Chapter 3 - THE CAPTAIN HAD BEEN WAITING FOR MEFor one terrible second, I forgot to act drugged.
My eyes locked on Elena.
Her dark hair was loose around her face, and the expression she gave me contained only one instruction.
Don’t react.
So I didn’t.
I let my body sag against Julian.
Captain Cole smiled.
“There’s our bride.”
Elena stood near the stern.
Theo was beside her, but unlike Elena, his hands weren’t tied.
That detail hurt.
I had trusted him because Elena trusted him.
Apparently we had both been wrong.
Julian guided me toward a white cushioned bench.
“Sit down, sweetheart.”
I obeyed.
The night air cooled the sweat along my spine.
From somewhere inside the yacht, a clock chimed the quarter hour.
11:45 p.m.
Fifteen minutes.
Cole poured champagne into four glasses.
“Where’s mine?” I murmured.
Julian laughed.
“You don’t need any.”
“I’m on my honeymoon.”
My voice sounded slurred because I made it slurred.
He crouched in front of me.
“You’re already half asleep.”
I touched his cheek.
“Then carry me to bed.”
Something passed through his eyes.
Regret?
No.
Impatience.
“I will soon.”
Cole watched us with amusement.
Elena said nothing.
Then Theo stepped toward me.
My muscles tightened.
He reached down.
And discreetly pressed something beneath the cushion beside my thigh.
His fingers remained there for one second.
Two.
Then he straightened.
Cole barked, “What are you doing?”
“She looked like she was slipping.”
Theo shrugged.
“Didn’t want her cracking her skull before midnight.”
Julian laughed.
Cole didn’t.
Theo walked away.
My fingertips moved beneath the cushion.
Metal.
Small.
A folding knife.
Theo was with us.
The ropes around Elena’s wrists were part of something else.
Maybe Cole had discovered her.
Maybe Theo was pretending loyalty.
I didn’t know.
But we were not completely alone.
Cole handed Julian champagne.
“To new beginnings.”
Julian accepted the glass.
“To Vanessa.”
Hearing her name still hurt.
Vanessa Hale had been in my life since freshman year of college.
She had stood beside me at my father’s funeral.
She had slept in my guest room for three weeks afterward because I couldn’t bear waking up alone.
She had introduced me to Julian at a charity gala.
“You two are exactly alike,” she’d said.
Apparently they were more alike than I knew.
Cole checked his watch.
11:49.
I needed them talking.
The recorder in my robe was running.
But attempted murder would be stronger than conspiracy.
If help arrived.
If Elena reached the radio.
If I remained alive.
I leaned backward.
“My head hurts.”
Julian knelt again.
“Almost done.”
“What?”
His face froze.
I blinked slowly.
“You said almost done.”
“Your nausea.”
“Oh.”
He relaxed.
Cole turned away.
That gave me enough time to slip the folding knife into my sleeve.
Then Captain Cole said, “We should move now.”
Julian’s jaw tightened.
“Not until twelve.”
“Why?”
“Because that’s when the scheduled satellite log will show she was still aboard.”
My mind sharpened.
Scheduled satellite log?
Then I remembered.
The Serenity automatically transmitted location and passenger status every six hours to the management company.
Dad had installed the system after a mechanical emergency years earlier.
At midnight, the system would register my electronic wristband aboard the yacht.
If Julian killed me afterward, he could claim I wandered outside sometime later.
That explained his obsession with midnight.
Cole said, “The weather turns in an hour. Waiting doesn’t help us.”
“It helps the timeline.”
“What timeline?”
“The one my lawyers will use when insurers and police start asking questions.”
Cole stared at him.
“You think lawyers can fix everything?”
“With enough money?”
Julian smiled.
“Yes.”
“Except murder,” I said.
Silence.
Too clear.
I had spoken too clearly.
Julian slowly looked at me.
I let my head roll sideways.
“What?”
His eyes searched mine.
“You said something.”
“I said I need water.”
Cole watched me.
Elena suddenly groaned.
