Sea Gypsies: The Draga Isles

Chapter 22: Gin and Ria

Gin and Ria had stolen dry clothes off a drying rack and had quickly changed.

He had given her some privacy behind an alley, though a part of himself wondered what she looked like with fewer clothes on. Heat rushed up to his neck, and he had to shake the thought away. That was not supposed to be what he was thinking of right now. He needed a plan for them to get back to The Opal. That is, if the ship hadn't left yet. But if the captain and the crew escaped, they'd likely leave Acante and wait in Basiago.

"I'm done," Ria said, coming up behind him.

He turned around to look at her. She's wearing trousers and a sleeveless top that exposed her shoulders, which were brighter than the rest of her tanned skin.

He'd nicked a straw hat from a stall earlier, which he now placed over her head. "Keep your head down."

"What about you?" Ria asked, watching him from under the rim.

"If anyone jumps me, you run." Gin smirked.

Worry framed her face, causing her eyes to glitter as if she were about to cry.

He grinned, unsure why he liked that she worried about him. "Come on," he said, leading her away from the alley and guiding her back into the market.

They moved farther from the port as he knew the people who attacked them would likely be looking and waiting for them there. He only hoped the crew had escaped and got to the ship first. If they did, the Opal would have left already. But he needed to make sure of that before they decided to head to Basiago.

That shootout was intense, and he was concerned about the captain and his brother. But he knew that Captain Zalez and Rodri would use their hydrostringere if it were life or death. The two of them would be a force to be reckoned with.

Since hydrosi were rare, any seen outside Sivona would trigger gossip. He had kept his ears out for news, but he'd heard nothing, which likely meant that the others didn't need to use their stringere. They should have gotten away. He reminded himself of that, but the 'what ifs' kept nagging.

He also prayed to the sea mother that Enzo hadn't thought to attack the ship first. Sam wouldn't be helpless, but he'd be on his own.

Gin stopped at a small door inset in a building without a mark. The street was mostly empty except for some pedlars. It was shady, too, behind taller buildings and establishments. He knocked at the unmarked door and waited.

The peephole slid open, and dark eyes gazed at him, glancing between him and Ria.

"She's with me," Gin told the person behind the peephole.

The dark eyes snapped back to Gin. "Password." The voice was of a man's.

"The lost treasure of the sea gypsy king," Gin provided.

The peephole slid closed, metal scraped over metal, and the door opened with a loud creak.

The man behind it stood tall with broad shoulders and glanced again between him and Ria, but he didn't say anything as they passed by and entered the dark establishment.

Gin led Ria through a hallway dimly lit with a light that was more crimson than gold.

He glanced back at her. "You alright?" he asked.

She'd been quiet since they changed their clothes. She raised a brow at him, and in the dim light, she looked so much younger, but the darkness couldn't hide the worry in her eyes. "Sea gypsy king?" she asked.

Gin shrugged and turned back to the hall. The sea gypsy king was a myth. That was all he knew, and it was a story for another time.

They came to the end of the hall, which opened to a small circular area. A desk where a girl in a short red dress stood. "Welcome back to the Sea Gypsy King, Gin." The girl knew him, and he knew her--Lola. The memories of the nights he'd stayed in this establishment slowly crept back into his mind, but he tried to shut them down. He wasn't here for festivities or gambling.