Perilous Seas

by Lily Harper Hart

  “This place must’ve cost a couple million, though,” Quinn hedged. “I’ve got savings, but that will pretty much deplete everything I have on the down payment.”

  Nick let loose a weary sigh. “I said it would work out and it will. I’m quite well set. The house would be a gift.”

  “No way.” Red embarrassment crept up Quinn’s cheeks. “I can’t allow that. I ... it’s not right.”

  “I believe gifts are customary when someone gets married.” Nick refused to back down. “Besides, Rowan is owed a decade’s worth of gifts. I think this house will just about take care of that.”

  “I ... .” Quinn broke off and worked his jaw. “I need to talk to her about this first,” he said finally. “I also need to propose before anything else happens. I can’t just drop a house on her and say ‘surprise.’ I’m going to need time.”

  “We have time. At least I hope we do.” Nick moved to the chair next to Quinn. “We’ll take as much time as we need to make sure we do this right.”

  “Definitely.” Quinn bobbed his head. “Rowan’s life depends on it. We have to make sure we don’t make any mistakes.”

  “Then we won’t make any mistakes. It’s as simple as that.”

  5

  Five

  Rowan and Paul left Quinn and Nick to chat on the patio and headed for the beach after lunch. Nick insisted on grilling, and he did a good job, but Rowan had so many butterflies flitting through her stomach she couldn’t eat more than a few bites.

  “Don’t go too far,” Quinn admonished. She’d changed into a pair of knit shorts provided by her father so she would be more comfortable out in the sun. They were too big for her, but the drawstring allowed her to keep them on her slim frame. “Make sure we can see you, okay?”

  She made a tempestuous face. “I’m not a kid.”

  “You’re my kid,” Paul countered, “and they’re right. We’ll stay close enough that you can see us. It’s too hot to go too far anyway.”

  “That’s all I ask.” Quinn gave Rowan a quick kiss even though she was obviously feeling petulant. “I love you. I’m sorry you feel put upon.”

  She didn’t want to encourage him, but she couldn’t stop her lips from curving. “How do you know I’m feeling put upon?”

  “I know you.” His fingers were gentle as he slid a strand of hair behind her ear. “Be safe. I’ll be here. If something happens ... .”

  “You’ll be the first to know,” she finished. “I’ve got my phone.” She held it up for proof. “You’re number one on my speed dial. We’re going to be fine.”

  “I know.” He smoothed her hair. “I want you to be careful all the same.”

  “We’re on it,” Paul promised, hooking Rowan’s arm and giving her a light tug to separate her from Quinn. “Just for the record, that mushy thing you guys do drives me nuts. I’m talking strictly from a father’s perspective.”

  “I think you’re going to have to get used to it.” Quinn was serious. “It’s not going to change. Things are too awesome to change.” He poked Rowan’s stomach and caused her to laugh.

  “They’re definitely awesome,” she agreed. “We won’t go far. I promise.”

  PAUL WAS HAPPY TO HAVE time with Rowan. A decade spent away from her was too much and he was almost at his breaking point when he finally decided to make contact. That was the reason, of course, he decided to make contact in the first place. He told himself it was for her benefit, but it was really for his.

  “How are things on the ship?” he asked, watching with amusement as Rowan scanned the beach for shells.

  “Fairly normal,” Rowan replied, darting to her right to snag something from the sand. “Although, we did have a really weird thing happen the night before last. We rescued people from a life raft. It was basically a fluke that we found them in the first place, but it was surreal.”

  Paul furrowed his brow. “Are you talking about the Sterlings?”

  Rowan straightened, surprised. “Yeah. How did you know that?”

  “They’re locals and it’s been all over the news.”

  “I ... huh. Now that you mention that, I think I heard that during all the hoopla. I’m not familiar with Florida’s geography so I didn’t think much of it.”

  “Their house is just down that way.” Paul pointed to a huge mansion that was visible at the far end of the beach. There are people going in and out of that compound constantly.”

