Page 4 of Heist in Paradise

We were the same age.

“Forget I said anythin’,” he said.

“Fat fucking chance.”

We were headed to an island thirty miles off the coast. The island reportedly had only one resident—our mark, Theodore Salvadore. An eighty-two-year-old art dealer. Our intel on his residence was extremely limited—no images of the property itself, no satellite feed, no sale history or land titles, not even an address. For all we knew, we were headed to a barren outcrop of rock and dunes. The perfect place for a long, messy execution by our vengeful employer.

Callum’s large hand settled on my shoulder. “Seriously, Jax. Forget I said it. I’m just tired and grumpy.”

At my dubious squint, he grinned, then jostled me hard. “Look at us. We could be sweethearts right now. Jack and Rose on another charming voyage.”

I fought my smile and lost. “Which one of us is Rose?”

“Aye, me, obviously. Us redheads got to stick together.”

I finished my cigarette and made to flick it overboard when I caught myself. Ignoring Callum’s amused rumbles, I shoved the dead butt into my back pocket. Callum followed, his grin just on the side of shit-eating.

Then someone retched over the side of the boat. Callum and I exchanged a startled look—and then he was gone, the large man prowling like a cheetah across the trawler. I was slower to react, my own throat convulsing reflexively.

Ryle groaned where he was purging his demons over the side of the stern. “Kill me… please...”

“Deep breaths, lad,” Callum said, stroking his back. “You just got sea legs.”

Zola appeared on my right, already digging through one of our many packs. She pulled out a travel-sized packet of ginger cubes that I recognized from the plane. “Here, Ry. These will help.”

Ryle reached back with his hand and accepted the lifeline. Zola stood and gave me a sheepish look, which quickly shifted into concern. “You need some as well?”

“I’m fine.”

“Bullshit. You’re greener than a sea monster.” She forced a packet into my palm. Under her hawkish glare, I shoved a handful of sugary cubes into my mouth.

“Where is your worst half?” I chewed, the silence and general peace suspicious.

Zola turned up her nose. “I exiled him to the cabin. He can annoy the old fisherman instead.”

Great. Our watery deaths were now imminent.

Zola turned furious eyes on me. “You should’ve heard what he said, Jax. He called me controlling. Me? Controlling? Just because I found out about his secret online—”

Ryle’s next retch was damn near music to my ears.

I swallowed and gripped the railing behind me. Nausea bubbled in my stomach. I closed my eyes and rode it out.

I felt the shadow before I saw him. A hand ghosted my side, there and gone.

I pried open one eye and croaked, “Hey.”

Madoc raised one brow derisively. “Hey.”

Madoc in the shade was beautiful. Madoc in the sun was breathtaking. Tall, with windswept ink-black hair, unfairly sharp cheekbones, and a defined, silver-pierced brow. Sea green eyes and a mouth that would’ve been considered soft without the cutting jawline. The faintest spatter of pale freckles across his nose. He wasn’t perfect—his stubble was patchy, and he got the occasional spell of acne when he overindulged on sugar. He had a killer sweet tooth. Not that his body reflected his poor eating habits. He was lean and cut, muscled without the bulk that I had. I was unconventionally attractive, the roguish guy you’d fuck to get it out of your system. But Madoc—man, he was divine.

I only ever fucked women, but Madoc made me question things. I didn’t like questioning things. It was what drove me to that threesome a few years ago—Madoc, me, and a beautiful redhead. Naturally, it’d been a disaster. Just having Madoc in the room threw me off my game. And to top it off, the poor girl between us had patted my head and cooed: “Next time you’ll do better, stud.”

No next time. Never again.

Pain seared through my stomach. I grunted, wincing.

Madoc hovered without touching, a concerned dent forming between his brows. He wasn’t naturally expressive—his apathy was borderline certifiable—but I knew him well enough to read the tells.