Chapter 3
Chapter
Three
CADEN
She was perfect this way.
Complacent and nestled in my arms, Rose fought the food coma. Exhaustion settled on her features once she finished her meal. The comfortable setting only added to her fatigue, and she drifted in and out of her slumber.
I stroked her cheeks periodically to keep her awake, but otherwise, I let her rest, staring at the little stowaway with an intense hunger burning inside me.
She was unkempt in a torn hospital gown, the cotton fabric marred with mud and soil.
There was dirt under her nails, and her skin was speckled with scrapes and bruises.
But fuck, if she wasn’t the most beautiful thing I had seen.
She seemed filthy and smelled rancid, but I couldn’t find it in myself to care.
The man who demanded proper hygiene of everything was suddenly unperturbed by uncleanliness.
Even in this state, Rose was better than any runway model or pageant beauty queen.
Brown, almond eyes I wanted to dive into, hair so fucking long she might as well be Rapunzel, and miles of caramel skin.
Everything about her made me feral and scream one thing on repeat.
Mine.
The possessive word reverberated through me, sending a shock wave of confusion through the staff on this mega yacht.
I bought this boat with my cousin, Xander, as part of a joint venture. Although we delegated the day-to-day operations to a general manager, we hand-selected and approved everyone who worked for us. The staff knew me well enough to be shocked that I had assaulted our deliveryman over a thief.
The flabbergasted crew stared at us from afar, confused as to why I would let a homeless girl on my luxury yacht.
She was far from the target demographic.
Their disapproval was evident when I texted them, instructing them to open the main dining hall only after I took Rose to the infirmary.
I didn’t want nosy passengers prying into my business, whereas the staff was concerned her ragged condition would scare away the other passengers.
I inspected the marks on her arms and face. They were either from sleeping on concrete or rodent bite marks. Antiseptic should do the trick for the superficial scratches, but she may need a tetanus shot for the rest.
My main concern was her ankle and the bruise on her forehead. The darker it got, the more my blood boiled with the need to find the deliveryman and break his other hand. On second thought, I texted my head of security to track the man down. If she had a concussion, I would finish what I started.
Luckily, Rose hadn’t exhibited signs of impaired coordination. I’d still prefer to take her to the medical room for a closer inspection.
Before I could lift her in my arms, a brave crew member interrupted us with an anxious gaze. Todd, I think. “Good evening, Dr. Maxwell. We have completed boarding and are all set to depart in the morning. Have you decided if you’ll be joining us?”
Cruises were among the most profitable travel ventures, and luxury voyages were an untapped market.
Though we left the details for Olympus to our team, the captain insisted that one of the owners join them for the first voyage.
Instead, we compromised on a stamp of approval before they set sail.
Xander was preoccupied, so I begrudgingly agreed to the task.
My little fugitive was the last thing I expected to find at the final inspection.
The crew had asked me to join them. On top of being one of the owners, it didn’t hurt to have a doctor on board. Most cruises hired a few nurses, the larger ones opting for a physician. I didn’t deem it necessary since we had fewer than one hundred passengers.
My jaw clenched with a swift change of heart. “Yes,” I announced, surprising both of us. “I’ve decided to join after all.” No sooner had I said it, I knew it was the right decision.
“Very well, sir,” he said without missing a beat. “I’ll get the Owner’s Suite prepared.”
I nodded, making a mental list of everything I needed. I texted my chauffeur to swing by the house for the items and drop them off.
When Todd lingered, I glanced at him. “Anything else?”
“Um. Your guest,” he spoke in an undertone, surreptitiously glancing between me and Rose, whose legs were draped across my lap.
The blood in my veins pounded, and I covered her thighs with possessive hands to shield them from his view. I didn’t rip his eyes out because he was an older man with a daughter the same age as Rose. However, he was examining her for a different reason, which was no less infuriating.
“Would you like us to show her out?” he asked.
I arched a brow and suppressed the rage I was finding harder to control with every passing second. Over my dead body. She’d never be out of my sight because…
She.
Was.
Mine.
I expected him to be somehow privy to the information, as if it were common knowledge and everyone should know it.
“Are you calling the shots about when my guest needs to depart?”
He gulped. “No, of course not, sir. I just don’t want her to get stuck on the boat. I assumed she would want to disembark before we pulled the gangway.”
I glanced at the girl in my arms, drifting in and out of sleep. “She’s coming with us.”
“What?” he asked, unable to mask the shock. He examined her tattered clothes with doubt but wised up under my steely glance. “B-but we’re setting sail for international waters. The cruise ship officers will be required to see her passport.”
My eyes twitched. Passport? Of all things, bureaucracy had put a damper on my spontaneous plans.
