Sunken Seas (A Rowan Gray Mystery Book 4)

by Lily Harper Hart

  Nick jolted at the words, his sloppy grin back as he shook his head. “I wish. She’s a beautiful woman. She seems to have a nice personality, too.”

  “She does.” Quinn wanted to believe Nick was merely entranced by Rowan’s beauty, but he sensed something else going on. He simply couldn’t put a name to it. “Should we continue our tour?”

  “Definitely. Let’s get at it.”

  4

  Four

  “So, that’s your girlfriend, huh?”

  Nick asked the question in an easy manner, but Quinn’s antenna was up and he sensed the man’s interest stemmed from something other than polite curiosity. For the life of him, though, he couldn’t imagine what.

  “She is,” Quinn confirmed.

  “She’s very pretty.”

  “I think so.” Quinn licked his lips. “You seemed to like what you saw at least.”

  Nick balked. “I was merely looking at her because you saved her from falling. I didn’t mean any offense.”

  “I didn’t take offense. I was just surprised how hard you stared. For a second, I thought you guys might know each other from someplace else.”

  “That would be quite the coincidence, wouldn’t it? Alas, I believe this was the first time I ever laid eyes on her.”

  “We were at the same restaurant you were last night,” Quinn offered. “We saw you with Michael.”

  “Oh, well, that’s nice. I wish I would’ve had the chance to meet you then.”

  Nick remained friendly but there was something standoffish about his attitude. The notion set Quinn’s teeth on edge.

  “Yeah, well, we were with friends.” Quinn rolled his neck until it cracked. “Where do you want to look next?”

  “I’ve heard mention of a tiki bar.”

  “Sure. That sounds good.”

  ROWAN SNAPPED PHOTOS for an hour before taking refuge from the sun in the shade offered by the covered tiki bar. Demarcus was behind the bar and he shoved a fresh glass of iced tea in front of her before she requested it.

  “How did you know I wanted this?”

  “Because you’re hot and sweaty and that’s what you always order,” Demarcus replied without hesitation. “How has your afternoon been?”

  “Not great. No one wants their photo taken because they consider this work and not play.”

  “So treat it like a vacation week,” Demarcus suggested. “That’s what I would do.”

  “I feel guilty even considering that.”

  “Because you’re a good girl?”

  “Because … um … I was hired for a job.”

  Demarcus rolled his eyes. “You really are a good girl. I guess it makes sense. Quinn is a good guy. Together you’re so vanilla that it’s almost blinding.”

  Rowan had no idea if Demarcus meant for the statement to be insulting but that’s exactly how she took it. “We’re not vanilla. We’re … yummy, yummy chocolate. With marshmallows and hot fudge. And peanuts. And those cool cherries you put on top.”

  Demarcus realized his mistake too late to take it back. “Okay, I shouldn’t have said that.” He dug in the garnish tray to his right and came back with four maraschino cherries on a napkin. “I apologize. You’re not vanilla. You’re totally … chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream.”

  Rowan rolled her eyes as she popped one of the cherries into her mouth. “I know you don’t mean that, but we totally are.”

  Demarcus chuckled. “Definitely.” He shifted his eyes to the deck, something catching his attention. “Who is that guy with Quinn? I can’t quite make him out.”

  Rowan followed his gaze, frowning when she caught sight of Nick. “Nicholas Green.”

  “You don’t look happy about them hanging out.”

  “I’m not unhappy. I just … have you ever had a case of déjà vu?”

  The shift in conversation caught Demarcus off guard. “I guess.”

  “I have this feeling that I met him somewhere – like long ago in my past – but I can’t put my finger on where.”

  “You used to work for a newspaper, right?”

  Rowan nodded.

  “Maybe you took his photograph for a story and you don’t remember simply because it was a long time ago,” Demarcus suggested. “I mean … how many stories did you cover during your tenure at that newspaper?”

  “Hundreds,” Rowan conceded. “I guess it’s possible but … he investigates shipwrecks. I lived in Michigan. We don’t have a lot of shipwrecks.”

  Demarcus snorted, the sound both derisive and full of mirth at the same time. “Honey, Michigan is surrounded by lakes. Do you have any idea how many shipwrecks there are in the Great Lakes?”

