He pulls his phone out of his back pocket and with a few taps, a rope ladder is dropped down to us.
“After you.” I gesture.
Alexei grabs the ladder with a nod and climbs up with the case in one hand. As soon as Alexei steps onto the boat, he peers back down at me.
“Jace, aren’t you coming?”
“I appreciate the offer, Alexei. But my father wouldn’t approve of me ‘relaxing’. I’ll head back and check on the cargo.”
Alexei laughs again, “What a dutiful son. It was a pleasure, Jace. I look forward to working with you.”
“As do I.” I pull away and speed toward the port. I turn to see Alexei walking toward the interior of the ship.
He thinks he won. He thinks I’m letting him.
I exhale slowly, fingers sliding to the underside of my watch, finding the recessed switch I rigged myself. A soft click vibrates through the metal.
The yacht erupts from the inside out—a blooming fireball tearing through the metal hull. The shockwave slams the small boat, throwing me off balance. Pain ricochets through my shoulder when I hit the railing. Heat sears my back as the yacht breaks apart, flames licking the dark sky.
There’s no way anyone survived that.
The boat rocks wildly, half-capsized, but still afloat. I jam the throttle, steering toward the dark stretch of coastline away from the port, away from my father’s eyes, away from the ruin I’ve just created.
He doesn’t know I’ve been counting every step he takes, every encrypted call, every hidden route he used to move shipments in and out. I’ve mapped his entire operation behind the obedient silence and yes-sirs. The trick isn’t to act loyal. It’s becoming the kind of man who would be. So I did. Alexei is gone. His operation is burning. Gideon just lost his biggest supplier.
Damn, it feels good. For the first time in a while, a smile stretches over my face.I’m coming, Isobel.
The small boatslams into the rocky coastline and I drag myself out. Pain blooms along my shoulder, but I ignore it. I pull my phone out as I head up the beach toward the road, tapping it a few times. I break it, then toss it into the water.
By the time I make it up to the concrete wall, an SUV skids to a halt a few feet away. Doors fling open.
Luca bursts out, fists clenched, face pale. Noah jumps down behind him, scanning with his weapon half-raised.
Luca gapes like a fish. “What the—dude. We thought… we thought you died in the blast! What the fuck is going on?”
Noah’s eyes narrow, arms crossed, voice clipped. “Seriously. First, you’re with Gideon’s biggest supplier, then you and Alexei run off together and take off in a speedboat. Then we see the explosion, the fire—shit, Jace, we thought you were gone. Explain. Now.”
I smirk and brush my hair out of my face.
“Relax.” I shrug, the move causing pain to shoot through my shoulder, “It was all part of the plan.”
Luca steps closer, rage simmering in his jaw. “Plan? You blew up a yacht, Jace. A million-dollar shipment. And you’re telling us to relax?”
I stare at them and they stare back.
“Noah, man, help me out here.” Luca flings his arms dramatically.
Noah stares at me. I can see he’s processing like the supercomputer he is. I see the moment it clicks.
“You planned all of this,” Noah states.
“What?” Luca looks back and forth between us.
I nod slowly.
“You knew we would follow you and intervene.” Noah blinks at me.
Luca scoffs, but Noah continues. “You wanted Alexei to drag you away. You were always going to take him out.”
