Page 73 of The Bridesmaid

Chapter Fifty-Six

PETRA

The cabanas form a semi-circle, their balconies overlooking the water. Which gives me a perfect vantage point to watch.

Still no sign of Silky.

Trinity.She comes at night. Takes your three best things.

I force my gaze back out to sea.

Leopold has gambled everything on Adrianna and Mark getting married this weekend. And I really do mean everything. Money. Everything about the Kensingtons revolves around it. Or doesn’t. One of the last conversations I had with Simone flashes into my thoughts.

‘You think I’m with Leopold for his money?’ I demanded. ‘Surely you’ve figured it out by now, Simone? You did the prenup, right? Leopold has nothing but debts. Building on Elysium swallowed up every last cent. The only hope he has of his investment paying out is if Adrianna’s wedding brings him a whole new set of sponsorship income and high-rolling guests.’

I can still see the shock in her large eyes. Hardly anyone knows the truth about the Kensingtons.

‘Leopold runs his business on smoke, mirrors and the drugs dealt in his nightclubs,’ I said. ‘Whenever the police get heavy, themoney stops. Adrianna’s the only good earner in the entire family.’

I’m distracted from the memory by a movement in the ocean.

Strange. There’s someone in the water.

Holly, and her assistant.

There’s something unnatural about how they’re wading instead of swimming.

My cell rings and a chill passes through me: Max.

‘I told you,’ I say through gritted teeth. ‘I didn’t find out what Simone was setting up out here yet—’

‘You’re too late, Petra,’ he says. ‘If you want to keep yourself out of aTitanexclusive, I need some real dirt on Adrianna Kensington before we send to press tonight.’

‘They’ll know I’m the leak. I’m the only photographer on the island,’ I say.

‘Your problem.’ He hangs up without another word. I massage my temples, wondering what the hell I’m going to do. I lift my gaze to Holly and her handsome assistant, far out in the water, and a possibility occurs.

I raise the camera around my neck and zoom in on his determined expression. The chiseled cheekbones. As he turns sideways, I press to take a volley of pictures, then turn the camera to assess. Then I check the pictures I took of Adrianna yesterday, far out in the water, in her red bikini.

Maybe, I decide. The light could match. With a little photo editing, something could be done for the magazine.

I take some snaps, then stop. They seem to have taken hold of something under the water. It’s long and … human-form. As the focus of my camera adjusts, I realize what I’m seeing. I turn and race out of my cabana, heading to the beach.

Chapter Fifty-Seven

ADRIANNA

We’re having a light breakfast on the beach. Smoothies for the girls. Lemon water with cayenne pepper for me.

Georgia and Ophelia are giggling about something. I close my eyes. Let the sun warm my face. It’s working. The wedding will go ahead.

When I open my eyes, there’s somebody in the water, wading onto the beach.

Holly. Her blue hair is hanging in rat’s tails. She’s dragging something. Some sodden item.

‘The guests are arriving today,’ Georgia explains. ‘Two hundred hand-picked guests. It’s going to be … kind of chaos.’ She looks sad. ‘I’ve been changing the table plan since six a.m. this morning. I cannot figure out how to get Dad on a table without at least one person who is afraid of him.’

I lower my large glasses, noticing Georgia do the same.