Holding her breath, she hoped the person had left. But as she lay there, her heart sank. She could hear someone walking around the room. Panic began to set in as she felt something land on top of her. The footsteps crossed the room. She could hear water being poured.
    Lay very