Page 49 of Ruining His Smirk

I pressed my lips together.

“But since we came aboard, he has…” Dexter waved his hand. “He is… I don’t even know. And now, after the accident, he won’t even talk to me.”

“I’m sorry, Dexter. It was probably traumatic for him. I can get help—”

“No. It’s not that. It’s you.” Dexter looked at me with big, pleading eyes. “He is really struggling, and I know you are the reason. And I don’t think I’m the one he needs to talk to this time. You are.”

I inhaled carefully against the soreness in my ribs.

“You may be giving me more influence than I deserve.”

“I am not…” Dexter straightened his shoulders with sudden determination. “You are going to come with me to his room.”

“I’m sorry?”

“I am going to knock on the door and say it is me. He will open the door because he always opens it for me. But then you are going inside.”

I stared at him.

“That,” Dexter said gravely, “is the crime I am committing.”

“You’re going to use your voice to get me access to him.”

“Yes.”

“Without telling him.”

“Yes.”

“I don’t think either of us will survive, Dexter. Have you seen the muscles on your brother?”

Dexter laughed unexpectedly. “I sure have, but you might know them way better than I do at this point.”

My face went up in flames.

“You stare at him like he’s a new specimen you’re studying—”

“Hey… we don’t need to drag me through the flames here.”

He smiled. “Will you help me?”

I nodded. “I was planning on talking with him anyhow.”

* * *

Dexter stopped outside his brother’s cabin and looked at me with a solemn expression. Before I could reconsider this criminal operation, he lifted one hand and knocked loudly.

“Garrett!”

“Dex?”

“Yes,” Dexter called.

The door opened. His eyes went first to me, and shock registered. Then he looked at his brother.

Dexter moved with startling speed. He stepped aside, gave me a firm push between the shoulder blades, and the door slammed behind me.

I stumbled into the cabin.