by Bella Jewel
We go outside of the loud party and walk outside and over toward the railing so nobody can hear us. The warm salty breeze trickles in and sails past my face, making me wish that I was enjoying it instead of freaking out about this. Why can’t one thing go right? Just one? Is it so much to ask?
I breathe in that air for just a moment before saying to Rebel, “We’re looking for someone, and we’re having trouble finding him. We thought maybe you could help.”
She narrows her eyes and shakes her head a little, confused. “How do you mean? I’m not sure I follow?”
“You remember how you told us Vincent was on the ship, and you were worried about it?”
She nods. “Yeah, but he hasn’t bothered me, which makes me think he doesn’t know who I am.”
“Maybe he doesn’t, but he does know who we are, and he has one of our friends.”
She blinks. “What?”
“Look, I’m going to tell you something and if you freak out, this is going to go really bad so I need you just to listen because we need your help. Okay?”
She shakes her head, confused. “What do you mean? I’m confused.”
“Isaac didn’t get flown off because he was sick or in trouble, Isaac got flown off because he’s dead. Oscar and he were found dead, by us, in fact. We’re under watch, because we found him, but we didn’t do it. Vincent did. He found out we were onto him, and he took our friend. We can’t find her now, and we’re worried.”
“Isaac is dead?” Rebel whispers, her voice cracking.
“I’m sorry, honey,” I say squeezing her shoulder.
“He was a bad guy, but he didn’t deserve to die,” she says, dropping her head and a tear rolls down her cheek.
“I know you’re upset, and believe me, I don’t want to take that away from you. But we really need your help, Rebel.”
She looks back up at me, then glances at the others before saying, “Why don’t you just call for help? Get security to find her? Why me?”
“Because they think we killed those guys, and they’re not going to help us. They’re not going to understand. Please, we need your help. We need to find Vincent so he doesn’t get away with what he did to those poor guys, and we need to get our friend back before he hurts her.”
“He’s blaming you for it?”
“He’s blaming our clubs, yes,” I say. “If we don’t get him to confess, he’s going to walk free, and he’s going to hurt more people.”
Rebel nods, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand. “Let’s find him. I can help you. I have an access key. I’ll get into his room, we’ll get your friend back.”
I exhale, and nearly cheer with excitement. “Thank you so much, Rebel. Thank you.”
“I want him to go down for what he did to Oscar and Isaac. I want him to suffer. They didn’t deserve that. He’s a monster and he needs to pay for his actions.”
She’s right.
He does.
That’s exactly what we’re here for.
To make him pay for his actions.
And pay he will.
We all make our way back to Vincent’s room and Rebel uses the access key to open the door. When we step inside, I know that he’s not here. I know it because the lights are out, and there is no sound whatsoever. Rebel flicks on the light and Mack pushes past everyone and storms into the room. He moves through the bathroom, back out, and even onto the patio. Then with an angry roar, he tosses a lamp across the room. “Where the fuck is she?” he bellows. “Fuck.”
“Calm down, Mack,” Maddox says, walking into the room and then turning to Rebel. “Are you able to find out who he was on this ship with? Was he booked with anyone? A group maybe? Anything at all?”
She nods. “I can check those things, yes. I’m not supposed to, but right now, I don’t actually care if I lose my job. Isaac would want me to do this for you all. He would want justice.”
Maddox nods. “We’ll go back to searching other locations if you can find out anything you can. Also do you know if there are any storage rooms, luggage cabins, anywhere that Vincent could take Jaylah that isn’t a room but is well hidden and unlikely to be seen?”
Rebel thinks on that for a moment, then says, “I think there are. I’ll find out where they are. I’ll be back soon.”
“I’ll give you my number,” I say to her. “Call as soon as you’ve looked and we’ll let you know where we are.”
I give her my number and she rushes off. Maddox and Mack go through Vincent’s room, trying to find anything they can. They come up with nothing, and we all leave and go back to the main deck to start again. Regroup. Try and figure out what the hell we’re supposed to do here.
