“Don’t bullshit a bullshitter.”
Bryonie groaned. She crossed her arms. “I just didn’t like how he made me feel before. And Taylor and that aren’t helping either.”
“Don’t worry about Taylor. She has her own stuff going on.”
“Like what?”
“I don’t know, but it’s nothing to do with you. She hasn’t been herself today.”
“It’s like she didn’t even want to come.”
“Maybe she had a falling out with Lucille. I’ll have to suss it out.”
Ding.
The elevator doors opened.
Finn emerged out onto the deck.
“Shit…” Bryonie murmured.
Finn saw them. Began to approach.
“Just be honest with him. Don’t get trapped in his games.”
Bryonie’s eyes darted as Leah stepped away. “What?”
Leah flashed them both a smile and continued on.
Finn stood in front of Bryonie. “It’s awfully quiet up here. I wonder where everyone is.”
“Dunno,” Bryonie shrugged.
“So are you mad at me or something?”
“No.” She shook her head.
“I don’t believe you.”
Bryonie shrugged again. “Is that my problem?”
“Bryonie,” Finn said reaching out. “Talk to me.”
Bryonie shuddered. “How?”
“How what?”
“How do I talk to you?”
“Then don’t.”
He took her in his arms.
He was smashing the barriers between them. Her head near his chest. The warmth of his skin. The strength and light radiating out of him. Was he even for real?
Or was he just having her on?
“It’s alright,” she murmured.
“What?”
“You don’t have to – you don’t have to comfort me –”
But his grip on her tightened.
He wasn’t letting go.
And then Bryonie found she wasn’t thinking of him. She was back on the other boat again. Struggling. Trying to fight them off. They just came at her so hard. And people, people she didn’t know – they were fucking laughing at her.
Taylor. Erin.
Leah.
They hated her guts.
“Ask me anything,” Finn said.
The images collapsed. He dragged her out of it.
“Can we just have a good time tonight?” she whispered.
Finn moved his head back so he could look at her face.
So they were eye to eye.
“Anything’s possible,” Finn said.
CHAPTER TWO
Taylor was all alone in her room on the third floor, sitting on the bed. She’d been there for a while. As far as she knew, she was the only one on this floor. Bryonie and Leah were on the first floor. Erin was on the second. Her key had led her here.
They were separated. Split up. Oh sure, this was just supposed to be a place to put your things and put on a bathing suit and maybe go to sleep later. Taylor would not be putting on any clothes for them. She would not be swimming. She would not be engaging in the good time.
How did things get this messed up?
It was her own fault. Not because she’d gotten talked into coming here, but because she had crossed the line with her friends. Not just Leah, even though it was her Dad. But Erin. And Penelope. And Lucille. She wouldn’t even be as popular as Bryonie by the time they found out what she’d done. Their vision of her would completely change. This occurrence seemed almost inevitable.
She knew she had to get up. Stand on her own two feet. Stare at herself bravely in the bathroom mirror and then go forth with the courage to do what needed to be done.
Which was what?
Leave the ship?
She would. She knew she would. She was almost there.
But unfortunately, the Paranormal Agent was still in the back of her mind, taunting her. Threatening her. Saying the whole world was about to explode if she didn’t sit still and keep quiet.
Bryonie.
That fucking bitch.
Why did she have to go and fuck everything up for her most perfect day?
Everything was fine when they all believed she was the one who slept with Leah’s Dad. Fine for Taylor at least. And that’s what was important.
Knock, knock.
A faint bruising of knuckles against her door. She wasn’t alone here after all.
Taylor stood up from the bed and made her way to the edge of the door. She reached down for the handle and opened it slowly.
“Hello there.”
It was one of Finn’s friends from earlier. Taylor had forgotten his name.
“What?” she said.
“You’re all alone up here,” the bearded man said calmly. “I thought you could use some company.”
“That’s alright,” Taylor said.
She began to shut the door.
He put his hands between the space.
“Come now,” he said, “don’t be like that.”
“You want to lose your fingers?”
“Please. A minute of your time.”
Taylor grumbled. He didn’t seem like he was going away.
She let the door part further and he stepped inside.
“I’m Darien,” he said.
Taylor nodded. “We met.”
“You are…?”
“Taylor.”
“Well, it’s nice to meet you.”
He sat down on the bed.
Taylor made a confused gesture.
“Come on,” Darien said. “Sit beside me. Let’s talk.”
Everything inside her said no. The little girl was tearing out her hair. Stepping on her clothes. Eating mouthful after mouthful of ice-cream.
And not throwing up afterwards.
“Come on…”
Taylor sat beside him.
“I think you’re beautiful, Taylor,” Darien said.
She couldn’t see where his hands were.
“Thank you,” Taylor nodded.
“I suppose you hear that a lot.”
“It … happens.”
A moment passed.
“When I got out of the pool, and I saw you all standing together, I wasn’t drawn to you. You don’t have a great energy.”
