Chapter Two
Ella
Dread pools in the pit of my stomach. How is this happening?
What about Freemont’s well laid-out plan?
Shit, shit, shit.
I knew this sea journey would only give me a small reprieve from all the drama.
Claudette takes my hand and leads me back to the couch.
“While I sense he’s near, I can’t tell if he’s at the terminal.”
Why wouldn’t he be? If Tiero worked out I’m in Halifax, he’ll know I’m on this ship.
“Why did you look so worried?” I ask, needing to know what she doesn’t want to tell me.
She wrinkles her nose, avoiding my gaze.
“Claudette, what is it?”
I bounce my curled knuckles against my mouth, feeling even more concerned now.
She sighs. “I sensed the level of Tiero’s anger. It’s boiling beneath the surface. That kind of intensity can make him ruthless.”
Memories of the night he wanted to punish me rush back. I’ve never been more afraid in my life. No, that’s not true. Molinaro’s kidnapping attempt in Rome ranks higher.
My face must give me away, because Claudette is quick to clarify.
“He’s not angry with you, darling. He’s angry with the people keeping you from him.”
That’s hardly reassuring. An angry Tiero is terrifying.
“It will be fine,” she says gently. “But we need to be careful.”
She stands and checks the time on her nightstand.
“Two hours before you’re supposed to meet Catalina. We need to work out a plan with her. Let’s have some breakfast first. It’s easier to think with food in your stomach.”
Is she serious?
She just told me Tiero might already be here, and she wants to eat?
“I’m not hungry.”
The thought of food makes my stomach churn.
“You need strength,” she insists. “Whatever comes next will require it.”
“But what if his men are already on the ship?” I say, panic bubbling up again. “What if they know where my cabin is? People here are aware that we’re friends. They’d connect me to you and come here next. We should move. There has to be an empty room on this floor.”
I glance toward the door, suddenly certain we’re being watched. I walk over, checking the corridor through the peephole.
Claudette studies me for a moment, her expression calm but focused.
“I sensed proximity,” she says carefully. “Not movement. I think he’s lying low.”
I’m not so sure about that. If he’s here, he’ll be impatient to find a way to get to me. Would he really wait for me to just walk out?
Reluctance twists inside me.
“How about Ronda’s cabin?” Claudette suggests. “She left the ship this morning. We’ll hide there until we come up with a plan.”
“How will we get in?”
“I have my ways,” she says lightly. “You wait there. I’ll get us something to eat and then we’ll plan.”
I’m not capable of relaxing anywhere right now, but staying put seems worse.
Going back to my room, I grab my bag. By the time I reach Ronda’s cabin, Claudette is already inside.
“I’ll be right back,” she sings.
I watch her go, unease crawling under my skin. She’s too fricking calm for someone who just sensed a storm approaching.
And she’s underestimating the danger I’ve dragged her into.
Twenty minutes later, I hear the rattle of plates and cutlery in the corridor. I peer through the peephole and spot Claudette maneuvering a room service cart toward the door.
I open it quickly and pull her inside.
“How hungry are you?” I mutter. “I expected a tray.”
“You remember how we met,” she chuckles. “Balancing things is not my strength. This was much easier.”
And noisier, just inviting attention.
The smell of coffee and warm croissants reaches me, and hunger pinches low in my belly.
“The coffee is for me,” she says briskly. “No caffeine for you. I got you chamomile tea instead.”
She pours me a cup while pointing at the scrambled eggs and fruit.
“Your stomach should be able to handle that.”
I take a plate and sit on the sofa. Taking a bite, I absentmindedly rub my belly.
The reality that there’s a baby growing inside me still hasn’t completely sunk in.
Rhia will be beside herself when I tell her. We always planned to be pregnant together so our kids could be best friends too.
Now, that won’t happen. Maybe for my second?
What am I thinking? There won’t be a second baby.
I’m going to be a single mother. Though not if Tiero is out there waiting.
My shoulders tense. If he is, I must find a way to get away from him.
I’ve done it before, I could do it again, right?
He mustn’t find out about our daughter.
“If Tiero is here,” I say, “he won’t be alone. His men should be easy to spot. Big. Italian. Always watching.”
I hesitate before asking. “Would you go ashore and see if anyone stands out?”
Claudette barely pauses. “I had the same thought.”
Relief washes through me, though it does nothing to settle the knot in my stomach.
We eat in silence. The food tastes like nothing. I keep glancing at the clock.
Would Catalina already be here?
“What if the note was from Molinaro?” I blurt.
Claudette looks up sharply. “The guy who tried to kidnap you?”
I nod, trying hard not to remember what happened in Rome.
“Whoever is out there, Ash… oops, I mean Ella,” Claudette corrects herself, “we’ll deal with it together. You’re not alone.”
How she thinks we can outsmart an army of mafiosi is beyond me, but I love her optimism.
We eat the rest of our meal in silence. My stomach is still churning, my thoughts occupied with what’s awaiting me.
When Claudette finishes eating, she rubs her hands together and smiles. She’s completely unperturbed. How, I have no idea. She must really believe that everything will work out in the end.
But that end could be years away. My life could be miserable until then.
“Time to see who’s waiting at the dock.”
I pace the cabin. Five steps up. Five steps back.
Why are these cabins so damn tiny?
The longer Claudette is gone, the worse my thoughts spiral.
How did Tiero find me?
Did someone betray me at Freemont’s? But Lex trusts these guys. And so do I. But then haven’t I always trusted too easily?
Perhaps Tiero’s hacker outplayed them after all?
I pull the emergency phone from my bag and stare at it. Should I turn it on?
Garrett told me to use it only in an emergency.
Is this one?
All I have are instincts and fear.
I put the phone away and resume my pacing.
Hushed voices drift through the corridor.
Male voices. Not English.
My heart stutters.
It’s Tiero’s men, isn’t it? They made it onto the ship and are now looking for me.
What am I going to do?
I walk carefully to the door and press my ear to it, barely breathing.
My senses are hyperaware. There’s laughter… shuffling… what sounds like the unlocking of a door.
Did they go into my room? Claudette’s? It’s only a few doors down.
Sweat breaks out all over my body.
Then there’s silence.
They’ve gone into a room. It could be theirs, or they’re searching for me.
I sink onto the bed, feeling nauseous.
Where is Claudette? She’s been gone for half an hour.
What if they caught her?
I stay seated on the bed, afraid I’ll make too much noise pacing the room. My eyes are fixed on the door.
Come on, Claudette. What’s taking so long?
Every creak around me makes me jump.
Footsteps approach again, and I bolt up.
The lock clicks, and the door opens.
Claudette steps inside, cheeks flushed, her smile strained.
“Tiero,” I whisper. “He’s here, isn’t he?”
“I didn’t see anyone who fit his description,” she says carefully. “But I saw at least six burly Italian-looking guys. Two wore earpieces.”
My knees weaken.
“It’s them.”
I collapse onto the couch, covering my face. Now what?
My gaze drifts to my bag.
“I think this qualifies as an emergency.”
I pull out the phone and turn it on. It vibrates almost immediately, Lex’s name flashing on the screen.
My stomach drops.
“Answer it,” Claudette says firmly.
I swipe the screen.
“Lex,” I manage to say, but my voice is barely above a whisper.
“Stay in your cabin and lie low,” Lex says without preamble.
The last thread of hope snaps. Without saying it, he just confirmed it too.
I’ve been found.