by Annie Seaton
“Shannon?” Gracie rubbed her back as they pulled the door shut on the last cabin. “I think I’ll take a rain check on that drink. I need a soak in a hot, deep bath.”
“Where do you live?” Shannon looked at her curiously as she dumped the last load of wet towels onto the full trolley.
“Oh, I’m just staying with a friend out of town. Do you want me to take this last trolley to the laundry on my way out?” She changed the subject before Shannon could ask who she was staying with. Her head was too full to try and make up any more stories. Trying to make sense of everything she had seen and heard today was screwing with her head. She wasn’t prepared to trust anyone, not even Shannon.
Regan, Mick…Jake.
Was there a connection? And why did she get a job on the Midas when they said there wasn’t one? Someone had wanted her on here and had played with the job listing by the sound of things.
Was it Regan?
One thing was for sure. It wasn’t Jake because he hadn’t wanted her on the boat at all.
“Gracie?” Shannon was standing in the doorway of the room where they’d stowed their bags earlier. “Gracie? You were miles away. I’ll just go and wheel the trolley down to the ramp while you grab your bag. Okay?”
Gracie looked over Shannon’s shoulder and the doubt must have been clear on her face.
“Don’t worry. Mick just took the Jet Ski out through the channel. He likes to show off on the boys’ toys.” Shannon laughed. “I know why you’ve been my shadow all morning. I told you he’s harmless. So’s Paulie.”
“Who’s Paulie?” Gracie wanted confirmation of the older guy’s name and Shannon’s reply confirmed that for her. The girl in the hotel had called her so-called uncle “Paul.”
“The older guy who’s in charge of the deckhands. Now, go grab your bag and I’ll meet you up on the middle deck.”
Gracie hurried across to the cupboard as Shannon turned into the corridor. Two medium-sized canvas sports bags were piled on top of each other against the door of the cupboard where her bag was stowed and she wiped her damp hands on her shorts to get a grip on the handles to pull them out of the way.
As she slid them back, a whiff of ammonia assailed her nostrils and she remembered the powder she’d spilt in the cabin. She unzipped the top one but all she could see was sheets of plastic wrapping. The toilet flushed in the bathroom next to the staff room, and she quickly zipped the bag up before reaching down and grabbing her bag.
She slipped out the door and stood quietly around the corner waiting to see who it was. There hadn’t been anyone else down here as far as she knew, but whoever it was had obviously put those bags there. Between Clive and Mick, she was as jumpy as all hell. Her hand flew to her mouth, and she stifled a gasp as the older guy who she now knew as Paulie crossed the room and hefted one of the canvas bags onto the table. Gracie stepped back farther into the shadow of the corridor and watched as he lifted out a large parcel and unwrapped it. He then laid out a row of small plastic bags filled with the same white powder she’d seen earlier.
Drugs.
If she wasn’t mistaken, it was cocaine. Not that she was familiar with it firsthand, but she’d seen enough drug busts on TV to know what she was looking at.
Bloody hell, Regan. You’ve done it this time and it’s way beyond me.
She ran quietly along the corridor and up the stairs to the deck. Shannon was holding onto the trolley on the boardwalk in the midday sun. “Had enough for the day?”
Gracie nodded, grabbed hold of the trolley, and began to push it. “I’ll take it up for you.”
“Whoa, what’s the hurry?” Shannon let go of the trolley and stepped back onto the deck as Gracie pushed the load of laundry along at full speed.
“Just keen to knock off,” Gracie replied. “Is the laundry the one at the top of the ramp?”
“Yes, that’s the one. Come on, you look hot. I’ll come with you and we’ll go and have that drink.”
Gracie shook her head. “Thanks, but no thanks. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Okay, then. Tell me where you live and we might catch up later?” Shannon was persistent and stared at Gracie with an intent expression. “Did Clive tell you it’s a late start tomorrow? Everyone will be sleeping in after the big night.”
Gracie knew Shannon was lying; she’d already queried her about which night the party was on, and Shannon must have forgotten in her eagerness to find out where Gracie was staying. It was easiest to agree and just get the hell off the boat till Regan came back.
“See you at ten.” She waved to Shannon and pushed the trolley.
As she headed for the laundry, Gracie kept her eyes focused on the concrete in front of her, her mind whirling with what she’d seen today. One thing she was sure of, Jake was only going to hear about some of her day until she figured out where he stood in this whole mess. And more importantly, until she’d figured how much Regan was involved and if she was okay.
Chapter Fifteen
Gracie stepped into the laundry next to the chandlery at the top of the ramp. The sweet, cloying smell of washing powder blowing out of ten industrial-sized clothes dryers was overpowering. Perspiration soaked her clothes and she had to lean across the counter to hear the instructions of the woman over the loud, drumming rotation of the large machines.
“Take the trolley over to the bay next to the car park.” Gracie nodded and left the stifling heat of the laundry as soon as the trolley was unloaded into the cloth bags lining the wall. Not that it was much cooler outside. She reached up, wearily brushing away the perspiration rolling down from her hairline, and glanced up to the sky. Thunderheads were building to the west again and the air was charged with electricity. Another tropical storm was rolling in. A hot breeze puffed her hair, and she hitched her bag onto her shoulder as she wheeled the trolley along the small cul-de-sac at the entrance of the marina complex.
