I narrowed my eyes while observing Johannes. I didn't hate him, but the fact that he worked with the British made me dislike him even more. It wasn't enough to be the favorite son his entire life. He also had to become my enemy! God, that was a nightmare... At least my brother didn't seem to be a tough opponent. Although Johannes would probably lose if he attacked Dirk or me, I couldn't underestimate him. Only God knew how much training he'd had over the years. If I'd managed to defeat a captain and a quartermaster that were much more experienced than me, my younger brother could have achieved something similar. Besides, I'd heard Admiral Campbell was very skillful and Johannes wouldn't be easy to defeat if the former trained him well enough. Dirk breathed fast and glared at Johannes. Francis approached me and looked into my eyes as if he wanted to know what to do next, or perhaps he was just hungry. Sweat ran down my forehead as Johannes and the English kept talking. Also, I couldn't stop thinking about who the informants could be.

Dirk frowned and pursed his lips, "Why didn't you tell me your brother worked for the Navy? What else are you hiding from me?!"

"Take a deep breath, hothead! I'm not keeping any secrets!" I raised my brows. "I haven't seen Johannes in eight years! How could I possibly have known?"

Francis recoiled, seemingly scared at Dirk's anger. Bosch pressed his lips together rubbed his chin, apparently thinking of what I'd said. I sighed in relief as he didn't decide to punch me in the face.

"You have a point," my ally glanced away for an instant. "Anyway, do you think the damn traitors gave too much information to your brother and Campbell?"

I shrugged, "I don't know. It depends on how efficient the bastards are."

Bosch sighed, "Based on how easily the Navy found us, I believe the informants have been working against us for a while."

"You could be right. Besides, we'll need more allies depending on how big our problem is," I smiled flirtatiously and winked, "but I'd still prefer working only with you."

Dirk's cheeks got so red that they appeared to be part of his hair. He gazed downward, then back at me. Bosch stammered for a moment as he attempted to speak, but nothing came out. I controlled myself not to laugh. Francis licked the redhead's boots, seemingly trying to encourage him.

"That's delightful to hear. I like working with you too," Bosch downturned his head as if he wanted to hide. "We make a good team."

At that instant, Dirk got closer to me. Caught up in the moment, I did the same while slowly closing my eyes. I felt him breathing quicker. When our faces almost touched, Campbell yelled. I frowned and blinked fast as I moved away from Bosch. Dirk's mouth was slightly open and so was mine. I couldn't believe we'd almost kissed! God, that was crazy... Anyway, three more Navy men arrived. They appeared to work for the admiral. Johannes took a step back as if he feared them.

"I hope you're better than the idiots I sent after the pirates in Tortuga!" the admiral shouted, walking around the three and scowling. "Will you bring me Bosch and Van Acker this time?"

"Yes, sir!" the men shouted in unison.

"Good! If powerful pirates like them fall, the rest will fall as well," Campbell puffed out his chest as his lips curled into a cruel smirk. "Together we'll extinguish all the thieves from the seas!"

I smiled nervously, "At least the admiral complimented us..."

Johannes' eyes gleamed as he approached the British men. He grinned from ear to ear. That was the first time I'd seen my brother so thrilled. Although he seemed to like our dad's classes at the man-of-war, he'd never shown that much excitement.

Johannes let out an evil laugh, "I can't wait to take these nasty criminals to where they belong!"

A Navy man chuckled, "You and me both!"

At that instant, Francis growled in anger, apparently wanting to attack the British. I made him a signal to stay quiet and yet he continued. When the other men laughed, my dog started barking nonstop.

I clenched my teeth, "Francis, stop!"

Dirk breathed quickly and his eyes widened, "Control your dog, Eva! We're going to get killed if this barking continues!"

I frowned, "I'm trying!"

One of the men took a step forward while looking from side to side. Bosch pressed his lips together and forced his eyes shut. I pulled Francis closer so that our enemies couldn't find him. I sighed in relief once my dog stopped.

"I hope your informants were right because it wasn't in my plans to put men in here, Nassau, Puerto Rico, and Tortuga!" Campbell glared at Johannes and dilated his nostrils. "I hate it when people waste my time..."

"They assured me that these are the places where Bosch and Van Acker mostly go. These criminals will pay for what they've been doing," Johannes sighed as he chewed on his lip. "I promise."

