Jewel of Solana

by Susan Sheehey

  “That’s what I want to know,” he growled.

  She blanched. What did I do? “Why are you angry?”

  “Because I don’t like being lied to.” If it were possible, the hallway darkened more. The words poured off his lips like acid. “Now that Miss High n’ Mighty is awake, the captain wants to see you on the bridge.”

  He turned and climbed up the stairs without a glance. The gentle man she’d admired was gone.

  “Where’s my bag?” she called, following a few steps behind.

  “Speak to the captain,” he said over his shoulder.

  She didn’t miss that he’d stopped calling Dean by his name. What the hell is going on?

  Blackness covered the ocean around them, with only a few caps catching glimmers of the thumbnail moonlight. Alanna had no idea what time it was, or how much had passed. It could have been an hour, a day, or a week. How long have I been without the necklace?

  Getting it back was a priority. She’d figure out what to do next after it was safely in her hands.

  The salon’s in-board lights were on as was the kitchen chandelier, but everything else was in shadows. Flynn moved like a brooding lion through the dining room and kitchen, and stopped at the bridge. Suddenly, Dean rounded the corner and paused. His brow lowered, and his muscular, weathered arms folded across his chest. Everything about him signaled I don’t trust you.

  Flynn flanked him on the right, his glare more unsettling than her missing family legacy.

  “Dean, what’s going—”

  Dean held up his hand. “You need to be very careful what you say next, Miss Kalani.”

  Miss Kalani. He’d enunciated the words like she was a child. Alanna swallowed hard, fear and anger stewing in her gut.

  “What were you doing on Solana?” His gaze narrowed further.

  “You already know that.” She folded her arms across her chest, certain her pounding heart was visible through her shirt. “Running from the terrorist attack.”

  “Were you part of the attack?”

  Her mouth dropped. The question was so absurd, she couldn’t even process where he was going with it. “Where are my things?” She didn’t hide her authoritative voice, the one she’d heard her father use a thousand times before as king.

  Dean stepped forward, slowly, taking up as much room as possible. “Right now, I ask the questions, and you answer.”

  “I will not be treated like this. You have no idea what I’ve been through. Where is my bag, sir?”

  “What. Were. You. Doing. On Solana?” His voice darkened, deepened. His eyes more crisp and unrelenting. She glanced to Flynn, whose accusing stare stung her more than Dean’s words.

  “Now would be a good time for the truth, Alanna.” His tone cut at her pride.

  Heat poured into her face. “I am not a terrorist. Nor am I a criminal. Your insinuation of such is insulting and uncalled for. Return my things at once.”

  “Everything about your behavior leads us to believe you’re a thief, Miss Kalani.” Dean kept his voice even, yet still cutting. “A persuasive and cunning thief who bartered passage off Solana and concealed stolen property on my vessel. Which, perhaps not coincidentally, was the same night the Solanian government was overthrown by terrorists and many people killed. Since you won’t answer my questions, I have no choice but to assume you’re involved, and report this to authorities when we reach Manila.”

  Alanna could only imagine the horrified look on her face with every word Dean accused. First her escape from home, then losing her family, now this? “You think I’m a thief?”

  “We reach Manila in two days. Until then, you’re in my custody and my responsibility.”

  “You can’t hold me hostage on this boat! I haven’t committed any crimes. What do you think I stole?”

  Dean glanced at Flynn, who moved into the bridge and returned a moment later—carrying Luna de Azul.

  Alanna’s heart jumped into her throat, and then just as quickly dropped to her feet. The necklace was safe, but they were going to turn it over to a foreign government. Her worst nightmare was coming true, her one charge as Royal Princess slipping through her fingers.

  “I didn’t steal it. It belongs to my family.”

  “Can you prove that?” Dean asked.

  Alanna intended to answer, the commanding authority of her father raging through her veins. But she stopped herself. She couldn’t tell the truth. She couldn’t risk falling into the wrong hands and her status used against her. Even if she did admit her real identity, they wouldn’t believe her anyway. Not with that biting tone. They’d already made up their minds.