Her phone beeped as soon as she secured the trolley in the bay, and she shaded the screen with her hand to read the message. She knew it would be Jake; he would have seen her get off the boat. Now that she had an idea where Regan was, she’d given up any hope of a message from her.
Meet you in the car in 10.
Despite wanting to ignore Jake and get her head around the day’s events, she sent a quick confirmation back.
Okay.
The coffee shop at the corner of the lagoon was doing a thriving lunchtime trade as she stopped in to buy a bottle of water. This tropical heat was sapping her energy, and she needed a drink before she faced Jake. As she queued at the counter to be served, she watched the crowd walking around the lagoon and her heart jumped when Mick strode along the seawall, one hand up to his eyes as he searched the crowds. He waved in the direction of the shop where she was waiting and Gracie stepped back, looking out through the glass-fronted wall overlooking the lagoon. Shannon was leaning against the railing and pointing to the coffee shop.
Thinking quickly, Gracie glanced into the kitchen at the back of the shop. A screened doorway led out to the car park. Making a split-second decision, she pushed past the two people waiting beside her and hurried through the kitchen, much to the surprise of a woman standing over the grill.
“Sorry, need to take a shortcut,” Gracie apologized as she ran past the woman to the door. Before the woman could reply, she was outside and running across the car park to Jake’s car.
…
Jake drummed his fingers impatiently against the steering wheel, before reaching down and turning up the air-conditioning one more notch. Perspiration soaked his shirt. Between the heat and the nervous wait for Gracie to get off the boat, his body was pumped and he was running on adrenaline. The hours since she’d sauntered down the dock and stepped onto the boat in that skimpy pair of shorts had been the longest of his life. Watching the boat and the occasional glimpse of her as she moved from deck to deck on the outside stairs with another girl had keyed him up and nervous energy zinged through his limbs. Despite having had no sleep
for the night, he was wired. He glanced down impatiently at his watch. It had been fifteen minutes since she’d replied to his text.
Where the hell was she?
He stared at the end of the seawall, waiting for her to appear around the edge of the lagoon. It was the direct route back from the marina to the car park unless she’d cut across the grassed area beside the lagoon or gone the long way around the road?
Jesus.
He should never have listened to her. Maybe she’d decided to do a runner from him now. No, she would have ignored his text message if she was going to do that. Besides, all her stuff was at his house.
God, get over it, man. How has this tiny slip of a woman taken over my head?
She had two more minutes before he went looking for her—he couldn’t take the inaction much longer.
The sound of the door opening preceded a flash of bare legs as Gracie’s bag flew in and hit the floor, quickly followed by a tangle of limbs as she curled up on the floor on the passenger side.
She reached up and pulled the door shut quietly.
“Go…quickly. Drive.” Her voice was breathless.
“What the fuck?”
“Just drive. Go,” she yelled.
He slammed the car into reverse and backed out of the parking space just as two of the Midas crew came from the direction of the lagoon and stood looking around the car park. They looked intently at the car as he drove by them, but quickly lost interest when they saw he was alone and pointed back to the lagoon before splitting up. The guy headed toward the seawall and the girl, the same one who’d been with Gracie throughout the morning, turned in the direction of the shops bordering the artificial lagoon.
Gracie stayed on the floor, and Jake didn’t speak until they were through the main street of Airlie Beach, over the hill past the marina and heading toward Cannonvale.
“So, do you want to tell me what that was all about?”
Gracie slid up into the seat and pulled the seat belt across and clicked it in.
“Have you got anything to drink?” she asked.
“There’s a bottle of water in my rucksack on the backseat.”
She swiveled around and unzipped his bag, retrieving the bottle of water. Jake glanced across at her as she tipped it up to her mouth. Her eyes were closed and a pulse beat frantically in her neck. When she finished, she turned and offered the bottle to him. Her pale skin was flushed and loose tendrils of hair were stuck to her cheeks, but he couldn’t read the expression on her face.
“No thanks.” He waited till she’d capped the bottle and put it in the drink holder between them. “So, what was that all about? Why were they chasing you?”
“They weren’t.”
“Sure looked to me like they were looking for someone. And if they weren’t after you, why did you feel the need to curl up on the floor?” Anger began a slow burn in his gut when it was obvious she wasn’t going to tell him what had gone down on the boat.
“I’ll tell you all about it later. Just let me catch my breath, and take me home, Jake.” With that, she leaned back into the seat and closed her eyes.
Jake clenched his jaw and stared at the road ahead. He’d waited this long; he could wait another half hour.
Home sounded good.
Jake paced the kitchen while Gracie showered. In between pacing, he stood at the sink and gazed out over the sea. The storm was building quickly, as they always did in the summer months. At least it would break this unbearable heat before the afternoon was over. He reached over and turned the coffeemaker on. He was starving, but before they ate, they’d talk.
