by Emmy Ellis
The last thing I wanted was him going through my things.
“It’s okay,” Marion said. “Linus will put the cases in your room. Sort them there, and then they can be taken off before we disembark.”
“And when will that be?” Sutton stood and looked at his watch.
“Sooner rather than later.” Marion turned and raised her hand. She clicked her fingers loudly.
Linus stopped what he was doing and set his attention on her.
“These cases, into stateroom one,” she called up to him. “Now.”
He didn’t reply. Instead, he hopped down from the upper deck and onto the pontoon with surprising grace for such a hulk of a man.
He gripped the handles of both cases and moved back on deck, leaving behind the aroma of a man who’d been hard at work in the open air.
I breathed deep, flaring my nostrils, wishing the breeze wouldn’t snatch away his scent so quickly.
“For fuck’s sake,” Sutton muttered.
“What?”
He gave me a withering look then walked up the gangplank and onto the boat.
I stared at his arse now encased in worn jeans. The pocket on the left was ripped at the seam, as though it might come off completely with one sharp tug.
My throat tightened as I remembered back to a different time and place. Another man in jeans that had lost a pocket—a man who I should never have trusted my love with. He’d tempted me, seduced me with his smiles and his testosterone-infused allure, then, once he’d had his fun, had done the damage, he’d disappeared the way a thief would on a dark stormy night.
I shook my head.
Sutton spread out a map and bent over it. Marion leant in next to him.
What the hell gave Sutton the right to judge me the way he did? He might be being paid by my father but he wasn’t my father. I’d do whatever the hell I wanted, and if I wanted Linus, I’d damn well have him.
And enjoy every minute of it.
I was used to boats, though usually a little larger than this one as Father had often chartered a fifty-footer for a few weeks during the British winters to get us out of the London drudgery, so I stepped on board.
Linus had headed to the one doorway that led below deck, so I followed suit.
The galley was surprisingly spacious and perfectly ordered, and I wondered why my cases couldn’t sit there for our voyage. It was clear Marion ran a tight ship with strict rules. I gathered stateroom one would be at the far end of the boat so I slipped past the small bathroom, a seating area, and a desk set up for radio communication and navigation.
Linus appeared before me.
“Oh, hi.” I smiled up at him. “Linus.”
His lips twitched, and his piercing gaze settled on mine.
“Thank you for taking my cases down,” I said with my flirtiest smile. “I really appreciate it.”
He nodded once, his gaze unwavering.
“I’m Anna, by the way.” I gave him a false name, seemed like the right thing to do, and it wasn’t as if I hadn’t used the trick before.
Nothing.
“Have you, er…worked on Carpe Diem for long?” I asked, reaching for a strand of my hair and coiling it around my finger.
He didn’t reply, just stared at me.
“I mean, weeks, months, years?”
Still nothing.
What is it with this man? Doesn’t he understand English?
“Marion seems nice?” I said, dropping the strand of hair.
His attention left my eyes, and he stared at the curl that had landed over my collarbone.
Oh, so he was interested.
I quickly checked for a wedding ring.
Nothing.
“Do you know where we’re going?” I was starting to feel a little crazy in this one-sided conversation.
He looked back up at my face and smiled.
His smile changed his whole face. Instead of being serious and sexy, he became soft, childish almost. His lips were wide, his teeth straight and his eyes narrowed, small creases shooting from the sides.
“He won’t answer you.”
I turned.
Marion stepped down into the galley.
“What?” I asked, frowning.
“My son is a mute. Hasn’t spoken since the day he was born.”
Chapter Eight
“Oh.” I turned back to Linus.
A mute?
He shrugged as though apologising for his silence.
“But he understands everything, so don’t be fooled.” Marion reached for two cans of cola. “Drinks in here if you’re thirsty. Help yourself.”
I ignored her.
Her footsteps tapped on the wooden steps as she went back on deck.
I’d been curious about Linus before, but now I was utterly fascinated. A big, hunky man who didn’t speak. I’d never had one of them to play with.
He swept his tongue over his bottom lip.
“Have you ever had sex?” I asked quietly.
His smiled dropped, and he nodded.
“Do you like it?”
His nod became more enthusiastic.
“Would you like to have sex with me?”
He nodded again.
I smiled. Good. I had him. “Later…we’ll have some fun.” I pushed onto my tiptoes and swept a butterfly-light kiss over his lips. Then I stepped away and into my stateroom.
I shut the door.
He’d have to wait. Today was turning out to be more complicated than I’d expected, and right now I had to empty my cases and then, more importantly, I wanted to find out where Sutton was taking me. There was still time to jump off the Carpe Diem and figure it out on my own if I didn’t like his plans.
After dumping my clothes and paraphernalia into a few cupboards and drawers, I headed into the bright sunshine.
Marion and Sutton were still studying a map. Sutton had put on a pair of Ray-Bans that had silver arms and a slight bronzy sheen to the lenses. I was glad he’d ditched the ridiculous oversized ones.
“Where are we heading?” I asked.
“Clearwater,” Sutton said without glancing my way.
“Clearwater? Florida?”
“That’s the one.”
