Page 34

“D ude, you need to get down here. Now.” The sharp, serious tone of Dylan’s voice sent alarm bells shrilling through Nate’s head.

He swung off the bed, grabbed his T-shirt from the floor, and shoved his arms through. “What’s wrong?” He yanked the shirt over his head and snagged his room key from the nightstand. If Carlos had cornered Maddie again, he’d rather break down their door than waste time going down to Dylan’s suite.

“I–I can’t explain. You just need to hear this with your own ears.”

The phone went dead. Icicles collected in his veins. He raced to the front door, shoved his feet in his sandals, and closed the door behind him. His feet skidded to a halt in front of Carlos’s door. The muscles in his shoulders bunched with the need to know what was going on behind the walls.

He shook his head and tore his feet from the carpet.

He jogged to the stairwell. It’d be quicker than waiting for the elevator.

His flip-flops slapped against the concrete stairs as he barreled down the two sets.

His breath came out in heavy puffs as he pulled open the door and strode to Dylan’s suite.

He’d never been out of breath from a few stairs, but when it came to Maddie, his health was always at stake.

He reached for the door handle, but it swung open before he touched it.

Dylan ushered him into the suite. “I heard you charging down the hallway like a herd of elephants. Headphones are beside the monitor. Have a listen.”

Nate dropped into the chair and slid the headphones over his ears. Dead silence filled them and he frowned. He leaned forward, willing an image to fill the computer screen in front of him.

“Ah, fuck baby, you’re so sexy.”

His muscles tensed. He pressed his fingers to the outside of the headphones and leaned closer.

A low grunt sounded. “Get rid of this.” Carlos’s deep, throaty voice reached his ears.

Fire spread through Nate’s veins and he turned to Dylan. “What the fuck is this?” he ground out.

The blood drained from Dylan’s face and he swallowed. “I think they’re… doing it.”

Nate’s lips clenched together and he shook his head. No way. No fucking way. Maddie was bound and determined, but she wouldn’t do something like that.

Glasses clinked together and he snapped his teeth shut. Maddie’s deep, throaty laugh crackled through the speaker as if she were in his ear, touching him. But she wasn’t. She was on another man.

He pressed his fingertips into his eye sockets. In the beginning, she’d been open with him about her lack of conscience when it came to sleeping with Carlos. But that had been before.

Before he’d made her his.

It was possible she’d given him the roofie and was waiting for him to pass out.

He couldn’t deny that likelihood. Carlos let out a low moan and pain tore through him.

Whether it was an act or not, he couldn’t bear listening as if it were real.

He tore the headphones from his head and threw them on the table.

He drove his fingers through his hair and got to his feet.

He wanted to storm up there, tear Carlos away from her, and shove his automatic so far up Carlos’s ass—

Dylan cleared his throat. “I’m sorry dude. If it’s any consolation, you know she hates the bastard.”

Nate dropped his hand and shook his head. “No, it’s no consolation.” His throat tightened. “I gave her some roofies to slip him if he came on heavy. I’m sure that’s what she’s doing.”

Dylan winced, and his tanned cheeks crinkled with sympathy.

Nate sighed and waved him off. “I’m going up now. Let me know if anything else happens.” He strode to the door, but Dylan scrambled to his feet.

“You’re not going to listen?”

The muscles in his face ached as he deepened his scowl. “Why the hell would I want to listen to that?”

He shrugged. “If you’re right then he’ll pass out soon.”

“I don’t need to hear it.” He moved past Dylan and into the hall.

His hands knotted into fists until the skin at his knuckles threatened to split. His jaw locked and he stormed into the stairwell, not giving a damn if he disturbed anyone. Fuck, he hoped Carlos would come out of his room.

He wouldn’t even think twice about breaking every bone in his face.

He moved his tongue across the top of his teeth. He wasn’t stupid enough to be jealous. That wasn’t what this was about. He hoped to hell she hadn’t let that slimy sonofabitch touch her. She had to know he’d be listening in. The room was bugged for God’s sake.

He let himself into his room and went straight to the bar.

Normally, he wouldn’t dare to have too many drinks while working.

But right now, one wouldn’t hurt. He poured three fingers of whiskey in a glass and slammed it back.

Its rich flavor coated his throat, and then the burning sensation followed.

He slammed the glass down, turned to the couch, and sat.

His phone vibrated in his pocket. If it was Maddie, he’d break the damn thing. He pulled it out and glanced at the screen.

