Page 413 of The Romance Adventure

I don’t have the bandwidth to process what just happened and have to remain alert because this isn’t over.

Opening a velvet pouch, I drop the three stones into Jerkovic’s hand. He holds each one up to the torchlight.

Perspiration drips down my back, but I tell myself it’s because I’m in the jungle.

His dark eyes meet mine in warning. “We’ll be at the meeting spot and so will Jolie. Understand?”

With a nod, I walk away, painfully aware that he could very well stab me in the back.

But he doesn’t. I get back to the boat, worried about being double-crossed because that was almost too easy. Magnus tosses a glance my way as if he agrees. The twins must’ve told him what transpired.

It’s nearly as tenuous an exit as it was an arrival. Our parents help us navigate and soon we emerge from the tunnel. But instead of open water, several dark ships appear, led by the Dark Seas. Turns out Jerkovic wasn’t going to let us off easy and Captain J is working with him.

“Oh great. We have an escort,” I mutter.

“Time to turn and burn,” Magnus says.

“Fuel check?” I holler to Ryan.

“I think we can outpace them...if we can navigate through this rocky area.”

What would be worse is if we ran out of gas. Still, we don’t have much choice.

“Does this mean Captain J was working with Jerkovic?” Royal asks.

“It would appear that way.” I push down on the throttle and we take off.

As we slide by him, nearing the end of the fog bank that envelops Cloudbreak, I give our cousin a lazy salute, getting more uncertain by the moment how this is going to turn out.

But no sooner are we back in the open ocean and under the wide blue sky, do several large ships come into view. Like really big boats, including an aircraft carrier.

Even though it’s hot under the blazing sun with no breeze, bumps work their way over my skin.

What. Is. Going. On?

“Concordian flag,” Magnus says and hands me a pair of binoculars.

I let out a breath. Liquid springs to my eyes. I’ve never felt so relieved.

Magnus claps me on the shoulder. “You okay, Brother?”

“Yes. I am now.”

“Were you having doubts about this?” Ryan asks.

“Major doubts,” I admit.

“I thought you were Mr. Confidence, all hope and stars and sunshine.” Royal glowers.

I merely smile and turn toward Mom and Dad.

With a glance over my shoulder, it would appear that the IEA takes over and with any luck, they’ll apprehend Jerkovic. We only have Jolie to thank for the backup team.

On the ride back to Coco Key, my family and I spend the next days catching up, hearing about our parents’ time held captive and what they discovered. We ask about their adventures and how the crown came to be in the cave.

My mother winks and says, “I had some help from the locals. Your grandfather had a team in place if anything ever went wrong.”

“The Pirate Defense League?”