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belch ripping the air.
    Alicia wrinkled her nose, grabbed her bag, and decided to start moving. She needed to find a place for the night where she could rest and think. Because she knew one thing—even without Blake Merritt’s help, she wasn’t giving up. If she had family, she was going to find it. She simply didn’t know at the moment how that was going to be possible.
    Just then, the door opened again, spilling the din of the tavern into the river of debauchery that was the streets of Tortuga. If Alicia hadn’t decided it already by the light of day, she did now. Tortuga was not a place she ever wanted to see again.
    “Ah, good. I was afraid ya’d be long gone.”
    Alicia turned to the voice and smiled ruefully. “I would be if I had a place to go.”
    The giant grinned. “That’s easily solved. I ’ave a place ya can stay until mornin’.”
    Alicia nearly swallowed her tongue. “And Charles thought
I
was mad.”
    His smile twisted into a snarl. Alicia took a step back. “I’m not mad, missy. But ya need a place to stay, don’t ya?”
    “Well …”
    “Yes or no?” he asked.
    “Well, yes, but—”
    “Then let’s go.”
    He made to leave, assuming Alicia would follow. She grabbed his arm.
    “I can’t go with you. I don’t even know you.”
    “Well, how long does that take? I ain’t sittin’ out here with the drunkards all night, missy. We’re likely to either get shot or trampled.”
    Even as he said it, two brawling men came tumbling around the corner straight for them. The giant simply shook his head, extended one meaty arm in front of Alicia, and shoved both men to the ground with little more than a push.
    “Well? ’Ave ya made up yer mind yet?”
    She sighed. “It’s not that I don’t appreciate the offer …”
    “Captain. And I don’t see ya gettin’ any better ones.”
    “I don’t think I’d accept them even if I did.”
    “Ya can trust me.” He smiled and Alicia was happy to see his eyes were neither full of rum nor evil. “I can tell ya what I know of Samantha.”
    Alicia gnawed on her lip. Well, she had bartered passage with a stranger. And had Blake been willing to help, she would have gone off with him, another stranger. Was Captain really any different?
    Suddenly a pistol shot rang out so close it shrilled in her ears. She yelped and hunkered down. Before she knew it, the giant had her by the arm and she was sailing back onto her feet.
    “Are ya comin’ or not?”
    She couldn’t speak, her heart was thudding too fast and loud against her chest. She nodded instead.
    “Good. And if ya can cook, we’ll consider breakfast yer payment. Come, missy, ’tis this way.”
    He led her through the smoke-filled air, past all the ruckus of the taverns to the back edge of town. His home was nothing more than a rough shack thrown up between some trees, which was a good thing as the poor structure looked as though any sort of significant wind would topple it to the ground. However, it was a shelter, and despite Captain’s size, she sensed she had nothing to fear from him.
    Captain lit a fire in the tiny hearth and it helped chase away the smell of mildew that clung to the walls. From a trunk he drew out thick blankets and set them before the hearth. Alicia was glad, once she sat on them with a cup of tea in her hands, that they smelled relatively clean.
    The giant had chosen the only chair in the cabin and sat upon it now with a contented sigh.
    “When was the last time you saw Samantha?”
    “I’ve only met her twice. First time, she walked into Doubloons when I was talkin’ to Luke.”
    “You mentioned Luke before. Who is he?”
    Captain choked on his drink and had to thump himself on the chest to clear it.
    “Ya never heard of Luke Bradley?”
    “No, why?”
    “Blimey, missy, he’s only the best pirate the Caribbean has ever seen!”
    “But you said Samantha is with Luke. Are they … they can’t be … she married a pirate?”
    He set his mug down hard on the