Page 3 of Riptide

“Maybe I’m not being clear about the situation. You fell and died in Big Sur. They already had your funeral. They already miss you, so they won’t miss you again.”

“But yesterday I was in…” Confusion swept through him, the loss of time stabbing at his gut. “Has it been that long?”

“You’ve been unconscious for days. You’ve been hooked up on a morphine drip. We got you out of a very dangerous situation and onto the boat. It’s a miracle you’re alive.”

A large man approached, and Seth remained seated, silently watching their interaction.

“Keanu. Please take our guest back to his room and see to his needs.”

“He doesn’t look good.”

“He needs a proper breakfast and rest. He can’t stay in the sun.”

“He? My name’s Seth and I’m fine. I just need....” Seth set down his glass and rose to his feet. Immediate dizziness slammed into him, and he lost his balance. Burly arms shielded his fall. “Oh shit. Maybe I am—”

“Easy, bro.” He shot the woman a smirk. “My man needs rest.”

“Yeah, yeah, I guess I do,” Seth conceded.

“No doubt, bro. You get some rest there.”

“Talk soon, Queen,” Seth said with a smirk, noting the flare of anger in her eyes.

“I should have left you for the sharks,” she replied.

“But what you don’t know is that I am their king,” he laughed.

“Let’s go now. You best not be making her mad,” Keanu warned. “She’s got no time for this right now. Let her finish her yoga. She’ll be in a better mood later.”

“Hey, I’m just trying to get through the day,” Seth told him. As he wobbled through the salon, his vision blurred.

When they reached his room, Seth stumbled into his bed and slid under the covers. “Thanks, man.”

“Rest. I’ll check on you in a few hours.” Keanu pointed to a large plate of fruit, cereal and bottled beverages that had been arranged on the dresser.

“I need a hospital,” Seth lied. Inwardly, he knew that he’d been far worse off after a tumble at Jaws.

“You need rest is what you need. You took a few knocks to the head is all. When we get to land, we’ll decide what to do.”

As the door closed, Seth once again pushed upward to sit in bed. He guessed it might take several days before he regained his strength. Without a doubt, he’d be stranded on the yacht until they’d reached the closest island.

Curiosity drove him to find out where exactly they were in the Pacific. If he could make it to the helm, he could issue a Pan Pan emergency signal, but he’d have to get to the controls without the captain knowing. Challenging but not impossible.

Seth grinned, both grateful and amused with his predicament. Lucky to be alive, he supposed he’d survived worse than a few days on a yacht. As he lay back in bed, succumbing to fatigue, Seth spun dreams of his escape plan.

Chapter Two

Kaimana sat at the helm, looking out to the vast blue sea. She contemplated her decision to save Seth Tremaine. She’d planned on assassinating Armand Giordano the day he’d attacked Lars Elliott. She’d bugged his phone, had known his whereabouts.

The safehouse in the woods in Big Sur had been her sanctuary for learning, for studying Armand Giordano and the syndicate. Ever since her mentor’s staged death, she’d kept tabs on Garrett Emerson, Lars Elliot, and anyone who she suspected had knowledge of his whereabouts.

She never for a minute believed Evan was dead. He was alive somewhere, hidden by the enemy. She’d find him or die trying.

“Kaimana.” The sound of her brother calling her broke her contemplation.

“Hey,” she responded, watching the sun dip into the horizon.

“Maybe we should drop him on the big island. I know someone who can get him to the hospital. We could call the Coast Guard.”