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“Oh my…Ben…you scared the life out of me.” She gasped through her words, her heart pounding at hyper speed. “What are you doing down here?”
“I came to find you.” Ben closed the distance between them, all sign of his usual bubbly self replaced by his frantic, hand-wringing worry. “You can’t just take off like that. I need to know where you’ll be. I’m supposed to keep an eye on you.”
Cammie smiled, despite how frozen her cheeks were. “Oh, Ben, that’s sweet, but I’m okay. I thought I’d come down and find one of those ice cream bars you told me about.”
Ben frowned. “The ones that you didn’t eat? They’re still in your freezer in your cabin.”
“They are?” Cammie gestured a ‘oh duh’ head slap.
Ben moved to her side then wrapped an arm around her waist. “Let’s get you back into your bed where you’ll be safe.” He started leading her toward the exit.
“Well, actually, I need to find Zane. Do you know where he might be?” She noted how firm Ben’s grip was on her side and wondered just how seriously he took his job of protecting her.
Ben stopped walking. He closed his eyes then let out a sigh.
“You just couldn’t mind your own business, could you?” His voice came out like a whine. “You just had to snoop.”
“Ben, I—”
“You saw, didn’t you?” He tightened his grip on her. “I promised I’d keep you out of trouble, but you’re so sneaky.” He turned toward her with tears in his eyes. “I tried to protect you, Cammie. I tried, but you just wouldn’t stop snooping, and now you have your proof and I can’t let you leave here.”
The horrific truth cascaded over her like someone had dumped a bucket of cold water on her head. “I-I-I didn’t see anything, Ben. I swear.” The truth sounded like a lie by the way her teeth chattered.
The look of pity he cut her way made any more words die in her mouth. “It’s too late, Cammie,” Ben croaked. “I have to take care of things now. I have to take care of you.”
Ben was wearing a thick coat and gloves that fit him way better than the one Cammie had on. The cold wasn’t affecting him like it was affecting her. She couldn’t stop shaking, and her teeth chattered as Ben led her farther into the fridge and toward the freezer.
“I thought drugging your drink would put you out of commission long enough to get through the trip. I thought it would preoccupy Mr. Roberts as well.” Ben shook his head like he was really annoyed by Cammie not staying down after he’d put her down. “But the both of you couldn’t stay out of it.”
It was unfathomable, like her frozen brain just would not, could not accept that Ben had been the one to slip Rohypnol into her drink, but he was already nodding, already confirming what she couldn’t believe.
He opened the door to the freezer. Cold air blasted her in the face, freezing her eyes so she had to blink the pain away.
“Ben, please, I didn’t see—”
He shoved her in the room, and she fell to her hands and knees. The cold floor burned her palms and cut through the flimsy fabric of her pants. She pushed herself up, but her fingers ached, along with her knees.
“Death by misadventure,” Ben said. “I read it in a thriller once. A passenger on a cruise gets trapped in the freezer, dies of hypothermia. Sounds unbelievable but it’s possible. I’ll even put the ice cream bar in your hand so it looks like you just couldn’t resist the captain’s treats.” Ben tugged the back of her coat. “Take this off. You don’t need it anymore.”
“Ben…” Cammie closed her eyes. A tear slipped from her eye then froze on her cheek. “You don’t have to do this.” She unzipped her coat anyway.
“I wish I didn’t, Cammie. I really do.” He pulled her jacket from her arms and the cold enveloped her like a frosty blanket. “I’ve heard dying this way isn’t that bad.”
Cammie glared over her shoulder at him.
“Don’t worry, Cammie.” He tossed her coat to the floor, then crouched down to sit on it. A front row seat to her death. At least he had the courtesy to look appalled. “I’ll stay with you, so you won’t die alone.”
