AllFreeNovel
Share Us
PROLOGUE
CHARLIE
FOUR MONTHS AGO, THE PORT OF BANGKOK
“Charlie, Jana, can one of you please report on deck immediately? Aiden Barstock and his bodyguard Kiernan Doyle will be arriving shortly. Over.”
I tapped on my earpiece. “Copy that, boss. I’m heading up.”
My colleague Jana and I were sitting in the crew mess, scarfing down a late dinner. I glanced at my phone. It was just after ten p.m.
Placing the half-eaten bowl of pasta aside, I stood up.
“I got this,” I said to her. “They probably don’t need anything at this time of night. Derrick told me they dropped off their luggage earlier and then went to visit Jared on set. You finish up and grab some sleep. It’s been a long day.”
“Thanks, Charlie,” Jana replied with a tired smile. “See you in the morning.”
I nodded and headed upstairs.
Working as a first officer on board the superyachtNow, Voyagerwas my dream job, but that didn’t mean it was perfect. You rarely got a full night’s sleep. Or a proper break. There was always something to be fixed, moved, steered, cleaned, sorted, attended to. And that was just the ship, never mind the guests. But if you loved people and travel, like I did, it was all worth it. Yachting was ideal for a twenty-nine-year-old like me with high energy and wanderlust.
This charter trip, we were in Thailand for two months. The owner of the vessel, Rowan Carter, had loaned out the ship to a friend of his, director Jared Elwood. Jared was filming a movie here. Apparently, the hotels were deemed a security risk for the famous actor turned director, so the ship was now his home. He’d arrived a few days ago with his security staff in tow, and there was always one bodyguard walking around keeping an eye on things. When you deal with high-profile guests, security is a given.
And now Jared’s attorney, Aiden, was here for a few weeks.
Something was going down and it had nothing to do with the movie they were filming.
Whatever it was, my boss, Captain George Bernard, felt we were as secure as possible. We were docked in the commercial section of the port, and you had to pass a checkpoint to get into our zone. Plus, we’d be leaving for the nearby islands soon.
I continued walking up the spiral staircase until I reached the main level and ventured out on deck, turning on the lights. Then I ensured the plank was in place for our guests’ arrival. I heard footsteps behind me and turned to nod at Cahill, one of Jared’s security staff, who was doing his rounds.
The rumble of a nearby engine had me turning starboard, and I spotted a taxi pulling up to the dock. My gaze locked on the first person who got out of the vehicle, which, in this case, was the bodyguard.
So, this was Kiernan Doyle.
The man stood up to his full height and holy fuck, the guy was easily six-four, maybe taller.
Aiden got out next and said something to the driver. I recognized the booming snap of his British accent and his brisk walk as they headed in my direction.
But it was Kiernan that had all my attention.
The name was familiar to me, the face was not.
A while back, George had an issue with an ex-boyfriend, a stalker. My boss had told me all about Kiernan shadowing him until the situation had resolved. It took a lot to rattle the calm and quiet captain but apparently Kiernan’s grumpy demeanor had managed to do just that. And ever since I’d heard about the Irish bodyguard, I’d been curious to see just how intimidating this guy was in real life.
Not that he would intimidate me. I got along with pretty much everyone I met, grumpy or not.
As he drew closer, I took in his blond hair, tied up in a messy bun and most of all, the fierce expression on his face. He was looking around, surveying his surroundings, not paying attention to me.
“Welcome aboard,” I greeted them with my usual smile and sunny attitude as they stepped onto the deck.
Aiden nodded. “Thanks Charlie, I’m knackered. I’m going to grab a drink and collapse on my bed.”
“Use the intercom if you need anything,” I reminded him, and pushed the lever to release the plank.
Aiden waved at me and disappeared inside.
“I could use something to eat,” Kiernan muttered as he stepped forward.
