Ashley returned and moaned. “That looks delicious,” she said as she flapped her napkin in the air and spread it on her lap. Nate took a bite and nodded.
“It’s really good. Damn, I haven’t even eaten today.”
Ashley took a bite and her lips pursed at him. “You’re too distracted. You need to relax a little and enjoy yourself.”
Nate snorted. “And go snorkeling? I’m sure Arthur will love seeing that expense.” His boss had been skeptical at best when Nate had requested approval for the trip. If Arthur hadn’t completely trusted his judgement, they wouldn’t be here right now. His neck was on the line, all because of Maddie.
“Yeah, I forgot our circumstance for a minute. I’d never be able to afford a trip like this on my own.” Her voice lowered and a stab of guilt hit Nate. Just because he was hung up on Maddie and the job, didn’t mean he had to keep everyone from enjoying themselves.
“If you and Dylan want to go, I can handle things tomorrow.”
Ashley’s eyes widened. “But—”
“Don’t worry about it. There won’t be much going on here. But if our target is on another excursion, it might be beneficial to follow him.”
She smiled. “I don’t care where we go, as long as I get to do something. And if it’s in the name of surveillance, even better.” She winked and lifted a grape tomato to her lips.
He polished off the last of his salad and straightened his shoulders. God, there had better be more food coming. He dabbed his chin with his napkin and slid his chair out.
“Please excuse me,” he said, nodding to the strangers at his table. He slid around Olga’s chair, and her gaze lifted as he passed. Her large blue eyes lined in dark mascara focused on his. Her pink lips folded into a luscious pout and she winked at him.
Good grief. Her husband sat inches from her, in deep discussion with Ashley about other excursions in the area. Ivan leaned across the chair Nate had vacated, bringing him closer to Ashley. He stroked her hand and Ashley’s eyes sharpened.
Swingers. He stifled a laugh with a cough, and nodded at Olga as he moved past their table. He would have to inform Ashley later.
His gaze landed on Maddie’s table as he headed for the restroom. Carlos sat with his back to Nate, and the chair next to him was empty. She couldn’t have gone to the restroom; he would have seen her. Where the hell had she gone?
A flash of gold moved on the other side of the ballroom. His eye caught her round, lush ass as she exited the room. He clenched his hands into fists as he entered the men’s room. The urge to slip out the other exit near the restrooms rippled through him as he relieved himself. He squirted a pile of soap in his hands and scrubbed, and then ripped off a paper towel. He couldn’t follow her, dammit. It would be too risky if someone saw them alone together.
A line of waiters flowed from the kitchen with the next course as he made his way back to the table. Keeping his face turned toward his table, he moved his eyes to Carlos’s table. Carlos pushed back in his seat as a waiter placed a new plate in front of him. He rubbed his hands together as the waiter opened the lid.
She was still gone. He reached his table and movement at the back of the room made him snap his head up. Tony’s tall, dark form moved to the exit.
Nate’s senses prickled.
Sonofabitch.
Chapter 8
Her dress flapped open in the breeze. The cool, salty wind swirled under the high slit and sent a chill up her spine. The stars shone brightly in the black sky and the moon reflected off the ebony water. She pressed her back tighter against the wall of the ship. It was so… dark. The soft lapping of waves at the side of the boat sounded, but there was no way she’d inch closer to look over the side.
She pulled her phone out of her clutch and dialed Ethan’s number. For God’s sake, he’d acted like a jealous husband blowing her phone up. Carlos’s annoyed glares had finally forced her to excuse herself. She’d exuded a certain degree of concern and explained it was a family member. Now she had to fabricate an explanation to him.
She bit her teeth into her tongue as the line rang.
“What the hell is going on?” Ethan barked after the second ring.
Irritation swelled in her throat and she swallowed before carefully choosing her words. Every fiber of her being wanted to tear into him.
“This had better be an emergency,” she said slowly. Her voice shook on the last word.
Ethan guffawed. “Are you kidding me? You’ve been avoiding me for weeks, Maddie. Dammit, what is going on with you?”
