Chapter 26
JARED
I looked at Alex and he nodded.
“Since everyone is here, we might as well tell you. Alex and Aiden and I are together. As in together together. All three of us. Together. In a relationship.”
I was so eloquent today. James Bond Island, look out.
“I told ya,” Kiernan turned to Charlie. “You owe me fifty quid.”
Charlie turned bright red and punched Kiernan in the arm. Kiernan didn’t even flinch.
“How did you know?” Alex asked.
Kiernan scoffed. “Come on, boss. I got eyes.”
“I found out last night when I caught them in the kitchen,” Dylan waggled his eyebrows.
“George and I just saw all three of them on the sun deck, kissing. The image was so hot I burned my retinas,” Rafe quipped as he squinted at us.
Alex gave him a playful shove with his free hand.
“Careful, no hitting above the neck. I can’t risk my pretty face, or George will leave me.”
“Never going to happen,” George declared as he pulled his husband in tightly to his side and kissed his temple.
Alex turned to Kiernan. “I’m promoting you to lead on Jared since my concentration is compromised. Obviously, I’ll continue to stay with him, but I feel safer with you as primary. I’ll let Xavier know that he can cover Aiden moving forward.”
“Thanks, boss. I won’t let you down,” Kiernan replied.
Alex nodded. “I know you won’t. We can’t go public at this point given the circumstances, but we wanted you guys to be the first to know. We want to be ourselves while we’re on the ship.”
George smiled. “We’re happy for you. And rest assured, what happens on the ship, stays on the ship.”
“Let’s see now, that’s four couples—sorry, three couples and one throuple —that have found love on Now, Voyager ,” Rafe announced and rubbed his hands together. “Who’s next?”
The word ‘love’ had me jolting.
We’d just started this relationship, and I didn’t know if I was ready for that word yet. Even though I already knew I was falling.
The word held enormous power and it needed to be said at the right moment.
As if sensing my thoughts, Alex squeezed my hand again.
“What about this one, here?” Kiernan pointed to Charlie.
Charlie’s blush turned crimson as he shook his head.
“No way. I don’t need the hassle of a boyfriend. I’m content with shore leave and a quick—” Charlie glanced at George and stopped talking. “Sorry. Are you guys ready to go? We should get a move on.”
I gotta admit, even I was grateful for the change in topic.
I was glad that our friends knew, and we didn’t have to hide, but Alex and Aiden and I were brand new lovers.
I didn’t want others to make them feel scrutinized or uncomfortable with too much attention.
And I wanted to enjoy being with them in our own little bubble for a while longer. I was protective of our time together.
Following Charlie’s lead, Kiernan, Alex, Dylan, and I hopped in the tender and sped off towards the island.
It was another scorching day, the humidity almost overwhelming. My phone began to chime and buzz with notifications from my production crew. I was so busy replying to messages that I hadn’t realized we’d arrived at the marina.
And James Bond Island.
I thought it would be a fun place to film the boat chase scenes in my movie. I’d never been a huge action-adventure kind of director, but I needed an escape from heavy topics. So far, the shoot for Jagged Edge had gone above and beyond my expectations.
My assistant Haley met us at the marina. The crew were already setting up on a nearby boat. Dylan was whisked off for a clothing change, and Alex and Kiernan and I headed to the main production boat to get myself situated.
“We should’ve started early in the morning, then taken a break during the heat of the day,” I muttered as I pulled out my straw hat.
Haley shook her head. “This was the only time the marina would allow us to film, Jared. Sorry. We’ve got our dinner break scheduled for 4 p.m.”
The next hour was the usual chaotic mess. I headed out on one boat, the actors on others as we traveled around the island and neighboring inlets.
Filming on the ocean had a lot of challenges. Let’s just say it’s a good thing I didn’t suffer from motion sickness or a lack of patience.
But with the extreme heat and the sudden influx of cruise ships in the area, tempers started to fray.
One set of shots was interrupted by an interested group of tourists on a sailboat. After nearly colliding with the production boat, we headed further out. The water was choppier, which made filming labor intensive.
Then one of the actors puked, thankfully overboard.
“Okay, we’re wrapping it up for our break,” I announced at 3:45 p.m. “Filming resumes in two hours.”
Hopefully that would give everyone enough time to eat, rest, take their anti-nauseants, and recharge.
I was drenched myself, and probably dehydrated. The glare of the sun on the water was so intense I was starting to get a headache.
Haley hovered by my side, passing me a bottle of electrolyte water and a bag of pretzels.
I thanked her and she continued to fuss over me until Alex reassured her that we were all set for now.
He passed me a towel and a fresh shirt. I reveled in his attentiveness.
Then he ordered me to sit down in that gruff voice of his.
Before I would have chafed at his tone, but now I knew that he was worried, and it came from a place of concern.
I gave him a grin as I slowly sat down. He lowered his sunglasses and winked at me. Thank God I had my Wayfarers on, because everyone around us would know exactly what Alex meant to me if they looked at my eyes.
Alex sat beside me, and our knees touched. I wanted to reach over and kiss him, but I’d have to wait.
The entire crew headed back to the marina, and we walked to a nearby beach for a catered lunch set up under tents. I took a dunk in the water fully clothed to cool off. My linen shorts and shirt were dry in two minutes flat.
Once we’d all eaten and rested, we loaded up onto the boats again and headed out to the water.
