Page 32 of Exposed

The cold air conditioning from the vent above blasted over her already chilled skin. Carlos’s hand rested on the small of her back. Despite the heat he radiated, her skin crawled.

“I was starting to get worried. Is everything okay?” He stabbed his fork into a green bean and slurped it through his lips.

She chewed the side of her tongue. She couldn’t act like everything was fine, that would be even more suspicious. She lowered her gaze to the smooth black tablecloth beneath her hand and shook her head. “No.”

His eyebrows bounced up and he stopped chewing. “What’s wrong?”

She inched closer in her chair and his arm slid further around her back. “It was my sister calling. My mom had a heart attack.” Her chin quivered.

Had they gotten Nate on board yet? With every minute that ticked by, the risk of her never seeing him again increased. “She might not make it through the night.” Moisture collected behind her eyelids, but she held the tears at bay.

“Oh, my god. Baby, I’m so sorry.” His hand moved up and down her back and sympathy brought his thick, dark eyebrows together. “Do you want to go up to the room? I’d hate to have you miss dinner.”

God, did she ever. But she couldn’t go anywhere until she knew Nate was safe. She scooted her chair closer to the table and lifted a shoulder. “My sister asked me to call in an hour so I can talk to my dad. I’ll try to eat something, but honestly, I’m not hungry.”

Her fingers closed around the smooth stainless-steel fork. Medium rare prime rib stared back at her and her throat flexed on a gag.

“I’m sure you’ll feel better with some food in your stomach.”

“Attention emergency crew members, we have a Code Oscar. Repeat, Code Oscar, Starboard.”

The blood drained from Maddie’s face like sand from an hourglass.

“What the hell?” Carlos turned in his seat and craned his neck around the room. Maddie’s breath came out in low, haggard puffs. She lifted her lids and met Ashley’s gaze. She gave one slight nod before turning her attention to the crew member who had taken the stage.

“No need to worry, everyone. We’re turning the ship and will be back on track shortly.”

“Are we sinking?” a frantic woman called behind Maddie.

Her hand shook violently next to her plate, and her fork clanked against the smooth china. She lowered her fork to the napkin and frowned at the speaker. Carlos’s hot gaze burned the side of her cheek.

“No, of course not. There is absolutely no damage to the ship. This code is regarding a passenger injury. Everyone, please remain in your seats and enjoy your meal until further notice.”

Carlos’s phone dinged and he rested his cutlery next to his plate and pulled his phone out. Maddie’s face warmed as his fingers moved over the screen. He cursed and dropped the device on the table.

Maddie flexed her fingers, lifted her fork and knife, and cut into the tender meat. “What’s the matter?” Her voice cracked and she cleared her throat. If she didn’t get her nerves under control she may as well jump off the ship with Nate.

“Tony’s gone.” He stiffened in his seat and turned toward her. Heat crept across her cheekbones, but the icy cold chill hadn’t left her flesh. “Did you see him while you were outside?”

She shook her head. “No. I had poor reception and was moving around a lot though.” She forced a weight of concern into her voice. “Is he all right?”

“Hector just texted and told me Tony left about fifteen minutes ago. He’s tried calling him, but there’s no answer.” Carlos’s sharp eyes moved over her face.

Her pulse rose with the speed of a rocket. If there was anything out of place, a splatter of blood, a tear in her dress… he would catch it. “That’s so strange. I’m sure he’s fine.”

Carlos shook his head as if removing the thought. “Yeah, he probably went up to the room or met some woman. He’s been chasing a few since we’ve been here.”

Maddie snorted. That was an understatement. Carlos lifted his fork and dug into his meal. Nate had to be okay… but what about Tony? If he survived, they’d be screwed. And if he’d died… there was no telling what lengths Carlos would go to find out what had happened. Tony and Hector were his most trusted men and were closer to Carlos than his family. If Carlos had the captain pull the security cameras, she wouldn’t be able to backtrack out of her lies.

Sweat collected at the base of her neck and she forced herself to chew a roasted red pepper. The minutes ticked by and dessert came out. Another announcement came over the P.A. system, removing the code restrictions. Maddie shifted her eyes to Ashley and she winked.

Nate was okay.

She needed to see Nate with her own eyes… to feel and touch him. Until then, she wouldn’t be at ease. Maddie scooped a dollop of chocolate mousse and the rich cream melted over her tongue. Carlos moaned next to her.

“That was amazing.” He looked at his watch. “It’s been an hour, Maddie. Are you going upstairs to call your sister back?”

She straightened in her seat and set her spoon in the empty dish. Anticipation coursed through her. “Yeah, I’d better. I’m glad you suggested I eat, but I’m so worried about my dad.”Her hand curled around her stomach as if the worry were eating through her.

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