  “I … .” Rowan wanted to argue but she couldn’t. Instead she trailed off in frustration. “You’re totally right. There are hundreds of shipwrecks in the lakes and whenever a new one was discovered, they made a big deal about it. That includes pictures and news stories.”

  “That’s probably where you know him from. He seems like an amiable enough guy, by the way. Just ask him if he was ever interviewed by your newspaper.”

  “That seems like a randomly weird thing to ask him about.”

  “Yes, but you’re a randomly weird chick.” Demarcus grinned when Rowan’s smile slipped. “Geez. You’re having absolutely zero fun today. What gives?”

  “I’m having fun,” Rowan argued. “I woke up in a great mood. Quinn got a book about shipwrecks and he’s so excited about it. It talks about the history of the ships that crossed over during the Revolutionary War and The Conqueror was one of them. He’s so keyed up I’m surprised he doesn’t do a little dance.”

  “You guys really found each other, didn’t you?” Demarcus asked dryly. “Only you two would get excited about a book.”

  “Oh, whatever.” Rowan sipped her iced tea. “I’m glad he’s so excited. If he likes shipwrecks, more power to him.”

  “You think he’s kind of a geek, too, don’t you?”

  Rowan pursed her lips. “I happen to like geeks.”

  Demarcus snorted. “Of course you do.” He turned his attention to a ridiculously tall man wearing a tight black T-shirt. The man was so big his biceps looked like torpedoes and his chiseled jaw appeared as if it might have been carved out of granite. “Can I get you something?”

  “I’ll have a Jack and Coke,” the man replied, his voice low and gravelly. “I need to open a tab, too.” He offered up his room card. “I can just charge it to my room, right?”

  Demarcus nodded. “Absolutely. Let me run that real quick.” Demarcus slid the card through the register before returning it to the counter. “I’ll have your drink in just a minute.”

  Since Demarcus was busy and the man was so big Rowan felt uncomfortable sitting in silence, his frame hulking over hers, she offered up a lame greeting.

  “You’re absolutely huge.”

  Demarcus did his best to bite back a laugh … and failed miserably. Luckily for Rowan, the man in question appeared amused by her observation.

  “Strangely enough, you’re not the first one to tell me that.”

  Rowan flicked her eyes to the card and widened them when she read the name. “Anthony Lowell, huh? You’re heading the security of the wreck site.”

  Anthony couldn’t help being impressed. “I am. How did you know that?”

  “I’m the ship photographer. I hear things.”

  “She’s also sleeping with the head of security,” Demarcus offered as he slid a drink in front of Anthony. “She’s got big ears and her boyfriend is so geeked over this ship find that it’s almost pathetic.”

  If Anthony thought Demarcus was over-sharing – which Rowan happened to believe – he didn’t show it. “So you’re the ship’s photographer and attached to the head of security. It sounds like you live a busy life.”

  “Oh, don’t patronize me,” Rowan chided, wagging a finger. “You guys are going to be boring guests because you don’t want any photos. I’m drinking iced tea in the middle of the afternoon.
We both know I’m not busy.”

  Anthony chuckled, the sound low and inviting. “Well, at least you’re honest.”

  “Your boss wants to utilize me to take photos of the site once we get there. Nicholas Green. He talked to me a little bit ago. That’s at least something.”

  “You’ve seen Nick?” Anthony cocked an interested eyebrow. “You don’t happen to know where he is, do you?”

  Rowan extended a finger and pointed toward the deck. Anthony followed it, his expression unreadable.

  “Do you know who he’s with?”

  “That would be Rowan’s love dolphin,” Demarcus supplied, making a face when Rowan pinned him with a dark look. “What? You look like the dolphin type. Sue me.”

  Rowan sucked in a steadying breath before speaking. She was afraid she would verbally lambast Demarcus if she didn’t. “That’s Quinn Davenport. He’s head of security.”

  “Davenport, huh? I think I recognize that name.”

  The admission surprised Rowan. “You do?”

  “He was big in security overseas, right? Afghanistan?”

