Page 15 of Wayward (Wrecked #4)

Waylaying

Haley

“ T hayer,” I say, holding my head high.

There are dark circles under his eyes, and his hair is standing up on end.

He’s not wearing his normal button-down linen shirt but a polo instead.

There’s no logo on it―custom, no doubt. I’m not sure if it’s seeing him in our cabin or the change of clothing, but he’s disarmed.

Like he’s a normal guy. A normal, worried guy.

“Come along now. Move.” There’s an edge of fear in his usually calm voice.

I step forward, but Calvin and Easton haven’t moved.

“Now.” Thayer grabs my upper arm and jostles me into the corridor. But I catch the look in Thayer’s brown-flecked hazel eyes. He’s pleading with me.

It’s Calvin’s plan to go along with what they want, but right now there’s empathy rolling off the man who had us lined up on the deck for death just a few days ago.

“Easton, Calvin. Just do as he says.” I twist my neck.

Calvin and Easton stand with two guards, arms crossed and faces stoic, far from willing to go along with it.

Thayer takes my arm and leads me up the stairs. Easton and Calvin are right behind us. And my heart sinks. This is the way to the back deck. I hold my breath, but I want to scream.

I must have taken a gulp of air, because Thayer glares down at me. “I need you to be quiet. Do you understand me? Your life depends on it. Do as I say, Hal.”

I bite my lips and nod. I’m doing the best I can to keep my fear pushed down.

We’re past the windowless conference room.

Down the hallway and not quite to the grand salon.

He punches a code into a pad next to a door and opens it.

It’s a stateroom. The owner’s stateroom, if I’m not mistaken.

The walls are dark cherry and the linens on the king-sized bed a deep brown.

There’s a deep scent of cloves and eucalyptus in the air.

“That’s good enough,” Thayer says. He holds up his hand, stopping the guards from coming into the cabin. They linger in the corridor like well-trained dogs. Penny.

There is a pause until Thayer motions them away and closes the door with a button next to the nightstand.

Thayer clears his throat. “The crew I’ve got on board is loyal to me. But I’ve been surprised with some of my father’s men waiting for us here. They’ve asked for a ride to our next port.”

“And this complicates things,” Easton states.

“Yes, spoken like a Rockwell. This complicates things.” Thayer pushes another button next to the bed, and a panel next to it opens. “You’ve had a downgrade in accommodations.”

I glance over at Calvin and Easton.

“Don’t look at them. They follow you, Hal. And if you want to live, this is the way to do it.”

“Okay.” I step inside the space. It’s a massive closet with an array of Thayer’s expensive shirts and suits.

“Back here, Sassy.” Dante slides a hanger to the side and opens his arms to me. Beyond Dante, there’s another open panel. Sam and Zane are standing in front of the open panel with their arms crossed over their chests. We’re all here.

I turn to Thayer. “I’m glad we’re together, but why are we here?”

“According to my crew, you’ve all been killed and are at the bottom of the ocean now.

My father’s trying to kill all the Rockwells, and the rest of you can’t be alive if the younger Rockwell isn’t.

” Thayer says it like he’s ordering a bottle of Macallan at a Michelin star restaurant.

“Fill them in. And no ‘family time.’ He cocks his head when he says it, staring at me.

Warmth rushes up my neck in what I know is a strong blush. “Got it.” I nod and turn away from him. “Wait. Thayer, where are you giving them a ride to?”

Thayer shakes his head. “Sorry, Hal.” Thayer motions Calvin and Easton behind the line of suits and closes the door.

“So fill us in,” Easton says, taking a seat on top of a Rimowa extra-large metallic suitcase.

“There are seven little spaces. And enough scratch marks to know they’ve been used more than once,” Zane says, giving a shiver.

“It’s disgusting,” Sam adds.

“Also kind of genius.” Calvin ducks his head into the chambers. “What?” he says when we all stare at him like he’s lost his head.

“It is. I mean, yeah, disgusting. That the ship has a secret compartment for something like this. But also, most of these things are built into the bilge where the Coast Guard or any other maritime agency are trained to look for them. But the owner’s cabin?

Yeah, they walk in here, move a suitcase maybe, and that’s it.

Unless they’re looking for something small.

But people? Not small. Plus, if it’s his father’s men we’re really trying to steer clear of, they’re not going to come looking for us in here.

His own guards didn’t want to come in here.

So, gross on a moral scale but good for us.

Also, we’re not going to smell like bilge or . . .”

“Cat piss,” Dante says.

“Yeah, or at least you aren’t.” Calvin laughs and sniffs his shirt. “Guess I should have taken a shower when I had the chance.”

“What about Penny and Pepper?” I turn to the closed door.

