Loud voices above and the gentle forward heave of the ship stirred Charlisse from her thoughts. She rushed to the window, anxious to resume the journey to Port Royal, but distressed for the galleon's fate. Not that she harbored any fondness for the Spanish, but she certainly wished them no harmespecially not at the hands of this merciless band of scoundrels.

It occurred to her that she had an unwarranted confidence in Merrick's abilities to capture the galleon. With his taste ...