He studied my face, as if he could tell whether I was lying. He gave a subtle nod and then went for two pairs of boots underneath the uniforms. The smallest pair was still huge on me, and I knew I would to have find a rhythm or I would look like a clown.
He helped me into mine, lacing them up before he did the same to his. He took my hand and led us out of the room. Beni and some guards were waiting outside.
Beni looked me over. “She does not look like one of us,” he said. And by “one of us,” I was sure he meant a man. He sniffed the air. “She smells too good. This is not going to be good,cugino. They are going to scent her from across the water, and one look at that soft face…”
He didn’t finish his thought. He didn’t have to.
Naz’s shoulders stiffened, and he held my hand tighter.
The guards led us out.
* * *
The rain seemed to be coming down harder, the wind stronger, and when I was helped into the boat, I whimpered and hoped no one had heard. The water was rocking like an out of control being, and I didn’t even want to think about how many sharks were probably around.
If this boat went over, we were done.
I’d always wanted to be a jellyfish. Maybe I had manifested myself into shark bait.
Naz and Beni wedged me between them as the boat rode the waves. The captain kept his eyes forward as he navigated them. The light I’d seen from Omero’s office grew brighter the closer we got to the actual prison. It seemed to circle the otherwise pitch-black island compound, highlighting different areas of the property. When it would shimmer over the water, it would give life to the frothing ocean.
The captain said something into his radio on the dash, and a minute or two later, a stream of men came out to meet us.
“Do they live here?” I whispered to Naz.
“They rotate and work in shifts. On the main island, the guards sleep and eat and train. While at the prison, no guard closes his eyes while he is there. This is why they take shifts.”
“Do they ever leave?”
“Sì.They work for two weeks and then return home for two weeks.”
Beni easily got off the boat, and Naz looked between me and the land. He looked conflicted.
“What?” I asked.
“I want to carry you off the boat but do not think it is a good idea.”
I hid my grin. “Because I’ll look like a damsel?” I copied Beni’s moves and helped myself out of the boat.
Naz was a breath behind, and after the three of us were on land, a guard stepped up and shook our hands. He spoke in Italian, and I pretended to listen with rapt attention, even though I had no fucking clue what he was saying. Another guard scanned us with a metal detecting device, and after we were cleared, we were led into the prison, which had a series of doors.
I almost felt like Sally Atwater inUp Close and Personal. I refused to see Naz as my Warren Justice, though. Not with that tearjerker ending.
For a prison, it wasn’t all that big, but it felt almost…empty, and it was extremely cold. Like someone had turned the AC to freezing and forgot to turn it off. The air felt soggy, holding the drafts, and my clothes were wet.
I appreciated that Naz had decided to give me an extra layer before we left. He’d run back and grabbed me a jacket. It helped disguise my shape even further, and it was helping to keep me warm.
None of the men’s teeth were chattering, but mine were starting to.
We passed a bunch of empty rooms, which looked like they were designed for visitors, but I didn’t see any cells. They must have been behind the walls.
The guards stopped, and we moved between them. One of them gestured to a brightly lit room. I held in my gasp and moved closer to Naz without making it obvious. A man who looked a lot like him was just taking his seat, and the man across from him…his hands and feet were shackled, and he was wearing a mask that looked like it was made for Hannibal Lecter.
“What the…” I breathed, and Naz’s eyes snapped to mine.
I shrugged because it was a…shock. All I could see were his stone brown eyes. And if I ever wondered what it would look like to come face to face with a shark, I knew. His eyes were dead, but I knew he was driven by blood.
He’d eat me in a heartbeat and not in the amorous way.
