Page 16 of Wayward (Wrecked #4)

Dead Weight

Easton

Z ane nods at me.

“What else do you know? Because you damn well know more than you’re telling me. You don’t need to protect me. Leaving me and everyone else in the dark isn’t going to help anyone.”

“Zed―Ed―the elder Mr. Z, whatever you want to call him―he wants your family dead. There’s another player, but I haven’t been able to figure out who it is. If you, Rocky, and Emily are dead . . . this person gets everything.”

“Harding.” I want to smash my fist against the wall, but I don’t.

“Your dad’s business partner? I don’t think so.

I don’t have Rocky’s book in here, but there are a few pages where he’s trying to figure it out.

Harding knew about the laundering, of course.

But he’s not the one who started it. At least, that’s the impression I get.

” Zane puts his hand on my shoulder. “You’re right.

I was trying to protect you. Because knowing your family is in danger and not being able to do anything about it?

Bloody hell, if I knew someone had it out for my little sister, I’d go batshit mad not being able to do anything about it.

And fuck me, I didn’t want that for you.

You already didn’t know whether they made it to land.

I didn’t want to add another layer of worry. ”

Bile rises up my throat because he’s right.

My face tightens, and I squeeze my hands over my eyes.

But then Haley slides under my arms and up my chest. I inhale, letting her coconut scent surround me.

My hands drop to her back, and I pull her to me.

“Sorry, right.” I pry my eyes open. “You’re a good friend, Zane.

Thank you. I’m sorry my family has wrecked your lives. ”

Dante scoffs. “I mean . . . thank you. But this has been pretty fucking awesome.”

“Dante, we’re locked in a closet,” Haley says into my shoulder.

“This is a pretty damn good closet to be in.” Dante laughs. “No really. All in all, this has been a fucking amazing year. Though there are some things I could have done without.”

“Wild boar,” Zane says.

“The rainy season.” Haley peppers the underside of my chin with kisses.

“The fucking pirates,” Sam adds.

“Thayer,” Calvin says.

I’ve already told them a hundred times how the last year was one of the best things that ever happened to me. And I’m the fucking worst thing that has ever happened to them. No matter what happens to me, I’m going to make sure they all come out of this okay. Or at least alive. Fucking alive.

“You know what this means . . .” Haley lifts her head. Our eyes lock.

“No, what does this mean?”

“That Emily and Rocky are alive. Thayer would have said something like you’re the last piece in his father’s way. But that’s not what he said.” She cocks her head.

“You’re right. It’s not proof that Emily and my dad are alive, but . . .”

“There’s hope.” She squeezes me.

“Okay, I can try and have hope.” I kiss the top of her head.

I’ve slept in a lot of horrible places in the last year.

On the beach, in the damn damp plastic raft, sticking to the floor, swaying in the ocean and then again with sand rubbing into my face on the beach, the floor in the abandoned hut on the other side of the island, the treehouse, and then on the pull-out cot in the cabin downstairs.

But nothing has prepared me for sleeping in a trafficking closet.

We decided that two people would keep watch and four of us would sleep.

Z dropped off some fruit and bread a while ago and graciously let us each take a silent turn using his bathroom instead of the bucket.

Now I’m leaning against the back wall, and Haley’s nestled between my legs using my stomach as a pillow.

I’m pretty sure I’ve slept only a handful of hours in the last few days.

But I’m glad to be assisting Haley. My head’s spinning about my sister and dad. And fucking getting us out of here.

Calvin pushes in, Sam too. “The light’s on dirty,” Calvin whispers, shutting the panel behind him.

My heart thuds at the shouting coming from the main cabin. It’s muffled, with the walls and the clothing between there and where we are. But there are at least two male voices. Z’s, I think, and another one, maybe two, possibly three.

I lean over Haley and rub her arm. “We have visitors,” I whisper.

“What? Oh, oh . . .” She moves to her feet. The space is a little wider than my shoulders. There’s light, but it’s tinged red and dim. To not be seen through any cracks, I suppose. The conversation I had with Calvin yesterday runs through my head.