“Uh-huh.”
“You looked like someone who doesn’t want to be here. Who is upset about something. Who needs her problems to pack their bags and go away.”
“That’s … some remarkable observation.”
“I see you, and it’s like looking into a broken mirror. You’re shattered. Bitter. Incomplete. Life is but an insidious jungle. The animals aren’t just animals. They’re monsters. They’re beasts.”
Taylor looked over to him. “This isn’t happening, bud.”
“It’s not?”
“Not unless you’re going to force me.”
Darien’s posture changed. His hands returned to where they belonged.
“I don’t like being turned down,” he said.
“And I don’t like unwanted advances,” Taylor fired back.
“Who are you, darling?” Darien said. “Where does your thought process begin and end?”
“Somewhere far away,” Taylor said distantly. “A place you’ll never understand…”
CHAPTER THREE
Darien stared at the face of Taylor’s closed door. He listened to what he could hear on the other side of it. There was water running. The bathroom door was closed. He thought underneath all of that, he might have heard some crying as well.
Not to worry.
The seed had now been planted. In Taylor’s screwed up mind Darien presumed to know that she thought nothing would happen between them. No way. No how.
Not because she wasn’t attracted to Darien.
Not because she thought he was a dick.
But because Taylor, like a lot of young women, needed to think it was her idea before anything happened. She w
ouldn’t come round to that just yet.
Darien was thinking ahead. He had seen the girls Finn had brought with him for their night-time cruise, all of which were pretty enough (though to be fair, Bryonie was a bit on the chunky side). In normal circumstances, perhaps Darien wouldn’t try so hard and allow any one of them to do. But he wasn’t in his usual mood. Something had clicked inside him. A primal force had been unlocked. He felt urges, on-going. The need to conquer each and every one of the women who had been brought onto the ship in a multitude of ways. Even if that was Bryonie herself.
Darien stepped away from the room and peered down the hall. He could already see a feminine presence was lurking around the stairs. Not sure whether to go up or down. Or stay where she was.
Perhaps she was simply, waiting to meet him.
“Leah, isn’t it?”
Yes.
Yes, he remembered her name.
“Oh,” she said as though he’d caught her off guard. (Hardly). “Hey.”
“Hey yourself,” Darien said. “What you doing round here?”
Leah shrugged. “Thought I’d give Finn and Bryonie some space. I’ll go back and see how they’re getting on in a minute.”
“You know, I can’t remember if I said this to you,” Darien said. “But you are very beautiful. You know.”
“Oh. Thank you. Darien.”
“It’s such a vague word, isn’t it? Beautiful. I don’t know why I say it so much, because it doesn’t accurately express how I feel.”
“So what are you saying?” Leah asked. “Are you saying I’m not beautiful?”
“It’s more than beauty. I was drawn to you immediately. You have a great energy coming out of you. Such positivity. You like to look on the bright side of things.”
“Well,” Leah shrugged. “I try to.”
“And you care about your friend. Bryonie.”
“I care about all my friends.”
“But Bryonie in particular. You feel responsible for her.”
Leah inhaled. “Wow, you have been paying attention.”
“Intuition goes a long way. If you know how to use it right.”
“I like you,” Leah said. “You’re funny.”
Darien smiled.
“Can you get me something to drink? We’ll talk some more.”
“Yes,” Darien said, beaming. “Let’s do that.”
“As long as you’re entertaining. Say the wrong thing and I’m just going to laugh at you.”
“Well, I hope that doesn’t happen.”
It was a bright moment between them.
Genuine smiles on both their faces.
Having sex with this one was going to be fast, fast, fast.
“Oh don’t mind me,” Taylor said stepping in between them.
Darien’s body shook with alarm.
He hadn’t seen her coming.
“Hey Taylor,” Leah said in a more subdued tone.
“What are we doing then? Is someone getting us drinks?”
Leah looked nervously from Taylor to Darien.
“That would be me,” he said.
CHAPTER FOUR
Finn and Bryonie were now at the bar in between the pools on the ship’s upper deck. Colorful lights around the bar were edging brighter as the sun faded into the dusk. Bryonie faced away from it, looking into the nearest pool’s waters once more, blocking out the drink in her hand. Finn’s presence beside her was also losing ground. It was almost like she’d just made him and their whole day together up out of her imagination.
It was either that, or Finn was just a stranger.
“Bryonie,” Finn said beside her. “You seem far away.”
She nodded slowly.
“What do we have to do to bring you back?”
“I don’t know.”
A pause. “There’s something pressing you. A feeling, deep inside. It’s taken hold.”
Bryonie nodded again.
“It’s not just about our little exchange either, is it?”
Bryonie shrugged.
“Why did you want to meet me?” he asked her. “Why did you agree to come out on such short notice? What were you looking for?”
“I was just trying to…”
“Yes?”
“I was … trying to make the most of things. Break the cycle. Stop running in circles. Change the course. I don’t know.”