“Why?”
“That doesn’t concern you.” Still he didn’t look at me.
“Er, I think it does.” I frowned and put my hands on my hips.
He straightened and set his attention my way.
“This is my life,” I said. “And you’re supposedly protecting me. I think that gives me a right to know why I’m going to a random port on the west coast of Florida.”
He kind of sighed. “It’s easy to get to from here, and there’s somewhere we can stay.”
“Another hotel?”
“No, a house. But we’ll have to keep our heads down. I don’t want us being noticed when we arrive.”
“Noticed by who?”
He raised his eyebrows.
“What?”
He glanced at Marion, who watched our interaction.
What the hell has he told her?
My thoughts swirled. He could have said anything, anything at all. And one thing was obvious, he hadn’t told her that he was rushing me away from a crazy Russian Albino who was bugging and stalking me.
Why wouldn’t he tell her the truth?
Because maybe it isn’t the truth.
Nausea gripped my stomach, and the slight rocking of the boat had me going giddy.
I sat on the hard bench.
“There’s food in there.” Marion pointed to a cool box by my feet. “Eat now before we get going if you’re going to spew.”
“I’m not going to spew.” At least I hoped I wasn’t.
Sutton pulled out his mobile and tapped the screen. He’d switched his polo for a plain black T-shirt, and I studied the way it hugged his shoulders and how the sleeves caught on his biceps. He was strong; there was power lurking in his body that I hadn’t particularly noticed before. If he truly was my bodyg
uard then I could have done worse.
But what if he wasn’t? What if, as the Albino had suggested, I shouldn’t be trusting Sutton?
What if Father had sent the Albino to protect me? Maybe he was my bodyguard and that was why he’d left the device in my purse, so he could tail me. I thought back to the horrendous experience in the shantytown when I’d been about to be raped, maybe murdered. It was the Albino who’d been there to save me. If he’d been out to get me, he’d have let those men do his job for him.
Nice and easy.
Sutton hadn’t shown up until a few minutes later. It would have been too late if he’d been the one I’d relied on for my safety.
Some bodyguard.
I popped the lid on the cool box and pulled out a chicken wrap that was stuffed with mayo the way the Americans liked so much. I couldn’t remember when I’d last eaten, breakfast probably, and one thing that would send me queasy on a boat was hunger.
Linus had returned on deck after storing my cases in Sutton’s crappy car. The boat was clearly big enough for me to keep my luggage, and I could only assume Marion had some other reason for me not having my suitcases. More bugs and trackers? Or maybe Marion just had some weird thing about too much weight on her boat. I couldn’t be bothered to analyse the reasons anymore so shoved them from my mind.
I bit into the wrap and felt Linus watching me as he set about his tasks—untying ropes, pulling anchor, and dragging the buffers over the side.
“Are we leaving now?” I asked Sutton. It was an unnecessary question. The preparations were underway.
“Yeah.”
Should I be going with him?
Possibly heading farther away from the man who was really there to save me?
But why would Father hire a Russian? And one who was so strange-looking at that. Someone who stood out so much. He’d know that would make me uneasy.
I finished my wrap and checked my lips for crumbs.
Marion started the engine, and the exhaust coughed a few chugs of oily smoke into the air.
I stared at the harbour while the puffs of smoke dispelled. If I were going to change my mind about going with Sutton, this was my last chance. I could just about make the jump now the gangplank had been stowed. Then I could sprint away, get lost in the village, and hide out till morning.
My legs twitched; adrenaline spurted into my veins. The chicken spun in my stomach, and my thoughts were at war.
Stay or go? Stay or go?
“Don’t look so worried,” Sutton said, sitting next to me.
The boat pulled away from the pontoon.
I studied his face. I was unable to see his eyes, and my anxiety levels skyrocketed further.
But it was too late now.
I’d put my faith in him.
“I’m not worried.” I hoped he hadn’t heard the shake in my voice. The last thing I wanted was for him to think I was scared, out of control.
“Good, because it will be fine. Marion is a very experienced sailor.” He paused. “As long as you don’t fall overboard, that is. The Gulf of Mexico is shark soup.”
I suppressed a shudder. I’d seen the black tip and the reef sharks before. Their desolate eyes and sleek, silent way of slipping through the water gave me the creeps.
Sutton was sitting stooped next to me, his forearms on his thighs and his hands dangling as Marion steered the boat into open sea.
Soon, both she and Linus hoisted the sails, and the wind buffeted us along on our journey.
“How long will it take?” I asked.
“We’ll be there by morning.”
“And then what?”
“I’ll hire us a car.” He tapped the side pocket in his shorts that held his iPhone. “We’ll head north.”
“How north?”
“As far as possible. Now the tracking device has gone, we should be able to shake him from our tail.”
“Will I be able to source flowers on the way?”
He twisted his neck to look at me. “That’s hardly a priority.”
“It is for me. I’m supposed to be doing research for my business, you know. That’s why Father sent me on this trip.”
He was silent.
“What?” I asked.
“Maybe there was more than one reason he wanted you away from Juniper Hall.”
His words confused me. “What do you mean? Juniper Hall is my home. I’m perfectly safe there.”