She pursed her lips and kept her gaze on the bright, twinkling stars above. God, she’d never seen anything like it. If it weren’t for the calm around her, she’d have lost her shit. She closed her eyes on a breath. The angrier she got with Ethan, the longer this would take. All she had to do was brush him off and placate him for the time being.
“Nothing is going on with me. I’m sorry, okay? I’ve been busy. Is everything all right?”
He cursed through the phone. The line crackled with poor reception before clearing. “Don’t give me that shit. I know when something’s up with you. You can at least be honest with me. That’s not too much to ask.” The last part he said softly, his voice pleading. Part of her wanted to tell him everything. For as long as she could remember, he’d always treated her like a child. For once, she wanted him to be proud of her, for him to cheer her on and treat her as an equal. Because he couldn’t accept that she wasn’t a baby, she couldn’t trust him.
“I see you’ve thoroughly poked your nose in my business—”
“I wouldn’t have. Christ, Maddie. All you had to do was talk to me. But no, you’re so secretive that you can’t even open up to those around you.” His voice teetered on hysteria, and her finger twitched with the urge to hang up the phone. She forced it away. As much as she wanted to shut him down, she couldn’t do that. Ethan was ranting because he cared. A stab of regret sank into her chest.
“Do you realize Mom and Dad are worried sick? Or have you forgotten about them too? Hell, if you don’t want to talk to me, fine. At least call your parents and give them peace of mind. Though honest to God, what have I done for you to act like this?”
She focused her attention on her breath. One… two… three… she wouldn’t let him make her crazy. She hadn’t wanted to avoid her family, and her distance this past month had not been easy on her. She’d sent her parents an email two days ago, so he needed to check his facts.
Avoiding Ethan had almost been more difficult than avoiding the rest of her family. He’d always been so keen on what she was up to. Her parents were easy to appease. Ethan, on the other hand, was like a damn dog with a bone. But it wasn’t like him to act irrational or to get to this level of angst. But for heaven’s sake, he’d left her with no choice but to dodge him. Silence hung between them and she tried to form a response, but her brain was already trying to figure out a story to tell Carlos.
“Are you even listening to me?” Ethan growled in her ear. Her fingers tightened on the phone.
“Yes, of course. I already said I’m sorry for not getting back to you, what more do you want?” She tucked her clutch between her arm and side and wrapped her free hand around her body.
“I want to know where you are.” His voice was rough and tired. Guilt gnawed at the inside of her stomach. She tore her gaze from the black sky that closed in around her and focused her gaze on her rhinestone-encrusted shoe. A soft glow shone from a light to her left, catching the shimmer in her dress. There weren’t enough lights on the deck. Uneasiness settled like a rock in the pit of her stomach. She glanced to her right, but the door she’d exited remained shut. Thank god, Carlos hadn’t come looking for her yet.
She tapped her finger against the cool skin of her arm. Half-truths were better than none. “I’m on a cruise, okay?”
A beat passed. “A cruise?” Skepticism raised his voice an octave.
He chuckled. “I don’t know if I should laugh or be pissed.”
“I met someone, and we decided to go on a trip. Why on earth would I need to run that by you?” Annoyance added more bite to her words than she’d intended. She didn’t like lying. But if he wouldn’t support her decisions, he had no right to know about them.
“It’s common courtesy so people don’t worry about you. And you met someone? Like a guy?”
Maddie dropped her head back against the wall with a soft thunk. “No, like a monkey.” The bobby pins in the bun at the nape of her neck jabbed her in the scalp. She moved her head until it was more comfortable.
“You’re not funny.”
“Really? Because you’re acting ridiculous and I find it funny as hell.” She breathed a long, low exhale and massaged between her eyes. Dammit, she’d probably just smudged her makeup.
“Dana told me you’re working on a case. So which is it? A cruise with some guy, or work?”
She suppressed the urge to say that both were true. “I’ve told you more than you need to know. I promise I will text you in a couple of days, and I will call when I get back.”