"Promising is not enough. I demand success!" the admiral pointed his index finger at my brother. "You won't get your payment if this failure continues!"

Johannes downturned his gaze, "Understood."

"Wonderful!" Campbell increased his tone of voice. "Are you all with me then?"

"Yes, Admiral!" my brother and the three men shouted in unison.

Francis growled and barked even louder than before. Why had he done that in the worst possible moment? My dog was smarter than that... Damn it! Bosch gulped as the admiral gazed at us. There was no escape anymore. Campbell laughed cruelly as my dog kept barking.

"Well, if it isn't the chaos queen herself!" Campbell smirked, raised a brow, and glanced at Dirk. "She even brought her Romeo. This is going to be interesting..."

The redhead flushed, but I didn't know if it was due to embarrassment or anger. I gulped as the three men and Johannes got closer to us. I wanted to disappear at that moment.

Dirk bared his teeth, "Get the hell out of here before I tear you to pieces!"

"Isn't he audacious?" the admiral laughed while staring at Bosch. "Catch these criminals! Make sure to bring them alive."

Bosch and I took off running. Francis did the same. I couldn't believe I'd have to face the British again... That endless chase was driving me nuts! I suddenly felt a horrible headache and nausea. The air barely filled my chest as I prayed to find a fruit vendor. Don't judge me! Throwing fruits was always a good strategy. That didn't exactly please the people who sold fruits, but we can't make everyone happy, right?

Our enemies suddenly vanished. As I'd been looking ahead since the chase began, I didn't know where they'd gone. Dirk and I slowly stopped running as the danger seemingly disappeared.

"Let's turn left," I looked from side to side. "The grandmas probably lost us."

Bosch nodded and we entered the street. Francis followed us, appearing to be afraid. My ally gazed upward as if he reflected on a subject. I lifted an eyebrow, wondering what he could be thinking.

Dirk frowned, "Grandmas? Seriously?"

"Yeah. I'm talking about the British guys," I laughed and hoped my ally would understand what I meant. "They use funny white wigs, that's why I gave them this nickname."

Bosch shook his head in denial and chuckled, "You're weird."

When I was about to give him an answer, the damn Navy officers showed up with Johannes. My brother had a cruel smile on his face. I took a step forward to show I wasn't afraid.

"Time to kick some British ass, Francis!" I whistled while pointing at my enemies and smiled mischievously. "Or should I say bite?"

My dog barked as he ran to the Navy men on our left. Francis quickly bit the legs of two guys, making them scream in pain. He attacked the English so fast that they couldn't even react. Dirk approached the third man and started fighting him. Their broadswords collided constantly.

From all people, why my brother? Won't he ever get tired of ruining my life?

Johannes' expression was so stern that I couldn't tell if he didn't care about me or felt too many things at the same time. We slowly walked while glaring at each other. A fight was imminent.

"It seems like the disgrace of the family is back! Now you're finally facing the fate you deserve," Johannes shot me an evil gaze as he came closer. "It's good to see you again, sister."

"Trust me, the displeasure is all mine," I reached for my broadsword while smiling mischievously. "Have your friends already found out that I made you believe the RNN carried fire torches to kill criminal kids?"

Johannes narrowed his eyes and shot me an icy glare. He growled in anger. I laughed, trying to show I wasn't scared. I felt a little dizzy but tried to ignore it.

I raised my brows, "What? You know that was funny!"

"Not really. The only joke here is you," my brother smirked in such a cruel way that I felt as if he'd stabbed me. "You try to be funny to hide how ridiculous and insecure you are. Mom always said that your destiny was to fail... and she was right."

I breathed faster and clenched my jaw, wanting more than ever to hit my brother. Before I could do anything, Bosch punched Johannes so vigorously in the face that the latter almost fell. I gawked as blood dripped from my brother's nose.

Dirk bared his teeth while glaring at Johannes, "If you speak to Eva like that again, I'll break the rest of your bones!"

I couldn't help but smile. The redhead soon resumed his fight with the British man.

Why is Dirk so attractive when angry? He's attractive all the time, but the furious version of him is hot!

Johannes lifted a brow, "First name basis? You bandits are closer than I thought."

"Shut your damn mouth! You're not the only one here with strong friends, Mr. Boredom," I pointed my broadsword at my brother while narrowing my eyes. "Come and face me. I've had enough of your chitchatting."

My brother crossed his arms, "I don't have to fight you."

