He mentioned this before, but Gio got so upset, I didn’t get a chance to ask about it. We’re alone now, though, and I know how much Liam loves to teach me things. “What are antibiotics?”
As predicted, his emerald eyes start glittering like the sea at midday. “Antibiotics kill bacteria — tiny, invisible creatures that can make you sick if they get inside you. Bacteria is everywhere, but a fish’s mouth is rife with it, and a barracuda’s teeth are long, so they can push bacteria deep into your flesh. If we don’t kill the bacteria, your wounds can get infected, which can be life-threatening, so we want to keep an eye out for signs such as redness, swelling, discharge.”
I stare at my tender, red wounds, contemplating. “When merfolk get hurt, if they don’t bleed out, sometimes they get really sick and die later. Is that from infection?”
Liam presses his lips in a straight line, his brow wrinkled. “Yes, probably. That’s terrible, Coral. They shouldn’t have to die from something like that, not when there are treatments available that could easily save them. I want to help them, Coral. I hate the thought of any of them suffering and dying unnecessarily.”
I watch silently as he washes my wounds, dabs them with some kind of clear jelly, then wraps clean gauze around my wrist and tapes it up again.
He’s right, and when he mentioned it yesterday, I was impressed that he was concerned about my kind, but now I worry if I’m inviting trouble by encouraging him to seek contact with other merfolk. How will they feel about a human knowing what they are and where they live? Maybe I can talk to Llyr and my mother about it sometime, see what they think of the idea.
My spirit perks up at the thought that I know where my mother is and I can go see her whenever I want. She didn’t abandon me because she didn’t love me. Of course, that makes Grandfather’s deception seem even worse. All my life I thought my mother didn’t want me, but the truth is, my grandfather didn’t want her. The pain of that knowledge cuts deeper than the wounds around my wrist.
Once we’re done, we move to the kitchen and grab a few things from the fridge and pantry that will be easy to eat on the beach — crackers and tuna salad, a bag of grapes, some cookies. Then we head back to the island. The sun is almost below the horizon, bathing the beach in a serene, golden pink glow.
The guys have finished cooking the fish, and they’ve eaten most of it, but they saved one for me. I plop down on the sand and chow down happily, enjoying the smoky flavor of the fish, the warmth and mesmerizing light of the fire, and the light chatter going on around me as the guys devour the food Liam and I brought. I don’t say anything, I just bask in the pleasure of the moment.
As soon as I’m done eating, my exhaustion hits me. I slump against Avery and close my eyes for just a moment. Soon after, I hear my name, but my eyelids are too heavy to open.
“Coral, why don’t you go lay down?” Avery murmurs.
“I think she’s already asleep.”
“I’ll carry her over to the life raft.” My body starts to fall as Avery moves, but then his arms are holding me. He grunts and jostles me.
“Here, I’ll get her.” Gio’s deep voice, then rustling. More arms reach for me.
“I can do it!” Avery’s voice is high, loud. My eyelids flutter in an attempt to open.
“You’re gonna wake her up. Just let me take her.” Strong arms lift me up and cradle me against firm muscles.
Soon, I’m laid down on the life raft, the cool plastic supporting me. The raft dips and rolls as a warm body curls up beside me and an arm wraps around my middle. The fresh but musky scent tells me it’s Avery.
“I’m beat, too. I’m gonna hit the sack,” Jude says, then the raft dips again, but before I roll into the hole, a large body lies down on the other side of me.
“Might as well join them.” Liam’s voice, more jostling.
“Bella, you ready to sleep?”
“Well, this looks… cozy.” Bella’s voice is laced with sarcasm.
“This is how we slept here all those months. It was the most comfortable place, and sharing body heat kept us warm at night.”
“Did you take turns being the bread in the Coral sandwich?”
A deep sigh. “Get in the raft, Bella.”
More movement, and the bodies next to me squeeze closer. I smile and revel in the warmth and comfort of their closeness. This is what I was missing. I let myself drift off as one of them starts snoring.
