Page 56 of Blue in the Deep Blue Sea
I closed my eyes, trying to remember anything else, but all that came back were the times he had walked away from me. It didn’t even matter anymore. He was nothing to me now, just another person who happened to know someone I knew.
A long time ago, I needed him. I wanted us to be friends. In that need, he taught me I didn’t need anyone.
Funny, really, how the person I needed most was the one who taught me I didn’t need anyone at all.
It made me realize that, all this time, I could rely only on myself. I could choose the people who chose me, be friends with those who wanted to be my friends, and love those who wanted to love me. And most importantly hate those who hated me.
14
SQUALO
Exactly fifteen minutes ago, George and I found Gabriella unconscious on the kitchen floor. While I sent him to find out what had happened, I carried her to my master suite and locked the door behind us. We’d received a red storm warning, so we’d been making our way through the yacht, informing everyone.
What he didn’t know was that I knew they’d steered the curse toward Li Galli, and the storm was rolling in from there. If we’d stuck to the original route, we would’ve been prepared for it and avoided it altogether. The concern on his face told me he hadn’t had the final say in any of it—the captain had. I’d finally figured out who was behind everything. Now I just had to put a face to it.
My pace quickened, taking two steps at a time until I reached the bridge on the upper deck. George was already inside, warning the captain waiting in the bridge cabin. Their voices came through the open doorway, too caught up in planning their next move to notice me closing in. If they’d bothered to check the surveillance cameras, they would’ve seen me coming.
“Mr. Sinclair,” the man said.
His voice was familiar, just his face wasn’t.
He was an older man dressed in a white captain’s uniform, two badges pinned to the right side of his chest, a captain’s hat sitting neatly on his silver hair. His jaw tightened beneath a thin white beard as his hand slid to the back of his head before running through his graying hair.
“What brings you here?” he asked.
“I came to meet the crew.” I smiled, leaning against the wall as my gaze settled on both of them. “I gave George free rein when it came to hiring the maids and cooks. I didn’t know he’d hired a new captain too.”
“No, Mr. Sinclair.” He offered me a smile. “I can assure you I’m only here temporarily. Captain Smith fell ill, so I’m filling in for him. At the next port, we’ll switch places again.”
I was sick of pretending to be the drunken, clueless rich asshole. Sick of playing the fool while everyone underestimated me. Years of biting my tongue had built into something sharp, pressing against the back of my teeth, begging to be unleashed.
“Cut the shit.” I chuckled. “I know about your little plan to sail to Li Galli.”
“Mr. Sinclair, that’s the port where we’re supposed to switch with Captain Smith,” George added. “Captain B…” He stopped, cleared his throat, then corrected himself. “The captain is just following orders.”
“Whose?” I asked. “Because they sure as hell aren’t mine.”
“Captain Smith gave us the sailing route,” he said. “We’re just following…”
“George.” I stepped closer. “Do you honestly take me for a fucking idiot?”
“No, Mr. Sinclair,” he started.
The captain stepped forward, lifting a hand to stop him.
“That’s enough, George. Obviously Mr. Sinclair knows his yacht has been taken over by our crew.”
“That’s bold.” I let out a dry chuckle. “Now turn this boat around, or I’ll call the Coast Guard and have every one of you locked up.”
I slipped my hand into my pocket, only to find Gabriella’s letter from 1996 still folded inside. My phone wasn’t there.
Even if it had been, I had no idea whether I’d have any signal this far out. It was a bluff, but he didn’t know that.
As I looked up, I caught him reaching behind his back.
“Your father wouldn’t be pleased with that,” he said, pulling out a gun. “Hands up.”
A smirk tugged at my lips as I raised my hands.