“Ethan, let her be and come to bed.” Riley chided from the background. Gratitude lifted the weight on her shoulders. Maybe he would listen to Riley.
“I need to get back to dinner, okay? Say hi to Rye for me. Love you.” She punched the screen with her index finger and disconnected the call. She slipped the phone back in her clutch and moved away from the wall. For years, she had tried to get through to him, but nothing worked. The only thing she hadn’t done was talk to Riley about how overbearing Ethan could be with her career choices. Maybe she would be able to talk some sense into him. No wonder Nate was so damn scared to be with her. Ethan would go off the deep end.
Her teeth nipped into her bottom lip at the image of Nate in his tuxedo. A soft chuckle tickled her throat, before being swallowed into the soft lapping of the waves below. He’d looked so damn sexy and irritated about being dressed up. She’d expected him to be at dinner with Ashley, but seeing him had taken the edge off her nerves. A vein had pulsed near his eye when she’d turned around as he was getting champagne. Anticipation swirled deep in her loins. No matter the need he radiated, no matter the intensity in his eyes or set line to his jaw… he’d never give in.
A small, orange glow ahead stopped her in her tracks. Her breath sucked in and her hand fluttered to her chest.
“Who was that?” Tony stepped out of the shadows, his tall, dark form moved toward her.
The heavy scent of cigarette smoke floated beneath her nostrils. She blew air out her nose and took a step back. He moved closer. Alcohol radiated from his pores and her eyes burned. He stopped in front of her, and his broad, dark shape blocked out the glow of the moon. Fear tickled up her spine but she lifted her chin.
“My family, not that it’s any of your business.” She shoved her shoulder into his ribcage and sided past him. His rough fingers closed around her bicep and he reeled her around.
“I’m not stupid.”
“Could have fooled me.” She yanked out of his hold and moved away from him. “Take a hike Tony, before I tell Carlos that you’re harassing me.”
He flicked his cigarette over the rail and spit on the deck. Her lip curled in revulsion.
“I’m not done talking to you,” he growled.
“Yes, you—”
His forearm circled around her throat and he brought her back against his chest, cutting off her air supply. His fingers trailed across her shoulder and down the neckline of her dress. Heat spread through her and she grabbed his hand, twisted it sharply to the side, and tore out of his hold. He dropped to the ground on his knees, his head flew back, and he yelped. His arm shook in her hand and the tendons beneath his skin jumped in protest.
“If you touch me again, you sonofabitch, I’ll tear your arm right off and feed it to the fishes.” She let him go. He let out a low cry through gritted teeth. His free hand clutched his injured wrist and his breath came out in rough, erratic pants.
A long, low growl sounded in his throat. He lifted his face and met her gaze. The cold breeze picked up the ends of his hair and whipped them across his cheek. His eyes burned at her like hot coals, and he bared his teeth.
“You fucking bitch.” He catapulted from his crouched position and his chest slammed against her abdomen. She tumbled backward with his weight on top of her. Her back collided with the deck first and her head bounced off the smooth wooden planks. White flashed in front of her eyes and mingled with the stars. She squeezed her eyes tight against the roar of her pulse. Tony’s hands clamped over her shoulders and pressed her hard into the floor.
“I know you’re hiding something, and I’m going to find out what it is.” His hot breath came down on her, stifling her. She turned her head to the side and breathed the cool, salty air.
Her chest rose and fell inches from his. She turned her face to meet his gaze and anger seared through her.
“It’s called self-defense. You should probably look into it.” Her voice sounded ragged to her ears. She parted her fingers and jabbed them forward into his eye sockets. Not hard enough to injure him, but enough to get him to loosen his hold. His hands slapped over his face and he let out a howl. She pushed his solid body off her and got to her feet.
“I’d put some ice on that if I were you.” Her head swam and her feet hitched as she strode down the deck. Her toe caught the floor and she stumbled, her hand shot out to grab the wall, stabilizing her. She forced a wave of nausea down, scooped up a handful of her dress, and took a step. The hairs on the back of her neck stood on end and fear lodged in her throat. She had to get back inside.
