Page 11 of Riptide

Seth sighed. “This is crazy.”

“So what? You want to go home and forget everything I just told you?”

“Um, yeah. Exactly that.” Seth crossed his arms over his chest. He refused to believe that Evan was alive.

“Fine. We’re a few days away from Hawaiʻi. But until then, your ass stays here. I’m not calling the Coast Guard because even if I did, and told them you were alive, you might not get home any faster. They’d hold you for questioning. And in that time, I can guarantee, Marretta is going to track you down. Do you think he’s going to let you live? Let me live?”

Seth’s chest tightened as tears welled in her eyes. There was no way Evan was alive yet something inside him yearned to believe her, and he’d give anything to see his friend again.

“I want justice, Seth. Evan deserves it and so do I. I’m not going to let you get us both killed but when we get to Hawaiʻi, you can do what you want. I’m crazy, all right…crazy for ever thinking you’d help me find Evan. I should have left you in the ocean.” Kaimana slammed the bottle of water onto the counter and began to leave the salon.

“I don’t even know you.” Seth resisted reaching for her, comforting her.

Kaimana stopped cold but didn’t turn around to face him. “Think about the day Evan died. Did you talk to him? Did you see his face? Did you see him after he hit the ground? Did they do a DNA test? Take all the time you need. Soon enough we’ll both be in Hawaiʻi.” Kaimana turned, her gaze locked on his. “I don’t know you either, Seth. But I know one thing for certain. This is a chance to rescue Evan. To enact justice. And if Evan trusted you, then I will too. Life is all about choices. I need you to make the right choice. For Evan.”

“You don’t know how crazy this sounds.”

“There’s nothing more I can say. I just need you to know…” Tears filled her eyes. “Evan didn’t deserve this. He’s a good person. He’s so much more than any of you ever gave him credit for. It doesn’t matter what you do after we dock. I’ll be gone anyway.”

“Kaimana—” Seth hesitated and fought the urge to comfort someone he barely knew, yet still his heart tugged at him.

“That day I saved you. I could have left you there. But that’s not who I am. I don’t leave anyone behind who deserves saving. It’s why I’m going to find him. With or without you.” Kaimana walked out of the salon without saying another word.

Seth blew out a breath, convinced he’d woken up in some kind of an alternative reality. The twinge of pain stabbing his rib reminded him that he was very much living in the same world where he’d been pushed off a cliff.

Seth pressed his fingers to his forehead, his body and mind aching. While it may have been true Kaimana knew Evan, there was no way in hell his friend was alive.

Evan is dead.

* * *

Sleep was not Seth’s friend. He stared at the ceiling, his mind racing as he recalled the details of Evan’s tragic death. The day of the jump, they’d all pulled their chutes. Evan whizzed past them, struggling to open his parachute. Panic struck Seth as the communications shut off, an impending sense of doom striking him like a bullet. From the sky, they all watched in terror as their friend slammed to the ground, his body bouncing like a pebble.

Before they even reached the blood-soaked scene, they’d been notified of his death. With mass trauma, Evan hadn’t survived. His helmet was found several hundred feet from his mangled body and his face had been unrecognizable. Within minutes, an ambulance had arrived and taken the corpse away. The next time Seth saw Evan, they were at his memorial and all that was left of him was his ashes.

Seth shoved up to stand on his feet and stretched his neck from side to side. I’m never going to get to sleep. He reached for his robe and headed up to the galley to see if he could find a bite to eat.

* * *

The smooth creamy ice cream coated his tongue. Mint chocolate chip. Nothing better. This day is looking up.

Seth stopped cold as the pounding beat of the music drifted into the galley. He climbed the steps up to the salon, the sound growing louder.

Be happy with ice cream, bro. Just keep on walking. Don’t do it, he told himself. But it might be Kaimana, another voice in his mind countered.

“She’s not my responsibility,” he mumbled under his breath and headed toward the elevator that led to the staterooms. But as he stole a glance toward the aft deck, he caught sight of Kaimana, blue and white lights flickering off her smooth skin.

The nude silhouette reached her hands up toward the sky and stretched her arms in a circle. Her arms drifted down to her sides, her fingers curling over the brass railing.

Steam billowed up from a bubbling hot tub. As she stepped down into the rolling water, the lights shone onto her skin, every curve of her figure visible in the night.

“Here we fucking go,” Seth said as he found himself walking toward the stern, the temptation to great to resist.

Guns N Roses pumped out into the night air as he stepped onto the aft deck. Dark blue canvas outdoor seating surrounded the jacuzzi, a wet bar in the corner. The music softened as he approached her.

“Old school, huh?”

“It works for me,” she responded, her expression serious.