Page 118 of Stone Coast

“Where’s JD?”

“Still in Europe with the guys.”

“I’ve never seen you leave the band before. Is everything okay?”

“I just had some business to attend to.”

Her suspicious teal eyes narrowed at me. “That cute, huh?”

I laughed. “Old friend in a tight spot.”

“Ah, old friend. Tight spot. Got it,” she said with a wink.

“It’s not like that.”

She knew better.

I ordered two cheeseburgers and a basket of sweet potato fries to go.

"How many more shows does the band have?" Teagan asked.

"A few.”

"Are you going to go back?"

"Depends on how things develop."

"Must be serious," she said, prying.

"I could tell you, but those details are classified.”

She rolled her eyes. "Be careful, Tyson. This one sounds like trouble."

If she only knew the half of it.

The little troublemaker was up by the time I returned to the boat. Savannah’s eyes sparkled with delight when I presented the meal. "You read my mind."

"Perhaps I know you better than you know yourself," I said.

“You probably do.”

We took our burgers up to the sky deck and chowed down, enjoying a quiet evening, but it wouldn't be quiet for long.

63

SAVANNAH

After dinner and a few cocktails, Tyson and I decided to roll around in the sheets again, just for good measure.

As we lay there in post-orgasmic bliss, I got a text from Xzavier.[Turn on the news.]

I told Tyson to turn on the TV, and he did. We lay in bed and watched the news.

Tessa Vaughn appeared on the screen. "In a shocking turn of events, CEO Alec Stratton has come forward to blow the whistle on his own corporation. Stratton has implicated the company in a massive cover-up involving fraudulent data. Their premier drug, Hemalogen, which has been long in development and much-anticipated, has been linked to increased rates of adverse events, including the progression and development of cancer. Stratton said that Phaxelon is immediately halting all clinical trials and will reformulate the product. He said they are also establishing a compensation fund for those injured during testing. Stratton hassurrendered himself to authorities and says he is willing to fully comply. Phaxelon stock has dropped 90% in after-hours trading. I'm Tessa Vaughn, and I’m exposing the truth."

I smiled at Tyson. "See. All's well that ends well."

"You'll forgive me if I don't share your optimism. I'm still waiting for the other shoe to drop.”