Page 92 of Secrets Beneath the Waves

Ellie stood up straight, her chest heaving. She matched his intensity.

“You’re worried about trusting me? What about you? I saw you pass an envelope to a crew member of a cruise ship a couple of days ago. Who was he, Luke?”

He blinked, momentarily caught off guard. “You saw that?”

“Yes,” she said, her tone razor-sharp. “You accuse me of being compromised, and I’d like to know why you’re handing off packages of money to strangers.”

Luke’s expression hardened. “It’s not what you think.”

She noted that he didn’t deny the envelope was full of money.“Tell me what I should think. From where I’m sitting, it looks suspicious. It’s treason to sell secrets to the enemy.”

He laughed. She couldn’t tell if the laugh was a deflection, or if he really thought what she said was ludicrous. It sounded over the top when the words left her mouth.

“He’s an asset. I’ve been working with him to gather intel on drug smuggling through the Caymans.”

Her eyes widened in disbelief.“And I’m supposed to take your word for it?”

“Believe me or don’t,” he said. His voice dropped a mix of frustration and vulnerability. “Either way, it’s none of your concern.”

Ellie frowned, unsure whether to believe him. “And what do you do with that information?”

“We use it to track the shipments,” Luke explained. “Once the drugs are offloaded, they’re taken by boat to Mexico, then moved across the U.S. border. My job is to gather intel. That’s why I was stationed here. I pay him for information. It took me a long time to develop that asset.”

She felt small for doubting him. While he could be lying, it wouldn’t be hard to confirm the information. If true, she’d made a mistake by confronting him.

“Ellie, don't repeat this information. His life could be in danger if he’s outed.”

“I’m not going to tell anyone.”

“I believe you. Unlike you, I do trust you even if you don’t trust me.” His words dripped with bitterness and sarcasm.

Ellie gave a curt nod, then turned away to go through her gear bag. She zipped it open roughly, their argument lingered in the air, heavy and unresolved. She let out a slow breath as anger still bubbled beneath the surface. Her equipment banged againstthe boat several times, making a loud sound that pierced the awkward silence.

“Ellie,” Luke said more softly. She turned in time to catch his expression. Regret shadowed his usual confidence. He took her hand. “Why are you angry with me? What did I do wrong?”

“I’m not angry,” she said, although her voice betrayed her, and her actions did as well when she pulled her hand away. It was the only response she could muster without risking more of the truth.

Her mission was more important than his feelings. She confronted him because she had to know if he was the mole. Even though it didn’t go as planned, she couldn’t reveal her real mission, even if she had eliminated him as a suspect.

“I’m sorry,” he said, and for a moment, she stilled. “I shouldn’t have gone behind your back and talked to that guy. I thought I was protecting you.”

The apology caught her off guard, and for a split second, her resolve wavered. He sounded genuine—more so than she’d expected. But did it matter?

Even if he weren’t the mole, he had talked to Mark. Despite his denials, she couldn’t help but think that jealousy was the motive. The last thing she wanted was a possessive boyfriend. Someone clingy.

In reality, she didn’t want a boyfriend at all.

“Don’t do it again.”

“I won’t.”

She focused on the strap of her bag, tightening it with more force than necessary.

“Can we put this aside for now?” he said gently. “It’d be a shame to waste this beautiful dive spot.”

A crack formed in the armor of her anger. Her emotions still churned, a mix of frustration but mixed with a glimmer of hope that he wasn’t entirely what she feared.

She should be relieved that she didn’t have to kill him and dump his body in the Cayman Trench.