Unfortunately, Todd was right. The officers monitored everyone on international waters, and it wasn’t a five-thousand-passenger cruise ship where she could blend into the crowd.
She’d be found out within our smaller group.
“Have the cruise ship officers meet me downstairs. Oh, and ask Amelie to open the medical suite.”
He remained uncertain but didn’t argue. “Very well, sir.”
I grunted, dismissing him.
I didn’t have proper documentation for Rose, but I also couldn’t risk the cruise ship officers informing the police about her.
What was the going rate for smuggling humans?
I hoped the officers quietly accepted the bribe instead of posing an ethical dilemma.
Ethical men bored me, and I wasn’t in the mood to be bored.
As Todd left to do my bidding, I studied Rose. The trivial act of resting her head on my shoulder made me feel downright savage. My cock strained against my slacks, consuming me with this need for her like a tidal wave, untamable and wild.
She was in no condition to endure what she woke in me. The odd thing was she hadn’t done anything to evoke this beastly response other than merely exist. The bone-chillingly exhilarating feeling was frenzied. Unstoppable. It told me I had made the right decision by taking her.
She belonged with me. Always.
Rose sighed against my neck. Before she could fall asleep, I maneuvered her in my arms and rose from the booth, mindful not to hit her head against anything. She stirred but didn’t try to move.
I made my way to the upper deck. None of the guests ventured this way.
The only people passing by were the crew, who watched us curiously.
Gossip among them spread like wildfire. The word had already reached them, and they likely thought I was crazy for taking her in.
They could think whatever the fuck they wanted as long as they didn’t interfere or look her way.
I tightened my arms around her as the urge to hide her from the world nearly suffocated me.
Amelie, the ship’s resident nurse, was already waiting for us in the medical suite. The spacious room was unlocked, moonlight flooding through the large windows.
The guests on this boat expected luxury even while sick.
Everything in this room was handpicked with them in mind, with necessary medical equipment as the only clinical touch.
Fresh flowers on the side tables counteracted the smell of disinfectant.
There were no posters of human anatomy or diagrams of medical procedures.
Instead, the walls were decorated with paintings.
A diffuser emanated lavender and salty ocean scents to remind visitors of Bali.
The bed, in case someone had to be monitored overnight, resembled one at a luxury hotel with crisp white sheets, fluffy pillows, and a plush comforter.
Most medical equipment, such as stethoscopes and blood pressure cuffs, was stored in drawers. Supplies and drugs were locked up in cabinets and out of sight. Even the examination table was tucked into the wall like a Murphy bed. Everything about the room was inviting, down to the heated floors.
Rose roused once I stepped inside the suite. She blinked with heavy lids. If she had been outdoors all this time, it would have been too cold to sleep more than a couple of hours at a time. No wonder she was passing out. She was finally warm enough to rest.
“Where are we?” she asked, voice thick with sleep.
I didn’t answer or look at her. If I did, I wouldn’t want to leave her side.
Fury festered inside me at her state and the fact that she had been living on the streets.
It made me want to set everything on fire, but now wasn’t the time to indulge my anger.
I had to meet the officers and ensure they wouldn’t do something stupid like call the authorities.
Amelie was the only person reliable enough to tend to Rose while I tied up loose ends.
But she wouldn’t play ball until I explained the stowaway in my arms.
“Who do we have here… Oh my god!” Amelie gasped upon seeing Rose’s face, which was scratched and bruised.
“Not a word in front of her,” I hissed. “We’ll discuss this outside.”
“Y-your face,” Amelie stuttered.
Rose stared at the nurse blankly.
“Get it together,” I snapped. “You’re scaring her.”
“But—”
I gave her such a venomous look that Amelie swallowed her next argument. “Outside,” I repeated.
Wordlessly, she exited to wait for me outside the room. Rose watched our exchange passively and only jolted when I set her on the bed.
“Who is she?” she whispered so only I would hear.
“Nurse for this boat.” I kneeled in front of her. “Amelie will run a few tests on you while I’m gone.”
She grabbed my shirt collar. “You’re leaving?” she asked, horrified.
Satisfaction warmed my blood at how tightly she gripped my collar. I expected her to gradually warm up to me instead of this immediate separation anxiety at the thought of my absence. It took everything in me not to smile.
“I have to attend an important meeting.” Or rather, I only had a few hours to turn two ethical officers dirty. Hopefully, cash would do the trick. Resorting to blackmail would require procuring dirt, and there wasn’t enough time for that. “I’ll be back later. Okay?”
She nodded as I kissed her temple. The last thing I had expected was the amenability, especially given how feral she appeared. I stood and walked out of the room, my footsteps heavy with discontent at parting with my stowaway.