We’re running out of time.
If we don’t find him soon, we’re not going to.
He’ll get off this ship.
Possibly with Jaylah.
We need to find him.
Now.
12
JAYLAH
“THIS ISN’T YOUR ROOM, is it?” I mutter, watching as Vincent walks around clearly looking for something and not finding it.
“Of course it’s not my fuckin’ room,” he growls. “I’m not stupid. If those idiots catch on to what I’m doing, they’re going to look for me, maybe find my room, only I won’t be there. It’ll waste even more time. Though, the chances of them figuring it out are slim. They’re just goin’ to think you’re sleeping.”
I hope that’s not the case.
I really hope they suspect something isn’t right and go and check on me. I mean, the chances of them doing that are slim, if I’m being honest. They know I’m upset, I was drunk, and it would make sense for me to go back to bed and pass out. Why would they check on me? I’m a grown ass woman. I wouldn’t check on them, maybe later in the night on my way home, but I’d figure they were asleep and let them be.
Will Mack check up on me? Find out where I am? If I’m not in our room will he come looking? Will he go to the others just to make sure I’m there? I don’t know, but I can only pray he does. Though right now, with the way he’s feeling, I’m not certain he gives a crap at all, which is a bitter feeling to have. It lies deep in my chest, making me feel utterly worthless.
“They’re not going to think I’m sleeping,” I say, glaring at him. “Your plan sucks, almost as much as you do.”
He scowls at me. “You’re underestimating me.”
“You’re underestimating them.”
He makes an angry sound in his throat and sits back down on the chair, pulling the laptop onto his lap and growling, “Shut the fuck up, I have shit to do.”
“What are you going to do if I don’t shut up? Murder me on this ship? Oh, wait, you’ve already done a few rounds of murdering this week, haven’t you, Vincent?”
He looks up at me and snarls, “I could slit your throat and toss you off the side of this ship and be done with it. I would walk fuckin’ free and nobody would ever know. You either shut your fuckin’ mouth, or I change my plans.”
I exhale, and then say, “I need to pee.”
“Hold it.”
“I’ll pee all over your bed, buddy. Do not doubt it.”
“For fuck’s sake!” he barks, standing up and slamming the laptop down.
Then he walks over, hauls me up, and drags me into the bathroom. He stands there, giving me the stink eye as I stand awkwardly and look at him. “How am I supposed to pee when everything is tied?”
“I’m not untying you, work it out.”
“Can you get out? I don’t need you watching me.”
“Not goin’ to happen.”
“Where the fuck am I going to go, Vincent? Down the toilet?”
His eyes narrow and then he growls, “I’ll turn around, but if you think I’m leavin’ you unattended you’re sadly mistaken. Now hurry up.”
I somehow manage to lift my dress, shuffle my panties down and sit on the toilet, all with bound hands. It takes me a moment or two, but I finally get the courage to do my business and then I sta
nd awkwardly get my panties back up and my dress back down. That was uncomfortable, incredibly so. I flush the toilet and then say, “Okay, I’m done.”
Vincent turns, grabs my arm, and takes me back out, tossing me onto the bed again. I sit, this time my back sore and my head pounding. I reach for the bottle of water he gave me, unscrew the top with my bound hands, and then drink it, letting the cool liquid soothe me. My head is starting to pound, and I have to wonder what the hell I was thinking, drinking so much.
God, I’m a mess.
A stinking hot mess.
“Sleep or something,” Vincent mutters, getting back to his work. “I’ve got stuff to do. They’re not comin’ for you anytime soon, might as well sleep it off.”
It’s almost like he’s only doing this because he has to. He could be a lot crueler to me. He made it clear he would be, if I tried to get away, but at the same time he doesn’t seem to have any intentions of hurting me unless I aggravate him. Which I’m not planning on doing because I already have a black eye that hurts. I don’t need another one.