Ethan.

This time, he had no remorse when he ignored the call.

It had been a long time since he’d been in a monogamous relationship—or had even wanted one.

From what he knew, Maddie hadn’t had a serious relationship in a while either.

But fuck, it hurt like hell that someone else was enjoying her. Maybe he should have kept listening.

His phone vibrated again. He locked his jaw. God, Ethan was being a fucking hemorrhoid lately. He lifted the phone, this time ready to answer, but it wasn’t Ethan.

Maddie’s encrypted number lit up the screen. Tension settled into his shoulders and he punched answer.

“Hello?” He didn’t bother trying to hide the chill in his voice.

“It’s me.” She spoke softly, her voice barely above a whisper.

Fuck. That meant she had risked calling him with Carlos around.

“What are you doing?” he rasped. He kept his voice low, as if Carlos could hear him.

“I need to talk to you. Don’t worry, Carlos is out cold in the bedroom, and I’m in the office.”

He made a sound under his breath. They were too late in the game to be getting sloppy. “You shouldn’t have called.” He rested his elbow on his knee and held his forehead in his palm.

“I know. Something happened with Carlos and me. It’s not a big deal, but I wanted—”

“I heard.” His voice went hoarse. “Dylan called me down when he overheard.”

“It’s not what you think. I gave him the pills, but I had to—” Disgust curled his insides in a tight ball. “You let him touch you?”

“No…” Her voice faltered. “Not really. I just had to let him think we’d been intimate so he wouldn’t wake up realizing I’d drugged him.”

He pinched his temples together between his thumb and forefinger. She’d been in a tough position, but damn it to hell and back, she never should have been there in the first place.

“I get it, Maddie. But this is screwed right up. You never should have gotten in this deep.” The raging need for another drink coursed through him.

“Look, you’d better get back in case he wakes up or something.

Let me know before you guys disembark in the morning.

” He disconnected the call and dropped the phone beside him.

Carlos should be out for the night with the roofies, but she was right, it was hard to say what he’d remember in the morning.

He hoped she hadn’t done more with Carlos than she’d claimed.

***

Bang, bang, bang!

Nate groaned and shifted on the bed. His arm flopped over and pain shot through his wrist. What the fuck?

His eyelids fluttered and light shone into his eyes, blinding him.

The object he’d hit his wrist on filled his line of vision.

The coffee table. No wonder he felt like a bag of shit, he’d passed out on the couch.

A jackhammer roared into his skull and he pressed the pads of his fingers into his eye sockets.

He shouldn’t have stayed up so late. The last time he’d looked at the clock it had been five a.m. He needed a shower and a cup of coffee more than he needed his next breath.

They had a big day ahead, and he would need his stamina.

Memories of last night hit him and his headache intensified.

Bang! Bang!

Annoyance shot through him. He leapt off the couch and stumbled to the door, not bothering to put pants on over his boxers or find his shirt from yesterday. He scowled and pulled the door open.

Ashley stood there, her eyebrows pinched together, and annoyance flashing in her brown eyes. She shoved at his chest and let herself in.

“What the hell happened to you last night? I was locked out and had to crash at Dylan’s.”

Shit. He’d forgotten that Ashley had been keeping an eye on Hector last night.

Knowing Hector’s gambling habits, she’d probably been out long after he’d passed out.

He rubbed his hand through his hair and yawned.

His eyes raked over her and he frowned. She wore one of Dylan’s T-shirts and a pair of his sweat pants.

Nate’s lips twitched. Well, at least his demise had benefited his friends.

“What happened to your key?”

She made a tsking sound. “It must have demagnetized from my phone.”

“You could have gone to the front desk, you know. They would have given you a new key.”

Her cheeks turned deep crimson and a realization dawned on him. He rubbed his hand over his face to hide his grin.

She pointed her small index finger at his nose. “Shut up.”

He raised his hands in the air in surrender, his shoulders shook on a chuckle. “Sorry.”

She glowered at him.

“What time is it?”

“Oh my god. You’re just waking up!” She pressed her fingers to her temples as if she could somehow make clothes appear on his body. Tough shit. Nothing was happening until he had coffee.

“I’m fine. I just need some coffee.”

“We don’t have time,” she hissed. “It’s nearly one p.m. You’re lucky I showered at Dylan’s and just need to get dressed. We docked an hour ago and Carlos and Maddie have just gotten off the ship.”