A Friend, A Brother
The trek back to their home was much quicker than the trip to the pirate camp had been. Mason and Ilona were no longer slowed down by carrying the heavy bags. Mason only brought a couple they had emptied out and now planned to fill with more things for the pirates. The sky was also growing lighter as it grew closer to dawn, so their path was easier to see than before.
"What are we going to tell Jamie?" Ilona asked Mason quietly as they grew ever closer to the rocky beach. A cool breeze swept over their skin and caused Ilona to shiver. She couldn't wait to get home to her bed.
"I don't know," the handsome man sighed, "but I think I need to speak to him before we show him where we live and admit we've been lying."
"You're probably right," Ilona agreed, "I don't want him to think our hiding things was anything to do with him... or Nick or my mother, for that matter."