The harness that Sully had once strapped me into unwillingly on Goddess Isles had been cloned and hung here, and the trolley that held all the sensors that Sully had copyrighted in their black boxes with their purple orchid stencil waited to be used on guests fighting to save their marriages.
They had the option of all sensors or just the basic eyes and ears. If they wanted to fuck someone who wasn’t their spouse, to see if guilt made them fight for what they’d lost, then the skin oil, taste masker, scent scrambler, and finger print sensors were recommended.
According to our head psychiatrist and counsellor, Dr Jane Milnor, the couples who arrived with divorce papers already signed always opted for all sensors. However, out of the two thousand or so couples who’d been treated on Rapture, only a fraction had continued with a divorce. The rest faded out the sensors until a play in Euphoria was exactly like what Sully and I enjoyed. An adventure for both in a totally different setting but not with different people.
“And everything is working okay?” I asked. “The new codes that we send through aren’t glitchy? Is the new computer programmer able to add enough depth and detail to fantasies that guests request?”
“Yes.” Sophie nodded eagerly. “We’ve had nothing but good reviews. The technology works seamlessly.”
“And the therapy sessions? Are people opting for those, or do they prefer to let their bodies fix their issues?”
“Oh, no, you’d be surprised.” Sophie tapped her phone, pulling up data and figures. “When we first opened, only sixty-eight percent of people used the complimentary therapy sessions. A lot of them just came for the virtual reality. However, according to figures last month, we are getting more and more people who want to make their relationships work and are prepared to do the mental, emotional, and physical requirements. Eighty-nine percent last month participated in sessions we provided, and this month we currently have over ninety.”
“Wow, that’s fabulous.” I turned to Sully who stood leaning against the tiled wall, his blue gaze locked on me with a smug smile on his face. “What? What is it?”
“Nothing.” He pushed off from the wall, his gaze turning darker, hungrier. “Just watching my wife at work.”
Goosebumps ran over my arms. His voice turned me on, and his stare made me wet. I scowled and flicked my hair. “Don’t distract me.”
He chuckled. “Can’t promise anything.” Moving closer, he murmured so Sophie wouldn’t hear, “Seeing you so corporate is turning me the fuck on.”
I shivered as he stroked the back of my hand. “And there you go, distracting me.”
“I’ll ask Sophie to leave.” His gaze dropped to my chest, making my nipples pebble. “We can test-drive Euphoria, Tahiti style.”
“Our marriage doesn’t need any help in that regard.”
“No, but you’re yet to complete that highly important task I told you to write down.”
I lowered my eyes, sweeping my stare down his biteable body. “Behave and I promise my lips will be around your—”
A noise sounded behind me and a door swung open. I spun around, staring at an older man and woman as they tumbled out of another Euphoria playroom that’d been in session when we first arrived.
Oh, my God!
“Hello, Mr and Mrs Grace. Everything went well, I presume?” Sophie clasped her hands in front of her, smiling at the couple who looked rumpled and well-satisfied.
The couple who didn’t belong together.
The couple who I would never look at the same way again.
“Mum?” My eyes flashed between them. “Dad?”
“Ross?” Sully barked. “Deborah? What the—”
My father turned bright red, slamming to a stop and dropping my mother’s hand. Running his fingers through his hair, he struggled to hold eye contact. “Ellie! What a coincidence!”
I shook my head, struggling for words. “A coincidence? You know we own this place. I told you the last time you stayed with us. You even offered a few suggestions on the guest villas.” I sucked in air. “What the hell are you doing here?” I blinked at my mother who gritted her teeth and kept her head high and mighty, her brown hair interspersed with streaks of silver. “And together, no less. You guys divorced ages ago. Mum, you married whatever his name was in England.”
“Trevor and I broke up four years ago.” She sniffed. “I buried myself in work, and I’ve steadily been burning myself out ever since. I...I called your father a year ago for moral support. And well...”
