I was paralyzed. While Miguel looked at me from head to toe, my eyes bulged because of my fear. I had stayed with the Spaniard for a night, but I knew nothing about him. Was he as sweet as he seemed when we first met? What if he tried to hurt me? God, I got desperate just with the thought of it. At the same time, I felt an insane desire for him again. Although I was scared, what I wanted the most was to throw myself into Miguel's arms, kiss him and... well, you know what I'm talking about. However, a part of me wasn't sure if repeating what took place in Nassau would be a good option. I didn't want to awaken feelings I'd tried to suppress since that night. Besides, I started imagining how our unborn baby could've been. A child with my sense of humor and Miguel's charm... that would've been so much fun! Our kid would've learned Dutch, Spanish... perhaps even English. To summarize, my head was making me go crazy. Sometimes I asked too many questions to myself and that killed me. Moreover, I couldn't help but wonder what Miguel had been up to lately. Was he indeed El Dorado? If yes, how long had he been a pirate captain? I was also curious to find out why he still remembered my fake name. People told me men never remembered the names of women with whom they had spent only a night.

"Come here!" Miguel smiled and opened his arms. "I've missed you, guapa."

I slowly approached him. We hugged each other and I closed my eyes, feeling every second of our embrace. That made me feel so relaxed that my problems seemed to disappear for a moment. Dirk scowled and bit his lower lip, seemingly annoyed.

I grinned mischievously, "I've missed you too, Miguel. It's always good to see old friends again."

"Definitely! I've been looking for you everywhere," the Spaniard sighed as if he observed something really beautiful. "I can't believe I finally found you."

I chuckled, "I'm glad I found you as well."

Miguel and I kept smiling at each other for a moment. I laughed nervously while feeling my cheeks getting redder. Bosch's eyes bulged and he wouldn't stop looking at me. I breathed faster, wondering what the redhead could be thinking.

Dirk shot an icy glare at the Spaniard, "What the hell is going on here?"

Miguel and I looked at each other for an instant then back at the redhead. I gulped and felt a headache, unsure of what to tell Dirk... yeah, the fun was over. I didn't want Bosch to know about my little adventure, but at the same time I preferred to tell him about it before the Spaniard did.

I took a deep breath, "We just slept together once."

The redhead gawked but quickly closed his mouth as if he was embarrassed. He pressed his lips together, gazing at me and then at Miguel. God, Dirk's attitude was so weird! What the hell was wrong with him?

Bosch clenched his teeth, "You... you... you what?!"

I held a laugh since Dirk seemed to be freaking out. Why did he care about that? I slept with Miguel, so what? I was confused at first. It didn't make sense to me the fact that a man who hated me a few days ago was bothered about my fling.

Miguel winked at me, "I'm always available if you want to do it again."

I couldn't help but chuckle. Yes, I was tempted to do it again, but don't judge me! If you look into Miguel's eyes for a second someday, you'll understand... Did I mention he had fantastic eyes? Anyway, I got distracted for a moment. Bosch pursed his lips and got closer to the Spaniard. Miguel lifted a brow, apparently calm.

The redhead narrowed his eyes at Miguel, "She's fine without you!"

"That's for her to decide," the Spaniard shot Dirk a defiant stare. "It's not polite to make a choice on someone else's behalf."

Dirk bared his teeth, "Listen here, you little piece of..."

I quickly separated the two men, worried something terrible could happen. Dirk took a step backwards while staring at his toes. Miguel shook his head in denial, still looking at the redhead.

"Stop!" I scowled and looked at Bosch. "We came here to find a new ally, not fight."

Is Dirk acting like this just because Miguel's a little taller than him? I don't understand men!

Dirk's was angrier than usual, which surprised me. I'd never seen him like that before. He appeared to be overly bothered by the fact that Miguel and I weren't only old friends. It seemed that the redhead wanted to punch the Spaniard in the face after I mentioned my one-night stand.

"Let's start over," Miguel held out his hand as he looked at Bosch. "I'm Miguel Gálvez Navarro. You can call me El Dorado or Captain Gálvez."

Bosch hesitantly shook Miguel's hand, "Dirk Bosch. I don't have a strange nickname. You can call me Captain Bosch only."

The Spaniard smiled sarcastically, "Nice to meet you, Captain Bosch Only."

I laughed and so did Gálvez. Dirk narrowed his eyes and pursed his lips, apparently about to say something impolite. God, I didn't know the Spaniard could be funny as well! He was the cutest... Anyway, I took a step closer to Miguel and preferred to change the subject before that harmless joke could become an ugly fight.

I raised my brow and approached Miguel, "Just out of curiosity... Why do you use Gálvez instead of Navarro?"

"We Spaniards always use our first last names and give them to our children because it's our father's while the second one is our mother's. That's why people usually refer to me as Gálvez or Miguel Gálvez," the Spaniard smiled at me as if he was glad that I'd asked that question. "I just introduce myself using my two last names because I value both."