Sam takes my hand. “Thayer said he would have someone feed and look after them. Apparently, his dad has a thing for animals and would have been more upset if they were gone.”

“That’s good? I guess.” I move closer to Sam.

“Yeah, it is.” Sam pulls me onto his lap.

“Here, Sassy.” Dante takes a sleeve of crackers from the floor and hands it to me. “I grabbed these on my way out of the galley."

“Thank you.” I take a few and pass them to Calvin and Easton.

“There’s bottled water in the cubbies back there. Along with a bucket for . . .” Sam trails off.

“Thanks. He wouldn’t have cameras in here, would he?”

“No, I don’t think so. But you never know with Z.” Calvin steps into the cubby and comes back with a bunch of bottles of water. He hands them to Easton and me.

“If that light there above the hamper clicks from clean to dirty, we’re to move into the wall,” Sam says. I kiss his cheek and stand, moving into the main part of the closet. My heart rate is beginning to return to normal. It’s the stew in me.

I can’t help but look through Thayer’s suits.

They’re all custom or high-end off the rack.

There are several drawers full of ties. I’ve been a stew for single male owners before.

Most naturally stick to half the closet.

Like there’s some sort of invisible barrier keeping them off the side of their future partner’s turf.

Thayer doesn’t have that problem. He’s taken over the entire space.

I open a tuxedo jacket. It’s clear it’s never been worn, but it’s pressed to perfection.

The Rosewood stews are good at what they do. And it ticks me off a little.

“Little Bird?” Zane wraps his arms around me. “You doing okay?”

I nod. He spins me around and stares into my eyes. And my heart stops beating for a second. Without words, he’s telling me that listening up is important.

I nod again. “We’re in Taiwan. Right?”

“Yes, Sassy.” Dante raises his chin to Zane, in the same subtle listen up way.

“Do you remember when I showed you the pictures from last year?” Zane asks.

“Yes.”

“Last year’s crew at Portofino?”

I nod at Zane. “Yeah. You climbed it with some of the deckies who didn’t come back after Rocky changed boats.”

Zane turns to Sam.

“I spent time with the captain. Hawk-on Lindholm,” Sam says. It’s a weird change of subject, but I’m getting that somehow the two are connected. “About where the Rock Candy went dead in the water. He’s about sixty. How old is your mom, Zane?”

“Fifty-eight, but if you meet my mum, I didn’t tell you anything.” Zane smiles.

This is beyond a little weird. Then it clicks. I remember Zane talking about a deckhand named Hawk. A tall, lanky twenty-one-year-old who could outdrink the rest of the crew.

I nod and give it a few minutes. Dante’s listing all the supplies that were brought on board before he was removed from the galley. “. . . watercress, swordfish, Wagyu in all sorts of fucking cuts. Tomahawk, top round . . .”

“The elder Mr. Z is interested in yachts, just like Thayer. It does seem that there are a lot of yachting families.”

Sam breaks out into a smile. “Exactly, Sugar. Exactly.”

I try to contain my excitement. But I knew that Calvin was holding something back when we were in the cabin.

The captain of the Rosewood is going to help us.

Or at least hopefully doesn’t want us dead.

“Did Thayer say anything about how long we’re going to be here when he brought you in? ” I ask Dante.

“No, Sassy. We just got the lowdown on the water, bucket, and glowing light.”

“He told you about his father’s men?”

“Yeah, and that the Rosewood is being used as an Uber by Daddy Dearest.” Dante pops a cracker in his mouth.

Sam stands. “We’re in Taiwan. Let’s talk this through. Where are there ports big enough for the Rosewood ?”

“More like where is the hot yachting scene within a week of here?” Zane adds.

“Fuck-ton of places,” Dante says.

“Gold Coast, Hong Kong . . .” Zane cocks his head.

“No, no way a family like Z’s is going to hang out in Hong Kong. There’s too much competition, and the government is . . .” Dante dusts his hands together.

“There’s Singapore, and the popular areas around Phuket, Thailand.

But the real problem with a boat like this is where the fuck do you dock it?

Were you guys able to look outside at all when we first docked?

We’re at some sort of strange outstation fueler.

” Calvin’s pacing, and the small space feels even smaller.

“Yeah, we saw it for an hour or so while I was unloading supplies into the pantry.” Dante runs his hand down the side of my arm.

I breathe out. I’m not claustrophobic. Heck, I don’t think I’m even afraid of storms anymore. But this space is enough to give me a whole new set of fears. And most of them come from Thayer’s dad. “Why does he want us dead? What possible danger do we pose?”

“It’s not us, Little Bird.”

“It’s me,” Easton says.