I lie down and roll to my side, my eyes getting a little heavy.
Would you look at me go?
Sleeping while being held against my will.
Only I could do something so incredibly stupid.
Still.
I am tired.
With a yawn, I close my eyes.
It is what it is.
HE’S ASLEEP.
I woke up about ten minutes ago and looked over, only to find him asleep. Last time I checked he was doing something on his laptop, and now he’s out, head dropped forward, little snores leaving his mouth every few seconds. The idiot. The god damned idiot. Who falls asleep when they’re trying to hold someone? This moron, apparently. I’m starting to think he’s not quite as smart as he’s letting on.
I look over at the time.
It’s just past two am.
Early morning hours.
I’ve been here quite some time, and thus far, nobody has found me.
Nobody has come for me.
I carefully shuffle off the bed, making sure not to wake the sleeping beast who will no doubt make my life a living hell if he busts me sneaking out of this room. My feet hit the soft carpet and I stand, holding my breath as I wait, I just wait, for him to pounce. A snore lets me know he’s still asleep, so I carefully walk toward the door. It’s not going to be easy to get around with bound hands, but I’m determined not to get caught here.
I reach for the door handle and of course it’s locked. Carefully, I twist the lock, gritting my teeth when it makes a little popping sound. I glance back, he’s still asleep. I turn the handle very, very carefully, and when the door opens, I pull it. Light from the hall comes shining into the room, and I squint my eyes and try to get out as quickly as I can before he realizes what’s going on.
Once I’m out, I close the door as quietly as I can and then glance around. I’m on a floor I don’t recognize. I’ll just make my way back to our floor and go from there. I turn and take note of the room Vincent was holding me in, and then I turn left and start walking toward the elevator.
That’s when the door opens and Vincent steps out. He looks left, then right, and then his eyes fall on me.
“You fuckin’ move, I’ll shoot you,” he growls, reaching toward his pants.
We both know he’s not going to shoot me on a ship.
“I don’t think so,” I say, and then I grin and taunt, “Bet you can’t catch me.”
“Fuck,” he barks as I start running.
Even in heels, I know how to move. I’m a woman, of course. I rush down the halls and turn a corner, going to the furthest elevator in hopes I’ll get in before he reaches me. I can hear his pounding footsteps behind me. I reach the elevator and slam my finger on the button and praise the lord it opens. I step in just as he reaches me.
A hand lashes out and grabs my hair, jerking me backward. Pain radiates through my scalp, he pulls me that hard, and my eyes water.
I don’t fucking think so.
“Let me go!” I cry, frustrated as he tries to drag me back down the hall. “You’re not going to get away with this. They’re going to find you, and they’re going to take you down.”
“Unlikely,” he pants, trying to pull me in the direction of the room.
“I won’t let you kill me like you killed those two men. You’re a monster, I’m not going with you.”
“But you are going with me, and if you don’t fuckin’ move, I will kill you, too. Now move, bitch.”
He jerks harder, and I take the chance to jerk my foot back and drive it as hard as I can into whatever I can find. I’m wearing heels, and I know when he bellows and roars that I’ve hit something good.
He lets me go.
I stumble forward and throw myself into the elevator, pressing the button to close the doors. Vincent launches forward, but he’s too late. The doors close, leaving him on the outside and me on the inside. I press the floor I want, and then lean against the wall, panting. Oh, god. That was something else entirely.
When I reach out floor, the lift opens, and I step out.
That’s when I see them.
All of them standing in the hall, discussing something. They’re with that girl, Rebel. I look at them, and my eyes focus on Mack. He looks so worried, so stressed, so scared. I’ve not seen that look on his face for such a long time. He raises a hand and runs it through his hair, and then lets out a little curse when Maddox says something to him.
He’s worried about me?
He’s scared about what’s happening?
They figured out I’m gone?
Is that what’s happening here, or is it something else entirely?