"That's interesting," I sighed and controlled myself not to smile. "Anyway, Bosch and I were looking for you because the Royal Navy is after us and we thought they could be chasing you as well, so we wanted to make an alliance. A pact of mutual protection."

Miguel laughed softly, apparently happy about my request. Dirk pursed his lips, still glaring at the Spaniard. I poked his arm and mouthed "Stop!". Bosch rolled his eyes but ended up quitting the angry face. I controlled myself not to laugh.

"Before I give an answer about the alliance, I have a pregunta..." Miguel tilted his head slightly downward as if he analyzed me. "Why did you lie about your real name and place of birth when we first met?"

I hope I'm not in trouble...

I swallowed hard, wondering what the best answer could be. Dirk took a step closer, apparently preparing to protect me. Why wouldn't he understand I wasn't a damsel in distress? I didn't need protection... well, it wasn't such a bad idea to have it, but I could defeat Miguel in a few seconds if necessary.

"I'm a pirate, so I can't say who I really am to anyone," I sighed and felt a little guilty. "I wasn't sure if you were after me."

The Spaniard bit his lower lip, appearing to be thinking about what I said. He approached me slowly and I raised a brow. Ready to grab his cutlass, Dirk narrowed his eyes at El Dorado... Yes, I still needed to find the special herbs to decrease Bosch's anger! I sighed in relief when Miguel just laughed softly instead of starting a fight with the redhead. Things would be a lot easier than I'd thought since Gálvez didn't show the same excessive eagerness to pick fights as Dirk... At least I hoped so.

Miguel nodded, "You've made the right choice, Captain Van Acker. It's indeed risky for us pirates to reveal our true identities."

"You can call me Eva when my crew isn't around," I held a smile. "Besides, aren't you upset at me?"

The Spaniard shook his head in denial. Dirk bit his lower lip, apparently irritated. Did he want Miguel to be angry at me? Had Bosch expected Gálvez to be aggressive? Perhaps...

"Not at all. What you did was smart," Gálvez grinned flirtatiously. "I really like smart women."

Dirk downturned his mouth, seemingly annoyed with El Dorado again. I smiled widely. Have I already mentioned how much fun I was having with that situation? God, it was really hard not to laugh...

Bosch cleared his throat, "Tell us why you're known as El Dorado."

Miguel rolled his eyes. Dirk wasn't exactly the king of subtlety. He always found a way to interrupt Gálvez and I.

"I plundered many vessels full of gold since I became captain," Miguel grinned, apparently proud of himself. "Because of that, my crew started saying I was 'the golden one', which is what my nickname means in Spanish."

I chuckled, "That's compelling. When did you become a pirate?"

Gálvez sighed, "My father was a privateer, caused a mutiny and became a pirate when I was fifteen. We worked in the same vessel at the time, so I joined him and did the same."

Our kid would've liked to hear this story.

I chewed on my lip. My heart would still hurt when I looked at Gálvez. Instead of thinking about our magical moment, I remembered my miscarriage. I hated it that my child was taken away from me just like when I was taken from my mother... well, in my case, I didn't even get the chance to know my kid. The people who'd told me the mind tends to emphasize the negative aspects of everything were right... Anyway, I'd never tell anyone besides Maartje about my unborn baby. Although Miguel was the father, I saw no reason to reveal that to him. Besides, I was almost sure he'd be happy to know he got rid of such a problem.

Miguel frowned slightly, "Is everything fine with you, Eva? You seem worried."

"Your weird friend has a point," Dirk walked closer to me. "Are you alright?"

Bosch pressed his lips firmly together and glared at the Spaniard, apparently annoyed that the latter had talked to me. I shook my head as if I woke up from a bad dream. I'd gotten too distracted about that sensitive subject and didn't think Miguel would notice. The Spaniard was more observant than I'd given him credit for. I couldn't say the same about Bosch as I wasn't sure if he'd only spoken to me because Gálvez had done it first.

"I'm good, thank you," I let out a pronounced sigh and turned to Miguel. "By the way, your stories were interesting."

Gálvez chuckled, "I'm glad you liked them."

I raised a brow, "Also, how did you remember my false name? We only met once before today!"

The Spaniard kept looking at me for a moment. Dirk narrowed his eyes at Gálvez, but quickly stopped once I caught him. It was very hard not to laugh at that situation.

"How could I forget such a remarkable woman?" Gálvez approached me while smiling sweetly. "You didn't get out of my mind after our special night."

You didn't get out of my mind either...

Although Miguel's comment warmed my heart, I didn't know if he was sincere... Yes, I often thought people were lying, but can you blame me? Uncle Ruben, dad and Sven fooled me! What stopped other people from doing the same? Anyway, I felt my face flushing. While I enjoyed the moment, Dirk tightened his lips. The redhead seemed like he was about to explode. Although I was having fun with his weird attitude, it upset me to see Bosch suffering. I couldn't read minds, but his uneasiness was evident.