Stuff it. While the coffee brewed, he’d have a quick shower and cool his temper. The way he felt right now, he’d snap Gracie’s head off. Pulling his damp shirt off, he strode down the hallway and chucked it down the laundry chute and headed for his bathroom.
Ten minutes later, he stepped from the shower, his mood slightly improved. He’d spent the time under the warm water focusing on calming down. If he fired questions at Gracie in cop mode, he knew she’d just shut down and he’d never find out what had happened on the Midas this morning. All he knew was she’s been bloody terrified when she’d jumped in the car and hidden on the floor.
Old habits die hard.
He took a deep breath tied the towel around his waist and headed for the laundry to get some fresh clothes from the clothes dryer.
…
Gracie leaned forward and flicked her wet hair over her face, before reaching back and twisting it into a knot on the top of her head. She secured it with a clip, not bothering to wipe away the cool rivulets of water running from her hair to her neck. Despite the air-conditioning and the cool shower, the room was hot and the humidity was sapping her energy. She pulled a red silk sarong from her suitcase and tied it across her breasts, covering the bikini which she’d slipped on in the bathroom.
After she’d satisfied Jake with an explanation, she was going for a swim and then she was going to decide what to do.
Part of her was screaming to pack up and head back to Ashby Downs. Regan had made her choice and it appeared she was fine. But that reasoning ignored the drugs on the boat, the break-in to her hotel room, and Shannon and Mick following her. Shannon had been very insistent about getting together with her after they knocked off…and she’d been very interested in where she was staying.
None of it made sense to her.
Now she had to decide if she was going to go back to the Midas tomorrow and confront Regan or just go home.
And how much she was going to tell Jake now.
Could she trust anyone? What was the connection between them all? And how did Jake know so much about what was going on? All she did know was that she was bloody scared and confused. Determined to stay calm and have a measured conversation with him, she stepped from her room straight into a damp, bare chest.
Jake grabbed her arms before she lost her balance.
“Sorry, I thought you were outside,” she said.
His dark eyes were hooded and he replied gruffly. “Decided to take a quick shower. Coffee’s on.” His hands still gripped her upper arms, and she waited for him to release her. “I’m just getting some clothes from the laundry,” he said.
But he didn’t let her go. She dropped her gaze to the strong hands grasping her arms and avoided looking at his chest. Finally she lifted her gaze to the bare skin inches away from her face. Dark hair lightly covered his tanned skin and tight muscles. He was so much taller than she was. When she lifted her gaze, her eyes were level with his neck, where a fast-beating pulse flickered beneath his damp skin. Warmth shot through her as she realized the physical connection between them affected him too. Despite her doubts, his touch soothed her frazzled nerves and she felt safe. Without thinking of the consequences, she leaned into him and lifted her arms to circle his damp back.
“Just hold me, Jake.” Her voice trembled.
He stood stiffly and wrapped his arms around her and they stood like that for several moments while Gracie battled to settle her nerves. Her heart was thudding and her legs shook as the combined reaction of the events on the boat and the warmth of Jake’s body pressed against hers sent her thoughts spinning into confusion.
While she was pressed into him like this, a deep, instinctive reaction told her she could trust him.
“Can I?” she murmured.
“Can you what, Gracie?”
His deep voice vibrated in his chest, and she held him more tightly. It was so good to be held, she didn’t want to let him go.
“Can I trust you, Jake?”
“Yes.”
A single word and she hoped it was the truth. There were so many unanswered questions. Finally he slid his arms down hers and gently removed her arms from around him. He held her hands and looked back at her when she raised her head.
“I need your help, Jake. I need your help to decide what I’m going to do.”
“You’re still trembling. Go out on the deck while I get dressed a
nd I’ll bring us out a beer. I think we need something stronger than coffee and it’ll cool us down.” He reached up and tucked a tendril of her wet hair behind her ear and she offered him a tentative smile.
Jake turned her toward the kitchen. “Give me five minutes.”
Gracie went out to the deck, settled into the hammock chair, and lay back watching the leaves rustle in the breeze. The wind was picking up and angry storm clouds were moving in quickly from the west.
At least Jake’s old boat was still in the marina and the storm wouldn’t stop his surveillance tonight. No matter what she decided to do tomorrow, she was going with him tonight to watch the Midas. Who knew if there was a party on there or not? With so many lies, she didn’t know what to believe. But if there was a chance she’d see Regan with her own eyes, she’d be there on Jake’s boat and she’d be watching.
If Regan is there, I am going to confront her there and then.
Cold glass pressed against her cheek and Gracie reached up gratefully and took the bottle of beer Jake held against her face.
“I put a frozen pizza in the oven,” he said with a smile.
“A gourmet meal!” She smiled and moved to one side of the chair and patted the cushion next to her.
“Will the hammock hold both of us?”
He sat down gingerly and pushed it into a gentle swing as he lifted the beer to his mouth. “We’ll find out, won’t we?”
Gracie sipped her beer and then lowered the cold glass to rest against her neck. “Another storm brewing?”
“Looks like it.” Jake’s voice was patient and she sensed he was holding back—as much as he could anyway. “Forget the weather chitchat. Tell me what happened this morning to spook you so much? I want to know, Gracie.”