  “I didn’t think so,” Dean replied to her silence. “If authorities deem the jewels are indeed yours, we’ll return them immediately. Until then, they’ll be locked in our safe.”

  “You’re wrong,” Alanna warned.

  Dean sighed and shook his head. “For your sake, I hope so.”

  ALANNA TIED AN EYE-SPLICE KNOT for the fifth time while sitting on a cushioned chair on the deck. There was nothing else to do on this boat with people who didn’t trust her. Other than brood. The sky was too sunny, the water too crystal and calm, and the temperature too perfect. Even worse, the wind was too ideal for a solo sail. Her fingers twitched to pull on the tiller of a sailboat and tack into the wind. But instead she was stuck on this ship, practicing damn knots and trying desperately not to think of her loss.

  Everything was still too painful to process. Except for one hope. The news hadn’t shown any video or pictures of the devastation. It could all be rumors, or panic-induced misinformation. There was still a slim chance her family was alive. Maybe.

  Until then, getting Luna de Azul back was her only priority. Strange, how heavy and suffocating it was before they “confiscated” it, and now she felt naked without it. How on earth would she prove to the Manila authorities it belonged to her? All she had was a fake passport. She’d dropped her phone on Palau as well. Besides, Rona’s father had told her not to trust anyone. In turmoil like this, how honest could she be with a foreign government, even a U.S. Consulate?

  About as honest as she’d been with Dean and Flynn. They’d done their best to avoid her the last few hours, especially Flynn. Her savior-turned-accuser wouldn’t even look at her after that scene in the salon. Finally, he’d disappeared below and avoided everyone. It was the first time she was looked on as less than deserving, less than human. The grotesque feeling was almost as bad as when she first heard her family was…

  Alanna ripped the knot apart to start again.

  “Thinking of strangling us in our sleep with that?”

  She glanced over her shoulder as Flynn approached, keeping his distance and impressive scowl.

  “The thought had crossed my mind.” No, it hadn’t, but he doesn’t need to know that. “Though that wouldn’t be the best way to prove I’m not a thief.”

  Flynn watched her from across the bow, his eyes full of distrust. She’d been knocked down several notches on his ladder of respect. The resentment was hard to swallow. Why do I care what this man thinks? She picked up the rope, tucked a frayed end through a loop, twisted, and repeated it, over and over.

  “You can’t make toast and have a hard time cutting up a melon, but you can tie an eye-splice knot like a pro, and maneuver a boat like a racecar.”

  Her cheeks heated, and she continued tucking and looping the rope. “Your point?”

  “Just having a hard time figuring you out, Princess.”

  She paused mid-tuck and glared at him. If only he really knew. If only he didn’t look so damn good when pissed off, too.

  “What’s to figure out? I’m wrongly accused, stuck on a boat in the middle of the ocean with two strangers who think I’m a thief. I’ll make it easy on you. I’m insulted and can’t even walk away from you.”

  Flynn sighed, though she couldn’t tell if it was sympathy or annoyance. He moved toward her and sat in the chair across from her. His knee was only three feet away from hers,
perfectly tanned with well-toned muscles all the way down. Even his bare feet looked strong…and wide.

  “Is there anyone on Solana who can vouch for you?”

  Tears stung her eyes. There were many who would lay down their lives to protect her. Most of them were probably dead. Of those who were left, how many would’ve traded their safety by turning in the princess? There was no one she could trust.

  “Alanna,” Flynn softened. “If this all turns out to be a misunderstanding, I will pay for your plane ticket to Solana myself. But every time we give you a chance to defend yourself, you’re silent.”

  The sunlight caught the emerald in his irises and made them almost aquamarine. This was the biggest olive branch she would get from him. Bottom line, she needed his help. As alone as she felt, it would be better to have someone at her side when they reached Manila. Someone to support her amid the chaos and uncertainty. Or, God forbid, if the cartel caught up with her first.

