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Maybe she’d seen him too.But he’d been so absorbed in Austen and her stubbornness...
Clearly, he was losing his edge.
He’d stopped a half mile out, searched for theInvictuson the horizon, and spotted her.
A speed boat was tied up to the stern, and when a gunshot had reverberated across the water, he’d wanted to hit something.
He’d spotted a group of attackers on the spa-lounge level just as they dumped a body over the edge, firing into the water after it.
Now, he scanned the stern as the attackers forced their captives down the stairs.
He nearly groaned, part relief, part fury, when he spotted Austen, her hands tied, descending to the main level.
Alive, for now.
He didn’t see Declan among them, however.
Or Phoenix.He couldn’t, just couldn’t believe she might be one of the pirates.Instead, knowing Phoenix, she’d resisted capture.And despite their history, he had to put the binoculars down, grab his knees.Blow out a few breaths.
Okay.Think.
Turn around, get help.
Or get on that boat.
He glanced at the fading sunlight.An hour to sunset, max.
Okay then.
There was only one choice.
SIX
Emberly had never wantedoff a boat more in her life.The only good news was that she’d been away from the galley when the pirates-slash-Russian-attackers had stormed onto the boat and invaded the lower deck, grabbing Camille and then subduing Jermaine and the rest of the crew.She’d been conveniently in the head.
Which was where she’d stayed as she heard the shouts and even the gunshots.
Yeah, if it wasn’t Steinbeck showing up out of nowhere to blow her cover, then of course it would be marauding Russians.Probably hunting forher.
In fact, she’d heard them saying things like “Where is she?”as they worked Declan over.She’d gotten a good view of that trauma as she’d climbed up the interior stairway to get the lay of the land.Five captors, all of them armed with H&Ks.She didn’t recognize any of them, but they definitely had a Slavic accent to their tones.Big men, they weren’t messing around when they asked Declan to find her.
Of course, Declan didn’t have the faintest idea who they were really looking for.He’d talked them into leading him to the pilothouse.
She couldn’t imagine why, really, but he was crafty.Or in cahoots—and didn’t want his passengers to realize his true affiliation.
She’d sneaked back down to the galley and tried to gather her thoughts on what she should do.She couldn’t let them find her, but then again, she also couldn’t, in good conscience, let innocents be gunned down.
She should have gotten off in Key West.She wanted to bang her head against something hard for not just pushing past Ivek with an “I’m out of here.”Especially when, forty-eight hours later, who should appear on the ship but Steinbeck.And looking good too.
She’d plunked coffee down in front of him before she’d realized her mistake and hustled away, her head down.But she’d nabbed a good look at him.Tanned, his dark-blond hair highlighted with gold from the sun.Muscled and fit, looking healthy, so clearly he’d recuperated from his bullet wound, just like she’d suspected back in Key West.Yes, fully recuperated and back to his bossy self, demanding that his sister get off the boat.
Who knew that Austen was such a fighter?She’d done a good job of standing up to Steinbeck.Emberly had to admit the woman had chutzpah.She’d listened to their conversation from a distance, and then, when Steinbeck pulled Declan aside, she’d listened to that conversation too.The one where he’d denied being a terrorist.
Yeah, whatever, whatever.She didn’t believe a word of what Declan had told Steinbeck, and she hoped Steinbeck didn’t either.She hadn’t known what to think when he decided to leave the ship.She’d wanted to jump off with him and say, “Take me back to the mainland,” but then again, any proximity to Steinbeck could only lead to trouble.
She’d barely extricated herself last time from the magnetic pull of his blue eyes and the way he and she seemed to be a good team.She worked alone, thank you.So she’d watched him disembark and resolved not to think of him again.
Instead, she kept turning Declan’s explanations over and over in her mind.Even though, sure, some of it could be plausible, she’d been watching this man for nearly eight months, and he had secrets.Secrets she already knew about, and maybe others too.