Page 3 of Hiding out with a Royal Billionaire

He hated keeping things from Skye, even though he’d been doing it since he was in college, it still felt off. She’d been a apart of all of his dreams as a child, all of his adventures, and certainly she was very much a part of this discovery.

“What’s that?” Skye stepped over to the windows. “Helicopters too?”

Brooks looked up, alarm growing, until he saw the Spanish crest. “Ha ha! Atta boy!”

“What? Do we know them?”

“That’s Lucan Valdez!”

“That’s Lucan? Himself?”

“Well, actually I don’t know, but these are his birds and he’s come to scare off our pirates.”

A loud speaker blared out over the water around them. “You are all under arrest for pirating in Spanish waters. Stop your boats and prepare to be boarded.”

“Wooohooo!” Brooks waved out his window and saluted the helicopter. But Lucan stepped to the open door of the helicopter and signaled that Brooks too should stop.

“What? Does he think he’s going to arrest us?”

“Surely not.”

Brooks lifted a phone to his ear. “Hey thanks for stopping those guys on our tail, man. We’re in a real bind here…You can’t be serious.” He pocketed the phone. “We’ve been asked to submit to a search and detainment before we will be permitted to go again.”

“Do you think he knows something we don’t?”

“I’m sure even knowing something we do, would merit a search. But it’s not like him to take it by force.”

“I guess we are in Spanish waters.”

“Yes, technically, but the sunken ship is not.”

“But clearly it’s the Conquistador, a Spanish ship.”

“But finders keepers. It’s an actual law.”

“I see that, but Lucan and his wife, the queen, might not see things in the same way.”

“Very true.” Brooks’ mind raced through a million possibilities. “Okay. The gold is safe where it is. But I’d rather Lucan didn’t know about it. Not until I figure out what is going on.”

“We thought we were the only ones who knew about it at all.”

“And we still might be the only ones. All everyone knows is that we came up in a hurry with the transport and they might have seen it unload something or they might not. But we have a great alibi in that a spear was thrown at your head.”

“It was!”

“Well, not exactly your head, it missed.”

Skye didn’t look so good. Maybe everything at once was too much for her.

“I’m glad you’re amused by my near death experience.” She whirled away from the window and away from Brooks. “I want you to know I’ve noticed what’s going on. And don’t think I haven’t seen some serious holes in your story. I’m expecting an explanation as soon as we figure all this out.”

“On my honor. I’ll answer whatever questions you have.” Hopefully she wouldn’t know which ones to ask.

The boat slowed and Brooks was grateful to see they had stayed significantly further away from the other boats. There was no way he was going to let Lucan’s interference put them in a risky position with the pirates. He spoke into his comm. “Keep an eye on them.”

“Roger that.”

The helicopter circled low and soon they were joined by boats from the Spanish shore.

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