  Rowan was embarrassed to admit she had no idea. “I don’t … know.” She turned to Demarcus for help and the generally verbose bartender could do nothing but shrug. “He doesn’t talk about his military time very often.”

  When Anthony turned back to Rowan, his expression was thoughtful. “I can see that. If it’s the guy I’m thinking about, we never crossed paths but we did a lot of the same things while we were over there.”

  Rowan’s gaze drifted to Anthony’s huge muscles. “I don’t think Quinn did all the same things you did.”

  Demarcus chuckled. “Oh, I can’t wait to tell Quinn that his woman is checking out another guy. He’s going to have an absolute meltdown.”

  Rowan straightened her back, annoyed. “I am not checking him out. I’m perfectly happy with Quinn. In fact, I happen to think his muscles are better than this guy’s muscles – no offense – because this guy’s muscles are freaky. He looks like a reject from an old Arnold Schwarzenegger movie. You know that one where they’re hunting aliens in the rain forest? He looks like he could be one of the hunters … or the alien. He’s got torpedoes for arms.”

  “That’s what I thought, too,” Demarcus said, grinning.

  Rowan was almost breathless by the time she finished her diatribe. Instead of being offended – or even irritated – Anthony laughed so hard he drew a multitude of gazes from various tables as he slapped the bar.

  “I like you,” Anthony announced, his face lit with mirth. “If you didn’t already have a boyfriend, one you seem to be rather fond of, I would be all over you.”

  “I guess it’s good she has a boyfriend then,” Quinn announced, appearing behind Rowan.

  His arrival was enough to cause Rowan’s cheeks to burn and when she turned in his direction, her face was on fire. “I was just explaining that I’m not turned on by him.”

  Quinn had no idea what to make of the statement. “I’m sorry but … what?”

  “Oh, this is going to be priceless.” Demarcus rested his hands on the bar, his shoulders shaking with silent laughter.

  “I was just explaining I wasn’t attracted to him,” Rowan repeated. “For the record, I’m not.”

  “I see.” Quinn didn’t see, but he wasn’t sure he wanted to press the issue.

  “Oh, don’t get your boxers in a bunch,” Demarcus admonished. “I’m the one who started it. Rowan couldn’t stop looking at his arms and her way of introducing herself was to comment on the fact that he was huge.”

  Quinn cracked a smile. “Oh.”

  “She’s kind of a spaz. Since you’re kind of a spaz, you guys are perfect for each other.”

  “I’m not a spaz,” Quinn corrected.

  “You’re supposed to say I’m not a spaz either,” Rowan supplied.

  “You’re definitely a spaz,” Quinn said. “I’m fine with it, though.” He turned his full attention to Anthony, instinctively squaring his shoulders as he did. The man was huge. There was no getting around that. Quinn often fancied himself the strongest man in the room, but he was fairly certain Rowan’s new friend could crush him without breaking a sweat. “I’m Quinn Davenport.” He extended his hand.

  Anthony gladly shook it, amusement coursing through him. “Anthony Lowell. I absolutely love your girlfriend, by the way.”

  “Yes, well, she’s a unique soul.” Quinn debated which seat to take and ultimately picked the spot on the other side of Anthony. He didn’t want the man to think he was marking his territory by crowding Rowan. “I heard you were going to be running security at the site. I’ve been wanting to meet you for some time.”

  “So you are the Quinn Davenport who ran that operation in Afghanistan.” Anthony looked impressed as Rowan adopted a curious expression.

  Demarcus was the one to ask the obvious question. “What’s the operation in Afghanistan?”

  “It’s classified,” Quinn and Anthony answered in unison.

  “Oh, well, sorry.” Demarcus made an exaggerated face as he shoved an iced tea in front of Quinn. “I assume you’re still on duty.”

  Quinn bobbed his head in thanks. “You assume right.” He sipped the iced tea. “I just spent an hour with your boss. He seems on top of things.”

  “I’ve only worked with him twice,” Anthony explained. “He’s new to the salvage company and I’m freelance, so I’m only hired for specific gigs. From what I can tell, he’s easy to work with and willing to step up when the job calls for a firm hand.”

