AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Except this was somehow more real.
And more deadly.
CHAPTER 10
Tyler
As Rhino crawled through the water, I took my position at the bow, scanning the horizon non-stop. The sun beat down on me mercilessly, casting a glare over the shimmering water that was as ferocious as the blaze from above.
Indiana stayed on the bridge, making sure Rhino kept a steady pace to keep Chui’s yacht in position behind us. Old Smithy was passed out to the world, snoring in the hut.
The vast expanse of the ocean seemed endless. After two hours of heading toward Rosebud Wharf, boats finally began to dot the horizon. At first it was enormous tankers and giant cruise ships that used the major shipping lane running the full length of Australia’s Eastern seaboard.
The closer we came to land, other boats started appearing out of nowhere, making my surveillance even harder.
Hours passed, and the dread in my stomach added to the oppressive heat smothering me.
It wasn’t until the sun started its slide into the ocean that a slight breeze cooled the stifling air. Finally, twinkling lights flickered on the land mass ahead of us, and a trickle of relief washed through me.
After walking around Rhino’s entire top deck, I stopped at the bow to peer through the binoculars at a speed boat that was racing toward us. I decided the bikini-clad women and shirtless men on the boat didn’t pose a threat.
I turned to the sound of footsteps behind me. Indiana had her Dr. Martens boots on again, and she’d pulled on denim shorts. Lucky for me, she hadn’t covered her bikini top.
“How are you going, captain?” I asked.
She smiled but turned her head away as if embarrassed. “We’re about an hour away from Rosebud, maybe ninety minutes, if you want to give them the heads up.”
“Can do.”
She had worked non-stop since before sunrise this morning, and I had no idea how she was still standing. Or still looking so incredible. She seemed to feed off the ocean somehow.
“Indiana,” I said.
“So, Kingsley,” she said at exactly the same time.
We both chuckled.
“You go first,” I said.
“No, you first.”
“I just wanted to thank you for doing this. I know it was under duress, but they made the right decision by asking you to salvage this yacht. Your professionalism is outstanding.”
“Huh.” She tilted her head, and the setting sun shimmered in her stunning amber eyes. “Thanks.”
“Also, I hope I’ve convinced you that not all cops are the same.”
She scrunched her nose. “Well, you sure are different, Officer Fancy Pants.”
I chuckled. “Maybe we could have a drink some?—”
“I don’t think so,” she interrupted, scowling at me like I’d offered her a bad oyster.
“You can tell me why you hate cops so much.”
“We’d need more than one drink.”
“Deal,” I said.
