Her eyes popped wide and she got up from her seat, moved to the open balcony door and closed it.
“Why’d you do that?” I asked, picking out a muffin from the tray and watching her as she moved to the balcony rail, fingers pinching the bridge of her nose.
“Do you have the phone out here with you?” she asked.
“It’s here somewhere,” I said, digging it out from underneath a linen napkin. “Want it?”
She dropped her hand and crossed her arms as she shook her head. “Can you bring up footage from the other night on it, or do you have to do that on the computer?”
“Computer. The phone app will only show me real time.” Wondering what she’d want to bring up, I asked, “Is there something you want to see?”
We hadn’t been alerted of any intrusion, and housekeeping wouldn’t come in so long as we kept the ‘do not disturb’ tag on the door.
“No, but there’s something I want to hear,” she said, eyebrows raised with a look that told me exactly what she was thinking as she added, “Or hopefully not hear, Captain Josh.”
“Oh, shit.” If it picked up sound like it was supposed to…
“That’s one way of putting it,” she replied with a snort.
“Only one way to find out.” I pulled the computer closer to me and logged into the secure network, then into the app.
The picture was clear; we’d seen to that when it was installed. The black-and-white image of us on the balcony reflected at me. “Not bad for a mutilated teddy bear,” I said, finding the timestamped folder from the previous day. “Let’s see how well it picks up sound.”
She moved to my side, shielding the computer from view of the camera recording us.
The video came up and I held my breath, hoping everything we’d said up until the point of Ella closing the balcony door just moments before couldn’t be heard.
I wasn’t sure who heaved the bigger sigh of relief, hearing the sound cut in and out. Blips of conversation were missing, and what could be heard was so jumbled it didn’t make sense. The video was there, but thankfully, once Ella moved closer to the bedroom door, it put her out of frame.
“Is there a way to shut the microphone off?” I asked.
“If the sound isn’t picking up now, it won’t randomly start. Probably a bad connection, or a crimped wire,” Ella answered.
“That’s a relief,” I said, finger hovered over the button to log out of the app.
“Hang on. Let’s check the other camera and see if it’s picking up sound,” Ella said. “Hopefully it’s just this one that’s glitching.”
I brought the other camera up, and we waited for a few minutes before Summer strolled down the hallway. The clang of her metal bracelets came across the speakers.
“Well, that one works,” Ella said, resting her hand on my shoulder.
I chuckled. “Thank God the screwed up one is in our room.”
She let go of my shoulder long enough to thump me on the shoulder. “How can you laugh? What if—”
I cut her off and trapped her hand under mine, gave it a brief squeeze, and said, “None of the if’s matter. The sound doesn’t work. Now let’s get back to the important stuff, like where we’re going to mount the other two cameras.”
I watched as she took a deep breath and then sat down to finish her coffee.
We hadn’t been sailing for long, less than a week, but that didn’t mean plans weren’t being hatched somewhere on board. No moves had been made on Allyson, which was a good thing because we hadn’t really had our crap together since we boarded.
“Do you think it was just a scare tactic? The threats, I mean,” I asked, shutting down the laptop.
Ella sat back and closed her eyes briefly before answering, “It’s hard to say. Garett Baron is a well-known man. And has made just as many enemies as he’s made friends. Anything is possible, given the right circumstances.”
“But why his daughter? What does she have to do with anything? Revenge against someone who isn’t your enemy seems dumb,” I said, wondering what sort of people would threaten someone’s child because they felt slighted.
“People always say how badly they want to be rich. You hear it all the time. But I wonder if those people ever stop to consider what being rich really means,” Ella said.
“Well, for one thing, you wouldn’t have to ever worry about your power being turned off, or your credit card being declined,” I answered.
“No, you wouldn’t. You’d be worried about who was using you to get to your money. You’d never have a moment’s peace because there would always be someone hovering close by to keep an eye out for you. Then there’s death threats and embezzlement. Someone always trying to take from you the thing you have and they don’t. Money. It’s the root of all evil.”
“That’s skeptical,” I said, wondering if she weren’t right after all.
“What good is having a fortune if you can’t even enjoy the smaller things in life without wondering who might come along and try to take that from you too?” she asked with a half shrug.
“Well, I guess it’s something I’ll never have to worry about because the chances of me even remotely having a tenth of what Garret Baron has is like catching a star to keep in my pocket,” I answered, leaning back in my chair and lacing my fingers behind my head.
She laughed, pulling her legs up and hooking her arms around them. “You and me both.”
“So, what’s on the agenda today? Other than crushing Allyson’s wedding plan and installing the other two cameras?” I asked, trying to ignore the fact that she was in my shirt and a pair of underwear that were both on display to me.
“Not sure. Gotta see what the newlyweds are up to and find a way to tag along, I suppose,” she answered, sighing as she let go of her legs.
“I wonder what made her choose this particular stretch of islands. I mean, there’s stuff to do if you like diving and historical buildings, but I don’t really see Allyson being interested in things like the history of Salt Cay, or the fact that it’s only two-point-five miles.”