The next thing I know, something cold and wet is tickling my face, tiny drops pricking my skin. I swipe at them, irritated but too sleepy to realize what’s happening, but they keep coming, harder now. Suddenly, a loud crack booms, rattling the sky, and the water falls on me like a shower. I bolt upright, my eyes wide open, my heart pounding harder and louder than the raindrops smacking against the life raft. Everyone else jolts awake at the same time, and we gawk at each other.
“I guess the roof is in worse shape than I thought.” Liam stands up and starts pulling on the palm leaves above us, trying to close the gaps. It’s no use. Strong winds whip the dried-out, shriveled leaves around, pulling them from the lashings and pushing sheets of water towards us.
“We could turn the raft over and get under it.” I have to yell to be heard over the thundering rainstorm.
Gio shakes his head and grabs my hand, pulling me to my feet. “There’s no point, Princess. This storm is gonna be miserable no matter what we do. Let’s just head back to the boat. It’ll be safer, and dryer.”
Gio scoops up Bella, and the guys all take off towards the boat. I glance around, trying to think of a solution, but when a giant bolt of lightning cracks the sky, flashing us with light, I rush after them.
Once we’ve all climbed into the dinghy, Gio quickly starts the motor and pilots us towards the ship. I stare out at the island, draped in shadows, and say goodbye to it forever. I doubt I’ll ever be able to convince the guys to come back here. Even if I did, I’ll never be able to recapture the magic of our time here. The magic wasn’t the island, it was being together. Can I still have that, even in the city?
Chapter 15
Gio
I’m a goddamned millionaire now, but I’m still living in a 10x10 foot cabin on a rusty, old ship docked at the harbor, and I’m sharing a bathroom with three other yahoos… and a mermaid, of course. The mermaid is the reason why the yahoos are here with me. She begged them to stay on the ship for a while, and she begged me to let them. Said she needed to have us all together a little longer. None of us can say no to her, so of course, we all agreed to it.
It didn’t surprise me that Jude and Avery were willing to stay, since they were still living with their parents, but even Liam let his fancy apartment sit empty so he could hang out here for a while.
It’s not that I really mind having them here. I think we’ve grown close enough that we actually enjoy each others’ company, even though we mix about as well as oil and vinegar. I guess if you stick us together and shake the hell out of us, we manage to get along all right, especially if you pour us out on a fresh and tasty mermaid. Somehow, she makes it all work out okay.
But as much as I love Coral and the guys, and as much as I love my boat, living here together is getting intolerable. This boat that seemed so big compared to my last one is now starting to feel like a sardine can.
I pound on the door and holler at Avery to quit messing with his hair and get the hell out of the bathroom so I can take a piss. He comes out a few seconds later, gagging me with a cloud of Ralph Lauren Polo. Afterwards, I head to the kitchen where Jude is serving up some Belgium waffles with fresh strawberry syrup. I gotta admit, it’s nice to live with somebody who knows how to run a kitchen.
I grumble a good morning to everybody, give Coral a kiss, then load up a plate and dig in, moaning at the deliciousness. I shovel about half my food in my mouth then break the news to them.
“Bella’s social worker is coming here today, so you all have to make yourselves scarce. I don’t want her to know you’re staying here.
Even you, Coral. I’m sorry, but if she thinks you’re living with me, she’s gonna want a background check on you.”
“What’s a background check?”
“It’s where they check to see if you’ve ever committed a crime.”
She purses her lips and wrinkles her brow, holding a forkful of waffle halfway to her mouth. “But I’ve never done that, so what’s the problem?”
“The problem is, according to human society, you don’t exist. No birth certificate, no school records, no driver’s license, nothing. When they can’t find any record of you, they’re gonna assume you’re hiding something. It’ll look fishy.”
Jude chuckles at my accidental pun, and I roll my eyes at him.
“We’re rich now, we should pay somebody to forge some documents for her. It’s gonna be tough for her to do anything without them,” Jude says around a mouthful of waffle.
“She doesn’t need it. She’s got us to take care of her.” Liam waves him off, but Coral looks a little bothered.