  Alanna dropped the ropes and looked him straight in the eye. “If I were you in this situation, I’d be just as skeptical. But I’m telling the truth. I don’t have anything on this boat to prove it’s mine. I can’t tell you what I was doing on Solana, or how I got the necklace, or who my family is. I must protect them and myself until this crisis is over. But I’m not a thief.”

  Flynn studied her in silence. He was incredibly hard to read and even harder to ignore. He could have been thinking of throwing her overboard, or merely counting her eyelashes.

  “What happened on Palau?”

  Alanna bit her upper lip. She felt like crying again, but she had to be strong. “I saw a news report about Solana.” She swallowed hard. “They said my family is…” She choked back a sob and cleared her throat. “…as well as many others. The cartel now has control of everything.”

  Flynn’s brow furrowed. “I don’t understand how. Solana has an excellent military defense. How could they have fallen so easily?”

  That’s what he focuses on? Not my dead family, but the military. Of course, he’s Navy. All military men skip over the emotional parts.

  “I don’t know.” She wiped her nose with the knuckles.

  “So, no one hurt you on Palau? You were just crying over your family?”

  “Just? That news isn’t devastating enough?”

  “I don’t mean to sound insensitive, but I can’t stand the thought of someone hurting you. To me, that’s worse.”

  Alanna stared at him like a monkey doing math. He was the first to accuse and judge her, and now this? “Even though you think I’m a thief?”

  “I know. Frustrating.”

  “That’s not the word that came to mind.”

  “Oh?” Flynn cocked his head.

  “Crazy is more like it.”

  His lips flattened into a hard line, his brow lowering. Everything about him darkened. Even the breeze seemed to stop.

  “I’m not crazy.”

  “I’m not a thief.”

  Flynn stood abruptly and turned to walk away. She’d clearly touched a major nerve, and panic swelled inside of her. She surged to her feet and came up behind him.

  “After everything we’ve been through, you still think that little of me?” Though she was still furious they’d called her a criminal, her hurt pride was no excuse to sling insults. She followed a few steps behind him to the port side deck. “I didn’t mean to offend you, but—”

  He stopped and whirled on her.

  Words evaporated from her tongue as he loomed over her, her heart clenching at the flicker of hurt in his gaze. Chest heaving, he closed the distance between them.

  “I’m sor—” she started.

  Flynn smothered her mouth with his own, cupping her neck with his large hands. His body flush with hers, his hand slid down her back, the immense strength of his palm as he pressed her into him almost desperate. Like a scuba diver sucking his last ounce of oxygen. Everything turned hot and numb, and her lower belly tightened into a coil. His tongue didn’t wait for permission to slip inside and lick every inch, dancing with hers and tasting his fill. Even in her dream, he wasn’t this good. She didn’t melt this quickly or fear what happened if he stopped.

  Much too suddenly, he did stop. His lips full and pink. He panted harder, and his eyes lowered to her cleavage. For a moment, she thought he was going to drop his head and kiss her there. Her nipples hardened beneath his hungry gaze. But instead he released her and stepped through the doorway to the dining room.

  “Damn, this makes no sense,” he muttered under his breath. “With you, I’m…powerless.”

  “You’re powerless?” she asked on a whisper. It was all she could manage with her entire body still tingling. She clearly had no power around him, all authority literally sucked out of her.

  If neither of us holds the power, who does?

  “WHY THE HELL DIDN’T YOU call me when you were attacked by pirates?”

  Flynn winced as he held the satellite phone, getting an earful from his father in Brisbane. He’d been dreading this conversation the entire voyage. No assignment was complete without a temper tantrum from Magnus Flynn.

  So much for a simple yacht delivery to a client.

  “We were a little busy protecting the ship, Dad. Besides, we didn’t have any damage or injuries. Palau Coast Guard took care of it.”

  “And when were you going to tell me, your boss?”

  “What could you have done from Australia? Air-drop more weapons?”

  “Dammit, Flynn. This is a huge liability for me. Not to mention the terrorist shit on Solana is all over the news down here. I need to know when the sewage hits the deck, boy.”