He appeared to study the polished wooden deck, his hair tousled by the wind now that we’d gathered speed.
“Sutton. What aren’t you telling me?”
“It’s complicated.”
“Complicated! Too damn right it’s complicated. You’re talking in riddles, you have from the beginning. Why the secrecy? Why the cloak and dagger? Just tell me straight: Why are you here? Why the hell am I here? And what is going on with the damn Albino?”
“Calm down.”
“No.” I stood. “I won’t calm down because…” I sucked in a deep breath. Shit. I’d shown him my hand. Now he knew that I was on the back foot, floundering, out of control.
“Because what?” he asked.
In for a penny, in for a pound. “Because I don’t trust you, okay, Sutton. You’re shifty as hell.”
“No I’m not.” He removed his sunglasses.
Seeing his eyes, his kind eyes, made me feel marginally better, but I was on a roll. “What’s your real name? Where are you from? Why didn’t you tell Marion why you were whisking me from St Lucia to Clearwater?”
“What has Marion got to do with anything?”
“Who is she really?”
“The skipper of this boat, and I’m paying her to take us somewhere.”
“With whose money?”
“Mine… No, expenses. Your father’s money. He’s given me cash to protect you.”
“Hah. See? You’re getting in a muddle. Liars always do. You forget what’s the truth and what isn’t.”
“Claudine.” He stood.
“Don’t use my name. On here it’s Anna.” I stepped back, gripping the table. The boat sliced through the water and stole some of my balance.
A knife, with jagged teeth, caught my attention.
Should I stab Sutton? Take my chances with the Albino if I arrived in Clearwater and he was there waiting for me?
But what if I’d taken out the man Father had sent to protect me?
I was confused, my thoughts jumbled and chaotic.
I needed to know the truth.
Is Sutton on my side or not?
A wave of certainty washed through me. There was only one thing for it. I needed proof.
I grabbed the knife and held it over the delicate underside of my wrist.
“Fucking hell, Claudine, what the—?”
“Am I really your job?” I asked, pressing the mean teeth against my skin. “Or are you an imposter?”
He held his hands out, fingers splayed. “Stop.”
“Are you here to protect me or dispose of me?”
“Jesus Christ.”
He took a step closer, but I backed up, nearer to the stern. The cool side of the boat pushed onto my legs, exposed because of the wild flapping of my skirt.
“Put that down, for heaven’s sake.”
“No.” I shook my head, pushed the knife harder. Tiny spots of blood appeared.
“What the hell are you doing?”
He lunged for me, but I dashed to the right, and he missed me.
“I guess we’ll see who you really are.” I pulled the serrated edge of the knife over my flesh. It tore angrily at my skin. I didn’t make the cut deep enough to sever anything essential, just enough to draw a bright stream of blood. “Either you’ll come and get me or the sharks will.”
Flinging the knife to the deck, I twisted and propelled myself overboard.
The churning ocean rushed towards me. I sucked in a breath and stretched out my arms.
The chill of the water seemed to cut my flesh the way the blade had. It bel
lowed into my ears and flashed between my legs. The cascade of bubbles that had accompanied me brushed over my cheeks as I kicked out and worked to reach the surface.
Gasping in oxygen, I spun around, getting my bearings.
The boat was still moving away from me.
So that was it.
I was a woman overboard and about to be forgotten. I’d be lost without a trace. But perhaps that was for the best. Father would likely be glad of not having the bother of me anymore. Sutton certainly would, and the Albino could go and find another rich girl to stalk.
I huffed out my breath, emptying my lungs and making myself heavy. Shut my eyes and stopped all movement. Within a second I was submerged again, the biting cold of the sea slinking its strong arms around me.
I saw her—blonde hair catching in the wind, smiling, blowing the seeds from a dandelion. Did she like to do that? Her eyes, blue the same as his, her skin dewy and soft. My greatest creation. My biggest regret.
Suddenly, a vice-like grip wrapped itself around me.
I went to scream.
My mouth filled with water.
Shark?
No. A person dragged me upwards, to the surface, the force of their body and powerful kicks impossible to fight against.
I didn’t want to…
I didn’t want to die.
Not really.
Once at the top, I spluttered and coughed, sucked in air.
Staring at me, eyes wide and hair flattened to his brow, was Linus.
“Are you crazy? No, don’t answer that, you really fucking are,” Sutton shouted, Carpe Diem drawing level with us.
I didn’t answer.
Linus helped me onto the swim deck, and then I stood, made my way to the seating area.
My skin had bobbled with cold, and my chest was tight, my mouth full of bitter water.
“Fuck.” Sutton reached for my forearm and pressed a towel over my cut wrist.
The blood had mixed with the sea, and it ran in a diluted rivulet to my elbow and dripped onto the deck.
“Why the hell did you do that?” he asked angrily. “Are you out of your mind?”
“Why didn’t you jump in and save me?” I stopped myself shivering.
“Because bloody Crocodile Dundee beat me to it.” He nodded at Linus, who rubbed his hair with a towel.
I pushed Sutton’s hand away. “Don’t touch me.”
“But—”