“We’ll worry about that later. For now, let’s just pretend I live alone so the court won’t go digging.”
The guys finish their breakfast and head out for a few hours. I make sure the boat looks like just one bachelor lives here instead of four of them, and I double check that none of Coral’s stuff is visible. I’m nervously tidying the deck when I see Mrs. Wells walking up the dock towards me.
She’s wearing another dull, shapeless dress that clings to all the wrong places of her saggy, old body, and her pale, crepe paper skin doesn’t look any better in the sunlight. I give her a big smile, anyway, like she’s my favorite person.
“Good morning, welcome to my boat.” I hold out a hand to help her climb aboard. She gawks at me and the gap between the swaying boat and the dock then gulps and puts her hand in mine. She lifts one foot up to the boat but takes it down again a second later when the gap widens.
“It’s okay, it won’t go much farther.” She has a couple more false starts before she finally gets up the guts to lift her other foot. I quickly pull her onto the boat deck and make sure she’s steady before letting go of her.
She pats her flyaway, gray hair then puts a hand to her chest, breathing loudly. “My goodness. I can’t imagine doing that with groceries.”
I chuckle. “I’m used to it.”
“I have to say, when you told me you were living on a boat, this isn’t exactly what I was expecting.” She probably pictured a fancy houseboat or a yacht now that I’m a millionaire, not a battered, old Navy boat.
“This is the boat I take on expeditions, but it’s plenty big enough to live on. Come on, I’ll show you around.”
She takes a few tentative steps, her arms out for balance and her legs swaying, and she keeps her eyes on the deck, stepping widely around the coiled ropes, scuba gear, and piles of life jackets like they’re dangerous tripping hazards. I lead her around the boat, pointing out the full kitchen, dining area, bathroom, and bedrooms. I skip the rooms the others are staying in and only show her my bedroom and the one intended for Bella. She peers around the rooms, her brow pinched, her nose in the air, and one eyebrow raised. She doesn’t say anything, but her negative thoughts are blaring from her sour expression.
“What about your girlfriend? You mentioned she was going to move in with you?”
“Ah, yeah, that didn’t work out. Bella and I will be fine on our own, though. Plus, I can hire help if we need it.” I wince at the lie, but she probably thinks it’s disappointment.
Once we get back to the deck, I hold out a hand towards one of the benches and sit down on the other one, facing her. She grimaces and wipes off the seat before perching on the edge of it.
“I have to tell you, Gio, this is far from an ideal living situation. I don’t think the judge will look favorably on this.”
My fists clench, and I open my mouth to argue with her but clamp it shut when I hear Liam’s warnings echoing in my brain. He reminded me to keep my cool around her. Besides, I can tell that nothing I say is gonna change her mind. There’s nothing wrong with the boat — it’s not dangerous or derelict — she just doesn’t like it. I could fight her on it, but all that would do is tick her off, and unfortunately, her recommendation is a big part of the approval process.
“So what do you suggest I do, Mrs. Wells? Do I need to take all the gear off the deck, paint the walls pink in Bella’s room, dry dock the boat so it doesn’t rock so much?” Okay, so that last bit was a little obnoxious.
She gives me a level stare, and I’ve never felt so intimidated by an old lady. “You need a proper house, Gio. You have plenty of money now. I don’t see why you won’t invest some of it in a home for you and your sister. Isn’t she your biggest priority?”
I let her words mull around in my head for a minute. Why haven’t I bought a house? Before the big haul, I needed to spend my money on a new boat so I could make a living, but she’s right — money isn’t an issue anymore. So why am I still living on the boat, especially since I feel squished like a sardine with all the guys around?
I guess I don’t want to do anything to break the spell of what we have. There’s something fairytale-like about living on the boat with Coral and the guys all together, and I know I’ll lose that if I buy a house in the suburbs for me and Bella.
But Mrs. Wells is right about another thing — Bella is the most important thing to me, she’s my family. Sometimes you have to make sacrifices for the people you care about. The guys don’t need my boat to live on; they’ve got plenty of money to buy their own places. And I might not get to have Coral with me all the time, but I’ll still get to see her.
