Page 70 of Dagger in the Sea

“Where do you think you’re going?” Luca’s deep voice penetrated my skull. Adri skidded on her heeled sandals, and I steadied her.

“Aren’t you done with the tour of this fun boat?” I spit out. “We are.”

“No, there’s more. There is always more.” Luca gestured toward another stairwell. “Come.”

We climbed the stairs to the upper deck. Adri and I both sucked in the cool, salty air. An enormous swimming pool was lit up with lights and four naked girls cavorting in it. Several ice sculptures stood guard over a huge buffet table laden with tiered platters of shrimp, crab legs, lobsters, and shellfish. Jumbo bottles of Armand de Brignac champagne were everywhere. Tens of thousands of dollars worth of bubbly. My muscles clenched together, my stomach twisted, my head swam.

“This way, please,” said a man with a crisp British accent dressed as a classic butler. He led us to a huge banquette where a man held court at the center. That man being the one and only Evgeny Berezin.

Berezin and a few partners had jumped on the dissolution of communism in the Soviet Union by buying up government owned natural gas and oil refineries, a ton of formerly government owned real estate in Moscow, and here he sat, the king. He couldn’t have been over forty-five. A slight paunch to his belly was the only thing that belied an indulgent lifestyle. Berezin was tall and clear eyed, well-dressed and well pleased with himself.

His blue eyes landed on Luca and he rose from his seat. “My friend, you have come!” He gave Luca a bear hug.

“You should have come to my brother’s party. It was quite a scene,” Luca said.

“Marina is there now. She’s a big fan of that idiot DJ, Kaspar.”

“Marina is his daughter,” Adri whispered to me. “They say he’s buying her her own yacht for her twentieth birthday.”

“I don’t like that electronic music shit. And I like my parties better.” Evgeny laughed as he gestured toward the shoreline. “All night we hear that crazy music and we see the lights from here but no crowds for us. Come sit.”

Room was made for us on the thickly upholstered sofa. The low, long table in front of us was decorated with white stripes and spirals—ribbons and mounds of cocaine.

I put my arm around Adri’s shoulders and she nestled close to me. “Don’t drink anything,” I said, and she nodded.

I couldn’t take any chance where Adriana was concerned. I wouldn’t put it past Evgeny’s party people to drug women’s drinks, and I didn’t trust Luca either.

Luca leaned over the table and took a long hit of coke from one of the many spirals of powder. Leaning back again, sniffing in deep, his tongue swiping over his gums, he slid a hand down a thigh and crossed one leg over the other. A figure in satisfaction.

Luca had Evgeny talking yachts, how impressive his was, how tall his carbon masts were, what his summer plans were. I wanted this fucking over. As they talked, Adri’s and my breathing got hooked in a rhythm. Intense, heavy. The heat from our bodies melded. Every moment that passed stretched us toward something unknown, kept our bodies tense. We were on edge, together.

I’d been in situations like this many times before on Mauro’s behalf, this waiting for the ball to drop, the wire to be cut. But this was different. My chest tightened painfully, a cold sweat prickled over my skin, nausea rode me. I was literally feeling this situation. I sucked in a breath. I couldn’t lower the volume or shut it off. This was a fucking first. Why?

Adri.That was why.

Protecting her wasn’t simply a job. The thought of anyone taking advantage of her, of her in danger, had me ticking along with my watch to get us off this goddamn monstrosity of a cruise ship. She was better than all this. She was another world from this, my world.

Luca’s hand landed on Adri’s bare thigh and he stroked her skin as he spoke with Evgeny about Italian soccer teams and Ducatis. She let out a tiny yelp, her body stiffening at my side.

And there it was.

Evgeny’s eyes darted to the movement of Luca’s hand, his gaze traveling up Adriana’s leg, resting on her face.

Tick, tick, tick.

Adri grabbed onto Luca’s wrist, stopping him. He didn’t miss a beat, though, continuing his discussion of Juventus versus Real Madrid in an upcoming match as his thumb circled a spot on her thigh.

Bitter venom filled my mouth. “Luca—”

He ignored me.

Evgeny interrupted. “Who is this fantastic woman with you?” His eyes were lit. Appetizer served.

Luca released his hold on Adri’s leg. “Adriana is a special friend of mine. I thought you might like to meet her.” His voice was unusually silky and warm.

My pulse hammered in my head, my jaw ground together.

“Ah, a real Greek beauty, eh?” Evgeny shook a thick index finger at Luca. “How you know me, you motherfucker.”

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