“Don’t all look so worried,” I call out. “I’m totally fine.”
They spin around, all of them at different times.
It’s Mack I focus on.
His eyes fall on me, and then he’s striding toward me. With each step, I feel my heart race. When he reaches me, his hand lashes out and he catches me around the back of the neck, hauling me forward until I crash into his arms. Then he’s hanging onto me. He’s hanging on so tight I can hardly breathe, but I don’t mind. I bury my face in his chest, and my eyes burn with unshed tears.
“Tell me he didn’t fuckin’ hurt you,” he murmurs into my hair. “Tell me you’re okay.”
“I’m okay,” I say into his chest. “I’m okay.”
He pulls back and looks at me, his eyes scanning my face. Then they zone in on my black eye and I know the moment he sees red because he lets out a loud curse and then growls, “Where the fuck is he?”
“Mack, calm down. We gotta play this right, or we’re goin’ to lose our chance again. Know you’re pissed, know you want revenge, but you do that when we’re off this ship. You hear me? You don’t do it on here because it’ll only lead to more trouble. We can’t afford more trouble, and you know it. We gotta finish this, once and for all, but we do it the right way,” Krypt says, walking forward.
Everyone else follows.
Ash rushes over, followed by Santana. “Are you okay, honey? How did you get out?”
“He fell asleep. Can you believe that? That moron actually fell asleep. He nearly got me when I reached the elevator, but I managed to kick him and get away. He’s going to be pissed, we’re running out of time.”
“We need to find him, get him, and make him talk,” Mack says, stepping past me and walking toward the elevator.
“Wait,” I call, getting an idea. “We might not have to. He grabbed me when I was stepping into the elevator. We had a fight, I made sure to say he wasn’t going to kill me like he killed them, he said he was going to if I didn’t go with him. If there is a camera, we’ll have all the proof we need.”
Ciara claps and steps forward, grabbing my face in her hands. “You’re a genius!”
“Let’s go to security then.” Maddox nods. “Finish this.”
They all pile onto the lift, and I stop when Mack
grabs my arm and pulls me back, telling them all we’ll catch up. When they’re gone, he looks down at me and says, “I hurt you. Know I did. I’m in a bad place, Jay. But know this, when you were gone, I couldn’t fuckin’ think. Couldn’t breathe. I was wrong, I do feel, I just don’t know what’s goin’ on in my head right now.”
I reach for him, curling my fingers around his arm. “You’re depressed. I know you don’t like that, but it doesn’t make you weak, Mack. You’re hurting. Let me help you. We can fix this. I promise you that.”
He nods. “When we get off the ship we’ll talk about it. For now, let’s finish this.”
Yeah, let’s finish this.
We’ve got you now, Vincent.
You lose.
13
CIARA
“JUST CHECK!” I YELL, frustrated. “My friend said she was taken and there is proof, and you’re not even looking!”
The security guards stare at us, almost bored. Their arms are crossed over their chests and they’re not at all interested in helping. As far as they’re concerned, we’re just causing more trouble and they’ve already dealt with enough from us. Their words, not mine.
“When we reach the shore, you’ll be questioned by police and they’ll check all footage needed. Until then, we ask that you remain in your rooms.”
Maddox and Jackson both step forward, but it’s Maddox who says, “That man will be long gone by then. I suggest you look at the fuckin’ footage, because if you don’t, you’ll be helping someone get away with fuckin’ murder. You want to be responsible for that?”
“I don’t appreciate being threatened,” A guard named Michael says, crossing his arms and narrowing his eyes. “In fact, I don’t take too kindly to it at all.”
“For fucks sake,” Maddox says, shaking his head and turning to the group. “They’re not goin’ to take us seriously.”
“Where are the officers on board right now?” I ask, stepping back up towards Michael. “We’d like to speak to them if you’re not willing to take us seriously.”
“They’re no doubt sleeping for the evening. We’re not going to disturb them without good reason.”