Page 350 of The Romance Adventure

Wincing, I recall the line of questioning from Royal. “We weren’t that straight on the story of how we met.”

“It was a whirlwind.”

CJ catches my eye and holds it for a long moment. “You know that the Cartagena Catch was a diversion, right?”

I say a similar word in Spanish, divertir, which means to delight or amuse.

CJ shakes his head. His Spanish is passable, but I’m not sure what he means.

“It never existed. It was all a fabrication used to throw people off the trail for the real deal.”

“But it’s one of the most sought-after treasures in the world.”

“Exactly. But it was never found because it never existed.”

I frown, not quite believing him. “How do you know?”

“My grandfather—” He tells me the origin story and the trade routes between Spain and Colombia.

“I don’t mean to be disrespectful toward your grandfather, but how can you be so sure?”

CJ lets out a breath. “Because Chip made it up. He told me when he was dying. He wanted the eyes of the world on it and away from the wrecks and dives around here because he knew the Lost Crown of Tears was somewhere in these waters. There were pirates after it, too.” He describes the Pirate Defense League and how Chip came to claim ownership of Coco Key.

Wrapped up in the story, the moon shines overhead by the time CJ is done.

The way he tells it, the pirates were scourges of the seven seas. The modern ones are no different. I should know.

“They don’t operate according to the implied rules of conduct. They have their own code.”

So do I, but I could never tell him as much. If the withholding of this information from my husband were a splinter, it would be working its way deeper by the moment.

I’m personally invested because among my ancestors are the pirates CJ is talking about. My goal is to get the crown before anyone else, including my remaining family member and my husband’s family.

“The nastiest was Captain Hook. A real guy. The family line faded, but then a new Captain Hook emerged, claiming ancestry. Supposedly, he had a daughter,” CJ describes the fearsome pirate crew of old and the newer one, which I’m mighty familiar with.

All I can say is, “Captain Hook had a daughter, huh? I wonder what she’d do with the Coroa de Lágrimas. Would that make her the pirate queen?”

CJ chuckles.

His story about the treasure and the one I was told intersect and overlap, but they can’t both be true.

I’m starting to wonder about my goals and desires. “Or, if the story about the Sousas is accurate, it would rightfully belong to your grandmother and then your mother.”

“My grandmother went missing. My mom, too. Only Emmie remains.”

A series of terrible thoughts about what happened to the women in CJ’s family seizes me, but I’m afraid to ask what kind of protection Emmie has because I’d be revealing my role.

Completely unaware of my thoughts and wearing a mischievous smile, CJ says, “So, what was that you said about my bum?”

I poke him in the stomach. “You know you have a good backside.”

“I do?”

Lifting onto my toes, I kiss him on the cheek and go up to bed.

CJ remains downstairs, cleaning up.

Alone, I tap into HQ, sending an alert regarding the protection of Emmanuella McGregor. I also record pertinent details about what I’ve learned as it relates to Kent Von Dräger, also known as Kurt Jerkovic.