by Rachel Grant
“I never lied to you, Stefan. I just wanted Luke to stop.” Trey’s voice was shrill and anxious. “I was afraid for my life!”
She had no doubt he was afraid, but she also had no doubt he was lying to her father again, trying to undo the damage. How had he managed to convince her father to keep his lie a bitter secret all these years?
Deep down, she knew. Her mental state after the blowout had been yet another weapon in Trey’s arsenal. Stefan had probably believed that if he broke her faith in Luke once and for all, she’d feel used, violated, leaving a scar on her young psyche. It was true she’d struggled with the fact that Luke had hated her. So her dad had sacrificed their bond by never explaining his steadfast determination to destroy Luke.
Her heart broke for her dad then, what he’d given up in the name of protecting her. But she was also pissed at him for not having faith in her. He’d treated her like an adult in every way, but when she got into a very adult mess, he’d treated her like a child far younger than she really was.
It wasn’t like she was twelve. She’d been just a few months shy of seventeen, for chrissake, and taking junior-level college courses while teaching scuba safety and acting as an assistant research scientist at the institute. She had a professional and academic life most people didn’t have until their early—or even late—twenties. And her dad had been so proud of her for all of that.
Until she’d ventured into another adult area he wasn’t ready to deal with.
She’d recognized long ago that on one level, he’d been right. She hadn’t been ready for sex or the emotional complications—at least, not with someone so much older. But that didn’t change the fact that her father had expected her to live in an adult world of his creation, unintentionally isolating her from peers her own age. There was no one in her world with whom she could safely explore relationships and sexuality.
Then poor Luke showed up. He didn’t stand a chance when he unintentionally broke through her emotional isolation. “Dad,” Undine said. “Like Luke, I’m out. I can’t work with Trey. Have fun making the documentary without us.”
Trey’s eyes turned feral—as wild as Luke’s had been. “You bitch! This is all your fault. You and that stupid jarhead jock.”
Laughter bubbled up. “He’s a frogman, not a jarhead, moron.”
“He’s a bully,” Trey continued. “I haven’t done anything wrong, and you’re trying to fuck me over. You’re jealous of my relationship with your dad, so you want me out.”
She looked at Trey in shock. “So this is all about you? You lie to my dad for twelve years, allow our relationship to be destroyed, and ruin a man’s life, and it’s all about you? How precious.” She glanced around the boat and remembered her role in this operation. This wasn’t a Stefan Gray documentary. This was UAB, and she was in charge. Her dad had it written into the contract. “You know what, I take it back. I’m staying. You, however, are fired.”
“You can’t do that. This is your dad’s boat. Your dad’s institute.”
“You’re fired from the documentary. You have ten minutes to gather your personal belongings from this vessel and leave.”
Trey looked to her dad, who’d been silent throughout the exchange. “Are you going to let her do that, Stefan? She knows nothing about Nereid.”
Her dad let out a heavy sigh. “No.”
Trey lit up. “Thank God. I knew you’d—”
Her dad’s fist shot out and connected with Trey’s jaw. He tumbled over the side again. Stefan leaned over the rail and waited for Trey to surface, then said, “You don’t even have ten minutes. Your belongings will be delivered to the dock. You have two days to move out of your quarters at the institute. You’re fired.”
Thirty minutes into Luke’s workout, after most of his rage had abated, the two youths who’d been watching him lift weights approached him. “We heard a rumor that you were a SEAL,” the first one said.
Luke grimaced as he lifted the barbell to shoulder height. His hip burned, but no more than the rest of him. Once he had the heavy weights resting on his chest, he said, “I was,” then pumped the bar above his head and held it.
“You know the guy who shot bin Laden?” the other one asked.
Luke lowered the bar in stages until it was on the mat, then faced the boys. They were probably seventeen or eighteen; both had wiry builds, much as Luke had at that age. Their dark hair, complexions, and facial features indicated they were Makah tribal members. He’d seen them in the gym several times since he started coming here.
“Nah. I wasn’t on Team Six. I was on the team that focuses on water-based operations.”
