Read Online A Pirate's Heart (St. John Series) by Lora Thomas - Free Book Online Page B

worse than most treated their slaves, but she still was his mother.
    One day the captain of The Judgment felt like having a little fun and decided to attack what he thought was an unarmed merchant vessel. But he was sorely mistaken. It happened to be The Armada, one of the British Navy’s heavily armed vessels. The new commander disguised the man ‘o war as a Dutch trading ship in an attempt to lure in pirates—and it worked. It was a fierce battle. Max boarded The Armada with his fellow pirates. As he turned to face his next opponent, he was taken aback to find it was Alex.
    “Max?” Alex questioned with surprise.
    “What the hell?” Max stared at his long time friend with disbelief, not believing that his friend had joined the navy.
    Alex raised his sword and took a half-hearted swing at Max. Max blocked his friend’s blow easily as shock crossed his face.
    “So that’s how it’s going to be?” Max asked in a cold indignant tone as he engaged Alex.
    “What?” Alex replied in surprise as he blocked Max’s powerful blow. Then he realized what his actions might appear like to Max. “No! Just keeping up the appearance.”
    Alex backed up against Max’s fierce swings. He saw the hurt in his friend’s eyes, but he kept up the appearance of attacking, all the while backing down into the hull of the ship. Once out of sight of the others, Alex dropped his sword at Max’s feet. Max glared at him suspiciously.
    “Pick it up, Nicholas. I will not kill an unarmed man, but I will not surrender to go to the gallows.”
    Alex slowly shook his head. “I had to get you down here, Max,” he said as mischievousness came to his eyes.
    Max lowered his sword and realized they were below deck, away from the chaos of the battle. “Why?”
    Alex took a step towards his friend but stopped. “ The Judgment’s finished. I saw the hole in her hull myself before you boarded. The crew will be captured and hanged for their crimes. When I saw you as you crossed, I knew I couldn’t let them hang you.”
    “Why?”
    “Because . . . my mother would never forgive me if she knew I let them hang you,” Alex awkwardly replied, to avoid admitting that he couldn’t see his best friend hang from the gallows.
    “So what’s your plan?” Max replied, realizing that Alex was planning on helping him.
    Alex quickly looked around the hull. “Wait here,” he said and he disappeared out the door. Cautiously, he approached the deck and found a slain member of the crew. He hefted the man up to give the appearance of rendering aid to his fallen comrade and dragged the body below deck. Once below deck, he dropped the man’s body at Max’s feet and began removing the sailor’s clothing.
    “What are you up to?” Max questioned as he watched Alex.
    “Your disguise?”
    “What?”
    “Take off your clothes. You are now a crew member of The Armada.”
    “You’re insane.”
    Alex tossed the clothing at Max. “Here, put these on.”
    Max eyed the clothing suspiciously. “You don’t think the captain might find it suspicious that he has a new crew member?’
    “Relax, my friend. The Armada has a newly appointed captain. He’s out to make a name for himself, so he pays no heed to whom or how many crew members he has, as long as they can fight . . . clean or dirty.”
    “So who would be so ignorant as to not know their own crew?”
    “Why, none other than Andrew McClain.”
    Max drew his brow together. “This just might work.” He looked at Alex. A sober expression crossed his face. “Most of the crew on The Judgment are good men. Most are like me, just ran into some hard times.”
    Alex nodded his understanding. If Max said they were good men, so be it. “Don’t worry. I may have a little influence in that department, being the son of the Governor and all.”
    Max’s thoughts came back to the present as Alex smacked him on his back. “Little old to be woolgathering, aren’t you, Max? Pining for your lovely little furry