“We became friends again,” my dad mumbled. “She needed a friend.”
“But she cheated on you.” I moved toward them, hating that we aired family laundry in front of my manager but unable to stop myself. “You were heartbroken, Dad.”
“I made a mistake, Eleanor.” My mother wrung her hands. “I’ve regretted it every day of my life. I apologised to Ross, and I was content with just being friends. I didn’t want to hurt him again, but...I need him, Ellie. He keeps me calm and doesn’t let me use work to bury my problems. I love him.”
I crossed my arms as Sully stayed silent and supportive beside me. “So you guys are getting back together? Or are you using this place as...what? A lusty vacation?”
My dad blushed bright red again, making me wonder what fantasy they’d played in. What fetishes had they shared?
God, don’t think about it!
I shuddered, blocking my mind from the inhibitions that Euphoria brought out in people and the fact that my parents had dabbled in Sully’s creation.
Did they take cinta?
Gah, stop it!
I groaned and forced myself to be an adult. “Look, it’s none of my business. It’s—”
“We’re here because, as much as I still love Deborah and she loves me, I have trust issues. I was fine being her friend, but things...happened between us.” My dad swallowed before taking my mother’s hand. “I mentioned this place to her and all the good work you’ve done helping others reconcile. I told her that if we stood a chance at being together again, then we had to put in the work and see if we could salvage our past.”
“And how’s it working for you?” Sully asked, his eyebrow cocked in interest. “Is our concept working for someone who’s tried it first-hand?”
My mother was the one to soften and answer, “We arrived a week ago. The first therapy session was hard. Being honest with one another was definitely abrasive and opened old wounds for both of us. But...”
“But by the fourth session, the counsellor helped us come to terms with how simple marriage is,” my father said. “If you can forgive and forget; if you’re strong enough to trust again, then the rest is just noise. And when we tried Euphoria for the first time yesterday, well—”
“Ross.” My mother sniffed. “They don’t need to know what we think of Euphoria.”
“No, it’s fairly obvious.” Sully chuckled, glancing at his phone as it buzzed with a new message.
“I think I might leave you guys to catch up,” Sophie said very brightly. “I’ll be in my office, Mr and Mrs Sinclair. Please let me know when you’d like to resume.”
“That won’t be necessary.” Sully cleared his throat. “I’ve seen enough.”
I narrowed my eyes in his direction. “But we haven’t seen the updated villas.”
“Radcliffe just sent me a text. He wants to go over the security. He’s asked if I’ll join him.” He gave me a quick kiss on my cheek. “I’ll leave you guys to have a family reunion. I’ll see you soon.” Striding forward, he kissed my mum politely on her cheek before shaking my dad’s hand. “Pleasure to see you both. I hope this island gives you back your happiness.”
“Thanks, Sully.” My father patted my husband’s arm. “I can say it absolutely has.”
“I’m glad.” Bowing his head, Sully strode from the building, followed by Sophie, leaving me alone with my blushing parents. Seemed his excuse about security with Radcliffe was a highly convenient excuse to run from this uncomfortable situation.
“So...” I shrugged.
“So...” My dad swallowed.
I cracked a smile, rolling my eyes at the absurdity.
My parents.
Getting it on thanks to a VR sex tool that Sully once rented to nasty men and unwilling goddesses.
If only they knew.
“Come.” I held out my arm toward the sunshine spilling inside. “I think we need a drink, don’t you?”
My mother let out a nervous laugh, and my dad strode forward to gather me in a hug. “I missed you, Ellie Pie.”
“Missed you too.”
Slowly, my mother joined in, hugging me and Dad softly, healing our family that’d been broken for so long.
Turned out, Rapture not only had the power to fix marriages but also relationships between children and their parents.
Chapter Fifteen
“SEE THERE?” RADCLIFFE TAPPED at the security monitor, following the shadowy outline of a ship that looked like a container tanker and a mid-century warship had a love child. “That isn’t authorised to sail around these islands.”