  Flynn rolled his eyes. Boy. The condescending tone scraped over his skin like reveille in basic training. “Your liability hasn’t changed. We left Solana before things got too hairy, and we’re on schedule for the client. Oh, Dean and I are fine, by the way. Thanks for asking.”

  Dean grimaced from the captain’s chair.

  “Don’t get smart with me, Gabriel. Of course, I was concerned about you. But now that I know you’re safe, there’s nothing else for me to do but spew at you and then assure the client that everything is bloody spiffy.”

  “Everything is bloody spiffy. Can I go back to my job, now?”

  “I’m catching a flight to Manila. I’ll meet you at the marina.”

  “That will be a complete waste of your time and money. Not to mention my sanity.”

  “For all I know, you’ve been fiddling with the engines again. All I need is another busted sale because you’re tinkering with a multi-million- dollar yacht.”

  “You’ve already demoted me to engineer. How long are you going to keep punishing me for one calibration mistake?”

  “When the lesson sinks into that thick skull of yours!”

  Dean rolled his eyes and held out his hand for the phone. Flynn gladly handed it over.

  “Magnus, the argument isn’t going anywhere. We’re due to arrive in Manila in two days, on schedule…No, I’ve got everything under control. If we need you to fly in, I’ll call…You got it. Breezy Dreams out.”

  Flynn rubbed his temple and scraped his hand down his face.

  “You’re punchier this time,” Dean said over the rim of his coffee cup. “Giving it back to him like that. You really are frazzled.”

  “I got tired of just taking it, like I always do.”

  “Why your mother chose to marry him, I’ll never understand.”

  “Simple. It was all about the sex. Clean split, too, except for me. The only souvenir from an eighteen-month marriage between a young flight attendant, and a playboy Aussie.”

  Dean grunted. “Consider it a blessing you lived with your mother in Los Angeles. Your father’s never been great with kids.”

  “He’s not that great with adults, either.”

  “Reminds me of someone else I know.” Dean smirked.

  “You’re the one who didn’t tell him everything. The stowaway and the jewels.”

  “H
a! Like I wanted to pile more ammunition into that man’s temper. He’d have a stroke, and then resurrect himself just to stick his foot up your ass. And then stick his other foot up mine. Speaking of which, where is that gorgeous felon of ours?”

  Flynn scowled. “Out back.”

  “What’s she doing?”

  “She’s a twenty-year-old woman on a luxury yacht in the Pacific. What do you think?”

  “Drinkin’.”

  “Tanning.”

  Dean let out a long whistle. “Got to be a pretty view. An actual Bond villainess, that one.”

  “I still don’t feel right about that. She doesn’t seem like the type.”

  “You sayin’ we should return the gems and trust a stranger who won’t answer any questions?”

  “Maybe we should. The more I think about it, the more I believe she may be telling the truth.”

  “How can you tell? She barely says anything about herself. Totally uncharacteristic of a woman. Normally you can’t get them to shut up.”

  Flynn hid the spark of a smile. Her quiet demeanor was one of the things he liked about her. She’d never seemed like one of those self-absorbed college girls who’d always annoyed him.

  “I can tell because I can look her in the eye.”

  Dean shifted his feet. “Yeah, I noticed. Why?”

  “I told you, I don’t know.”

  “No, I mean what is it about people’s faces that are so atrocious to you?”

  Flynn ground his teeth. “Not atrocious.” How can I explain it? “There are too many details to process, too many imperfections. The muscles around the mouth, the wrinkles around someone’s eyes, a million things to convey emotion. In one instant, my mind takes a hundred photos of someone’s face and it’s too much to interpret. Then it all changes so fast, it’s overwhelming.” Dean’s silence and stiff posture made Flynn brave a glance at him. “What?”

  “That’s the first time you’ve ever described what’s going on in your brilliant, mysterious brain.”

  Flynn bit his tongue to keep from grinding his teeth more.