Page 3 of Kraken the Seal

I moved to the edge of my boat, going through opening lines that wouldn’t get me slapped when I saw the guy from the yacht stumbling down the gangplank to the dock.

“Hey!” I called out to her, waving frantically.

She was coming even with my boat and turned to look at me with an angry expression. What happened to piss her off that much?

Again, I had to fight my tentacles because now they wanted revenge on her behalf.

“Some guy is calling for you,” I said. “I saw him on the ramp, heading this way. Hide in here until he goes away.”

I expected her to refuse and was prepared to jump off my boat and walk her safely to her car. Instead she acted with the speed of an action star.

Without hesitation, she took a running step and landed on my boat right next to me. Then she dove into the cabin as the guy came jogging up the dock. It was amazing that someone that unsteady could stay on his feet.

“Baby? Honey? Wait up! Let me walk you out!” the guy yelled. It took a lot of willpower, but I didn’t look at where she was hiding.

“Oh, hey,” he said, noticing me watching him. He moved to the edge of the dock next to my boat. “I’m Hank. I’m one of the owners of the yacht over there. Did you see a girl?”

“Girl?” I asked. “You mean a child? You shouldn’t leave children unattended on the docks.”

“No man,” he said, thinking I was teasing him. “She’s full-grown. Like, you know, full grown!” He held his hands up to his chest in a parody of large breasts. “Have you seen her? She tossed the drink I gave her, so I made this one”

He held up a solo cup so full, some of it sloshed out the sides. He was close enough that some of the drink hit my chest.

I could smell the drugs he’d put in it! Fucking bastard!

It took all my self-control to remain still when all I wanted to do was beat the man to a bloody pulp. Times like this made me wish I was a vampire and was able to put this twit under thrall.Then I’d make him swallow down that entire drink and send him off to wander the streets of San Diego.

“I haven’t seen anyone,” I said between clenched teeth.

“You’d remember if you saw this chick,” the guy continued, oblivious to my scowl. “She acted all stuck up, but you know bitches like that. All I need to do is loosen them up, and then they’re all about sucking dick.”

That was it. I couldn’t take it anymore. I could only hope he was so inebriated he wouldn't understand what happened.

“Hey, is that her over there?” I asked, pointing behind him.

He drunkenly turned, almost tumbling into my boat. I let one of my tentacles loose. The appendage was excited to grow large, grab him around the waist, and toss him into the bay.

It all happened so fast that he didn’t get a chance to scream, and I heard a satisfying splash. If we were lucky, he’d get swept out to sea, never to be seen again.

Turning around, I stepped down into the cabin to find the stranger standing there, arms crossed over her chest, eyes blazing with anger.

“Chick? Stuck up? Loosen me up?” Each word sounded more like a threat than a question or comment. “I’m going to find him on social media and make sure everyone knows that his computer search history includes penis enlargement surgery and holistic cures for gonorrhea.”

I snorted. “I’d help, but I don’t know anything about that stuff.”

She focused her eyes on me. “Did I hear a splash?”

“He tumbled into the water,” I said. “He’s really drunk.”

“Good,” she said. “It’s the least he deserves. Every guy there was wasted. I was one of only three women, and they wouldn’t leave us alone. This is the last time I let Janice guilt me into going with her to a party.”

“It must’ve been bad for you to jump to the dock,” I said, leaning against the doorframe.

Her anger faded a little. “You saw that?”

I nodded. “It was impressive. That wasn’t a short distance. You landed like a superhero, then strode off like it wasn’t a big deal.”

She must’ve seen the honesty in my expression. Her frown transformed into a smile. “It really wasn’t that high.”