  “Is that safe for you guys? I mean ... if there are a lot of people on this road, it seems to me that you guys might not be as safe as you would like.”

  Paul chuckled, genuinely amused by her reaction. “I love that you immediately jump to the conclusion that we’re in trouble. You always were a worrier.”

  “Yeah, well, it turned out I had things to worry about, didn’t it?”

  Paul’s expression shifted. “I guess so. I’m sorry about all of it, Rowan. It’s my fault this is happening. It’s my fault you had to go out of your way today to drive miles in a different direction simply to make sure no one was following you. It’s my fault you’re out here today, on what should be your day off.”

  Frustration bubbled up as Rowan fought the urge to keep from snapping at her father. “First off, I happen to like the beach so I would’ve spent the day screwing around by the water anyway. You have no idea how many afternoons Quinn has wasted reading a book while I built sandcastles.”

  “It’s not quite the same, though.”

  Rowan ignored him. “Secondly, you didn’t create this situation. You might’ve made a few bad decisions along the way, but you had good reasons for doing what you did. You were trying to protect me. I realize that. Trying to change what’s already been done is a losing proposition.”

  Paul bit back a sigh. “I guess. I still feel guilty.”

  “We can only move forward.” Rowan was insistent. “That’s what I want to do.”

  “It’s what I want, too. I just ... you have no idea how glad I am to see you.” He turned earnest. “The last three weeks have been harder than the ten years we were separated for some reason.”

  “It’s the buildup,” Rowan said. “We’ll get used to it. Now that we can see each other on a regular basis, the anticipation won’t be as great.”

  “I think I’ll always be happy to see you.”

  “Oh, and you say Quinn and I are mushy,” she teased, skipping ahead a bit so she could grab another shell. “Tell me about the Sterlings. Have you met them?”

  “No, and that’s by design. We don’t want people paying attention to us so we’re purposely quiet and keep to ourselves.”

  “That’s probably smart,” Rowan acknowledged. “Still, you’re stuck here. Have you seen them out and about at all?”

  “Not really, although there was a lot going on down there yesterday.”

  “They just got back.” Rowan focused on the house, which looked quiet. “The father died on the yacht. The daughter and her friend did, too.”

  “That’s sad. Did you meet the survivors?”

  “Only briefly. Quinn went out with his men to rescue them and then, because they were so dehydrated and obviously grieving, he basically locked them in the medical ward to keep them away from prying eyes.”

  “Given the amount of money one of those tabloid newspapers would’ve paid for a photo of them right after the rescue, that was for the best. They’ve gone through a lot.”

  “Yeah.” Rowan scratched an invisible itch on the side of her nose. “Quinn said they were acting above it all, as if they somehow weren’t hurting over what happened. I don’t understand how that could be possible.”

  “It was probably an act,” Paul volunteered. “I had to act normal, as if I wasn’t living a stranger’s life for a full ten years. Eventually I realized I was living a form of a new life, but when I first started, I had to go through the motions.”

  “Yeah, but ... why are these people going through the motions? They’re allowed to mourn.”

  “Maybe they don�
�t think they are.” Paul caught sight of a bright blue shell and bent over to pick it up. “Maybe, because they’re regular tabloid fixtures and they are expected to act a certain way in front of the cameras.”

  “If that’s the reason, I’m sad for them.” Rowan tilted her head to the side when her father handed her the blue shell. “That’s pretty.”

  “I have no idea what you’re collecting them for,” he admitted, rueful. “I thought I should help, though.”

  “I just like them. I ... hmm. What’s that?” Rowan shifted gears quickly when she caught sight of something gleaming in the nearby beach grass.

  “Where?” Paul wasn’t quite sure what she was looking at.

  “There?” Rowan pointed and started moving in that direction. “There’s a reflection off something. I ... .” She pulled up short, nausea flowing through her when she realized what she was looking at. “Oh, my ... .”

  Paul caught her before she could trip over her own feet, confusion evident. “What’s wrong?”