“Me an’ Jimmy,” the first one said, “we want to join the Navy. We want to go through Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL training and become SEALs. We’re doing a mock physical screening test in a few months.”
Luke presented his hand. “Luke Sevick.”
“Daniel Ferguson,” the first one said, shaking his hand. “Ray’s my uncle,” he added, before Luke could ask.
“Jimmy Houser.”
“Nice to meet you both,” Luke said as he shook Jimmy’s hand.
“Do you have any tips, or advice? We’ve been working out. We’re in good shape, but we’ve been watching you, and it looks like we’ve got a long way to go.”
“I’ve been out of the SEALs for over four years. My workout is different. I injured my hip in combat and can’t do the harder, longer endurance training—not without a lot of pain. So instead I lift weights to increase swim strength and have more muscle mass now than I did as a SEAL. To get through BUD/S, you need endurance and functional strength.” He glanced down at the barbell at his feet. “Forget lifting. Sure, I can deadlift four hundred pounds now, but I can promise you, I never needed to do that as a SEAL. What I needed—what you’ll need—is the endurance you build with ruck marches and long runs. You need to be able to run five miles just to get to the chow hall at the end of an intensive day of swimming and workouts on the grinder. Fifty-mile bike rides are good prep for BUD/S. Grinder physical training—calisthenics—is key. Also pull-ups and kettlebell workouts, those will get you ready for the mock PST. How many miles can you run?”
“We’ve both completed a half marathon,” Jimmy said.
“Good. You’ll need to be able to do ten on sand in addition to a road half marathon. Fortunately, you’ve got some great beaches around here to practice on. But the most important thing when it comes to making the cut is attitude. You’ve got to want it more than you’ve ever wanted anything in your life. You’ve got to believe the training is actually going to kill you, and want it enough to keep going. Nothing can quite prepare you for that.”
“Would you be willing to…work with us? I mean, you’re here working out anyway. Maybe show us your grinder PT routine, and we’ll follow?”
“I’m no fitness instructor,” he said. “I’m not qualified to give advice. I don’t know how to assess your limits. But if you want to follow my lead and adjust as necessary to suit your level, I’m cool with that.”
What started off as a calisthenics workout morphed into sparring lessons as others in the gym joined in and the boys wanted a demonstration of fighting techniques.
He knew what happened to Annie probably wasn’t far from their minds, and wasn’t surprised the gym was busy the day after a shocking murder that must have rocked the tiny community.
Ninety minutes into his workout, the rage was gone and he was flying high on a different sort of adrenaline. Uncomplicated human interaction. Guys bonding.
Only this wasn’t him working out with his team. Here he was the mentor, a role he enjoyed. This was the break he’d needed. Better than meditation.
He was on the mat working with Daniel, demonstrating a hold. His grip was loose so as not to hurt the boy, as he showed arm position and leverage. The front door to the gym opened, and he glanced over to see the beautiful water nymph who was slowly but surely stealing his heart.
He paused, just taking her in, t
he way her brow furrowed and her lips opened in surprise as she took in the scene that surely looked like Luke was beating up on a young tribal member.
An elbow gouged him in the ribs, and a moment later, he was flat on his back, with Daniel’s foot on his chest. Daniel had used Luke’s distraction and taken the advantage in the sparring match. Smart boy.
Luke grinned up at him. “Big mistake with placing your foot there.” In slow motion, he showed how to hit the back of the knee and grab the ankle, throwing the boy off-balance. He brought Daniel down and took the power position.
Face thusly saved, he left Daniel on the mat and approached Undine. He was coated in sweat and had to smell worse than a locker room, but she didn’t flinch. She wrapped her arms around his neck and planted her mouth on his for a long, deep kiss.
He slipped his arms around her waist and lifted her. Kissing her with exuberance after the emotional upheavals of the day. There was so much left to settle between them, but this…this was real. Whatever it was that initiated it might not matter, because the chemistry between them was a tangible thing.
“I really hope you know her,” Jimmy said.
