Chapter 1
Sixty miles south ofLong Island Sound, late.
“Would you like one?” Trenton Sidney asked, his hand hovering over the cigar box. “They’re Cuban. Picked them up myself last week.”
“Tempting, but I’ll pass,” Stone Barrington said.
Trenton pulled out a cigar, cut the end, and lit it.
The two men were on the upper deck outside the dining room of Trenton’s new yacht, theAmanda Jae. He’d commissioned its construction two years ago and had finally taken possession of the boat a week earlier.
Trenton had not been born to a wealthy family but had earned his fortune through hard work and keen instincts. The company he’d started had specialized in cloud storage, before cloud storage had become the norm. His focus on superior technology had translated into quick success, and it wasn’t long before the company had become an acquisition target for several of the big players. When all was said and done, Trenton had walked away with just under a billion dollars.
He had since more than doubled that amount by becoming an angel investor in several successful start-ups.
Stone was a partner at the prestigious law firm Woodman & Weld and had assisted Trenton with several legal matters, both business and personal. Through their dealings, they had developed a friendship. Which was why Trenton had invited Stone on theAmanda Jae’s maiden voyage. This was the second of two planned nights at sea, and they would be heading back to port in the morning.
One of the crew members stepped onto the deck, carrying two glasses of cognac.
“Ah, perfect timing,” Trenton said. “Is that the De Luze?”
“Yes, sir,” the steward said and set the drinks on the table between the two men. “Will there be anything else?”
“That’ll be all for now, thank you.” After the crew member left, Trenton said, “I don’t think I’ve told you this, but when I was a kid, my dream was to own a yacht like this.”
Stone lifted his glass. “To a dream achieved.”
They took a drink.
As Stone set his cognac down, he was hit with a momentary spell of lightheadedness.
“Are you okay?” Trenton asked.
“Just a little tired, I think,” Stone said, then stood. “If you don’t mind, I’m going to call it a night.”
“Not at all. I’ll see you at breakfast.”
“Sounds good.”
Stone headed inside to the lounge. He was halfway across the room when the dizziness returned with a vengeance. He pressed a hand against the wall and squeezed his eyes shut, hoping the spell would pass.
“Do you need assistance, Mr. Barrington?”
It took a moment for the question to register. He blinked and turned to the voice.
The steward was hurrying toward him, looking concerned.
“I’m not feeling too well,” Stone said, his voice suddenly weak.
“Here,” the man said as he slipped an arm around Stone’s back. “Let me help you to your room.”
Before Stone could even say thank you, everything went black.
Stone opened his eyes, thenimmediately closed them again as a wave of pain rushed through his head.
As it subsided, he became aware that he was lying on what seemed to be a bed.
He felt like he’d had too much to drink but couldn’t remember having done so. Even if he had been drinking, it had been years since he’d had enough to black out. It just wasn’t something he did.