Everything was business as usual. Until it wasn’t.
A sharp pain in my stomach had me doubling over. I leaned over the side of the boat just in time to vomit. Then I began to sweat and shake. The pain intensified, my vision receding.
“Alex,” I mumbled.
That was the last thing I remembered before the entire scene before me faded to black.
“Jared, sweetheart. Wake up. Please.”
I heard Alex’s voice and I opened my eyes, blinking at the bright sunlight.
No, not sunlight. Fluorescent lights.
Where was I?
My stomach was aching, and my mouth was horribly dry.
I turned my head and calmed as soon as those blue eyes surveyed me.
Beautiful. Mine.
“What happened?” I asked Alex, my throat sore. “Where am I?”
He passed me a cup with a straw. “Take slow sips of water, let’s see if you can keep it down. You’re at Phangnga Hospital. You vomited several times and then passed out four hours ago. You also had a seizure. You’ve been in and out of consciousness for a while now.”
I took a small sip and felt the cool water ease my tender throat. “What happened? Was it the food? Something I ate at lunch? But I was careful. Cooked foods only.”
“It’s not food poisoning,” Alex paused and ran a hand over his scruff. “Take another sip.”
I did as he requested but grew concerned when he began to pace.
I slowly sat up, and it was then that I noticed Kiernan standing by the door, a fierce expression on his face.
“What is it?” I asked. “What’s going on?”
“The admitting doctor had a lot of questions. He’s convinced you’ve been poisoned given how fast your illness occurred and your symptoms. But not from food.
From a pesticide commonly used here. It mimics food poisoning with one minor exception: the seizure.
They’re sending your most recent stomach specimen to a lab in Bangkok.
For now, they’re treating it as suspicious until they can prove otherwise. ”
“Are you okay? Is anyone else sick?”
“I’m fine. The doctor assured me that it’s quick-acting, so if I had been exposed, I would’ve been sick by now. Your assistant, Darwin, was also taken ill, but he’ll make a full recovery.”
“Thank God no one else got seriously hurt, but how?”
Alex sat on the edge of the bed and took my hand.
“We got an update from Aiden’s PI today.
We finally found a link. It’s your assistant, Haley.
It turns out that she’s Seuter’s goddaughter.
Her real name isn’t Haley Fine but Hannah Flint.
She legally changed it two years ago, just after her father Cary died, and well before she came to work for you.
We’re certain she was the one who poisoned you.
She had access to your food today, including the catering at lunch, and to you personally.
The police are searching her hotel room as we speak. I’m waiting for an update.”
My stomach flipped over. I was going to puke again.
“Flint,” I searched my recollection. “Cary Flint…He was a VP at the studio. He died a few years ago. Suicide, I think. Fuck, this can’t be real.
She…I trusted her. Holy shit. She knew I was staying on the ship.
And my routine. She’s been working for me for four months; she had the fucking passcode to my home!
Fuck, she’s been in my house. Oh my God, she’s been feeding him information. She’s probably behind the emails.”
My mind began to race as the dots connected.
“The coffee shop in Brentwood. That’s the neighborhood where she lives with her boyfriend.
He picked her up at my house before. She must have had him send the most recent email, while she’s over here.
He was probably the one who broke into my home.
Now it all makes sense. God, I’m such a fool. ”
Another wave of pain had me doubling over.
“Take it easy, sweetheart. I know it’s a lot to take in,” Alex replied and squeezed my hand.
“And you’ve nothing to feel bad about. How were you to know?
I didn’t even know. The hiring check that was done by your production company was for her registered name and it came up with nothing.
If you want to blame someone, blame me. I’m supposed to protect you. Instead, you nearly?—”
Tears welled up in Alex’s eyes, and I reached, as best I could with an IV in my arm, for his hand.
“It’s not your fault. But why would she help Seuter? Money?”
“I’m sure that was part of it. But I have no doubt she was probably manipulated. Her father killed himself two years ago, after he was named in a sexual harassment lawsuit by a female actress.”
Things were starting to make sense. “Seuter was his friend. Haley was vulnerable and angry about her father’s death. He probably told her about my lawsuit, and she thought she was helping him.”
“Wouldn’t doubt it.”
“But why wait all these months? Why do this here and now?”
“Seuter’s in L.A., so it would be almost impossible to connect him to what happened to you here.
And making it look like food poisoning is clever.
Not only that, but she poisoned another crew member, so you’re not singled out.
It’s very smart. What she didn’t count on is that Thai officials have seen this poisoning before and recognized it.
And she didn’t count on our investigator either. ”
“Where’s Aiden?” I looked around for our third.
“He just stepped out to use the washroom.”
“I hate to do this to my crew, but I need to take a few days off.”
“How much filming is left?”
I sighed. “At least another few weeks.”
“Then a few days won’t matter. You need time.”
I nodded just as someone knocked on the door.
Kiernan opened it and Aiden’s handsome profile popped into view.
“You’re awake!” Aiden exclaimed as he stepped into the room.
His big hazel eyes filled, the gold turning to green. But he didn’t venture any closer. He stood on the periphery, clearly upset and maybe a bit unsure.
“Aiden,” I whispered, and he finally stepped up to the bed, opposite Alex.
Aiden took my other hand and lifted it to his mouth.
“You gave me and Alex the scare of our lives. Don’t do it again.”