Everyone looked toward her.
“I’m going to be sick.”
Cole cursed.
Theo stepped forward.
“I’ll handle her.”
“No,” Cole said.
“She throws up on your shoes, you’ll wish you had.”
Theo took Elena by the arm and moved her toward the side passage.
Cole followed.
That left Julian and me alone.
For five seconds.
Julian sat beside me.
He touched my hair.
“You know, Evelyn, there were moments when I almost couldn’t do this.”
My blood chilled.
I whispered, “Do what?”
He smiled sadly.
“Nothing.”
“Tell me.”
His gaze moved to the ocean.
“You’re a good person.”
My eyes burned.
A good person.
That was my murderer’s eulogy.
“You deserve someone better than me.”
“Julian…”
He kissed my forehead.
“I wish we’d met under different circumstances.”
The recorder captured every word.
I wanted to ask what circumstances.
Instead, I murmured, “Vanessa.”
His body stiffened.
“What did you say?”
“She called earlier.”
A lie.
“When?”
“I don’t remember.”
He studied me.
“What did she say?”
I smiled faintly.
“That she missed you.”
Julian stood so abruptly his champagne glass nearly tipped.
“How do you know about Vanessa?”
I let my eyes close.
He grabbed my shoulder.
“Evelyn.”
Too late.
I had pushed too far.
“Look at me.”
I opened my eyes.
Julian stared into them.
The softness disappeared from his face.
“How much do you know?”
I said nothing.
His fingers tightened.
“You didn’t take the medication, did you?”
Before I could answer, Cole returned.
“What’s wrong?”
“She knows.”
Cole looked at me.
“How?”
“I don’t know.”
Julian dragged me to my feet.
The folding knife slid down my sleeve, but I caught it with my palm.
“Search her.”
Cole stepped forward.
That was when every light on the yacht went out.
Complete darkness.
Elena.
Or Theo.
I moved instantly.
The knife opened beneath my thumb.
I slashed at Julian’s hand—not deeply, just enough.
He shouted.
I ran.
Someone grabbed my robe.
The fabric tore.
A gunshot exploded behind me.
I hit the deck.
Another shot.
Then Elena screamed, “EVELYN, GO!”
I crawled toward the stairwell.
Emergency lights flickered red.
I saw Theo wrestling Cole near the stern.
Elena’s hands were free.
Julian was coming toward me.
Blood dripped from his palm.
“You stupid—”
I kicked his knee.
He fell against the railing.
I ran downstairs.
Behind me came pounding footsteps.
“EVELYN!”
I entered the salon, locked the door, and raced toward the auxiliary navigation room.
Elena had said the emergency radio was there.
I reached the panel.
Locked.
I slammed the knife between the latch and doorframe.
Nothing.
Julian hit the outer salon door.
“Open the door!”
I tried again.
The lock gave.
I entered.
Emergency equipment lined the wall.
Radio.
GPS.
Flares.
Satellite beacon.
I grabbed the microphone.
“Mayday, Mayday, Mayday. This is motor yacht Serenity. I am Evelyn Hart. My husband and captain are attempting to kill me. Current position—”
The door crashed open.
Julian stood there.
For a second we simply stared at each other.
Then he smiled.
Not angry.
Not frantic.
Calm.
“You always were smarter than Vanessa said.”
He stepped inside.
I pressed the transmission button harder.
“Current position fourteen degrees—”
Julian lunged.
We hit the console.
The microphone flew from my hand.
His fingers wrapped around my throat.
“You should’ve stayed asleep.”
I drove my knee upward.
He grunted and loosened his grip.
I reached for the emergency beacon.
Julian grabbed my hair.
He dragged me backward.
I screamed.
Then someone appeared behind him.
Captain Cole.
He held the gun.
I had nowhere left to run.
Cole raised it.
Julian smiled.
“Take care of her.”
Captain Cole aimed.
But not at me.
He aimed directly at Julian.
May you like
And said:
“Get your hands off Evelyn.”
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