A flutter of movement sounded behind her. Her heart leapt into her throat and she wheeled around, her hands braced in front of her. Tony hooked his arm around her waist and lifted her off her feet.
“You’re going to regret that,” he breathed against her ear. She kicked and squirmed against him. One arm lay trapped between them. His laugh dropped the bottom out of her stomach. Alarm bells sounded in her head, and survival mode hit her like an electrode.
She gritted her teeth, bent her free arm, and slammed her elbow into his jaw. He staggered backward, but tightened his hold on her. His throat rumbled on a growl against her shoulder. He tightened his hold and moved away from the wall. Her heart slammed into her throat and adrenaline flooded her veins.
The wild crash of waves against the side of the boat floated over the rail. She bucked and twisted against him and threw her weight to the deck. His hold loosened, but he caught her around the waist and flung her over his shoulder. The sharp edge of his shoulder blade dug into her abdomen. Terror bit its fierce claws into her bones.
A scream tore from her lungs, but was carried on the harsh wind. She kicked against Tony and connected her fists against his spine.
“Fuck,” he groused against her hip. His fingers dug into the backs of her legs and he moved forward again.
No, no, no. She wouldn’t die like this. She wasn’t a strong swimmer, and even if she were, it could take forever before anyone came looking for her. The salty, fishy scent of the water below forced its way into her nostrils.
“No! Help!” she cried. Ice-cold air caressed its frigid fingers under her dress and goosebumps spread across her skin. The clank of Tony’s gold rings against the metal rail reached her ears and panicked seized her. His hand moved from her legs and pulled at her hip, trying to dislodge her from his shoulder. She dug her fingers into the waistband of his pants and kicked with all her might.
“Someone help!” Her scream split through her soul, the raw, acrid taste of fear settled in the back of her throat. He hefted her into the air over his head, tearing her grip from his pants.
Please God, don’t let me die like this…
Chapter 9
His heart drummed in tune with his fingers
on the tablecloth. Where they hell had she gone? He turned his wrist and glanced at his watch. She’d been gone more than ten minutes, and she wouldn’t risk making Carlos suspicious. Tony leaving moments ago couldn’t be a coincidence.
“Would you sit still and eat?” Ashley hissed with her gaze on her soup.
Apprehension danced over his skin. He set his spoon next to the bowl and leaned close to her ear. “Something’s not right. I’ll be right back.” He wiped his mouth with the thick white napkin and stood.
Ashley snagged his pant leg and her eyes narrowed on his. Out of the corner of his eye, Olga’s gaze lingered with interest on them. Ashley was right, he was acting weird, and it would draw attention. Only he didn’t give a shit. He’d learned long ago to listen to his gut.
“Please excuse me,” he said to the other couples. “I need to take this call.” He pulled his phone from his pocket, being careful not to let them see that no call illuminated the screen, and nodded at them. A few hands lifted in acknowledgement of his false excuse. He squeezed around the table next to them, his attention on Maddie’s empty seat. Carlos dug into his soup, unconcerned. Carlos’s eyes lifted and landed on Nate. Recognition dawned in his green orbs and he straightened in his seat.
Nate clenched his hand around his phone and forced a tight smile. Carlos dabbed his mouth with a napkin and stood as Nate moved past his chair.
“Hey neighbor. I was hoping we’d be at the same table,” Carlos said. He extended his hand to Nate. He closed his fingers around Carlos’s smaller hand, and gripped it harder than he’d intended. The skin around Carlos’s eyes creased and he winced. Something flashed in his eyes and his pupils dilated.
“Yeah, that’s too bad.” Urgency scorched through Nate’s muscles, and his neck tensed. Even white teeth flashed, and Carlos’s green eyes watched him carefully. Nate suppressed the urge to sit Carlos’s fake ass in the chair and hunt for Maddie. They were here for a reason, and he had to keep up the charade.
Exposed Page 8
