Choppy Seas (A Rowan Gray Mystery Book 5)

by Lily Harper Hart

  That notion hadn’t even occurred to Rowan and she was thrown for a loop. “Oh, I … um … .”

  “You’re fine.” Quinn grabbed her hand and stood, keeping Rowan close. “I’m sorry we couldn’t be of more help. If you come up with mug shots, go ahead and email them to me on the ship. Hopefully we will be able to point you in the right direction.”

  “That’s the plan.” Fargate smiled. “You guys set sail tomorrow, right? I heard you’re hosting a bunch of kids from that big cheerleading competition that is all over the news. Have a good trip. We’ll be in touch.”

  3

  Three

  Rowan was quiet for the duration of the trip to The Bounding Storm. Quinn left her to her thoughts – dark as they may be – and remained close and vigilant as they walked the gangway to the main deck.

  Once there, he instructed the men he had stationed by the only entryway to be on the lookout for anything suspicious, especially anyone trying to board the ship, and then followed Rowan to her room. She’d already stripped out of her shirt and shorts by the time he kicked off his shoes and seemed lost in her own world. Quinn waited until they were both in bed, the room dark and her head on his chest, to speak again.

  “I know what happened upset you … .”

  “It didn’t upset me,” Rowan said hurriedly. “I mean … well, it did … but it didn’t upset me like you think it did.”

  Quinn ran his tongue over his teeth as he debated how to respond. Her mood wasn’t easy to read and yet he sensed there was something she was leaving unsaid. “Ro, I can tell something is wrong. I’m talking something other than the obvious. You might feel better if you tell me.”

  Rowan swallowed hard. “I’m not purposely trying to keep anything from you.”

  “I know.”

  “It’s just … there is one thing.”

  Quinn shifted a bit, propping her body so her chin rested on his chest and he could see her eyes thanks to the moon slipping through the blind slats. “What? Did something happen to you? I mean, before you came here, did someone attack you?” The question was out of his mouth before he had the opportunity to think about the intelligence associated with uttering it. If something terrible did occur – which is directly where his mind wandered – he didn’t want to hear about it. He wanted to share everything in her life … except that. It would be too frustrating because he would want to go back in time and fix it … and that was something he couldn’t accomplish so the entire conversation would serve as a form of agitation.

  “Nothing happened to me, at least not the way you’re imagining,” Rowan said, her fingers lightly dancing over Quinn’s bare chest. Any other night it would’ve been a flirtatious move. Now it was somehow nervous and antsy. “After my father died – or I guess after he abandoned me to live on my own – I tried to keep the house for like two months. I thought it was really possible even though that was ridiculous.”

  Quinn calmly stroked his hand down the back of her head. “You were in shock and trying to keep the one place you associated with him in case he came back.”

  “The thing is, even then, I thought it was ridiculous to try to keep the house. I did, though. I soon realized that working a minimum wage job wasn’t going to cut it. I was trying to find a second job at the mall when a guy approached me about being a model.”

  Quinn furrowed his brow. “You were a model?”

  Rowan snorted. “Of course not. I couldn’t be a model. I was young and dumb, though, and believed what the guy was saying. It was only after he insisted I would have to fly out of the country to do the job that I started putting two and two together.”

  Quinn stiffened. “You think you were targeted by someone who was trafficking in women.”

  “I think it happens a lot more frequently than you realize,” Rowan corrected. “I think he wanted to get me out of the country … and it wasn’t to model.”

  “Why do you say that?”

  Rowan made a rueful face. “I think my hips are a little wide to be a model.”

  Quinn frowned. “You’re perfect.”

  “And you’re good for my ego.” Rowan patted his chest. “That doesn’t change the fact that most models are like four inches taller than me and twenty pounds lighter. I would’ve seen that for myself if I wasn’t so desperate.”

  “How did you figure it out?”

