Page 117 of Stone Coast

62

TYSON

Imust have been out of my mind, but Savannah could have that effect. I kept thinking about all the lives that would be saved by Xzavier's actions. It was a sticky situation, to be sure.

Piper dropped us off at the marina, and we climbed out of the van. We said our goodbyes, and she sped away. We walked to the muscle car, and I grabbed the door for Savannah. She climbed into the Porsche. I hustled around, slid behind the wheel, and fired up the beast.

"Where are we going?"

"Back to Coconut Key. That might be the only way to keep you out of trouble," I said.

It was the first time she didn't put up a fight.

I pulled out of the lot and headed south to Coconut Key. I was tired and ready to crawl into bed. It had been a long night. We stopped to grab coffee on the way out of town.With the windows down and the music blasting, I tried to keep myself alert for the drive. We hardly said a word on the way back, both of us processing the events of the last 24 hours.

I was now an accessory to kidnapping, and I didn’t take that lightly.

Within an hour, we were back home. I pulled into the parking lot at Diver Down and found a place to park. We hopped out, and I escorted Savannah down the dock to theAvventura. She took in the superyacht with wide eyes.

"This is your boat?"

I nodded. "She ain't much, but she's home," I teased.

"Holy shit! You've done well."

"I've been blessed," I replied, then escorted her across the passerelle to the aft deck.

Teagan had been taking care of Buddy and Fluffy. It was oddly quiet—I was used to the excited greeting of the energetic Jack Russell. I unlocked the glass sliding door and pulled it open, then motioned Savannah inside.

She stepped into the salon, taking in the luxurious appointments.

I shared the boat with Jack. He had more money than sense, and no expense was spared. He was in Europe with the rest of the band, living out their rock 'n' roll fantasies.

"Something tells me you've bent quite a few rules to get a boat like this," Savannah said.

I chuckled. "A few good deals and a few lucky breaks."

I gave her a brief tour of the boat and highlighted the features of the galley. Then I escorted her up to my stateroom on the bridge deck aft. "I don't know about you, but I need a shower and a nap."

"Both sound good. I'm going to need some clothes.”

"We can take care of that this afternoon."

We took a shower and washed the salt water off, then fell into bed. We were both too tired for any aerobic activity. There would be plenty of time for that later.

It was a little afternoon by the time I got to sleep.

It was dark when I woke.

I pulled myself out of bed and stumbled down to the galley to whip up something to eat. I was starving and was sure Savannah would be, too. There wasn’t much in the fridge, considering we were supposed to be in Europe.

Not thrilled with the prospects, I pulled on some clothes and jogged to Diver Down.

Harlan sat in his usual spot at the bar, nursing a sweaty long neck. No doubt the old Marine had been there all day. The restaurant was about half full.

Teagan greeted me from behind the bar with a curious look. She wore a tight bikini top and jean shorts with a bottle opener in her back pocket, ready to sling another brew to thirsty tourists and locals. “What are you doing back so soon?”

I slid my ass onto a barstool and said, “It’s a long story.”