Four men are accounted for—the two waiters who have their guns on the twins, the captain escorting me, and the barman who has shoved his gun back in his waistband.
There are five members of staff, they said. That could be a lie, but if not, it means there’s one more. But he’s unaccounted for, and Vani hasn’t returned from her bathroom break.
Fuck.
My eyes meet Saint’s, and I can see he’s thinking the same as I am.
We need to save Vani, which means we can’t get our heads blown off. We must play for time.
Lex clears his throat. “What the hell is this shit about?”
“Yeah,” Saint drawls. “Do you know who we are?”
The captain laughs as I take a seat across the table from where Lex and Saint are standing.
“Of course we do. That’s why we’re on this boat, and the original crew are dead and stuffed in cupboards. You wouldn’t believe how much space there is on these things.”
Frowning, I raise my hands and sign.
“In English, you dumb motherfucker.”
The captain pulls a gun out of his waistband and uses it to pistol whip me. He’s not that good at it, and while my head whips to the side and pain explodes in my cheek, I know he’s not broken anything.
“He can’t talk.” Lex gestures to his own throat, making a cutting motion. “See? He has a scar.”
The captain laughs. “Oh, so you’reliterallydumb. Okay. Got it.”
I want to beat the son of a bitch to a pulp.
“Right, this is the situation.” Captain points to the twins. “You, Laurant one and Laurant two, are both dead. Orders. The girl. Fucked every which way to Sunday, to send a warning to all and sundry not to mess with us. But you?” He glances at me. “What outfit are you with? You’re not part of the Laurant world, I know that much.”
I simply smile and shrug. It takes every part of me not to show my true feelings. The thought of someone hurting Vani like that makes me want to tear out my own heart. If we don’t survive this, will each of these motherfuckers take their turn with her? She’ll never be the same again. That beautiful, bright light I love so much will have been extinguished.
“That’s an audacious choice, not telling me, when doing so could save your life,” Captain says.
Saint signs at me.Let me fucking tell him. It might save your life, and you can help Vani.
The shock of Saint suggesting something so chivalrous as him dying so Vani can be saved makes me unable to think, but then I get with the program.
I can’t sign back because my right hand has been slowly moving to cover the steak knife these amateurs have left out on the tables. Fucking idiots. It’s the whole reason I took a seat so compliantly.
Saint stares at me, as if waiting for an answer. I give a nod, needing him to stop directing attention my way, but before Saint can speak, a wail from behind me lifts every single hair on my neck.
It sounds like a banshee. An unholy scream threatening vengeance and justice.
I turn to look, and my eyes must bug out of my head at the sight.
Staggering into the room, wailing and moaning like some sort of fucking demon, is a naked—well, almost naked—wild-haired, blood-drenched Vani.
“What the fuck?” Lex breathes.
The sight of her commands everyone’s attention—even the men who are currently holding us hostage with guns. How could anyonenotlook? She’s half-naked, her breasts bouncing with every step. I can’t let myself think about the reason for her nudity, or the torn dress, or even where the blood has come from...
I don’t even hesitate. I grab the steak knife and twist in my seat, lunging up. The chair falls backward as I stab the blade right into the captain’s throat.
He steps back, arms wheeling, and his gun goes off, loud enough to risk making me deaf as well as unable to speak.
All around, chaos breaks out.