  “I just did.” Rowan shrugged, unsure how to explain what happened. “There was a warning alarm inside my head and I honestly knew better than going. The guy tried to get me to change my mind, but I was firm. After that he disappeared within a good five minutes and I never heard from him again.

  “At the time it was a little soul-crushing for me,” she continued. “I got over it relatively quickly, though. And, the truth is, letting go of that house was the best thing for me. It was as if a weight was lifted off my shoulders. It allowed me to move on and go to college without an anchor tying me down.”

  Quinn pressed a kiss to her forehead. “It still must have been difficult for you. I’m sorry it happened.”

  “Yeah, well, I can’t go back in time, right?”

  “No. You’re right where you belong.” Quinn snuggled her close, making sure to tuck the blankets in tightly at her side. “I don’t want to frighten you, but you know that you probably escaped something absolutely hellish when you came to your senses, right?”

  “I do know that.”

  “It never occurred to me how many of these rings were out there until tonight. You saved one girl, but it doesn’t feel like enough, does it?”

  “Not really, but there’s nothing we can do.” Rowan pressed her ear to the spot above Quinn’s heart and sighed. “We did what we could. That girl is safe. We should take it as a win.”

  “I take every moment spent with you as a win.” Quinn meant it and he didn’t care how schmaltzy it sounded as he wrapped both arms around her. “We should enjoy the last few moments of quiet we have together. Starting tomorrow, our lives are going to be screeches and cheers for five straight days.”

  Rowan giggled as she turned her attention to their next cruise. “That’s right. The cheerleaders are finally here. Half the ship is cheerleaders from different teams across the nation and the other half is discount travelers who braved a ship full of cheerleaders to get a deal. That sounds like an interesting trip.”

  “You sound more upbeat than you should,” Quinn warned. “We’re not just talking cheerleaders. We’re talking cheerleaders who are competing for a trophy.”

  “Is that bad?”

  “You clearly didn’t spend a lot of time around cheerleaders back in your high school days.”

  “No. I was the one on the yearbook staff, not the one all over the pages of the yearbook.”

  “I would’ve put you on every page of my yearbook.” Quinn rested his cheek against her forehead as the day threatened to catch up with him and sleep stalked his busy brain. “I don’t think you understand how terrible our next few days are going to be.”

  “It can’t possibly be as bad as you make it out.”

  “Just you wait.”

  Rowan turned philosophical. “I think it will be fun to be around peppy individuals.”

  “I’m going to remind you of what you just said tomorrow after you meet the little darlings and then we’ll have another talk.”

  “I’m looking forward to it.”

  “You’ll change your mind.”

  Quinn was so certain Rowan could do nothing but laugh.

  “You seem sure of yourself, but I think you’re overreacting. Everything is going to be fine. Better, it’s going to be fun.”

  “I like that this is all new to you.” Quinn was close to dropping off. “You haven’t been here long enough to turn cynical.”

  “You’re cynical enough for the both of us.”

  “You have no idea what you’re in store for.”

  “I’m looking forward to it.”

  ROWAN KEPT HER upbeat attitude through breakfast – where Dem
arcus and Sally also laughed at her – but the moment she saw the line of giggling girls and their excitable mothers she felt the first hint of panic sweep through her stomach.

  “You’re starting to re-think what you said, aren’t you?” Quinn stopped in the lobby long enough to laugh at Rowan, grinning at the over-the-top backdrop that was to be used for the check-in photos. It featured two of the world’s biggest pompoms – both pink – and was adorned with garish plastic jewels. “That’s not tacky or anything.”

  Rowan ignored his tone. “Everything is going to be fine. Just you wait.”

  “I love that you stick to your guns no matter what.” Quinn lightly brushed his lips against her cheek. “Have fun with your … cheerleaders.”

  “They’re your cheerleaders, too,” Rowan pointed out.

  “No, I’m going to hide the bulk of this trip. I know exactly what to expect and it’s nothing I want to put up with. I will spend most of my time in my office for this one, which is exactly where you can find me if you need something.”