  “It’s a hand,” Rowan barked out, her stomach threatening to revolt. She had to force herself to look away from the horrific tableau as she fought to regain her senses. “It’s a human hand ... and it’s been ripped off or something.”

  Paul was dumbfounded. “Oh, geez. Are you kidding?” He looked around for help and then realized where he was and exactly what they were dealing with. “You have to call the police ... and I can’t be here.”

  Rowan’s brain felt slow as she tried to absorb the information. “What do you mean?”

  “I can’t be on a police report.” He released her arm and dragged a hand through his hair. “How will that look? My name is recognizable ... at least the name I’m forced to go under. I can’t use my real name.”

  Rowan slowly came back to reality. “Right. What about Nick?”

  “He’s fine. We have a plan for something like this. I have to leave, though.”

  “For good?” Panic raced through Rowan. “Are you leaving forever?”

  “No, sweetheart.” Paul rested his hand on Rowan’s shoulder. “I simply have to leave while the cops are here. I can’t afford to be questioned.”

  “Right.” Rowan felt like an idiot as she straightened. She hated coming off as whiny and weak, and that’s exactly how she believed she sounded to her father. “That makes sense. Of course you have to disappear for a little bit.”

  Paul gave her hand a reassuring squeeze. “I promise it won’t be for long. I just ... I have to go now.”

  “Go.” Rowan was firm. “Send Nick and Quinn down here. I’ll make the call as soon as they’re with me.”

  “It’s going to be okay.” Paul hoped he sounded reassuring. “I mean it. There’s no reason to freak out.”

  “I’m not freaking out.” Rowan prayed she sounded more sure of herself than she felt. “It’s just a hand on the beach. I’ve got this.”

  “BLECH.” ROWAN MADE A face and involuntarily shuddered as she watched the police bag the hand an hour later.

  At first, Quinn had been dubious she actually found a human body part. He assumed it was something else and she merely thought she’d found a hand. It turned out, he was wrong and she was right ... although they both wished it was a case of mistaken identity.

  “It’s male,” Detective Perry Bridges announced, wrinkling his nose as he dropped the hand into a huge bag. “That’s about all I can say.”

  “How long do you think it’s been out here?” Nick asked. He’d remained calm, stoic even, during the police visit. He was obviously concerned about what this meant for their hidden retreat, though.

  “It’s hard to tell because I’m pretty sure it’s been in the water,” Bridges replied. “I’m going to estimate a week or so, but that will have to go through the medical examiner’s office.”

  “Of course.” Nick rubbed his forehead. “Is there something I’m supposed to be doing here? Sadly, I’m at a loss.”

  Bridges chuckled, as if the situation were funny rather than terrifying. “I don’t know what you can do. Although ... you don’t know anyone missing a hand, do you?”

  “Not last time I checked,” Nick replied dryly.

  “That is your house, right?” Bridges gestured toward the hidden house. “I checked property records when I arrived. You only recently bought it.”

  “That’s true.” Nick was cool under pressure, something Quinn admired. “I was just showing the house to my friends, in fact, when we decided to take a walk on the beach and this happened. I think this is going to put them off buying a house on the beach even though I was hoping they would settle close to me.”

  “Uh-huh.” Bridges’ gaze was speculative as it bounced between faces. “And how do you folks know each other?”

  Quinn had already given this particular topic thought and he was ready. “Mr. Green was a passenger on The Bounding Storm several months ago. He was there for a ship find, The Conqueror, and we transported him to El Demonio. During the course of that trip, someone tried to kill us — I mean all three of us — and we sort of bonded in the aftermath. He invited us to his place to catch up once we hit shore after our most recent cruise and we thought it would make for a nice afternoon.”

  “I love the beach,” Rowan offered lamely. “Although ... not so much right now.” She swallowed hard as she glanced at the hand. “Now I’m going to be afraid whenever I dig in the sand.”

  The admission caused Quinn’s heart to flip. “This is a fluke, Ro,” he said hurriedly. “The hand didn’t originate here. In fact, the rest of the body probably isn’t here. It’s out in the ocean.”

