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My shoulders slouch. “That's a relief.” Right? Wait. “Does that mean you’re not going to make me fish food? Any pointers as to what happens next would be nice.” I’m not sure what I hate more. The fear of being dumped in the ocean for the sharks to eat me or being left dead for my father to find. Or not knowing any of the above.
Lucas’ eyes are dark, so dark and piercing I can see the fear in mine reflecting back.
“Shit.”
His gaze moves over my shoulder and I turn to see severe rain clouds rolling in.
Great.
“That storm is going to make it a bitch getting back.”
I swallow. “Maybe we should just, ya know, turn around now?”
We round a point at the end of the little cove and take a hard turn left and immediately find ourselves in another cove. This one with taller palm trees reaching out over the water, their fronds playing in the small waves. Again, this could be paradise if I wasn’t so damn worried about his intentions with the enemy’s daughter.
Lucas is busy maneuvering around a few giant rocks jutting out of the water when I see my chance. I move to jump overboard. My plan is to make a mad swim for the sandy beach, get back to the house and call for help. Simple. But a thick arm wraps around my waist putting a fast stop to my idea.
“Not here, beautiful. I’d love to go for another swim with you, but this is a shark nursery. A cove mothers and pups find a haven in. A pregnant shark is not one you want to take a leisurely swim with. Look.”
Despite my jacked-up heart rate, I peer over the side of the small boat, and yep. He’s telling the truth. Through the clear water, I can see one lone hammerhead mother round and ready to pop out a few pups. I remember my aunt being that large and she was a beast until that baby arrived. I can’t imagine facing a soon-to-be mother with actual teeth that can rip off an arm.
I place my daring ass back on the plank of wood in the middle of the boat, mindful not to rock the damn thing too much.
“Does this mean you don’t want me dead? That you didn’t change your mind at some point in the middle of the night?”
Instead of answering me, he gives a nod toward the water. “It’s one of the reasons I bought this place. To ensure it stays untouched from humans as much as possible.”
I blink a couple of times, confused by the change of topic. Did the big bad mafia pirate have a soft spot for marine life? Somehow that makes sense. And I have to admit to myself at least, that little tidbit of information kind of makes my day.
He steers to boat along the shoreline at a slower pace until we come to a stop at a small dock protruding into the water.
He ties it off and extends a hand to help me out of the boat, but I don’t budge.
“I could have let you turn yourself into shark bait.”
True. But damn it if I take his hand I’ll lose all the anger I have at him and it’s the only shield I have left against the man.
Thunder rolls through the sky pushing me to make my move. I take his hand and he hauls me up the short distance between the boat and dock.
I watch as he turns and grabs everything from the boat but the gas. “I’d help you with that but my hands are a little tied up at the moment. Anything you want to do about that?” They’re beginning to get sore and frankly, it’s not like I’m going to swim back to the mainland.
He reaches out and after a couple of seconds, my wrists are free.
He brushes by me. “Coming? You can either stand here and get soaked or follow. It's your choice.”
I give a fleeting look back at the boat and consider another option.
As if sensing my thoughts he grunts, “I wouldn’t if I were you. You don’t know the waters well enough to go out on your own.”
Damn. He’s right. I turn to see him standing halfway up the dock, his body angled toward me.
I guess that means only one thing. “I guess lead the way. Where are we going?”
No answer. I didn’t think I would get one, but him talking means I can eventually work him into seeing things my way and letting me go.
He leads us up another path, this one more worn than the last. Large birds of paradise mingle among the roots of papaya, mango, and banana trees along the entire path leading to a gate with a digital keypad.
“Get many visitors out here, do you?”
