Page 169 of The Company

Chapter Sixty-Seven - Harper

“I’m not done,” I tell the server who comes to take my plate. I will be damned if I will be sent back to my cabin like a child when I’m still hungry. “Bring me dessert and then leave me alone to eat in peace.”

“Yes, ma’am,” the server closest to me says. And then with a nod, she signals her co-worker and they walk away.

I eat every last bite of my shark steak, most of the rice, and the dessert—which is apple cobbler à la mode.

I let out a long sigh.

OK. So my father is still a prick and he’s got the upper hand. I’m stuck on this ship and I have no idea what he’s doing or where we’re going. But… I have to think up a but, because I need one right now. I need some inner reassurance that this is not over yet.

But. I’m not that weak and scared little girl who left here last year. I’m different. And I don’t believe half that stuff he says about James. I accept that James can’t be all there. He’s responsible for too many atrocities to not be affected by it.

But James was lucid and in control one hundred percent of the time we were together. Isn’t that all that matters? He was not indecisive or confused. So even if some of that stuff is true about his psyche, does it matter if it doesn’t affect him in his day to day life?

But Harper, the reasonable me points out. You were only really with him for a few days. It’s one small snapshot of who he is.

True. But he was always thinking of us.

Except he killed Sasha.

That makes me bring my napkin to my mouth to stifle my shock.

How? How could he do that? We were only together for a short while, but we were like family. Why would he bother to care about her if his objective was to shoot her in the end? I don’t understand that.

God, I wish I had a friend to talk to.

My mind immediately goes to the phone. I want to text him so bad.

I get up and go back to my room to change. The phone is still there. Right where I left it. I pick it up and find the message.

I’m sorry.

I can’t stop myself. I text back. Why? Just tell me why you’re doing these things. I press the send button and watch the little green bar as it tries to send my message. It fails and then the message string disappears. Dammit. I key in James’ number and rewrite the text, pushing send again. I repeat this process and press send several more times before I understand that we’re out to sea and my phone won’t work.

“Score one for Dad,” I mumble, throwing the phone down on the bed.

But I’m not going to sit in my cabin and mope, that’s for sure. So I put on a pair of clean shorts and a tank top, then slip on my flipflops and go back above deck. When I get to the party area, I plop down on one of the couches and tuck my feet up underneath me.

“Jesus Christ, Harper, what the fuck is happening?”

“I had no idea your mouth was so filthy. Your father never mentioned that.”

I stand up so I can see over the dining table. The direction the unfamiliar voice came from. “Excuse me?” I don’t see anything beyond but the empty deck and the black sky.

“Sorry,” a man says, standing up from the hot tub on the outer deck. The thick muscles of his chest drip water as he steps out, and then he smiles at me, just as he grabs one of the large white towels with the ship’s name monogrammed on them. He drags it across his face and chest and then tosses it aside.

I have lost my mind. My heart shudders and then stops. I have to sit down quickly because I know without a doubt I am going to faint.

Strong hands catch me just before I fall and lay me down across the couch cushions. “Sorry. I didn’t expect to see you up here so soon after dinner. This wasn’t the way I wanted us to meet.”

I sit up because I feel like I’m suffocating. His touch sends chills up my spine and I put a hand up to push him away.

I meet his eyes briefly and my head spins.

“James?” I know it’s not him, but I can’t stop myself from asking. “James? Is that you?”

The man who looks like James, but who I know is not James, shakes his head. “No, sweetheart. I’m Vincent.” He smiles at me and there’s a twinkle in his green eyes that makes me hold my breath again. “The control.”