Chapter 34
“Oh my god,” Mac gasped in shock and set down her food. Barry watched her eyes scan the document.
Miles’s latest investment was in fishing, just like they’d thought. He had partnered with fishing tycoon Carver Walker.
The man had ships throughout the islands, importing and exporting goods and fish, and also had a fleet of charter ships available for the rich and elite for big game fishing. His fleet had increased tenfold in the past two months. Probably all the fishermen looking for profits here joined his crew.
Carver was now the number one fisherman in the islands and not competition to speak of. Badu, maybe, but even he was a smaller boat captain, and Carver had a fleet at his disposal.
“Why would Miles partner with him?”
“If he’s wanting this to be the new destination hotspot, what better way than to control the income coming in. Fishing is the main source here, just like you just said. If the industry fails Miles can come in and offer to buy it and build it up. Then he controls the fish coming in and out.”
“No wonder sharks are leaving if this many boats are overfishing the area. I bet this is why Miles bought the cove area. There was an abundance of fish, and he fished it to the point of extinction and then moved on. This is it. This is the proof we needed,” Mac exclaimed excitedly, standing up and pointing at the screen.
Barry shook his head, hating to be the bearer of bad news. “It’s his name on a contract. It doesn’t mean that he’s involved in overfishing. Nor can we prove they are overfishing. To a judge it’s just a coincidence without proof of how much the fishermen are hauling in.”
“Then we need to get on Carver’s boat and get proof,” she stated as if it were as easy as walking down the street.
“The question is, what boat? He owns dozens. We need the manifests so we can track down which boats.”
“But how?” She flopped back into her seat then sat up again. “Jacques!” Mac announced.
Barry wasn’t following. “What about him? He has his own boats. What would he know about Carver’s?”
“Because he knows everyone at the pier. He’s lived on this island his entire life. I can ask him to look into it.”
“Can he be trusted?”
“I’ve known him for years. Yes, he told you where I was, but I trust him. Why wouldn’t he be willing to help?”
Barry hesitated, not sure how to broach the subject of Jacques. Best just tell it how it was instead of sugar coating it. “Jacques knew about the trawling on the southeast coast.”
Mac blinked as if she hadn’t heard him correctly, then her face morphed into anger and disappointment. “As angry as I am, I shouldn’t be surprised. He knows everything that happens on this side of the island.”
“Because it doesn’t affect him or his business.” Barry really didn’t care much for the man. He was only out for himself and didn’t care about the rest of the island. He was probably working for Miles secretly. How else could he afford his boats and not work?
“I don’t know how he even stays in business. I never see anyone rent his boats,” Mac commented as if she had read his thoughts.
“You don’t think he works for Miles, do you?” It would upset Mac because she seemed to genuinely like the guy, but Barry didn’t think they could trust him. At least not without paying an outrageous sum first.
“No.” Mac shook her head, the ends of her hair brushing his nose, tickling him.
“Are you sure? You didn’t see him the other day when I spoke to him.
You didn’t see how casual he was about fish getting killed off or sharks disappearing.
He said people would still go to the ocean whether fish were in it or not.
It’s not just this side of the island the overfishing is affecting either.
When I went to north side the other day to see about boats that were capable of bottom trawling, and who was bringing in large hauls, one of the sellers said they were pulling in a decent amount of fish these days, but over the past two months, others have been leaving for other fishing grounds. ”
“What do you think would happen if the fishing dries up?”
Jacques knew, but he wasn’t going to do anything about it. Either because he didn’t care, or he was being paid not to care.
“That’s just a front; Jacques really does care. You just don’t know him like I do,” Mac assured him. Barry wished he was as confident as she was, but he wasn’t.
“If you trust him, then ask, but be discreet just in case he’s associated with Miles or Carver.”
“I will.” She nodded.
Mac looked back at the screen and stared at the contract between Carver and Miles. “It doesn’t make sense. Miles’s name is all over this paperwork. If one of those boats were ever caught, Miles would be destroyed.”
“People don’t care about risk when money can be made. Sorry to phrase it that way. I know those sharks mean a lot to you.”
“They mean everything to me,” she clarified.
“Emma said they were like your children.” The past few days had shown him how true that was. Mac went out of her way to protect sharks. Even risking her own life and spying on a millionaire to protect them.
