I spun around and peered into the shadows. Tommy was standing in the alcove I’d hidden in before dinner. ‘In here,’ he said, sliding open the salon door. He crossed the spacious room, then looked down the corridor towards the bow. Still no one about, so we entered the day head and he locked the door behind us.
‘Is there such a thing as thenautical mile club?’ I joked.
His stern expression didn’t waver.
‘Sorry, just a joke. I’m nervous.’
‘Understandable – you being in the midst of a sting operation. It’s not too late, you know. I can have you off the yacht in less than five minutes.’
‘I can’t leave Julian.’
‘Just me.’
‘I’m sorry?’ I asked, thrown off kilter. ‘Did you just?—’
‘Never mind, it’s not important.’
‘Then why bring it up?’
He looked away, remorse marring his perfect features.
‘And I didn’t leave you, Tommy.Youabandonedme– you abandoned our marriage for ajob.’
I could have left it alone, not said that last part, but he’d brought it up – he’d made the offensive parry.
‘This isn’t the right ti?—’
‘Time. I know. It wasneverthe right time,’ I countered.
I wasn’t even sure what I meant by that – the right time to discuss our marriage or the right time for the marriage itself? And then I realised he was probably referring to the person – or people – listening in on our conversation.The entire yacht is bugged.I could just imagine Elsa locked away in a cabin somewhere, sniggering as Tommy and I squabbled.
I shook my head, returning to the matter at hand. ‘So, what happened when you asked about immunity? For Julian.’
‘I’m still waiting on con?—’
‘But you asked, right?’ I interjected. It was a poorly disguised accusation that he hadn’t, which I instantly regretted.
‘I said I would and I did,’ he replied shortly, an undercurrent of hurt in his voice.
God, what was wrong with us?
‘Sorry,’ I said.
‘It’s fine.’ Only it plainly wasn’t.
‘So, what are we waiting on then, a phone call or something?’ I asked, ignoring how disappointed I was with myself – I should have trusted him.
‘We’renot waiting on anything –I’mwaiting on?—’
Just then, there were three light knocks on the door – two fast, then a beat, then a third. Panicked, my eyes flew to meet Tommy’s, and I was about to call out, ‘It’s occupied,’ when he calmly faced the door and repeated the same pattern, then unlocked it.
It opened and Trudy slipped inside the tiny room, then closed the door behind her, locking it again.
What the actual fucking fuck?
‘Sorry, what’s happening?’ I asked, completely flummoxed.
‘Well, Ally, what’s happening is that you have inserted yourself into the middle of our operation.’