He had scratched his beard and scrunched his face like he does before he comes up with a doozie. “If Ed’s men are the reason why we’re here, but trafficking is part of his business while Z seems . . .”

“Not into shooting us,” I said.

“Exactly. Why wouldn’t Ed’s men know about the chamber in the owner’s closet?”

I glared at Calvin. “Shit if I know. Is this Thayer’s yacht or Ed’s?” I cocked my head at Calvin. Because he’s smarter than I’ll ever admit he is.

“Thayer’s what . . . thirty? Think Dad paid for the yacht?”

“Yeah.” I think back to my own finances.

Emily and I have trust funds, and different amounts of money vests at different ages.

A way of keeping the kids in line. Though I’ve never actually cared about my dad’s money, I’m not as much of a free spirit as Emily.

“I couldn’t afford to buy the Rosewood , not on my own. ”

“So, his dad did. And if his dad did, wouldn’t he have his men search it?”

“Yes,” I said.

Now Calvin’s voice hisses in the quiet compartment. “Wait for the signal . . .”

Haley’s shaking. Vibrating. If she wasn’t holding her jaw just so, her teeth would be chattering.

I hold my lips above her ear and whisper, “It’s okay.” I have absolutely no idea whether it’s going to be okay. But at least we’ve come up with something. Though I’m vibrating on my own.

The overhead light flicks on. Calvin moves the panel to the side, and we all file out.

The door to the closet is open. I’m to go first. I have an important job to do.

I poke my head out into the main cabin. The door’s cracked open.

I throw a thumbs-up behind me, and we all move across the primary cabin to our hiding spots.

Thayer’s voice echoes in the hallway. Calvin and I will hide in the bathroom while Dante, Zane, and Sam hide under the bed.

Haley will be in the best spot, the chest at the end of the bed.

It’s just big enough for her. I stop at the chest and hold it open for her while she contorts herself.

I give her a smile and close the lid. Calvin’s standing in the doorway to the bathroom when I get there.

There’s enough space behind the door for the two of us to stand.

As long as the door doesn’t get thrown open, we should be good.

Calvin pushes me back, taking the front position.

He wanted Haley in here with us. But she’s better off in the chest. It’s small enough that they’re not going to open it.

Especially after they’ve already searched the room.

Calvin had brought up the issue to Thayer, that Ed’s men would want to search the lockers.

And we all came up with the plan together.

Thayer would let them search the room, take them out into the hallway and acquiesce about letting them search the lockers after giving us time to move.

“Fine,” Z says, too loudly. But I’m hoping they don’t figure it out. Nothing we can do about it now. “Search it. But I like my privacy too much to ever let someone stay back there.”

“I heard you’ve hardly been in here for the last few days. Staying in your office.”

“I’m a workaholic, just like Ed.”

“Right,” the deep voice says. “Then you don’t mind showing us.”

“Fine,” Z responds. “I’ll remember this.”

Through a small opening in the hinge, I see a flicker of a dark-clad security guard and then . . . nothing.

“Nothing. Exactly as I told you,” Z says a few minutes later.

I’m holding my breath and keeping as still as possible. Wishing I wasn’t as close to the hinge as I am. But I’m not moving now.

The door slams shut. We’re not supposed to move back until he comes into the cabin again. Which could be a hell of a long time. I find myself watching a shadow slowly moving across the floor.

It’s been over an hour when I lean forward to Calvin. “We need to get Haley out of there.”

“It’s made of wood, and there’s a crack in the side,” he whispers back.

“She’s not going to be able to walk straight.”

Calvin glares back at me, and the shadow inches forward, hitting the shower door. Thayer made it clear: don’t move from where we're hiding until he comes back. But this is becoming fucking crazy, and I’m worried about Haley. Though sore is better than dead. I school my breathing and wait.

The yacht shakes. We rock left and right, and then it stops.

“We’ve docked,” Calvin whispers.

I nod. Because I’d figured that out on my own. But where are we? And what now?