“She’s happiest on the water,” Ella answered. “She loved sailing even when we were little. I guess it really didn’t matter where she went. Plus, when you’ve traveled like she has, nothing is new anymore, so you tend to stick to the places where you enjoyed spending your time. You must admit, it is beautiful. You could almost forget the reasons why we’re here.”
“You make that sound like a bad thing,” I said, unable to keep from baiting her.
“It could be. If we get too comfortable, anything could happen. If it did, it would be our fault for letting our guard down. It’s bad enough that we’re coming and going without a clue where Allyson is most of the time.”
“She can’t get too far, Ella. We are on a boat, remember?”
“We’re on a boat, anchored for a week at a time. There’s more than enough opportunities for her to slip off somewhere, or be taken right out from under our noses should we be in here. And that’s not if she gets the idea to go to shore before we see her. Anything can happen, Josh. And it could happen fast.”
I nodded, acknowledging I understood her concerns. “So how do we insert ourselves into all of their comings and goings?”
Ella sighed, a very long and drawn-out sigh that ended with a groan. “We go through with this farce of a marriage. It’s the only way I know she’ll be wherever we are.”
“Why’s that?” I asked, wondering what would make her choose to go through with a wedding we could easily get out of. There were always other ways to insert ourselves in their day to day plans.
“Because I’m going to put her and Summer in charge of planning it,” she answered, clasping her hands together between her knees as she sighed once more.
“Okay, but I’m insisting on Parrot Cay,” I said, winking at her when she glared at me.
“It’s a private island. The chances of that happening are…” She sputtered to a halt. “Slim to none. Good thinking. That might jus
t put her off until the end of the cruise. By then, we’ll be headed home.”
“I’m not just a pretty face, ya know,” I replied, causing her to bust out laughing.
CHAPTER 18
ELLA
“I’ve talked to the captain,” Allyson said, eyes glittering with excitement.
“About?” I asked, lifting my sunglasses as I looked over to where Allyson was stretched out. Her sun-kissed skin was coated with a thin layer of oil.
I looked down at the expanse of my own paleness and wondered if the SPF 70 I’d slathered on less than an hour ago would keep me from becoming a very painful shade of red.
Allyson pushed up to her elbows, exposing more skin than I was comfortable seeing. Nudity didn’t bother me, but I wasn’t really all that interested in seeing my best friend’s boobs.
I lowered my sunglasses and lifted my face up to feel the heat of the sun when a cloud moved past as Allyson said, “About officiating the ceremony. He said he’d be honored, so that’s one thing taken care of.”
There was a rustle of movement and, before I knew it, Allyson had plopped down beside me, scooped my hands up in hers, and then emitted what could only be called a squeak of happiness as she said, “I’m so excited that you asked me and Summer to help you plan the wedding. It’s going to be perfect. I’ve even asked Daddy about Parrot Cay.”
I sat up as a wave of panic washed over me. “You did?”
She nodded enthusiastically, “Don’t tell Josh. I want it to be a surprise.”
I nodded along, eyes so wide they could almost fall out of my head. She sounded as if she had it in the bag. That was fast work, even for Allyson. “He’ll be…”
“I know! Izzy, this is going to be the best damn pirate wedding in the history of pirate weddings.” She let go of my hands and was on her feet in one fluid motion, strolling across the deck and pulling a bottle of champagne from the sweating bucket of ice. The cork popped, jolting me like a warning as if to say, “This is your reality, Ella. You’re actually going to marry Josh.”
“Here you go,” Allyson said, placing a tall bubble-filled glass in my hands. “Oh, good, Summer’s here.”
“Partying without me? Jesus, Ally, put your damn top on. Nobody wants to see the twins.”
I’d just taken a sip, well, more like a gulp, when she said that. Champagne burned like the fires of hell when it tried to come out of the nose.
I gasped, eyes watering, and grabbed the closest thing to me, which was my shirt, and blew my nose as Summer pounded on my back while Allyson put her bathing suit top on.
Once I caught my breath, they both pounced on me with a string of questions produced from a list noted on a pad of paper that rested on Summer’s knee.
With her pen poised, Summer ticked off ideas, noted answers and, in between, tapped the pen against her lips.
I’d answered the easiest of questions without any thinking, but those were few and far between. But what hit me hardest was when Allyson said, “You don’t want to invite anyone? We could have them here in no time on Daddy’s jet.”
I shook my head as she gave me a sympathetic look, probably wondering why I wouldn’t want anyone there for what should be one of the best days of my life.
“Not even a close friend or two?” Summer prodded.
I’d given up on friends when I’d signed on with Cole Enterprise. The closest I’d been to friendship had happened only recently when Cole Enterprise was invaded by Nadia and Grant’s son, and all his friends. Josh’s friends.
It hit me hard then. He would be married without the people he held dearest beside him.
It was as if I’d called him to me. Because when I looked up from my lap, he came out the sliding door of Alex and Allyson’s room. His face was lit up with a smile as he said something to Alex. He looked, for the most part, happy.
“Ah, the groom,” Allyson said, waving Alex and Josh over. “We were just discussing guests.”
Josh sat beside me, giving me a look that asked if I was all right. I answered with a weak smile.
