What would you do if your wild, thrill-seeking cousin who is known for deceiving you into going on disastrous road trips and "disadventures" asked you for a ride? Daphne Bleau (that's right, like the color) is not the kind to be tricked easily. She's conservative, boring, and has a tremendous fear of trying anything new and exciting. She's also brilliant, but her consideration and concern for her mischievous cousin causes her to fall for another one of her cousin's antics. But this time, her cousin is caught up in something different . . . The Tesoro project is one that requires solving difficult riddles and puzzles in order to track down artifacts left behind by a dangerous pirate group known as Tesoro who lived back in the late 1600s. What starts off as more of a leisure activity ultimately takes over and seems to permanently captivate whoever joins in on the search, making the people involved take extreme measures to stay ahead of each other. The clues start off simple, and gradually become more dangerous. By the end, their lives are at stake. To make matters more complicated, Daphne and her teammates have run into an uncle who has been almost completely absent for the past fifteen years. Her family has been secretive of the reasoning behind his whereabouts. The story begins in the beautiful Hamptons and unexpectedly transitions to Rome, Italy. Throughout, there are flashbacks focusing on the story of Johnny Higgins; a rebellious, teenaged pirate who has been trapped in the Tesoro crew for years. His attempts to escape have failed him, and he feels as though he is living in a world not his own.