Page 8 of Castaway Heat

R onin awoke in the middle of the night, the heavy sway of the boat making it hard to get his bearings.

It was nothing but black outside the floor to ceiling windows that rose two stories, but a flash of lightning illuminated the sky, and he saw the massive waves around them.

Panic clutched him as water slammed against those windows.

If it had simply been him, he might not have felt fear.

But he wasn’t alone. He glanced down at Shiloh soundlessly sleeping in his arms and struggled to breathe.

Carefully slipping out of bed, he struggled to his feet.

The boat whipped to one side and then the other, sending him to his knees.

He clawed his way up, gripping the bed for support.

“Shiloh,” he said, shaking his omega as gently as his panic would allow. “Wake up, baby.”

Shiloh groaned before his eyes opened. He met Ronin’s stare for a second before the ship swayed heavily to the other side. “Oh, shit.”

“Yeah,” Ronin said, groping on the floor for their clothes. They’d slid with the swaying of the ship. He had to crawl across to capture them. After tossing Shiloh’s over, he dragged his briefs on as well as he could with the movement of the ship. “Get dressed. We need to be prepared to move.”

The ship pitched again, sending Shiloh rolling and almost out of the bed.

“You don’t have to tell me twice,” Shiloh said, grasping for his clothes.

They dressed as quickly as they could. Before they finished, the ship wide alarm system went off, the red lights flashing and siren blaring.

“I was supposed to go to another deck with Eirin and Sage, but it’s far from here. What should I do?”

“Come with me,” Ronin replied, taking his omega’s hand.

He led them out and into the hall. Fairly positive he was the only one in the suites, that was confirmed when no one else lingered in the hallway.

The boat pitched again, feeling almost as if they’d been tossed sideways.

Both of them were tossed against the wall before the ship righted itself again.

A steward appeared. “Are you okay, Mr. Drake?”

“I am,” Ronin said. “What’s going on?”

“Go to your emergency checkpoint,” the man said, panic in his eyes. “They’ll give you more information there.”

Ronin grabbed the man’s arm. “What’s going on?”

The steward shook his head. “The tropical depression turned into a cyclone and fast. We couldn’t move far enough out of its way. The swells have pushed us too deep into the archipelago.”

Ronin frowned as the ship swayed, sending them to the other side of the hall. “What does that mean for us?”

“We’re too close to land for a ship this size. We might hit the sea bed it could tear open the hull. We’ll likely evacuate the ship and hope the lifeboats can make it to dry land. Get to your checkpoint so you can get on one.”

Ronin dragged Shiloh against him. “Right.” He urged them toward the stairs, which were packed with other guests fleeing to their own checkpoints.

He waited a moment for a space to appear for them, clutching Shiloh tight.

Before he could push into the mass, the ship pitched heavily.

He pushed them back into the hallways and wrapped his body around Shiloh as they fell against the wall, cushioning his omega as best he could.

Screams sounded from the stairwell. All he could envision was bodies being sent flying against one another. Looking down at Shiloh’s face, he saw terror in his omega’s eyes. “Are you okay?”

Shiloh nodded. “I think so.”

Ronin waited a moment for the ship to right itself, but it never did.

It was lodged on one side and felt like it was moving deeper onto its side.

He crawled toward the door to the stairs, holding Shiloh beside him.

After wrenching open the door, he found he’d not been far off the truth.

Bodies laid all over. A man near him clearly had a broken leg, sitting at wrong angles.

A few others had small cuts on their faces as they tried to rise to their feet.

“Are we going to be able to get out that way?” Shiloh asked. “Where do we go if we can’t?”

Ronin considered their options and hated that he didn’t know the ship better.

The elevators were obviously out, and he suspected the other stairwells looked the same as the one beside them.

His mind kept going back to the wall of windows and the deck outside it.

They weren’t far from the deck that held the lifeboats.

With the ship on one side, could they climb over and down to a lower deck?

Or would the ship pitch again and send them into the ocean before they could?

He was a strong swimmer, but could he make it to shore carrying Shiloh on his back?

It would all depend on how far the nearest island was.

A few miles he could manage. More, he wasn’t sure.

He couldn’t chance it.

“I don’t know,” Ronin said, frowning. “Why haven’t there been any messages over the PA? They should be directing us… giving us some idea what to do. There’s been nothing but the alarm.” He searched the hallway for the steward they’d spoke to but saw no one.