“Dude, what body spray do you use?” Daniel asked.
Undine laughed, and he set her down. She faced the group of gaping boys, who’d just witnessed the too-intense-for-public kiss. “Nope. We’ve never met. But it’s not the body spray, it’s the muscles.” She made a face. “Although body spray or deodorant might be a good idea, now that you mention it.”
He laughed. “I’ll hit the shower, then we’ll head to the cabin?”
She nodded. “I’ll wait.”
“You missed your workout today. You could get thirty minutes of cardio in while I clean up.” He flashed a grin to let her know he was teasing.
She rose on her toes and whispered in his ear, “I have a different workout in mind. I hope you haven’t overworked your quads.”
He nipped at her neck and murmured, “That sounds like I’m going to do the work, not you.”
She shrugged. “So you’ll wear my Fitbit.”
“I really think someone needs to explain to you how a Fitbit works.”
She slapped him on the butt. “Hit the shower. You can explain on the drive home.”
He headed into the locker room, entirely too pleased at the sound of the word home in reference to their cozy rental cabin on the ocean.
“I want to be clear on one thing,” Luke said as he settled in the driver’s seat of his SUV. “I didn’t push for Trey to confess for your father’s benefit. I don’t give a damn if Stefan believes me.”
“I figured you just wanted to hear him say it,” Undine said, surprised that this point was so important to him. “You’ve owned your part, I’ve owned mine. But Dad and Trey have never owned theirs.”
“I suppose that’s part of it, but that wasn’t why either.”
“Then why did you?” she asked. A water droplet gathered at the end of the wet hair at the nape of his neck, forming a short, thin ducktail. She reached out and ran her fingers through the swatch, dispersing the moisture and tickling his scalp. He’d barely taken the time to towel dry his hair after his shower. In a hurry to get home or eager for this conversation?
He caught her wrist and brought her damp fingers to his lips. He sucked her index finger into his mouth. This argued that he was eager to get home and start Undine’s workout.
“I did it for you,” he said. “I couldn’t bear the idea that you might believe the lie. That you might think I knew all along. That I used you.”
The emotion in his voice made her breath catch. He might not love her, but he damn well did care. For now, that was enough. She pulled his hand to her lips and kissed the knuckles that had punched Trey. “It doesn’t matter if my dad had come forward with that claim twelve years ago, six years ago, or today. I never would have believed it. I knew you, Luke. And don’t forget, I saw your face when you learned the truth. You were shocked. Horrified. Repulsed. I never would have doubted you. Ever. I’m sorry my dad couldn’t see you as clearly as I did. I’m sorry he believed Trey.”
Luke shrugged. “I’m not sure what your father believed mattered. But what you believe matters to me. A lot.”
She’d already told him once. There was no point in holding back now, especially when she had a feeling these were words he really needed to hear right now. “I believe I love you. And it’s okay that you can’t say it back. I get that. Just know it’s true for me.”
He leaned over and kissed her, soft, sweet, just a little bit of tongue, but packed with emotion. “Cool.”
She rolled her eyes and laughed. “Let’s go home, Cyrano.”
“Nobody will ever say you love me because of my way with words.”
“No. It’s totally that you’re a badass scientist.”
“I thought it was my body?”
“Nah. Your body turns me on, absolutely, but the fact that you’re a scientist has always been the sexiest thing about you.”
She cradled his hand in her lap as he drove and told him Trey had been fired from both documentary and institute. “I understand if you don’t want to be in the documentary with my dad. Unfortunately, I can’t fire him.”
“I don’t know what I want. You and I were fine until your Dad got here. I thought I was done with all the anger and resentment. I wasn’t thinking about the past at all until it smacked us in the face, reminding me we were in a bubble that isn’t the real world. I felt a kind of rage today I haven’t felt in years, and it scared me. I didn’t like me very much.”
She also heard what he wasn’t saying. The reason he couldn’t commit to her beyond Neah Bay. She—their history—was a trigger for him. As long as her father was part of her life, he couldn’t forget the past, not when it was closer to the surface than he’d ever imagined.
