Page 43 of Blue in the Deep Blue Sea

He had just stepped out of the shower. A towel hung low around his waist, barely covering him. The moment he saw her, his brows drew together.

“Who the fuck are you?” he shouted, his eyes sweeping over her face.

“You don’t remember me?” She stepped closer to him. “Last night…” Her finger traced the edge of his towel.

He raised a brow. “You were supposed to leave.”

“But I work here,” she said quietly. “I came to tell you breakfast was ready.”

He brushed past her and dropped onto the bed, pulling off his towel.

“Then take me, baby,” he chuckled.

He turned toward me.

I stood frozen in the hallway while she left the door wide open.

“Can you close the door?” he shouted. “Or do you prefer to watch?”

I rolled my eyes and shut the door behind me.

But instead of moans, I heard only raised voices. They were arguing. It was as if he wanted me to believe he was about to have sex with her, when in reality he just wanted to clear the air.

What an ass. I wish I could just push him overboard and watch him drown.

1. Fuck

11

SQUALO

It was a fucked up day, and I slept through most of it. I called George and asked if we could throw both Gabriella and that blonde overboard, but he was against my genius idea. For some reason, he liked the way Gabriella worked, while the blonde we could leave behind at one of the stops near the shore. I had no idea where our main course was set, but before we sailed, I asked the captain to stop as little as possible. I’d rather be out at sea than on land, far away from the Amalfi Coast and everything that had happened.

I still felt Gianni’s disappearance pressing on my chest. I kept tearing myself apart for letting him leave the party. If I’d stopped him, he would’ve been safe. We were too much alike, both stubborn as hell, and I knew that even if I’d tried, he probably would’ve left anyway. And that part didn’t make it any easier to live with.

I let out a slow breath, my gaze sweeping the master suite. Even the faint ripple of the water couldn’t lull me back to sleep. The windows stretched from floor to ceiling, letting the moonlight pour inside. I didn’t need a lamp. The suite wasalmost as bright as daylight. Beyond the glass, the sea was the darkest shade of blue, its surface dusted with silver where the moon caught every tiny current, as though someone had scattered glitter across the water.

I turned onto my left side, my hand searching for the small CD player. I pressed play, andHazardby Richard Marxflowed through the room. I turned the volume down, even though I was the only one on this floor.

Last night, when I came to the yacht, I threw a party before we sailed off. Some people came, some didn’t. Some looked me straight in the face and told me how heartless I was for throwing a party while my best friend was missing. The truth was, I threw that party because of him.

The crew talked. They thought I was some dumb rich asshole who didn’t give a fuck, but I kept my ears open, listening to everything they said about everyone. That’s how I heard Dante’s brother, Luca Bianchi, was working as the head cook on theDeep Blue, and that he and George were supposed to meet Dante and Gianni at the port that night, along with some big shot who was meant to go with them. At first, I didn’t pay much attention to the gossip, but when I heard Luca and George talking about a map they needed, I knew none of it was a coincidence, including having both Isabella and Gabriella on the same boat.

Life taught me not to trust anyone. Before they even woke up, half the crew had already been replaced with people from another yacht. I could say with confidence that the final word was mine, and everything that happened had to go through me, even the smallest detail, like who cleaned my room.

But no one could’ve prepared me for seeing her standing in the suite with her deep blue eyes locking onto mine.

Out of all the people in the world, why did it have to be her?

I pulled the pillow over my head and buried my face in it, letting out a groan.

“I can’t stand her,” I muttered to myself. “She thinks she’s smarter than everyone else, and…” I raised my hand and smacked my forehead. “She’s so fucking annoying.”

I sat on the edge of the bed for a moment before pushing myself to my feet and walking toward the window. Resting my hand against the cool metal frame, I looked down at the sun deck. The plunge pool was in the middle, swallowed by night except for a strip of moonlight stretching across its cover.

Someone was outside.

I narrowed my eyes, trying to make out who it was, when a loud scream tore through the stillness from the lower deck.