“Authorised?” I scowled. “I don’t think the French Polynesian government has embargos on boats, Radcliffe.”
“They do on this one.” He strode to the printer in the corner, wiping away sweat on his brow from sitting for hours in a tiny security office where the air-con struggled to keep cool in the height of the day. Pulling a sheet of paper from the tray, he handed it to me. “See for yourself.”
A text heavy decree with an official government seal stated that the Paradigm Purge, captained by a man only known as Rayvn was hereby banished from entering the Pacific Ocean around Tahiti and its neighbouring islands.
“Is he a trader?” I passed the document back to Radcliffe, waiting for the trusted mercenary to fill me in on why he’d called me down to discuss an imminent security issue.
“No. He’s a pirate.”
I rolled my eyes. “If he’s a thief, then he’s of no concern to us. All our bookings are done online, we don’t keep large sums of cash on Rapture, and being all-inclusive means guests don’t have to bring big holiday funds. There’s nothing to steal, apart from a few pieces of jewellery and unwanted wedding rings, I suppose.”
“He doesn’t just steal cash, sir.” Radcliffe brought up another webpage, this one full of sightings and warnings of Paradigm Purge.
I skimmed some of the headlines.
Two women missing from Koh Samui after black ship spotted off shore. As yet unfound.
One woman missing on her honeymoon, snatched from a beach in Penang by pirates.
One teenage girl taken under her father’s nose while family stayed in Phuket, Thailand. Authorities are seeking information on unpermitted vessel in harbour.
I scowled. “Unfortunate but not uncommon. Women go missing all the time.” I rubbed the back of my neck. “I’m the cause of some of those disappearances.”
“I know, but women went missing each time Paradigm Purge was found in their bays. It’s not just a coincidence, Sinclair. And the fact that the boat has been seen sniffing off our coast means I highly suggest you double the security guards on shore.”
“You think this Rayvn bastard would steal a wife while she’s working on her marriage?”
He shrugged. “Who knows? But if we make it easy for them, then the temptation might be too hard to ignore. If we make it hard, we keep our guests safe.”
“Fine.” I nodded. “Double it. And have someone install the reef tripwires that we have around Goddess Isles, so they know if a boat arrives unwelcome, regardless of night or day.”
“Consider it done.”
I glanced again at the hulking monster of a ship. Black and sinister with rust on some areas and the tell-tale sign of machine guns hidden beneath coverings, a chill ran down my spine. If that bastard ever appeared in my Java Sea, he’d be picking up shrapnel and body parts for months after I blew his Paradigm Purge to fucking pieces.
I’d learned that viciousness was needed to protect those I loved. Drake had tried to teach me that lesson all my life, but I’d been slow to learn it. Now, I wouldn’t hesitate to kill and then ask questions later. Especially if Eleanor’s safety was on the line.
Speaking of Jinx.
I suddenly had an undeniable urge to see her.
We’d been on this island long enough. Things were working well, and in my experience, if you had a trustworthy team who did their jobs, it was best if you stayed out of it.
“You got this covered?” I asked. “I better go find my wife.”
Radcliffe nodded, sitting down at the monitor to organise emails and recruitment for more security. “No problem. I’ll meet you back on Calypso.”
“Great.” Opening the door to island air instead of recycled air-con, I placed my sunglasses over my eyes to shield them from the bright glare and strode through the open-island lobby of Rapture.
I’d never built a lobby on Batari, but here, Eleanor suggested having a central hub for check-in, welcome drinks, and somewhere where couples could book diving, day tours, and massages.
Carved sculptures of manta rays covered one wall so it seemed as if they floated toward the ceiling, a check-in desk sat with top-of-the-line technology just waiting to welcome, and a few sitting areas with comfy tangerine seats held a couple who’d obviously just arrived.