“What about you, Josh? Is there anyone you’d like to invite? I’ve told Izzy that Daddy’s jet could have them here for the wedding,” Allyson asked, taking a sip of champagne, waiting for his reply.
He took my hand in his, stiffened briefly and then answered, “No, it’s a nice gesture, but most of my friends can’t leave their jobs at a moment’s notice. Even for a wedding.”
“What about your parents?” Summer asked.
His hand squeezed mine. “I’m sure they’ll be disappointed when they hear they missed the wedding, but I know they won’t come. My father is deathly afraid of flying, and gets seasick just thinking about boats, so…”
“We’ll take lots of pictures,” Summer said, reaching out to pat Josh’s hand.
“No, we’ll hire a photographer and a videographer to record the whole event,” Allyson said, nudging Summer, “Write that down.”
Summer’s pen slid along the paper. The moment over, she moved on to her next questions. “Okay, so we have a few things settled, but there’s so much more to decide.”
Alex chuckled, “I suppose that’s our cue, Josh. Maybe we’d do better at the bar.”
Josh went to stand, but I clutched his fingers tight enough I could feel the bones rubbing together. If I had to go along with wedding plans, so did he.
“I don’t know, Alex. If I leave the planning of a pirate wedding to three women, we’ll probably end up with lace shirts and gold pants,” Josh said, wiggling his fingers, silently asking me to release my grip.
I loosened my hold, and then let go of his hand. “Good idea, but it wouldn’t have been gold pants. It would have been turquoise.”
Josh shuddered beside me. “See? Can’t leave them alone to make all the decisions. Turquoise pants, can you imagine?”
Alex laughed, dropping into an open seat with a shake of his head. “You’re a brave man, Josh.”
“Speaking of colors,” Summer added. “You should pick those so we can get your dress started. What about attendants?”
“Attendants?” Josh asked, looking between us.
“She means, who do you want to stand up with you as witnesses?” Allyson clarified.
“Alex can stand up with you since he’s the only one you know here,” Summer said, pen scribbling across the paper.
“I’d be honored, but the choice should be his. It might be that they only want witnesses,” Alex said.
“True,” Allyson replied. “Izzy?”
I could see the pleading in her eyes. She wanted to be a part of the wedding… my wedding, badly. But if I chose her to stand up with me, Josh would be obligated to have someone stand up with him as well.
“I don’t mind if Alex stands up with me,” Josh said, looking to me. “What’s a wedding without a best man and a maid of honor?”
“Matron,” I corrected. “Allyson is married so she can’t be a maid.”
“I thought she was going to strangle me,” I said, rubbing my neck.
Allyson had yanked me up from the chaise lounge and grabbed me around the neck as she bounced us in circles.
“You made her day, I think,” Josh replied as we leisurely strolled to the front of the boat, stopping once we were far enough away from the others mingling on deck.
He sighed deeply as he leaned his elbows on the railing and clasped his hands in front of him.
“You okay?” I asked, moving in beside him.
He gave me a slight smile, no more than a twist of his lips. “Yeah. Just thinking.”
“About?”
“Everything,” he answered, eyes squinting against the bright sunlight.
I’d pulled my hair back into a bun to keep the wind from whipping it into my face, but it didn’t stop the air from tugging pieces of it free. Like everything else in life, it could be planned, but it didn’t mean the plans would stay put. Everything changed no matter what. Time and everything else surrounding it would pull pieces free, leaving it to be
fought or accepted. Josh looked as if he were torn over what should have been and what would be, and I found myself asking, “Does it bother you?”
His eyes found mine. “Which part?”
I let it go. There was no point asking him anything else.
Every mission was different. Every situation revolving around survival and not blowing the cover. Every decision made, if not made correctly, could end up being the last. But standing on the deck of the ship, watching the sun sink lower in the sky, it was hard to maintain that way of thinking. Nothing could have prepared either of us for what came next. No amount of evasion, or backpedaling would change what was to come.
For better or worse, Josh and I would get married by the ship’s captain, who I was sure Allyson bribed to ensure the marriage license was legal. As legal as if we’d stood before a priest in the company of our family and friends to say the words that bound us together as husband and wife.
Would he resent me a year from now when the mission was over and the divorce paperwork was filed? Should I even care? It was just a mission. He knew that as well as I did. We hadn’t gone into it completely blind. And yet…
“It’ll be okay, Ella. I’ll be okay, and so will you,” he said, pulling me against his side, chin resting on top of my head.
I let him hold me and in turn put my arms around him, settling closer.
“Could be worse, I suppose,” he said.
I snorted.
He pulled back and looked down at me. “Well, it could be. I mean, I could’ve ended up marrying Oliver or something.”
A smile wobbled at the corner of my mouth and then spread. “Yeah, but then who would have been the pirate?”
“Me. I’m always the pirate,” he said, hoisting me over his shoulder as I pounded on his back.
“Put me down!” I screeched, laughing when he swatted me on the backside.
“Never,” he answered, carrying me past groups of people with heads turned, watching us. Some laughed, some shook their heads. I waved my fingers at them, making sure they knew I didn’t care if they approved of our little display.
All We Are (The Six Series Book 5) Page 10