Chapter Twenty-Six
The following day, Luke dropped Undine off at the marina with a kiss. Her task for the day was to refamiliarize herself with Nereid, and review the side scan sonar data her father had collected the day before.
Luke would keep busy by checking in with the Coast Guard, who’d finished the inspection of Ray’s boat and were in the loop with the FBI on the murder investigation. After that, he planned to return to the gym and work out with the boys. Mostly he was killing time because he wasn’t ready to face Stefan. He feared the rage that had engulfed him yesterday.
At the Coast Guard Station, he learned they’d found definitive evidence of sabotage of Ray’s boat. Not that this was a surprise, but it had been necessary to verify. Commander Brian Martinez—Coast Guard Station Neah Bay’s commanding officer—requested an update on the excavation plans. The Coast Guard would do periodic sweeps of the area when Nereid was anchored above the subs. Luke shared what he knew of the schedule without mentioning that he might not be part of the project.
He didn’t like the idea of Undine diving without him, especially on technical dives, which meant she’d be on the bottom longer. Mixed-gas dives were a complicated venture. Much as he was glad Trey had been fired, the man was also the institute’s mixed-gas expert. Stefan would now have to remain on deck to run the hoses, meaning Undine would be paired with a less-experienced diver.
All of Stefan’s staff were versed in mixed-gas, but Luke had a hard time trusting anyone but himself when it came to Undine’s safety.
When Luke’s meeting with the Coast Guard adjourned, Parker asked if he’d like to grab lunch at the station cafeteria. Considering they had much healthier fare than could be found in town, Luke accepted the invitation. During lunch, he quizzed Parker on his technical diving experience. The guy might make a good dive partner for Undine. He was in the uniformed armed services and knew how to handle a weapon. Not that that was necessary underwater, but Luke figured the threat remained, and he’d like someone on deck with the right skills.
“I heard there was some excitement on Nereid yesterday,” Parker said.
“Scandal travels fast,” Luke muttered with
a grimace.
“No. It’s more that Trey Kilpatrick showed up here and asked if we could help arrange a ride for him to Port Angeles. It seems that Dr. Gray expected the man to walk.”
“What did you do?”
“I suggested he hire a taxi to fetch him.”
Luke laughed. “Good Lord. I don’t want to think about how much that would cost.”
“Yeah,” Parker snickered. “Unfortunately, one of the others told him about the bus line.” Parker’s eyes twinkled. “You know anything about the bruises on his face?”
Luke shrugged. “I hear he ran into a door.”
“And I hear there was camera rolling when the door hit him.”
“If he sues the door, the door is so fucked.”
“In my experience,” Parker said, leaning forward conspiratorially, “if someone is dishonest enough to lie in one area, he’s dishonest in other ways as well. I’ve been wondering for the last three years why Dr. Gray had to resort to reality TV to fund his institute. Yesterday, Kilpatrick said something that perked my interest. He’s been second in command at the Gray Oceanographic Institute for four years.”
“He received the promotion, and then Gray’s finances took a turn.”
“Exactly. I bet you dollars to donuts you never hear a word from Kilpatrick or his lawyers. He’s going to quietly disappear because he’s been shut out before he can cover his crumbs, and that boy had his hand in the cookie jar.”
Parker’s suspicion had merit, enough that Stefan should probably have someone secure the institute’s financial data in case Trey had set up a back door, but Luke also realized this could be wishful thinking. He was bitter enough to enjoy the irony of Gray listening to the wrong man twelve years ago, and his trust in Trey had cost him both his daughter and the respect of the scientific community. Because the reality TV show had certainly harmed his reputation.
“You follow Stefan Gray’s life that closely?” he asked Parker.
“I’ve been a fan since I was five years old. Some boys go through a dinosaur stage, some boys like trains. For me it started with whales. It morphed from there into a fascination with the whole damn sea. Gray’s documentaries fed my obsession as a kid. Love of the sea is why I serve in the Coast Guard today.”