The girl with copper wavy hair, green eyes, and in her mid-twenties sat tense with her arms and legs crossed, her body language screeching at the man to leave her the fuck alone. The man in question looked as if he’d been driven over by a monster truck a few times. His dark blond hair needed a cut, his brown eyes were shadowed, and he watched his wife with a mixture of hate and hurt.
What the fuck were a couple that young doing here? How did something fail that bad to need our help so soon?
“Bellamy and Lawrence Whittaker?” A Rapture staff member smiled and approached the pissed-off couple, brandishing her tray of welcome cocktails as if it could shield her from their tempers. “I’ve taken the liberty of checking you in. We’ve assigned you Villa Camellia. We have you down for a ten-day stay, and if you change your mind on the marriage counselling sessions, I would be happy to—”
“Don’t bother,” the man barked, swiping a drink off the tray. “We’re just here for that Euphoria thing that everyone’s talking about.”
His wife curled up into a tighter, angrier ball.
Stupid bastard.
No wife wanted to fuck her husband if she wanted him to die a fiery death.
Rolling my eyes at the doomed couple, I forgot all about them as I strode down a manicured sandy path and went to find the love of my life.
It was time to go.
Chapter Sixteen
SKIMMING OVER THE SEA as the sun set with spectacular fire, I snuggled closer to Sully. “Sorry we were on Rapture so long.”
“Yeah, I hadn’t planned on staying all day. Pika and Skittles will be pissed we didn’t bring them.”
“True, we could’ve brought them after all. They could’ve explored a new island and made new friends.”
Sully kissed the top of my head, capturing my flying hair in his fist to stop the strands catching on my eyelashes. “Ah well, we didn’t exactly foresee your damn parents being there.”
I laughed softly. “Nope, that was a huge surprise.” Kissing his throat, I added, “Thank you for agreeing to have dinner with them. I know they appreciated it.”
“I didn’t know if it was the right thing to do. After all, we’re intruding on their sex-a-thon.”
“Eww.” I shuddered. “I’ve struggled to get those images out of my head all day. I don’t need you putting them there, thank you very much.”
Sully chuckled. “I never want to know what Euphoria codes they’ve dabbled in.”
“Never.”
We stayed quiet for a moment before I asked, “Do you think they’ll get married again?”
“Judging by how they acted at dinner? I’d say they might even make use of the wed
ding package you recently included for those couples who already signed the divorce papers and regretted it.”
“You think?”
Sully kissed my hair again. “I think next time we have a call for a visit, it won’t just be one of them visiting. They’ll be together.”
I skipped into the future, imagining the novelty of both my parents staying with Sully and me, sharing another dinner like the one we had tonight, talking about silly things, and growing comfortable together as two couples instead of estranged families.
If my father could move on and forgive my mother for cheating on him, then I wanted them both to be happy. He’d never found anyone else, and I’d noticed that my mother wasn’t coping in her overly busy world.
“Maybe they could write a review.” I snickered. “Husband and wife reconciled by having sex in a virtual reality world created by their son-in-law and commercialised by their daughter.”
Sully groan-laughed. “I think the less the world knows about that twisted connection, the better.”
“Agreed.”
We fell silent as we drew closer to Calypso.
My eyes drank in the dazzling sunset, dancing over fishing trawlers as they sailed home with poor fish suffocating in their holds. I had a good mind to go and release them all. To buy every fishing trawler and burn them, so the seas could finally replenish from years of overfishing and greed.
Looking past them to the darkening edge of where the world dropped away, I frowned. A hulking shape ruined the landscape. It didn’t look nearly as nautically sleek as Calypso, but it was twice as big. “Is that a tanker?”
Sully looked at where I pointed, his body stiffening next to me. “It’s Paradigm Purge.”
I looked up, tugging some of my hair from his fist. “You know it?”
“Radcliffe informed me of it this afternoon. He believes they’re traffickers.”
“Shit, really?” I looked again in that direction, then back to the blinking lights of Rapture. They looked so vulnerable compared to the black stain squatting in the sea. “Are our guests safe?”
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