by Cherry Adair
He wasn’t sure he could survive the next few weeks. And suddenly he realized that now he did give a damn whether he survived everything or not.
He gave her seven minutes, watching her walk away, her long-legged stride taking her farther with each step as his face tingled from her slap. He smiled, really smiled, for the first time in a year. Her slap had knocked some sense into him, proving to him that—goddamn it—he was so desperate for her touch, he was willing to do anything to get it. Okay. He got it.
He’d been hit with a game changer.
Time to play by different rules.
* * *
Addison managed to block out Rydell for the rest of the day, making excellent headway on her new manuscript. Unable to return to the little shop with the amazing velvets, she’d incorporate it into the book anyway.
She stopped typing when her stomach grumbled, a reminder that she’d skipped both breakfast and lunch. Something she wouldn’t have done if she hadn’t been avoiding another confrontation with her ex-husband. Time for a break and a snack before dinner. The mini fridge in her cabin was stocked with water, sodas, and fruit, but she wanted real food.
Rubbing her eyes, she got to her feet with a stretch. She’d check the galley to see if chef Patrick O’Keefe had any chocolate cake left. Better yet, she’d change into her running shoes and do a few laps around the deck. It wouldn’t satisfy her hunger, but it would make her feel too sanctimonious to eat a large slice of sinful cake.
It was midafternoon, and a warm salty breeze blew through the open window, so it shouldn’t be unbearably hot. They’d be docking in Port Said pretty soon. Better run now, before she lost the opportunity because they were in port.
Addy headed to the walk-in closet, a large square room with shelves and hanging space ceiling-to-floor, with an entire wall with special shelves designed by Rydell just for her shoes and purses.
Usually she took a moment to enjoy her collection, but today she was too distracted. Pulling out her favorite jogging shoes, she sat on the padded bench in the middle of the closet to put them on. Something was … off with Rydell. She couldn’t put her finger on it. Perhaps because her annoyance, and her own pain, obscured her interest in what he may be feeling like a foggy mask.
Tightening the laces, she chewed the corner of her lip as she considered whether she was prepared to work up the emotion needed to delve more deeply into why he was so determined to commandeer the ship, or if she didn’t give a damn one way or the other. It wasn’t like her to be apathetic, but it had been more than a year since she’d allowed herself to feel anything other than numb.
If it was all true, and Sea Dragon had been pirated—well, Rydell was a wealthy man, he could’ve rented any number of dive boats and continued his track record of not wanting to talk to her or see her. He’d done a damn fine job of that for the last year.
It was clear he felt about her the same way she felt about him. So this wasn’t a ruse to rekindle what they’d had before.
Their divorce was final. He’d instigated it. She’d merely signed the paperwork and sent it back without a word.
Incapable of giving a damn about their daughter’s death, he’d chosen to deal with it by not dealing with it. In those intervening three months, when she’d been at her lowest point, he’d been too busy with his salvage business to race to her side. Too damn busy to pick up the phone. Too busy to come to their daughter’s funeral.
He’d found the time to file for divorce.
That said it all.
Addison’s phone rang in the other room, and she left the coziness of the closet to pick it up from the small desk under the window. Her sister-in-law Callie. Sophie’s death had inexplicably caused a rip in Addison and Callie’s friendship as well. God only knew what Rydell had told her friend—or his sister, Peri, for that matter. The three of them had once been as close as sisters, but for a year now both women had been extremely cool. The fact that, like Rydell, Callie and Peri refused to discuss what had happened hurt Addison deeply.
Callie’s job with the Cutters wasn’t turning out quiet the way Rydell had planned.
“Ry is furious with me,” Callie said without preamble as soon as Addison answered.
“Screw him, who cares?” Addison sat on her desk chair and finished tying her shoes. “This is your life and your happiness.”
“I love Jonah. I’ve never been happier. Will you, at least, come to my wedding? It’ll be in Switzerland. Neutral ground.”
Addison smiled. “I wouldn’t miss it. I’m happy for you, Callie, I really am.”
“Ry will never forgive me. He’s pissed that I’ve found love again.”