His frustration and dread weren’t good for Shiloh. He saw his omega’s eyed widen even more. Ronin took a deep breath.

“We try the stairs,” Ronin said. “And help as many on the way down as we can.” He shoved Shiloh ahead of him through the door. “Be careful. I’m right behind you.”

Shiloh was overjoyed when they finally reached the lifeboat but when he saw how high it was—and that it was nearly impossible to reach, he wasn’t so sure there was any joy left.

Because the ship was tilted as it took on water, the side of the boat had basically become the floor.

The many lifeboats, which had hung on the side of the ship during their voyage, were above them.

Passengers were scaling the side or using ropes to climb up to them. A few crew members were hanging out of the lifeboats, hoisting guests up and inside while others helped lift them up.

He eyed Ronin and yelled over the storm and cries from the panicked guests around them. “I need to look for Eirin and Sage. I’m going back.”

Ronin’s brows furrowed as he searched Shiloh’s face. “We nearly died getting out—and you want to go back in?”

Shiloh searched the deck around them, hoping to see their faces in the crowd. Not one familiar one appeared among those clustered around them. He faced Ronin. “I can’t leave without trying.”

Ronin grasped his face with both hands, eyes wild. “There’s no way I’m letting you go back in there.”

“You won’t tell me what to do,” Shiloh screamed, indignant.

“I didn’t wait this long to lose you now!” Ronin roared, his hands trembling.

Shiloh could see Ronin’s anguish in his expression. He’d likely would’ve felt the same way if the tables had been turned.

“They could be anywhere. The ship’s filling with water. There’s not enough time.”

Shiloh closed his eyes a couple of seconds, his heart aching. “They’re my friends.”

“They’re grown men,” Ronin roared over the winds. “They have the same chances for survival you do.”

Shiloh wasn’t so sure of that. His were better because of Ronin at his side.

“You can be angry at me all you want, but you’re not going back in there. You’re getting on one of those lifeboats now.” He scowled. “You are my future, Shiloh. I cannot lose you.”

Shiloh held Ronin’s stare a second before giving in.

Ronin kissed him before spinning Shiloh to face the boats. They pushed into the crowd awaiting their chance to climb into a lifeboat, many of them shoving and jostling to get in front. Ronin held him with one arm around his waist, ensuring they didn’t get split up.

Lifeboat after lifeboat was filled and send toward the ocean. There were few left and a lot of people still in need. By the time they’d gotten to the front, there were only two lifeboats left, but they held a lot more than he’d imagined going by the others.

Shiloh noticed an elderly couple nearby and shoved them ahead of him.

“No!” Ronin yelled over the storm.

Shiloh turned to glare.

“You go first so you can help me get them inside. I’ll carry them up after you.”

Shiloh nodded, understanding then—and was relieved his alpha wasn’t a horrid human being.

He leaned into the couple and told them the plan, both of them looking terrified, but they agreed to the help.

All the crew had was a lone, rough rope to climb up.

Ronin hoisted him higher, saving Shiloh’s arms a good foot of climbing.

Using all the upper body strength he had, he finally made it.

He climbed into the boat, as it lay on its side against the ship.

Another passenger handed him a lifejacket.

He tugged it on before he peeked out the small opening.

Ronin climbed the rope, the woman wrapping her arms around his neck and riding on his back.

Once close enough, Shiloh helped the crewman lift the woman inside and then Ronin returned for her husband.

After they were both inside, Shiloh carefully guided them to a seat, ensuring their lifejackets were on before he checked for Ronin.

He still hadn’t boarded, though. Another peek found him helping others inside, his extra height and strength aiding those who couldn’t make the climb themselves.

When the boat was fully loaded, Ronin finally appeared and grabbed a lifejacket for himself.

He and Shiloh collapsed in their seats near the back, huddled close.

The boat was lowered but not easily given the ship was slanted so far out of the water.

It had to be lowered over the underside of the ship.

There wasn’t enough rope to get it all the way to the ocean, so it was dropped ten feet to the surface.

Half of the already anxious passengers screamed, some flung to the floor if they’d not locked themselves in.

Many appeared numb from the shock of it all and didn’t respond to their graceless plummet at all.