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I down my drink, then rest my hands on the bar as I wait. A slight hint of jasmine lingers in the air, along with something fresh, green, and spring. Those scents are Dakota. Her subtle scent wrapped around me when I backed her against the door.
One of the doors. I don’t think she noticed the other one flush against the woodwork of the wall or saw the shadow that appeared in the room with us. I did. And that watching person killed my chance to urge her off the yacht.
What’s her fucking friend’s name again? Yardley? No, Harley. I’d decided to tell her Harley contacted me to get her off here. If Dakota pushed, I’d tell her who and what these people are.
Because getting her off this yacht while people come and go for a party is perfect.
It’s preferable to pretending to be her anything. It’d be a quick job, and I wouldn’t need to get in any deeper.
“There you are.” I don’t look around when I hear Malone’s voice. “Find anything interesting?”
“A tasty morsel. You?”
He’s come into the room from the same door the watcher used. We don’t know if the entire place is set up for video and sound, so we have to be careful. I poked around a little as I meandered to this room on the upper deck, and I’m guessing it is. But I can’t do a full sweep without alerting anyone.
“Always,” he says. “Unfortunately, I’ve got a meeting in Little Havana tonight, so I’m taking the early boat.”
The yacht we arrived on is anchored. Since we’re not that far from Miami, there’s a speed boat that travels to the marina for more pickups and drop-offs. Quite the fucking operation these sick bastards have.
“Who knows, maybe I’ll take off from here and bring some fun with me.” I slant him a glance.
“Pretty,” he says. “Dark blond?”
“Something like that. Away from an audience. The things I could do.” I wrap my hand around her drink and yeah, there are lots of things I can do. Things Smith would cut my throat if I even imagined doing.
“Saw some people heading to one of the lower decks when I came looking for you,” Malone says. “Not so pretty.”
We know each other well. Well enough to get what each of us is saying.
He saw someone watching, too. And Malone needs to head back because I’m guessing the intel for his part of the job doesn’t lead where this fucking yacht’s heading. My job is to make sure I get the blonde in the bikini off this cesspool.
And my God, it is one.
I don’t need to see what’s happening behind the scenes to know. I can fucking smell the rot and ill intent permeating the air.
He goes behind the bar, grabs the bourbon, and pours a glass. Then he fills up my glass with rum, even though my fingers are still loose on Dakota’s glass.
“So… what do you think?” He takes a mouthful of his drink as he gestures around the room.
I lift her drink first and breathe in the forbidden. It’s all kinds of perfume, sweetened grapefruit, spice, and botanicals. Some very expensive gin, the type her father would drink. I down it, then wash the taste away with the rum.
“As I expected.”
“Look around, see if this trip is for you. If not…”
Case the place, get her off the fucking yacht. That’s what Malone’s telling me. He obviously knows why I’m here, though I doubt he knows Dakota is Smith’s kid. That sounded like pretty classified information coming from Smith.
I shoot him my darkest look and his eyes spark with wicked humor. It’s not funny, but he likes to pull my fucking chain. And right now, it’s working.
Because I’m looking around like I’m interested in the damn billion-dollar yacht, looking at the people like I’m checking out the talent. And there’s some. A number of very hot pieces. But only one is my concern. Dakota.
I’m supposed to rescue her but not raise eyebrows with the Collectors in the process.
That means I need to understand the layout of this place. Just in case I have to grab her and run.
But that’s the nuclear option, the one Smith and whoever the fuck Malone’s client is don’t want.
My job? Get the girl off as soon as I can. Or rather, off the yacht. I grit my teeth, my brain suddenly picturing her naked, spread before me as I make her come with my fingers and mouth. After I make her beg.