“Come on. You know him better than that. He loves you as much as he loves Peri. He knows you loved Adam, but you weren’t buried with him. No, it’s marrying a Cutter that has his shorts in a knot.”
“I know. But it’s something he’s going to have to adjust to. Although I have to say, in the mood he’s been in for the last few months, maybe not.”
Ah. Perhaps Callie knew what was eating him. “What’s going on with Ry?”
“Other than his ship being hijacked then blown to smithereens, you mean?”
So that part was true. At least Callie hadn’t brought up Sophia. Knowing what a proud man Rydell was, Addison knew having someone steal his ship was a blow to his ego as well as his pocket. The baby’s death was personal. Too personal. “Rydell bounces back from adversity.” Tucking the phone between chin and shoulder, she scooped her hair up into a rough ponytail, then opened the drawer for a covered rubber band. “Trust me, this I know.”
Neither woman was ready to discuss Sophie’s death. A good thing because Addison was still too raw to be rational. She didn’t want to hear anyone else’s point of view when the pain was still just as raw as it had been when she’d died.
“That’s unfair, Addy.” Callie’s voice was sharp. “His pain is no less than yours. You needed each other, and things fell apar—”
“We dealt with it in our own way. Our ways were opposite. That topic is off the table. I mean it, Cal. I can’t handle Rydell and Naveen, and pick at that barely healed scab as well. I just can’t.”
“Fine, but it’s like a festering wound that won’t heal until it’s lanced.”
Addison winced. “Jesus, thanks for that disgusting visual.”
“Sorry.” There was a lengthy pause. “Addy, have you spoken to Peri recently?”
“A few months ago, I guess. Actually I called and tried to leave a message last night. Her mailbox was full as usual. You know Peri.” Rydell’s sister was often incommunicado for months on end. They’d all learned not to worry. Too much. “Why, have you?”
“Not for months. I do think there’s something going on with Ry. I could hear it in his voice when I spoke to him a few weeks ago. Maybe Peri knows.”
“He’s his usual Fort Knox of emotion.”
“Just because he doesn’t show it doesn’t mean he doesn’t feel deeply.”
“His inscrutable mask is made out of titanium, believe me. Nothing permeates. No emotions go in, none come out.”
“Talk to Peri.”
Addison’s heart skipped several beats, and her mouth suddenly went dry. About to stand so she could stretch before her run, she dropped back onto the chair. Hot and cold tingles spread over her body. “Is he dying?” It would be impossible to hate a dead man. She wanted him alive and, if not suffering, then at least as miserable as she was.
“What? No!”
“Are either you or Peri dying?”
Callie laughed. “Not unless Ry kills me before my impending nuptials, no. But I think Peri might know what’s going on.”
“What’s going on is that he’s furious his precious ship was hijacked, he’s even more pissed that I own his beloved Tesoro Mio, and he doesn’t like being inconvenienced. He’ll get over it. And frankly, Cal, if he doesn’t, I don’t give a damn. We’re not married anymore. Honestly, I don’t think he ever really committed to marriage
; he just wanted me in his bed badly enough to put a ring on my finger. The bloom dropped off that rose when—” Her throat closed up before she managed to push out the words she loathed to say out loud. “We stopped loving each other when Sophie died.”
“That is patently untrue. I’ve never seen a man more in love with a woman than Rydell was with you. You were his everything, Addison. He thought you hung the moon and the stars and pulled the tides. That man loved you more than life itself. You needed to draw strength from each other, and you pushed him away.”
“I didn’t push him. He ran. As far and fast as he could. If he won’t talk about it, and I don’t want to talk about it, at least respect my wishes.”
“Fine,” Callie said calmly. “I’ll shut up. I’m damn lucky that I found a man who feels that way about me. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime kinda love.”
I used to think the same thing. Until it wasn’t. “Let me know where and when for the wedding. I’ll be there.”