Bosch ground his teeth and crossed his arms, "I think that's enough, Don Juan. What about the alliance?"

El Dorado nodded and took a step away from Bosch. Yes, they weren't meant to be best friends. I hoped they could maintain at least one conversation civil.

"Some more help wouldn't hurt. Those British malditos won't leave me alone... and, honestly, the Spanish Navy won't either," Miguel rubbed his chin and sighed. "We can be allies if you two have a good deal to offer. I could even talk to my fellow captains to increase the fleet."

"That would be great!" I smiled and hoped that Gálvez would help us defeat the Navy. "Bosch and I have a perfect deal. None of us has an unfair advantage and it works this way..."

I explained everything to El Dorado about my agreement with Dirk, making sure not to leave any detail out. I talked mainly about how our plundering and defense system worked. Although I couldn't tell if the Spaniard liked it, he appeared to be interested.

"I suppose I can convince my friends to join this scheme for mutual protection and looting," Gálvez raised his brows, "but we must have an even number of vessels to make it work."

Dirk and I nodded. Miguel was right because it would be a tragedy if we tried to make the strategy work with an odd number of ships. I hoped his fellow pirates were good enough to help defeat the damn Navy... I couldn't afford to fail. I just couldn't. My sweating increased and I felt a little nauseous. Besides, it was weird to talk about business with the guy I'd had my adventure with at the beach. It seemed wrong.

"That seems reasonable," I tilted my head to the side. "When will you talk to your friends about our proposition, Captain Gálvez?"

"My friends sail with me, so anytime. They know other pirates, which means that our fleet should be more than enough to teach the Navy a lesson," the Spaniard smiled at me seductively. "Besides, just call me Miguel when my crew isn't nearby."

"I could teach the Navy a lesson as well, as I've done before. The same applies to anyone else who irritates me too much!" Dirk interrupted, puffing out his chest.

Why is Dirk doing this? How ridiculous!

At that moment, I realized Bosch was indeed jealous. Although I wasn't completely sure before that instant, it all suddenly became clear. He'd been acting weirdly since I revealed what happened between the Spaniard and me. His anger towards Miguel, speaking on my behalf, interrupting attempts of flirting... everything led to a single conclusion: jealousy. I laughed softly once I understood the truth... apparent truth, in fact, since I couldn't read minds.

"Let's not forget that we must remain united," I glared at Dirk for an instant, attempting to warn him. "What's your decision regarding the alliance, Miguel?"

The Spaniard sighed and gazed upward, apparently thinking about the subject. Dirk and I looked at each other. I chewed on my lip but corrected my posture to look confident. The redhead didn't even blink and I couldn't tell whether it was due to distress or jealousy. I won't lie, it was hard to read Dirk sometimes.

"We have a deal," Gálvez held out his hand and smiled. "I look forward to working with you."

My eyes gleamed as I shook Miguel's hand. I couldn't stop smiling because I was relieved everything went smoothly... well, except for Bosch's excessive anger. Seemingly hesitant, Dirk shook El Dorado's hand as well. Even though I was glad that Gálvez had accepted the deal, working with him concerned me. Besides knowing nothing about him, he'd become the new target of Dirk's rage and I feared that could cause me trouble.

"Captain Storm and I are sailing tomorrow morning," Dirk raised an eyebrow as he continued speaking to Gálvez. "Will you and the other pirates come with us?"

Miguel nodded, "Of course. We're all part of the same fleet now."

"Captain Storm, you'll never guess who I found! He wants to talk to us!" Maartje shouted from behind me, apparently startled.

She scared me since I was distracted by another subject. I frowned, wondering why my cousin decided to interrupt me. She never showed up like that. Maartje was usually discreet, so I had a feeling she'd only acted that way because she needed to tell me something really critical.

I huffed, "I'm in the middle of something, Maartje! This better be important!"

After that, I turned around. I gawked instantly. My eyes bulged so much that I thought they would fall from my face. I felt the air escaping me while I breathed fast. When I thought my life couldn't get any more complicated, there he was. The tears formed in my eyes slowly, but I wouldn't let them flow. I didn't know he was alive and much less that I would cross paths with him again.

Gálvez turned to my uncle, "This is Ruben de Vries, my quartermaster. It appears that you've already met."

Uncle Ruben knit his brows, "Do you have a moment to talk, Eva?"

My eyes were frozen open. I had so many things to tell my uncle and yet I couldn't speak. The memory of his conversation with Dr. Bakker about murdering dad felt as if hundreds of knives stabbed my body. I felt a headache once I remembered the shipwreck. Multiple emotions washed over me: relief, anger, sadness, curiosity... I was overwhelmed. I wanted to hug and punch my uncle at the same time. I didn't know where to start.

****

Foreign words/expressions in order of appearance:

Pregunta

Malditos