  “And what makes you say that?” Bridges asked, curious.

  “I head up security on The Bounding Storm. Before that, I worked with the military. I know a thing or two about the disposition of bodies.”

  “And what does this body tell you?”

  Quinn briefly stared at the hand. “It was in the water,” he said finally. “I’m not sure how it was separated from the body, but it was definitely in the water. It’s been nibbled on and lost a lot of pigmentation.

  “You’re dealing with a white male,” he continued. “It’s impossible to determine the age. My guess would be there was some sort of fishing accident out that way.” He vaguely waved at the water. “It could be something more nefarious, of course. If we’re leaning in that direction, I’m betting it’s a drug deal gone wrong.”

  Bridges pursed his lips, impressed. “I see you watch a lot of crime shows.”

  Quinn managed to keep from scowling, but just barely. “I know a little bit about a variety of things. Do you have a different theory?”

  “Actually, no.” Bridges smirked as he handed the hand to a young uniformed officer, who happened to look like the last thing he wanted to be doing was holding a human body part. “That makes sense. I do have a few questions for you folks, though.”

  “I would expect nothing less.” Quinn moved his hand up and down Rowan’s back to offer her solace. “What do you want to know?”

  “Why were you walking this far away from the house? It seems to me, if it’s your day off, you would want to relax in the shade.”

  “That’s the thing about working on a cruise ship,” Quinn drawled. “We get to relax in the shade – and sun, for that matter – even when we’re working. As I said earlier, Rowan enjoys the beach. We were taking a walk and talking when we saw it.”

  “And what were you talking about?”

  The question caught Quinn off guard. “Excuse me?”

  “What were you talking about?” he repeated, not missing a beat.

  “The Sterlings,” Rowan volunteered, slipping her hand in Quinn’s and giving him a reassuring squeeze. “Nick was explaining how they lived right down there.” Rowan inclined her head in that direction. “We were obviously interested since we’re the ones who helped pluck them out of the ocean two days ago.”

  “Really?” Bridges adjusted his tone almost immediately. “That’s ... interesting. I read about that
in the newspaper. You guys are being hailed as heroes.”

  “Quinn was a hero,” Rowan said hurriedly. “I stayed on the ship. He went out to fetch them, though.”

  “It wasn’t a big deal,” Quinn supplied. “Still, when we heard they lived close to Nick, we were a little curious. We haven’t heard much since the Coast Guard picked them up yesterday.”

  “They’ve been holed up inside the mansion making funeral plans,” Bridges offered, lowering his voice to a conspiratorial whisper. “People say that Patrice is freaking out without her husband and spending a million dollars on the funeral.”

  “Oh, well ... .” Quinn had no idea what to say to that. “I guess people grieve in different ways,” he said finally. “I’m sure she’s dealing with a lot. To lose her husband and daughter in the same accident ... that’s a lot for anyone to deal with.

  “Besides that, they were drifting in the ocean for a very long time,” he continued. “They were numb when we picked them up. It’s probably only now that the true weight of what happened to them is becoming obvious.”

  “It’s definitely sad,” Bridges agreed. “I don’t blame you for being curious. Everyone around these parts can’t stop talking about it. We all assumed they died together on the ocean. It’s almost worse for half of them to come back.”

  “Why would it be worse?” Rowan asked. “I mean ... I know it’s a tragedy. Still, though, it’s better for some people to survive than for everybody to die.”

  “I guess. It’s still going to mark them for the rest of their lives.”

  “I’ll agree with that,” Quinn said, sliding his arm around Rowan’s waist. “Is that all you need us for? It’s getting hot out here and I’d like to get some water before we become dehydrated.”

  “I think that’s it,” Bridges confirmed. “We might have a few more questions down the line.”

  “You have our contact information.”

  “Right.” Bridges stared at the spot where the hand was discovered as Quinn moved to lead Rowan back to the house. “Oh, just one more question. How did you see the hand when you were walking on the beach down yonder?”