  Rowan couldn’t figure out why he was being so adamant. “I think you’re overreacting.”

  “I guess we’ll have to wait and see who is right.”

  “Fine.”

  “Great.”

  “Good.”

  Quinn gave her another kiss. “You know where to find me when you’re ready to admit defeat.”

  “I’m not going to admit defeat.”

  “Then I’ll see you in a week.”

  Rowan choked out a laugh. She didn’t believe that for a second. “I’ll see you in a few hours. It’s going to be nowhere near as bad as you imagine. I have faith.”

  “You’re adorable.” Quinn tapped the end of her nose. “I hope the girls don’t eat you alive. I’ll see you in a bit.”

  With those words he turned on his heel and walked away. Rowan could do nothing but watch him go, all the while wondering why he was so adamant this was going to be a terrible trip. They were teenagers, after all. That made them practically children. How terrible could it possibly be?

  ROWAN FOUND QUINN at the tiki bar three hours later. She was exhausted … and agitated.

  Quinn took one look at her hair, which looked as if she’d ran her fingers through it so many times it had taken on a life of its own, and burst out laughing. “You look tired, Ro.”

  Rowan extended a finger. “Don’t you start.” She let loose a weary sigh as she sank into the chair next to him. “I think my ears are still ringing.”

  “Oh, poor baby.” Quinn patted her hand and sipped from his drink. “I don’t want to say ‘I told you so’ because no one likes a know-it-all but … I told you.”

  “Ugh. You were right.” Rowan rested her head on the table and closed her eyes. “I’ve never seen anything like it in my entire life. The girls were screeching and complaining. The mothers were making plans for getting drunk as soon as they locked the girls in the rooms for the night. I don’t even understand how this works since the girls aren’t old enough to drink.”

  “The ship is cordoned off.” Quinn absently rubbed the back of her head as he glanced around. “Do you see the velvet ropes set up everywhere?”

  Rowan shifted her head so she could stare at the blue ropes he pointed toward. “Yeah.”

  “The girls aren’t allowed to go past them. Everyone old enough to drink needs to wear a plastic blue wristband. That’s basically the mothers and the coordinators. The bartenders have been instructed to check IDs for anyone who looks younger than forty, though, because it’s expected that some of the girls will try to steal wristbands.”

  Rowan made a clucking sound with her tongue. “I didn’t even think of that. I guess that’s why you’re the head of security, huh? You think of these things.”

  “I simply remember what it was like to be a teenager. I wanted to party all the time.”

  “Not me. I was a good girl.”

  Quinn smirked. “Does my good girl want a rum runner?”

  The question caught Rowan off guard. “Are you asking if I want to drink in the middle of the afternoon? That’s not like you.”

  Quinn shoved his drink in front of her. “This is a different sort of trip. You’re going to need the alcohol to cope.”

  Rowan lifted the glass and sniffed, widening her eyes when the familiar scent of coconut and banana assailed her senses. “You’re drinking.”

  “Shh.” Quinn pressed his finger to his lips. “I am drinking,” he agreed. “I have no intention of getting drunk, but I need to take the edge off. You should consider it.”

  Rowan thought about arguing but instead took a long swig of his drink before handing it back. “That’s good. We should get totally hammered on those tonight.”

  “I can live with that.” Quinn leaned back in his chair and stretched his long legs out in front of him. “How did the photos go?”

  “You know, it was weird.” Rowan turned serious as she rolled her neck. “I think there’s more going on than just cheerleaders attending an international competition. There seem to be two factions – I mean, there are actually a hundred factions, but two that are going to be a pain – from what I can gather.”

  “There are,” Quinn confirmed. “I’ve been over everything, including the background, and only two of the groups are likely to give us more than cursory problems. Leighann Porter is the head of the event. I have to meet her in about twenty minutes to go over security for the area they’ve set up at the aft of the ship. It’s for practices.”