“I guess in a way, they are.” She laughed and looked away as if she hadn’t thought of that before. “I’ve loved sharks my whole life.”
“And the fact they have like three thousand teeth never bothered you?” He didn’t see the fascination, but to each their own.
“You really have been doing your research.” Mac chuckled. “Yes, they have a lot of teeth, but they never scared me. They don’t really have an appetite for humans.”
Barry looked down pointedly at her leg. He’d beg to differ. She was one of hundreds of people who’d been bitten by sharks every year. Not all fatal, but some were.
“That was an accident. If he had wanted me dead, the whole leg would be missing and more. That was what we call a tester bite,” she explained so casually, as if her life had never been in danger and the shark in question had been a playful puppy that had gotten a little rough.
“Tester bite?” What the hell was that?
“Sharks have poor eyesight, so they rely on feel and taste. I was in the wrong place, and he mistook me for a meal. As soon as he realized I wasn’t tasty, he let me go, and I went to the hospital.
” Barry was sure there was more to the story, but she wasn’t going to go into details.
It was probably for the best. He already had an apprehension about sharks; he didn’t need nightmares.
“Well, I have to disagree with the shark. I think you are very tasty.”
Mac quirked an eyebrow at that statement. “Tasty, huh?”
“Mouthwatering,” he husked, turning in the desk chair to face her.
Mac turned in her seat, her legs bracketed on the outside of his. “Is that a fact?” she purred.
“It is; allow me a taste?”
Mac pursed her lips and looked up at the ceiling, appearing thoughtful before looking back into his eyes, and a smile crossed her face. “I’ll allow it.”
Barry scooped her up into his arms and carried her to the bed. The one upside to making love at the hotel instead of her house was he didn’t have as far to travel, not that it bothered him. Mac was so light, he could go miles carrying her and wouldn’t break a sweat.
He set her down at the foot of the bed and cupped her cheek to bring her to his lips. Mac wrapped her arms around the back of his neck, plastering her chest to his. He released her mouth to trail kisses down the side of her neck to the top swell of her breasts.
Mac’s fingers stroked the short hairs at the back of his head as he loved her heated skin. He could smell her flowery body wash, and it made his mouth water. He loved this scent. It had become a new favorite.
His cock instantly swelled and pressed against the front of his shorts, eager to get inside of her. Patience; soon enough he would be inside of her, but for now he wanted to devour her.
Barry reached for the hem of her tank top and pulled it over her head. Mac reached her hands up to assist him. While he tossed her shirt to the side, Mac reached behind her back and unclasped her bra, shaking it free.
Barry cupped her free breasts, feeling the weight sink into his hands as his thumbs swiped across the pert nipples. Mac gasped, and Barry watched her nipples turn even harder. He bent forward and took one of the ripe berries into his mouth.
Mac’s hand clutched the back of his head, her sharp nails digging into his scalp as he sucked and licked the turgid nipple. Barry shifted his attention to the other nipple, not wanting to neglect it.
He continued his kisses down her flat stomach to the top of her shorts. With a snap of his wrist, he had the button undone, then pulled the zipper tab. He gripped the material on both sides of her hips and pulled it down to her ankles.
Using his shoulder to help steady her, Mac lifted one foot then the other to help free her from them. Barry glided his fingers up her ankles to the tops of her thighs, then to the juncture of her thighs.
With a slight bit of pressure, Barry pushed against Mac’s middle and forced her to fall back on the bed. Before Mac could sit up, he wedged himself between her thighs, using his shoulders to keep her legs open.
Mac pressed up to her elbows and watched him as he used his thumbs to hold open her nether lips. Barry’s eyes glued to hers as he leaned forward and swiped his tongue from ass to clit.
Mac shuddered under his touch, but she never closed her eyes. His tongue swirled around her bundle of nerves. Mac lifted her feet up to rest on the back of his shoulders, her thighs closing around his head.
Barry reached up and pressed her knees, keeping her open. Mac could only feel and take what he had to give her.
She groaned and shuddered underneath him, her hips trying to buck, but with his weight pressing on her, she was pinned.
Barry ground his chin against her nub before darting his tongue into the deep recesses of her tight canal.
“Barry,” she moaned, her eyes closed and her features pinched as if she were chasing something that was just out of reach.