Chapter Twenty-One #3
“Okay, okay.” Carla waved her hands. “I think everyone needs to take a chill pill. Acalmem-se. Sim?”
Despite the game being very much over, no one made to move. Tiago’s heavy breaths were giving the old appliance a run for its money.
“That was amazing,” Romeo murmured, leaning into Faye. “What are you going to do with your winnings?”
“I’m going home on Monday. I don’t really need it.” She lifted a shoulder. “I thought maybe you could use it to get some more training equipment for your goats.”
“Really?” His eyes brightened. “That would be amaz—”
“For goats?” Tiago snapped. “You have to be joking. I need that money, and you’re going to waste it on grass-eating fleabags?”
Duarte seized his brother’s shoulder. “Enough. No more. No more money either. Not until you pay me back for everything you lost.”
Tiago banged his fists on the table like an oversized toddler, knocking Faye’s chips over. “I will pay you back.”
“This is what you keep saying, but all you do is take. The tip jar, Pai’s favourite coat, my fishing knife?”
“Calem-se!” The room settled into silence.
Filamena rubbed her fingers against her wrinkled forehead as though she were trying to iron out the creases—or trying to remember why she’d put herself through this ordeal.
With a sigh, she unleashed angry Portuguese on the two brothers.
Judging by their reddening faces and Carla’s sheepish expression, they’d been given an earful. Shame the woman couldn’t translate.
Filamena dragged her tired eyes towards Faye. “And you. Well played.” Faye’s ears pricked up at the clear English. “You certainly had the Santos boys fooled, but I knew you’d be one to watch.”
Faye closed her gaping mouth. “Uh…thank you.”
Filamena stood, adjusting her lenco. “That’s enough fun for one night. Carla, Romeo, Bruno, always a pleasure.” She tugged on each of the brothers’ ears. “You two behave yourselves. No more stealing, Toranja.”
The group laughed, but Faye’s head spun.
A lot of information had been dealt out in the last few minutes.
Carla and Romeo helped pool her winnings together, exchanging the chips for the money in the pot.
Tiago watched begrudgingly, his eyes burning a hole in Faye’s face as Duarte gathered her notes.
“Great game.” Duarte grinned. “I do love watching my brother lose. But it is better when it’s his own money. Here.”
She accepted the notes from his hand, catching the engraving on his ring. DS.
DS. Duarte Santos. The same initials she’d found on the penknife in the woods.
Her eyes darted to Tiago. He continued to glower at her, but Faye’s amusement had twisted into something else. Could this be the man she was chasing? Her attention flicked back to Duarte. Or was it something to do with the captain?
“That fishing knife you mentioned… What did it look like?” she asked.
Tiago stiffened.
Duarte used his fingers like a ruler. “About this big—with my name carved on the tip.” He cut an annoyed glance at Tiago. “It was a gift from my father.”
A cold chill spread up her spine.
“It’s you,” she said with a little too much force, turning to Tiago. A glimpse of fear flashed behind his eyes—the guy really needed to work on his poker face.
“I haven’t done anything.”
The group glanced at each other in confusion.
Faye turned to Duarte. “Have you heard about the poach—”
But she didn’t get a chance to finish her question. Tiago bolted, knocking Filamena off balance as he rushed out the door. His footsteps thundered up the wooden stairs.
The others stood in shock. Faye’s pulse skyrocketed.
“He’s–he’s the poacher,” she stammered. Disbelief rooted her motionless. “It’s him!”
She couldn’t let him get away. Not for a second time. The adrenaline kicked in, and she sprinted up the stairs, onto the dock, and out onto the beach. The midnight sky did little to help her, but the sound of footsteps guided her to the left.
“Hey!” she shouted. “Why are you running? Afraid I’m going to beat you again?”
She didn’t really know what she was saying, but she did want to beat him. And not at a stupid card game, but with her hands and fists.
A burning river of lava had replaced the blood in her veins. She couldn’t stand people who took advantage of others—and especially people who took advantage of animals. She forced her muscles harder, but she was already slowing, her breathing too loud in her ears.
Dammit. She was unfit. Her lungs ached; her feet sank with every step, like she was running in glue. If he got into the woods, there was no way she’d be able to find him in the darkness.
“You’re–a—you’re a…coward!” she yelled into the night, hoping to antagonise him at least a little.
Faye didn’t notice someone coming up behind her until they passed her, their quick pace putting her to shame. She squinted at the silhouette, tall and looming in the moonlight. Romeo?
There were sounds of a scuffle, a dull thud, and men’s voices. She could make out a tangle of bodies on the sand. When she caught up, Romeo was kneeling on Tiago’s back, his arm twisted behind him.
“Sai de cima de mim seu perdedor!” Tiago tried to roll free, almost tipping Romeo onto his side.
Faye sat on his wriggling legs, hearing more voices heading towards them. “The only…loser here…is you, Tiago.” She sucked in a lungful of air and gave Romeo a pat on the back. He beamed at her. Faye matched his smile with her own.
“I love animals,” Romeo said.
A laugh escaped her, extra loud in the quiet. “We did it.” She nudged Romeo. “We actually did it.”
“Stupid kids.” Tiago struggled underneath them, kicking up sand. “Get off me.”
Faye bit back a Scooby Doo reference about “meddling kids” as the others gathered around her, confusion on their faces. In the moonlight, Duarte was white as a sheet. Faye brushed the sand off her legs, checking her bag was still attached. Winner.
“Carla, call Riley. She needs to get here ASAP.”