“You seem so fragile.”
Bryonie shuddered. “Gees. Thanks.”
“A little touch of one’s finger … Or maybe as much as an unkind word… And you’d crumble to bits.”
“Are you taking the piss?”
“You seem like you have a lot of problems. Your soul is dissatisfied.”
“And this is supposed to make me feel better?”
“I’m just being honest.” Finn looked away from her, and took a drink from his glass.
People were emerging from the stairs directly opposite.
Leah. Darien.
Taylor.
They were headed this way.
“I think I’m going to take a walk,” Bryonie said. “Clear my head and stuff.”
She stood up.
Finn quickly stood beside her. “You mean alone, don’t you?”
Bryonie nodded.
“Well, I’ll be around when you need me. I hope … you’re feeling better soon.”
Bryonie nodded again.
She felt her feet shuffling away from him.
“Where are you going?” Leah asked as Bryonie walked into the group at the edge of the pool.
“Just … Don’t worry about it…”
“Bryonie,” Leah began.
“I said don’t worry about me!” Bryonie yelled.
Leah and Taylor both frowned at her.
Darien stretched his arms. “Finn! How you traveling there, bud?”
The group broke away from Bryonie.
Bryonie continued on aimlessly.
CHAPTER FIVE
Agent Malone was out on the main deck, staring back into the car park from which the ship was anchored opposite, signaling to one of her team who were nearby. Soon enough she could hear Davis and Trudy in her earpiece, checking in for the status update.
“I don’t have anything to report,” Agent Malone said solemnly. “I’ve met Finn and his associates. He’s yet to make his move. I expect it will be later tonight, after lights out.”
“Are we to assume that Finn’s friends have a part in the killings? I thought we were sure it was just him involved,” Trudy said.
“It’s hard to say either way at this point,” Malone replied. “I haven’t gotten much of a read on any of them. I think we’re going to have to wait this one out. Sooner or later they’ll give the game away.”
“You’ll want to speak to everyone who is on board. Crew members. People below deck. Make sure everyone is accounted for.”
“It’s next on my list.”
Something moved in Agent Malone’s peripherals. She looked around behind her, but no one was there.
The deck stood bare.
“Davis wants to talk to you about something as well,” Trudy said. “Go ahead, Davis.”
“Malone. Are you there Malone?”
“I’m here.”
“I thought I saw something fall off the boat earlier. It might have been a person.”
“How long ago was this?”
“About fifteen minutes, give or take.”
“Anything after that?”
“Afraid not.”
Malone sighed. “I’ll look into it.”
She removed the earpiece and placed it inside a metallic case which fitted into a hidden compartment inside her handbag. Malone then peered over the side of the ship, into the ocean waters below.
All was calm.
All was still.
Yet something worried her. She felt as though she was being watched.
CHAPTER SIX
Bryonie had to get out of there. Away from the ship. Away from Finn. It wasn’t tha
t he’d said the wrong thing or anything – she wasn’t even sure how upset she’d been with him before. At the bar though he summed her up perfectly. She was a mess. Her emotions made her fragile. A careless, hurtful word. Or a push in the wrong direction. She didn’t know if she’d be able to stand her ground.
Which was why Bryonie had to go. She made sure upon entering the elevator that Finn wasn’t following her. He wasn’t even really looking. Darien had his arm around him and was drawing him into the conversation with Leah and Taylor.
Good.
Good for Finn.
Bryonie’s shit shouldn’t ruin Finn’s evening. It wasn’t his fault she was this fucked up in the head. To the point where she didn’t know what she wanted. To the point where shadows in a small elevator could somehow be frightening.
Bryonie stepped out onto the carpet of the ground floor. This was the area where they’d first come in. She looked briefly to the right, trying to remember where the exit was exactly.
There was an open door at the far left.
Bryonie interlocked her fingers and walked slowly towards it.
Now she had fears about going. As much as she wanted to, she was afraid she would lose something.
Finn, for one thing.
But then who was he?
How easy would it be to go back into her dating account and see all the faces of the other boys who liked her. Would there be someone to match Finn? Would there be someone better than him? She could only imagine.
“Goddamn it,” Bryonie whispered to herself.
She had to hit the outside air. She had to see herself standing in the middle of the car lot, looking back at the ship. Only then would she know whether she should stay or go.
The open door was reaching nearer.
A figure moved inside the frame.
Bryonie stopped where she was.
It was Taylor’s cousin.
“Hey,” she said. “Bryonie, isn’t it?”
Bryonie nodded. She folded her arms and walked over.
“My name’s Melissa. We weren’t properly introduced I don’t think.”
Bryonie shrugged. “What are you doing?”
“I’m just looking at this door. What do you make of it?”
“Huh?”
“It appears there’s been some work done here.”
“How’s that?”
Cruisin' With Sharks (Paranormal Mysteries #1) Page 6