“Addison—”
“It was great catching up, Callie. I can’t wait to meet Jonah, I’m sure he’s everything you say he is.” And since he was part of the Cutter family—Rydell’s archnemeses—the union was sure to cause all sorts of conflict. It remained to be seen if Rydell loved Callie more than he hated the Cutters. “Love you to the moon and back, honey. Talk to you soon.”
Four
Addy was down in her cabin, pissed. So be it. Ry’d had no intention of leaving her in Genoa while he continued on to the dive site. Not unless that had been the only option. He’d counted on her stubbornness, and brought her back on board. But he was well aware that it could easily have gone south and he’d be continuing on without her right now.
So she was on board. A plus in the clusterfuck of it all.
The good news was that she was so angry having him there, she wouldn’t want to rehash the past, and for that Rydell was pathetically grateful. He couldn’t handle an emotional outburst on top of the rest of it.
Captain Seddeth leaned against the chart table, arms folded. “Everyone is on their way.”
He’d asked the captain to call a crew meeting. Ry had hired Seddeth and several of the others, then left the rest of the hires to the new captain’s discretion. Now he wanted them to know who was boss on this trip.
He scanned the horizon through the wide windows on the bridge. Clear skies, rolling five-footers hitting them on a beam. He filled his lungs. God, he loved this ship. He drew his focus back to the captain. “I need to know where their loyalty lies. They don’t know me, but I need them to trust me.”
“I’ve already spoken to them, Ry. I know and trust you. Yes, Addison is my boss, but you hired me, and while I don’t know what’s going on, I’ll trust that you’ll let me know when you’re ready. Although God only knows you’re a tight-lipped bastard, and hardly the guy to share any secrets. You hold everything close to your chest.”
Rydell smiled. “For someone who barely knows me, you have a pretty good idea how I operate.”
“I’ve worked for Addison for over a year. She’s almost as tight-lipped as you are, but she’s let me see glimpses of the life you shared together. I have no interest in getting into the personal, but as far as this ship goes, I’m your man.”
Rydell wondered if Addy had told Seddeth about Sophie, but didn’t ask. The lid had to stay on that Pandora’s box until he was ready to open it. If ever.
“Thanks, I appreciate that. And thanks for coming,” Ry continued, turning to the men cramming into the wheelhouse. “I helped design Tesoro Mio, but before I took possession, Addison was awarded it in the divorce.” Not that she could do anything other than live on board without his written consent. If she ever decided to sell her, he had the right of first refusal. Under the circumstances that was laughable. At the moment he couldn’t even afford a sailboat. “I didn’t anticipate ever being on board Tesoro Mio, but things changed when Sea Dragon was taken.”
Several of the men gave him sympathetic looks, whether it was for the loss of his ship or the fact that his ex-wife had been awarded this magnificent craft before he’d ever set sail in her. Hell, maybe they felt his pain over the divorce. Or maybe they were all thinking what an asshole he was for taking over his ex’s ship, because their loyalty lay with Addy, not the man who’d just shown up out of the blue.
Still, their private opinions were immaterial. He’d do the best he could by them, but that wouldn’t change what was coming down. “Now circumstances have forced me to take back control, at least until after the dive. The dive site is situated between the southern tip of India and the Maldives. We pick up the crew in four days in Mangalore. I don’t anticipate any complications on this dive. I know where the silver is, I’ve scouted out the site, and I’ve done all the necessary paperwork. Everyone on board will get a percentage, and I don’t anticipate the salvage to take any more than ten days. Two weeks at the outside.”
The prospect of a percentage of the salvage changed people’s demeanor almost instantly. Now they were really paying attention. “There’s a possibility—slim, but a possibility—that we don’t recover the silver. In which case—” He shrugged. Nada.
“What happens once you find your treasure?” First Mate Badri Patil asked. Small and wiry, he probably weighed in at a hundred pounds soaking wet. “Will things go back to the way they were with Ms. D’Marco in charge? Or will we basically report to you?”
