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"No talking," the mansnapped.
Despite the fact that Bellamy didn't say anything more, the man placed a foot on Bellamy's back and shoved hard, causing Bellamy to jerk forward and slam his face into the floor. He couldn't stop his downward descent, I realized, because he, too, was cuffed—his hands, though, were bound behind hisback.
I bit my lip as rage boiled up inside of me. It hurt to watch Bellamy struggle back up onto his knees, but he did shoot me a look that told me not to do anything about it. These men kidnapped my friend, scared her, and now they hurt Bellamy. I wanted nothing more than to run at them, screaming and scratching their eyes out. But that's not how we would win this. Plus, I noticed that Knix and Grayson were nowhere in sight and the man who had caught Erika and me—the one standing to the side of the door we had just come from—said that he had found myfriend,singular. Knix and Grayson remainedundiscovered.
"Erika, who have you brought us?" An older gentleman stepped forward. I blinked in shock, especially when Erika pressed harder against me in an effort to stay as far from the man aspossible.
I looked this man over; he didn't seem particularly threatening. In fact, he looked like he should be someone's grandfather. Instead of the black suit with the garish yellow tie at his neck, I pictured this man in khakis and a good vintage-looking sweater vest. He smiled as he neared, revealing a row of pearly whites. It was that smile, though, that gave me chills. Though he approached slowly and in a non-threatening manner, Erika's trembling against my side gave me pause. This man was a shark in sheep'sclothing.
"I'm sorry, Bernard, please,I—"
The man held up his hand, stopping Erika's rushed tirade. I reached down and squeezed her hand, trying to comfort her as fresh tears spilled down her cheeks. I narrowed my eyes at theman.
"It's alright Erika, I can understand that the decision you're about to make can be trying for some. It's always easier with a friend nearby." His dark eyes moved to me and I finally realized why this man reminded me of a shark. His eyes were cold. His smile and warm voice couldn't hide that. "I'm Bernard Holding," he said, reaching out with his hand. "And you are?" I let his hand hang betweenus.
"Harlow," Erika hissed, jerking her eyes from my face toBernard's.
"Your name is Harlow?" He let his hand fall away, but the smile remained. "A pretty name for a prettygirl."
"I'm sure you've met girls prettier than me," I saidcoolly.
His smile widened. "The prettiest girls are the ones who understand politeness and respect of their elders," hesaid.
"Harlow," Bellamy called, shaking hishead.
Even as the man behind him punched him in the side of the head again, causing me to flinch, Bernard kept his gaze on me. "Your friend over there seems to be warning you," he said casually. "You should listen tohim."
"Or what?" I snapped, the anger boiling over. "You'll force me to sign one of your contracts too? Or you'll kill us, is thatit?"
Bernard stared at me for a moment before stepping closer. "Our contracts protect our girls," he said quietly, "from any distasteful decisions they may make. If your friend here had had a keeper before she made the unlucky decision to get involved with the wrong Caruso brother, then maybe things would have turned out better for her. As it stands, she has a debt to settle. You, of course, can leave." He gestured to the side of the boat. "I'm just wondering, however, how you expect to get back when there's no other boat around formiles."
From behind Bernard, Bellamy's lips quirked, and his eyes told me to remain silent. They had no clue about Marv or Texas either. I didn't know how Texas had been able to cloak the Bowrider because even though I knew very little about boats—I knew Bernard was a man who probably covered all his bases. He probably thought that he knew, for sure, that we were stranded out here. Maybe he thought we had been stowaways without a plan or with a plan that had failed. Something else occurred to me though: Bernard had said "the wrong Caruso brother," meaning he knew about Grayson and, unless I was mistaken, Grayson and Josh were the only two Caruso brothers. If Josh was the wrong one, then Grayson was the rightone.
"What if I could pay off that debt," Ioffered.
Bernard's eyebrows quirked, and he tilted his head down as he dropped his arms back to his sides. "Oh? And how would you dothat?"
"What if I convinced the right Caruso brother to pay off his brother's debt?" Iasked.
A shadow appeared in my peripheral vision, creeping across the deck, behind the backs of Bernard and his men. Seeing them, Erika gasped, squeezing my hand tight when Grayson lifted a finger and held it to his lips. Thankfully, Bernard's eyes never left myface.
"What would make the Golden Boy of the Vandersen-Caruso line do anything you asked? To my knowledge, Joshua Caruso has been outcast from his entire family. His brother dropped him off at one of my facilities and hasn't been seensince."
My lips lifted. "He hasn't been seen since because he's been with me," I said. "Or at least he was. I'm sure when I manage to get homesafe and sound," I stressed the last bit, "my boyfriend would be more than happy to lend me...how much did you say Josh owedyou?"
"That would be upwards of fifty grand, darling," Bernard said with a slysmile.
Erika's eyes widened. "B-but I thought it was just forty!" she cried. "You said if I worked off the forty-thousand-dollar debt, I could gohome!"
Bernard scowled as he moved his gaze to her and I reached over holding her arm with my other hand. "There's interest,girl," he snapped, his true colors finally showing through. I was glad. It was really difficult to look at this man, who I pictured sitting in someone's living room with doilies and tweed furniture, and knowing he was responsible for coercing women like Erika into a life they didn't want, all for hisgain.
He flipped his gaze back to me, effectively cutting off his interest in Erika in favor of me. "So, you're dating the heir to the Vandersen-Carusoline?"
Grayson ignored us and moved silently until he disappeared around the yacht's side. "Yes," I said. I had no clue what that meant. Heir? How rich was Grayson? More so than Marv? I thought his last name was justCaruso.
"Well," Bernard's eyes positively gleamed, "that does change quite a bit. Why don't you step into my office, young lady and we cantalk."
His hand hovered over my arm and he gripped my wrist, removing it from Erika. I didn't know what to do. I knew for certain, however, that I did not want to go anywhere with this man alone. My breath caught in my throat as he half led, half dragged me away from Erika and Bellamy. My mind was racing so fast, I almost didn't hear Grayson until it was toolate.
"Harlow! Duck!" Grayson had climbed atop the piece that led down into the cabin area and leaped from it. I didn't know what he was thinking, but I hit the deck hard. Bernard grunted as he landed behindme.
Whatever Knix and Bellamy had planned, it was happening now. I rolled away, rising to my knees and then to my feet. Knix rounded the corner and tossed his bag my way as he joined the fray. Grayson sucker punched one of the guys as a gun went off. Erika screamed, and I spun. She was unharmed but pale and trembling as she backed away from the fight. Grayson had managed to provoke the two guys holding guns to swing towards him with the firearms when he had jumped from the ledge of the cabin's roof. I hadn't seen it then, but he must have been aiming for them. Both guns were on the floor, strewn several feetaway.
I saw what Erika was going to do just before she did it and I started cursing her before she even made it over the edge. "No!" I screamed, dropping the bag and diving for her as she rushed to the side of the yacht and flung herself into the ocean. Where the hell did she think she wasgoing?
My abdomen slammed into the rail and I looked out at the water, only seeing a vague spot where ripples spanned and bubbles erupted from the depths. I cursed again, grabbing the rail and climbed up. My bare feet slipped against the wet surface. Squeezing my eyes shut, I pinched my nose shut, but before I could jump two hard arms wound around my middle and dragged meback.
"What are you doing?!" I screamed, spinning to look back atBellamy.
"I'll go!" he said. "Stay here! Send the signal!" With that, Bellamy dropped me and then swung over the edge of the railing. I didn't even know what the hell 'the signal'was!
