Page 37 of Unchained
“And that would be?”
“I want you. Tonight, before we get to Rio.”
“I’ve told you before, you don’t want this.”
“I’ll be the judge of that.”
“Guess that will make me the jury.” She glanced at her watch. “I have business to conduct in my office. Not all of us can quit our jobs.”
“The cosmetics business is a front for the drug business,” I said. “I get it now.”
“Actually, you don’t.”
“You use cosmetics to launder your drug money. Very smart.”
She stood and began to walk away. “Tonight at seven. Meet me in my bedroom. I will change your mind about wanting me.”
She left me alone, and I finished my breakfast, thinking I had won a small battle. I’d really just started another.
As soon as Veronica went inside, I headed back to the other side of the boat and the bedrooms I’d passed on my way out. I needed to verify that I’d really seen a laptop computer sitting on one of the nightstands.
I closed the hallway entrance and entered the second bedroom, the one that looked like it maybe belonged to the captain. I opened the laptop and hit the power button, sure the thing would throw up a login screen. Then I would be screwed. Fortunately, moments later, the screen flickered and flashed, and I went straight to a web browser. The guy could captain a superyacht but knew nothing about I.T. security. I typed in Veronica’s name and only found the same information I already knew.
I then typed in her father’s name and waited. The first few stories were about his death while in prison. There were also several stories about the trial and even a picture of me as the prosecuting attorney. The fame of the trial is what landed me where I was.
Seeing nothing of use, I leaned back in the chair I had taken and thought about everything that had happened. A smile crept across my lips.
I did a search on ancestry sites and found one of the more famous. I entered Jorge’s name and waited patiently. I then cross-referenced a DNA match and waited.
No public records showed Jorge had a daughter, and his one and only son had gone missing years ago. The rumor was that another cartel dropped him in the ocean while he wore concrete boots. Another page opened on the screen, showing zero results.
“Who the fuck are you really, Veronica Sims?”
I shut down the laptop and snooped around the captain’s room, finding nothing. His closet was also empty. They had left for good. I opened the bedroom door and found Veronica waiting.
“You’ll find nothing useful on the boat, Deacon. And I thought we had an agreement.” She stepped out of the way. “Please retire to your room until it’s time to meet.”
I moved past Veronica like a scorned child, stopping momentarily to enjoy the scent of her body. I glanced at her breasts and looked down her juicy, bare legs. I reconsidered going straight to the room and instead turned back around.
“You should reconsider your offer,” I said. “I know you think you’re too much for me to handle, but I beg to differ. I very much plan on fucking you until you pass out dead.”
She laughed and threw back her hair. “Duly noted though I’m not a bit concerned. Remember, Deacon, I’ve yet to play all my cards.”
“I look forward to the challenge.” Before she had a chance to walk away, I walked away and closed the bedroom door without looking back. We were just hours away from finding out who really had all the cards.