  “Do you expect this job to require a firm hand?” Rowan asked.

  Anthony shrugged. “I might have to dust off my torpedoes and fire them.” He winked at her, amused by her obvious discomfort. “Honestly, though, I am worried that pirates might approach on the water. I have no knowledge that will happen, but it’s in the back of my head.”

  “I’m going to make sure no one who isn’t authorized can get into the salon, post guards at both doors, but I’m not sure we can stop interested parties from boarding the ship altogether,” Quinn said. “Usually when we go to port, people come on and off as they wish. We check rooms before leaving but … I’m starting to think we’re going to need someone watching the entry point to The Bounding Storm, too.”

  “That’s not a bad idea,” Anthony agreed. “We have no idea how much money was on The Conqueror. We also have no idea how much money we’re going to find. So far we’ve found a few coins and they’re worth more than a hundred grand, but we’re dealing with a unique set of circumstances here.”

  “What’s unique about it?” Rowan asked, doing her best not to be agitated because Quinn chose to sit next to Anthony rather than her. She considered herself too mature to have her nose out of joint regarding something so trivial, but it irked all the same.

  “Well, for starters, the ship being close to land like it is probably means that the water was extremely rough at times,” Anthony answered. “The tides are known to be brutal in that area, which is why we need a very specialized dive team. Because of the rough waves, when the boat disintegrated – and from what I’ve heard, very little is left that hasn’t turned into coral – that means the coins were eventually scattered because the boxes and chests they were kept in disintegrated, too.”

  “Oh.” Rowan found the conversation fascinating. “If the coins are spread about, do you think you’ll find them?”

  Anthony held his hands palms up and shrugged. “We’re hopeful we’ll be able to find a lot of things – not just the coins – but it’s too soon to tell.”

  “Will you dive?” Quinn asked.

  “I will at some point, but the first day is going to be all about setting up the proper security. That’s the most important thing. We don’t want people running off with the relics.”

  “If the water is so treacherous there, aren’t you worried about people dying in the dive attempt?” Rowan asked.

  “Yes, and no,” Anthony replied. “My understanding is that
Nick brought in Andrea Morgan to lead the dive team.”

  “He did,” Quinn confirmed. “He’s over talking to her now.”

  Anthony glanced over his shoulder and took in the willowy brunette. She was beautiful even from a distance and Rowan couldn’t stop herself from sucking in her gut when she caught sight of her thin frame.

  “I’m going to want to sit down and make a plan with her,” Anthony said. “She’s supposed to know her stuff. We’ve never worked together before.”

  “How come she was called in on this if she’s a new face?” Rowan asked.

  “Because Nick wanted the best and apparently that’s her. This could be the biggest deal in decades, maybe even centuries, if we find everything Nick is hoping we find.”

  “You don’t look as if you think it’s going to be an easy job,” Rowan noted.

  “I don’t think it’s going to be easy at all. In fact, I think it’s going to be downright difficult. We’ll do our best, though. This is a fluid situation and we’re all going to have to be ready to shift on a dime if it becomes necessary.”

  “Let’s just hope it doesn’t become necessary,” Quinn said.

  Anthony nodded. “I’m right there with you.”

  5

  Five

  “Do you want to tell me about your new friend?”

  Quinn watched Rowan survey her image in the full-length mirror in her quarters, his arms crossed over his chest and an unreadable look on his face. They’d separated for the bulk of the afternoon – Quinn had a job to do, after all, and he wouldn’t allow that to fall by the wayside – but he remained bothered by what happened with Rowan and Anthony at the tiki bar.

  Rowan wrinkled her forehead. “What new friend? Are you talking about Vicky? If she said something to you, I told her there was no way I was going to talk about your performance in bed.”

  Now it was Quinn’s turn to be confused. “I’m sorry but … what?”

  “What were you talking about?” Rowan asked, legitimately quizzical.

  “What were you talking about?” Quinn shot back.

  “I was talking about my time in the lobby this afternoon,” Rowan replied without hesitation. “You know that Vicky girl at the front desk? Suddenly she wants to be my best friend and she wouldn’t stop asking me about you. It was a ridiculous situation … and she is so not my friend.”