“The bounty is by the king. He and I are rather at odds with each other, probably because I set fire to his palace and let his horses go free. Not to mention I punched him.” Elissa said as calmly as if she were describing the view out the window. If he wasn’t going to turn her in then she had nothing to worry about. She’d vowed never to go back to Spain after she had escaped the first time. Most of the wounds on her back were from that trip.

When he stated that she wasn’t an asset to her father she began to worry. If she was worth nothing to Joseph would he keep her? It’s not like she was a pirate like him. She’d gladly become one for him if he asked, but that wouldn’t happen as long as they were strangers. “Father never really cared for me. I wasn’t a son and my mother passed when I was thirteen, while giving birth to a son. My brother passed not long after her, only making father’s resentment for me grow. I sailed for his company to benefit both of us. I got to be free from him and he got more money, the only thing he cared about after my mother died.” Elissa said bitterly. “The man locked me away in Bedlam when I was fourteen, stating that I was crazy. I wasn’t. I was just lonely, I missed my mother and my best friend had just left without even saying goodbye.” She took another long drink. “In all honesty I’m not worth anything to you, especially now that you don’t remember me, but that doesn’t mean that I can’t help you. It’s like I said earlier, we both have a score to settle with my father. I’ll gladly help you get your ship back from him. Might do his some good to see that he isn’t untouchable. But…” She paused and met his gaze. “You have to help me in return and I don’t mean by letting me go.” She had to get him to remember her. If she couldn’t then she had to get him to trust her. Part of her worried that in order for that to happen she’d have to part with her dagger first. It was the one thing she had that he had given her. It was one of her few prized possessions, it and the necklace that had been her mother’s.

She had a deal in mind, one she hoped he would agree to but did have some doubts. He was the only one that could save her and the only one that could help her. He’d come back into her life at the perfect time, the only imperfect part of it was that he had no recollection of her. If he remembered her it would have made things easier, but of course when did things ever go easy for her?

“Can we make a deal?” She asked raising an eyebrow.