I sigh and press my hands together, holding my steepled fingertips to my lips. “Okay, I’ll do it. I’ll buy a regular house before the hearing if that’s what I need to do. Let’s just do the paperwork and get on with it.”
Mrs. Wells nods, satisfied, and pulls a stack of papers out of her bag. I spend the next hour skimming legalese and signing my name on a couple dozen documents. Finally, we finish, and Mrs. Wells packs them all away and stands up, sticking her hand out.
“I’ll submit these and let you know when we get a court date. In the meantime, find a new home and let me know as soon as you do so I can pay a visit.” Of course, she won’t just take my word for it. I’m gonna have to prove I’ve got a good place for Bella.
I help her off the boat, even though I’m secretly wishing she’d fall into the tiny gap and drown or be squished to death.
As soon as she’s gone, I boot up Liam’s laptop and start searching for real estate. An hour later, I’m on the phone with an agent, setting up an appointment to look at a house in the suburbs. When I tell her I’m looking to buy something ASAP, the agent offers to meet me at a place this afternoon.
I pull up in the driveway and park in front of the two-car garage next to a shiny Nissan. A bleach-blonde woman wearing a pink pantsuit, cloying perfume, and too much makeup climbs out and eyes me warily. I glance down at what I’m wearing — clean jeans and a button-up shirt that hides my tats and my muscles — the same thing I wore for my meeting with Mrs. Wells. I’m a big guy, but I don’t think I look too scary. Then I realize it’s my beat-up pickup truck she’s judging.
She introduces herself as Heather, and I give her a friendly smile and shake her hand, resisting the urge to clamp down on her manicured fingers. I stand back a few feet when she punches a code into the lockbox and retrieves a key to the front door.
“This is a lovely, three-bedroom/two-bath ranch, less than ten years old, so there should be no structural issues to worry about.” She prattles on as she takes me through the house, pointing out the rooms like I’m an idiot that can’t tell a bathroom from a bedroom. I grunt and nod and examine the rooms, trying to picture myself living here, but it’s been so long since I lived in a normal place like this, I just can’t imagine playing house here.
When we’ve toured the whole place and I haven’t said more than three words about it, Heather leads me
out to the back yard — a wide, grassy patch with a small deck, a couple big shade trees to block the hot, Florida sun blazing down on us, and a tall, wooden fence to block the view from the neighbors’ house that’s close enough I could probably pass them a cup of sugar through the window.
“As you can see, it’s a good-sized property with a nice lawn, plenty of room for kids to play. And the neighborhood is very safe and in a great school district. Do you have children, Mr. Romano?”
“No.” I shake my head then realize I sort of will if this all works out the way I want it to. “Well, my sister, she’s fifteen. She’s gonna stay with me.”
“Oh, so it’s just you two, then?”
“Yeah.” I don’t mention the mermaid that hopefully will come visit once in a while.
“So, what do you think, Mr. Romano? Wouldn’t you love to live here?” She gives me a fake smile and waits for me to give the right answer.
Sweat pools under my armpits as I work my jaw. The clincher is, this is exactly the kind of house I should want. It’s homey, family-friendly. It represents everything I had taken away from me as a kid. Shouldn’t this be more appealing to me than an old boat crowded with obnoxious bachelors?
I stare up at it, trying to figure out why I don’t like it. “I don’t know, it’s nice, it’s just… got anything bigger?”
Heather gives me a strange look. “Bigger? Uh, sure, I mean, if you need to stay in this price range you won’t find anything quite this nice with more square footage, but I can show you some other places.”
“Price doesn’t matter.”
She stares at me and blinks slowly like I just told her my girlfriend is a mermaid. “Okay, well, how big are you looking for? If it’s just you and your sister, then…”
“You got anything on the water?” I suddenly realize one thing I don’t like about this place; it’s too land-locked. I’m sure Coral would love it if she could walk out the door and go swimming.
“The water?”
The Mermaid's Return_A Reverse Harem Romance Page 14
