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“Yes, and you passed. Very nicely done.”
“What about your men?”
“I’ll leave it to you to get rid of the bodies. Oh, and I would recommend dumping them sooner rather than later. We’ll be heading into port by the end of the day.”
He turned and walked up the stairs without another word. I stared down at the men in front of me, wondering what the hell just happened and what I was supposed to do now.
The door to the bathroom slid open and Francesca peeked out. “Is it over?”
“Yeah, I think so. Was that really your father?”
“Yes, and I don’t think he’s very happy with me for bringing you on board.”
“Does he test everyone like that?”
“Unfortunately. I can’t say it’s the first time he’s done something like that, but it is the first time he’s lost.”
“So, does that mean I’ve passed the test?”
“It means that you passed one test.” She walked past me into the room, staring down at the bodies. “I guess my vacation is over.”
“I need to clear the deck and then get rid of the bodies. Are you okay down here for a while?”
“With the dead people? No, I’ll go with you. I promise, it’s fine.”
“Stay behind me,” I said, ejecting the magazine to check how many rounds I had left. With any luck, I wouldn’t have to kill anyone else in the next twenty-four hours. Then again, I just met a man that I knew to be dangerous and a criminal. I wasn’t sure luck was on my side right now.
I slowly walked up the steps, peering over the top of the deck just enough to make sure no one was about to shoot me. Seeing that it was all clear, I walked the rest of the way up and checked out the rest of the yacht with Francesca on my six the entire way. She clutched my shirt like she was afraid I was going to leave her. I probably should at this point. I had fun with her, but it was time to get back to my real life.
I stowed Francesca away from where I’d be dragging the bodies, then got to work. Of course, none of her father’s men helped me. Why would they when they had me to do their work for them? I was just tossing the last body overboard when one of the goons strolled over to me.
“Come. The boss wants a word with you.”
He turned on his heel and headed for the other side of the boat. I rolled my eyes in annoyance. How the hell did I get myself into these situations? Still, I followed because I didn’t want to get another bullet hole in my body.
Francesca’s father was sitting at a round table covered with a white tablecloth. A small vase of flowers sat in the center and spread all around was all the food I could ever want. My mouth watered at the sight of the steak and chicken. I could do without the fish. I’d spent a little too much time with them in the ocean.
But after a rather rambunctious night with Francesca, I was starving.
“Please, sit.”
I sat in the seat and tried not to stare at the food. I didn’t want to get my hand shot off while reaching for a chicken wing.
The man removed his hat, running his fingers through his thinning hair. “So, tell me what you’re doing out here in the middle of the ocean.”
I kept my face neutral as I leaned back in my chair and played it cool. “I was trying to get back to the United States, but some pirates took over the ship. I ended up in the water.”
He chuckled, picking up his wine glass. “That’s quite a story. Pirates, you say.”
“It was a case of bad luck.”
“It looks like you have a lot of bad luck. And you just happened to end up on my daughter’s yacht. A likely story.”
“Not very likely if I want to live,” I retorted. “There are more of you than me.”
He chuckled at my quip, digging for more information. “So, why are you trying to get back to the United States?”
“It’s where I live.”