  Rowan bobbed her head. “I’m supposed to spend at least three hours a day back there taking photos. I haven’t even checked it out yet. What’s it look like?”

  “It’s basically the same as always except it’s roped off and has a stage. The girls know what they’re supposed to be doing and they’re supposedly going to split into small groups for practice, but I’ve stationed four men – two on each side – to watch the area during daylight hours.”

  “Because you think practice is going to get out of hand?”

  “Because I’m expecting some fights,” Quinn clarified. “You weren’t wrong about there being two factions. The first is the normal girls.” He used air quotes around the word “normal” and grimaced. “Those are the girls with money, the ones from the rich suburbs and private schools.”

  Now it was Rowan’s turn to make a face. “I guess I’m not following.”

  “The other group is being run by a woman named Claire Austin,” Quinn explained. “She’s extremely rich and eccentric from what I understand. She doesn’t put up with guff and is more than willing to get into a fight when it comes to it because she wants to protect her girls.”

  Rowan remained confused. “How is that different? Actually, how is that better or worse?”

  “I think it depends on how you look at it. Claire is paying for inner-city kids to attend, which is apparently something that has never happened before and isn’t going over well. This has always been a rich girls’ trip … until now. I was warned about it when I got the packet from the home office.”

  Rowan still couldn’t wrap her head around what he was saying. “I’m going to need more than that.”

  Quinn exhaled heavily and glanced around to make sure no one was eavesdropping. Since the mothers were still getting the daughters settled, the tiki bar was almost completely vacant. That served their needs well.

  “I’m going to break it down as best I understand it,” he started. “Leighann and Claire apparently went to the same college together and were on the same squad together, although there are rumors they knew each other even before that and I haven’t had time to verify. Either way, they hated each other in college and went to war. This was twenty years ago and I got this information from Michael off the record.”

  In addition to being The Bounding’s Storm’s captain, Michael Griffin was also a close friend of Quinn’s. His reputation was that of a womanizer, but Rowan thought that might have been exaggerated because of his position. She was still internally de
bating that possibility.

  “So Leighann and Claire hated each other then and always competed against one another,” Quinn continued. “Leighann made a name for herself in the competitive cheer world and Claire married a rich guy and took on a bunch of philanthropic endeavors.”

  Rowan brightened. “That doesn’t sound so bad.”

  “It doesn’t,” Quinn agreed. “Michael happens to know people in those circles, though, and Claire isn’t known as a nice woman. She’s seen as a despot who always wants to get her way. Most people believe she only set up this low-income option for girls because she knew it would drive Leighann crazy.”

  Rowan pursed her lips as she grabbed Quinn’s glass and took another drink. “It’s like a soap opera.”

  “It is.”

  “Or like an updated version of Bring It On.”

  Quinn stilled. “I don’t know what that means. Is that supposed to mean something to me?”

  Rowan waved off the question. “It’s a movie about cheerleaders. It’s hardly important.”

  “Maybe we can have a movie night and you can show it to me,” Quinn suggested. “Of course, we’re probably going to be so sick of cheerleaders by the end of tonight we’ll want to forget they exist for months after they depart.”

  “I don’t know,” Rowan hedged. “I think it sounds intriguing. I know that this Claire woman sounds kind of mean and vindictive, but I happen to think it’s great that she’s helping lower-income kids who wouldn’t normally have an opportunity like this. Her motives might not be sincere but that doesn’t mean it’s not a good thing.”

  Quinn’s lips curved. “You have a kind heart.”

  “You’re just saying that because you want to see if we can get our hearts together later.”

  “I’m not going to deny that.” Quinn snagged back his glass and frowned when he noticed the only thing remaining was ice. “I guess you needed a drink more than I realized, huh?”

  “The screeching is going to be the death of me,” Rowan admitted. “The mothers seem a little excitable, too.”

  “Yes, well, the mothers are going to be the death of me,” Quinn supplied. “I know how this will go and it’s not going to be pretty.”