Fair question. It was odd hearing Addy referred to by her maiden name; it gave Ry an unpleasant twinge in his gut. “Addison has found a buyer for the ship in Sydney. That’s not going to happen. If she insists on selling, then I’ll buy her out.” A situation he hoped to bloody hell never happened because he didn’t have the funds to do so. “But that’s down the road. I just wanted to fill you in as to who I am, and why I’m here. Until such time as the ship docks in Sydney, you are all to report to Captain Seddeth first, as you do now, and then to me. No exception, is that understood?”
He waited for each person to give him an affirmation.
“Good. Now the main reason for this meeting. We’re going through the canal. None of you have done so before, and the captain and I want to make sure you understand just how perilous the transit can be—and probably will be. We’re meeting a group of mercenaries, paid to protect the ship. I don’t know these men; their reputation is all we have to go on. This is your chance to bail at Port Said if you’re not willing to do everything necessary to keep the ship secure from pirates.”
“I’m better with a frying pan than a gun these days. But I was in the Gulf. I know my way around a weapon,” Patrick O’Keefe assured him with his strong Boston accent and a gleam in his eye as he looked out the assortment of weapons Ry and Seddeth had gathered for the trip. “She looks neat and nimble. Come here, my girl.” He picked up a Sig Sauer and a box of ammo.
Each man picked up his own weapon of choice and a box of ammo.
* * *
Addison never did get around to the run. They’d been closer to Port Said Shipyard at the northern entrance to the Suez Canal than she’d realized.
Callie’s words went around and around in her mind like a hamster on a wheel. Something was wrong. Very wrong if Ry’s sister-in-law and sister were concerned about him.
“Damn you, Rydell Case! I do not want to worry about you. I don’t even want to think about you!” It was all very well snarling at him from the privacy of her cabin. She needed to get her emotions in check before she went out on deck, because the last thing she wanted to do was show even a sliver of feelings for him to his face.
She considered going into town once they docked, but decided against it. Rydell, ever impatient, and freaking cranky as hell, would just come and find her and make her return to the ship again. Or worse, set sail without her this time. Possession was nine-tenths of the law. She wasn’t going to give him the chance to take over completely.
Still, she wanted at least to look at the city since they had to wait for the security people to show up.
Dressing conservatively in her lightest-weight white cotton pants and a sheer, pale-blue long-sleeved tunic over a skimpy white tank top, she made her way up to the third deck to join the captain.
“You’re just in time to get the first look at our security guys.” The captain indicated a large military-looking truck as it pulled up close to the boarding ramp. Rydell, clearly waiting for them, jogged down to greet the first man to emerge. Addison’s throat tightened. She was filled with so many conflicting emotions seeing her ex again, it was hard to contain them.
She placed a wide-brimmed straw hat on her head to shield her face from the brutal sun. “He’s lucky they could come at such short notice.” Because Tesoro Mio was setting sail a week earlier than scheduled, the private maritime security company had to hustle to supply the necessary men before they departed in the morning.
The transit from Port Said to the Gulf of Suez in the south, and from there through the Red Sea, was under fifteen hours. Some of the most dangerous—and expensive—hours that Addison had ever heard about. Transit fees, bribes, and the astronomical cost of the mercenaries added up and up and up. Because Naveen’s Australian friend was going to buy Tesoro Mio, he would reimburse her for all expenses. Or reimburse Rydell, since he was the one now paying.
Up and down the pier men loaded and unloaded ships of every size and description, securing cargo, taking on produce. If they weren’t working, people milled about or lounged in the shade of huge shipping containers.
Color, noise, unidentifiable smells, heat, and flies.
The temperatures hovered in the high nineties, so hot and dry Addison’s skin felt parched; every breath scorched the inside of her nose, burning all the way down to her lungs. There wasn’t another female in sight. A trickle of sweat glided down her temple beneath her hat and over the bridge of her nose under her sunglasses.
Tesoro Mio would leave with the second southbound convoy, consisting of fifteen to twenty ships of various sizes, at five the next morning. A shiver of misgiving cooled off Addison’s skin for a nanosecond. She’d read extensively about the dangers of pirates in the narrow canal, and she wasn’t looking forward to the next few hours. She already felt nervous and tense, and they hadn’t even left the dock yet.
