Page 2 of Riptide

A knot formed in his stomach as he heard the familiar voice. Seth’s chest tightened in anxiety recalling the nightmare in the woods he couldn’t completely remember. A woman moved in near silence inside a cabin, caring for him until she disappeared into the night with the thunder of bullets echoing in his brain.

Seth’s expression softened as the beautiful woman turned to him. Strong but feminine, she dropped her hands to her hips. Her neon blue flowered yoga pants and bra clung to her lithe muscular body. She reached for a towel and wiped the sheen off her smooth olive skin.

“You are safe here. But you aren’t quite well. It will take time to build your strength.” She walked to a table, picked up a glass of juice and extended it to Seth. “Please. Have some. It’s freshly squeezed.”

“Bougie.” Seth accepted it but waited for her to drink first. She may have been beautiful, but he hadn’t survived this long to get poisoned.

She smirked as she sipped her juice. “If I’d wanted to kill you, I would have left you in the ocean.”

Seth brought the glass to his mouth, initially just coating his lips with the tangy liquid. The sweet citrus danced on his tongue, but his stomach tightened as the first drops rolled down his throat.

“You’ve been out a few days. I’m surprised you’re up walking.” She turned to the server. “E kiʻi aku i ka mea ʻai nona. Mahalo.”

Go fetch him some food. Thank you. Born in Maui, Seth understood her, but he kept quiet, sizing up the woman who’d rescued him.

“You must try to eat. We had you on an IV for a few days but it’s not enough for a man like you.” As she spoke, a crew member set a plate of breads next to Seth. “Your wounds are healing but your body needs sustenance.” She averted her gaze, as if gathering the right words and then looked back into his eyes. “You’re a very lucky man. You could have easily not survived that fall.”

“Yeah, that was gnarly, all right.” Seth had taken a few falls in the past while mountain climbing but never had he fallen as far as he did that day. By all accounts, he should have been dead.

“Drink your juice,” she reminded him, her gaze settled upon the horizon. “You could have been killed but it was not meant to be.”

“Wipeout from a fifty-foot wave will give you a few bumps too. I guess my body is used to the abuse.” Seth took another small sip, his cracked lips burning. He grimaced, and released a breath, waiting for the pain to subside. “Ah…yeah, that was brutal all right. Not as young as I used to be.”

“You’ve only had water the past few days. I don’t exactly have an ER on this boat. Keanu—”

“Keanu? Is he a doctor?” Seth took note of her lips tightening as if she’d divulged too much information.

“It doesn’t matter who he is, he’s someone who knows enough to help me save you.”

“What about the cabin I was in? Was I in the woods or was that some kind of dream?” Seth vaguely recalled the hail of gunfire. “To be honest, it feels more like a nightmare.”

“It’s nothing,” she replied, quick to dismiss him.

“Didn’t seem like nothing.” Seth’s stomach growled and he looked to the food that had been set on the table. Though weakness threaded through him, his growing appetite told him his body craved nourishment. He reached for a piece of toast.

“It’s not important. What’s important is that you’re here now. You’re alive. When we get to our destination, you can go on your way.”

“You mind if I use your phone? I’ve got to let Lars know—”

“Yeah, no. Sorry, not happening. No one can know you’re alive or that I saved you. It’s not safe.” Her expression turned serious.

“Well, damn. Here I thought I was living the life of luxury.” Exhaustion washed over Seth, and he took a small bite of the cold toast. The salty butter coated his tongue, making it easier to chew. He brought the juice to his lips, swallowing. “I really need to make that call but given the circumstances,” he glanced to the ocean, “I take it we’re not going to be on land anytime soon.”

“No. But you’ll be safe, and you’ll have time to recover. So far, the weather’s looking good, and if it turns bad, we’ll take an alternate route. Don’t worry, you’ll be comfortable as long as you behave.”

“Nice yacht.” Seth continued to eat, ignoring her veiled threat. “I’m sorry but I don’t think I got your name.”

“Queen,” she replied without missing a beat.

“Your real name?” He shielded his eyes from the bright sun with his hand.

“To you, I am the Queen of this ship. You have freedom to use the facilities on board, including the gym and whatnot, as long as you mind your own business and don’t cause trouble. That also means no phone calls until you are on land.” She once again swept her hands in the air, her palms connecting in prayer as she brought them to her chest, her eyes locking on his. “Don’t think of jumping ship. I don’t have the crew to go looking for you and you’ll be shark food.”

“Well, that’s a thought.” Seth scrubbed his hands over his cheek.

“I’m not fucking around.” She broke pose, walked to a royal blue pitcher, and poured water into a mug that read, ‘I like Dogs Better than People’. Bringing it to her lips, she hesitated, then spoke directly to him. “No trouble, Mr. Tremaine. Am I clear? No phone calls. No snooping. Trouble gets you cuffed in the brig. And I don’t think that is something you want. Take this time to recuperate. We should arrive at our destination in three days, and I’ll give you a ticket back to the mainland. Cross me and no one will ever know what happened to you. The Pacific is a big ocean. Your choice.”

“I’d like to think someone would know if I went missing. I have a lot of friends.” A corner of his lips tugged upward.