Page 41 of Terminal Voyage

“Declan hates me now.”

“He’s understandably upset. But if he wants to keep getting phenomenal BJs, he’ll learn to love you.”

19

Dinner was even better than the night before. We had a choice of grilled mahi mahi or a 6-ounce center-cut filet. I went with the filet.

The ship cruised through the sapphire water, and a gentle breeze swirled. We watched the sun dip below the horizon, painting the sky in pastel hues. It was a beautiful evening, but I still felt uncomfortable. I sat next to Sophia, making sure to put at least one person between myself and Luciano. I didn’t want to spend another evening fending him off.

"I can't thank you enough for finding my bracelet," Sophia said. "It's so precious to me. Where on earth did you find it?”

"It just caught my eye when I looked down. I picked it up from the deck, but I couldn't figure out who it belonged to. I'm sorry, I must have been pretty far gone to not remember you had shown it to me.”

“Which deck?”

“The sky lounge,” I stammered.

“I know I had it at dinner. I must have lost it during the poker game.” She smiled and whispered, "And don’t worry. We all overindulge from time to time. No shame. In my book, you’ve redeemed yourself.”

The bracelet glimmered on her wrist.

I still had questions, but I told myself I was done with it.

“Do you dive?” Luciano asked me.

“Yes,” I said.

“Are you experienced?”

“I like to think so.”

“Excellent, you must join us for the Devil’s Abyss. Truly remarkable.”

“Devil’s Abyss?”

“It’s a tunnel through a reef,” Sophia said.

“One of my favorite dives,” Luciano added.

“I’m sure she’d love to, but sadly, Teagan will be leaving us when we reach Puerto Maya,” Declan said. “She’s had a family emergency and must return.”

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that," Luciano said with a concerned face. "I hope everything is okay.”

Vanessa nudged Declan. The two exchanged angry looks.

"False alarm, actually," I said. "It looks like I'll be able to stay after all." I smiled at Declan.

He was not amused.

"Fantastic," Luciano replied. "I do so enjoy having you aboard. It makes it interesting. That is certain.” He shared a look with Sophia and laughed. "It's not often I get accused of murder. What a story I will have to tell when I get home.”

I shrank, feeling small. "I'm sorry."

"No. Don't be sorry, my dear. Revel in it. You made a bold and daring accusation. You stood by what you believed in. You went all in. That's an admirable quality. Then you reevaluated when presented with new evidence. It takes character to admit you were wrong. I admire that."

I hadn't totally admitted I was wrong yet. At least, not in my mind.

Luciano lifted his glass. "To Teagan."