At that instant, the two men Francis had bitten approached me. I widened my eyes, unsure of what to expect. One tried to wound my waist while the other aimed for my left arm. I blocked the first attack, but the second succeeded. I flinched as his sword sliced a piece of my skin. Although my arm burned, I kept fighting.

I gritted my teeth, "You're a coward, Johannes!"

Dirk fought one guy while I had to deal with two. So unfair, right? I hoped I could handle it. Since my broadsword wouldn't be enough to hurt my enemies, I had to use other strategies. I kicked one of the guys between the legs. He screamed so loudly that my ears hurt. I left a big wound on the other man's waist and he winced. Francis ran and bit the second guy's left wrist, making him put down the sword instantly.

I caressed my dog's head, "Have I said how much I love you, Francis?"

Francis barked as if he'd understood and bit the other man's arm. I would've brought my dog more often to fights if I'd known he could be so efficient. That bulldog was great, wasn't he? I might be biased because Francis was my dog, but you know I'm telling the truth.

I kept fighting with the two men for a while. My sword clashed almost always as it collided with theirs. Sweat flooded my body due to the effort and fear of defeat. I blocked six attacks in a row from the two men. Unfortunately, one of them managed to leave an ugly bruise on my left shoulder, tearing a small piece of my dark purple coat. I controlled myself not to scream while the injury bled.

I wounded his right hip after two attempts, "I can't believe you ruined my favorite coat!"

My heart nearly jumped out of my chest when a Brit almost cut my neck. I was lucky to dodge fast enough. His body crashed against the floor as he stopped breathing. His injuries were so severe that he couldn't even get up. The other man struck, so I blocked his attack and thrust my sword into his left thigh. He bit his lower lip sharply until it bled and also fell. Although I didn't know for how long, Dirk's opponent was on the ground already. Bosch had multiple bruises on his body, which worried me.

I knit my brows, "Are you okay, Dirk?"

"I will be," my ally shot an icy glare at Johannes, "once I kick your brother's ass."

I nodded, "That makes two of us."

My brother gulped while Dirk and I approached him. I didn't intend to attack Johannes unless he did it first. I hated the fact that my own brother was my enemy, but I should've seen it coming. Hendrika had raised him after all, so there was no way he'd become something other than a bastard.

"The tea party is over!" I scowled while tilting my head slightly downward. "I don't want to hurt you, Johannes. Leave!"

My brother smiled wickedly, "You're a coward. You don't have the guts to attack me."

Dirk narrowed both eyes and pursed his lips, "Shut up now, or I'll crush your skull!"

My brother gawked and I held a laugh. Don't judge me! It was fun to see Bosch scaring the hell out of Johannes. Besides, I liked the way Dirk protected me.

At that moment, two men arrived. The guy on the left was the one who was drinking with Dirk in Nassau during our brief quarrel. I had no idea who he was. The man on the right... well, I controlled myself not to say all the bad words I knew once I saw him. If heartbreak could kill, I'd have died at that very instant. I gaped and my eyes bulged. I breathed so fast that I felt as if I ran from the British again. Dirk frowned, gawking as well.

This has to be a nightmare. I need to wake up. Why am I not waking up?

"Arjen?" Dirk ground his teeth. "Please tell me this isn't what I think it is!"

"You had it coming," Arjen raised his brows while threatening Bosch with a blunderbuss. "I'm done being your sidekick, Dirk."

"I'm glad you two found me," Johannes gazed at the two traitors. "I had to leave the rendezvous point because the damn bandits ran away."

I shook my head in denial, "What the hell is going on here, Sven?"

The bastard's lips curled into an evil grin. Sven walked closer to me as if he had nothing to fear. I scowled, unsure whether I felt sad, angry, or disappointed. My heart was destroyed as I swallowed my tears.

Sven pointed his pistol at me, "You lost, Eva. It's time to surrender."

Francis growled in anger. Dirk's face got red as he dilated his nostrils. I gulped and narrowed my eyes as Sven took a step forward. Johannes smiled cruelly. Sven had indeed raised suspicions when he'd said there wasn't enough gunpowder in Ocean Storm, but I thought I was just paranoid. That was one of the few times I hated being right. I looked downward, feeling as if someone had broken me inside. After everything Sven and I had gone through together, I couldn't understand why he'd turned against me. Being betrayed by one of my best friends made me wonder if I should've ever trusted anyone.

****

Author's note: