Sunken Seas (A Rowan Gray Mystery Book 4)

by Lily Harper Hart

  “Why do you think?” Nick refused to back down. “Andrea, my dear, you may be a good diver but you’re a lousy liar. What happened to Selena on the deck was enough to put everyone on edge. It was also enough to have everyone looking at you … and not in a way that was conducive to your plan.”

  Rowan rolled her neck as she listened to Nick talk to Andrea, the final pieces of the puzzle sliding into place. She decided to play a hunch. “You shouldn’t have killed Stuart so fast after he attacked Selena.”

  Andrea flicked her eyes to Rowan. “What do you mean?”

  “Stuart was the one who attacked Selena,” Rowan supplied. “Whatever your plan – or reasons for why you did things a certain way – that was a dumb move. To kill him so quickly after the event … it simply made you guys look even guiltier.”

  “You have no idea what you’re talking about,” Andrea snapped. “We have everything under control.”

  “You really don’t.” Rowan adopted a pragmatic tone, as if she were talking to a child and the subject of a timeout arose. Rowan knew it was a risky move, but she had to appeal to Andrea’s rational side – if that still existed – because Quinn was out there and in danger. Even though Rowan knew she was in an iffy position, she couldn’t stop her mind from traveling to Quinn. Her heart hurt when she thought about him being attacked with no one to help him. “You’re out of time and reinforcements are coming. You’ll be in custody by noon.”

  Nick stared at his niece for a long beat, something unsaid passing between them. “Quite right, Rowan,” he said. “It will definitely be before noon.”

  Andrea’s eyes lit with something dangerous, but she managed to refrain from melting down … although just barely. “Oh, well, that’s just great! I told Anthony this was a bad idea and we should do it a different way. He refused to listen, though. Apparently he never listens. I knew it and I’m going to scream ‘I told you so’ in his stupid face the next time I see him.”

  “How long have you guys been planning this?” Rowan asked, buying time.

  “Since we both got hired,” Andrea replied. “We weren’t lying about only meeting each other on this job. We’d heard about each other, of course. You can’t be in this business and not hear about each other. He approached me, though, when he realized what we were dealing with. We made plans before we even hit the ship.

  “I honestly wasn’t sure if I wanted to throw in with him,” she continued. “He seemed like a decent enough guy, but I was wary. He has quite the reputation in certain circles.”

  “That obviously didn’t stop you,” Nick noted. “You joined together with Selena. Anthony brought Stuart along for the ride. How many other people were on your team?”

  “Just the four of us. We didn’t want things to get unwieldy. The bigger your team, the more chances for mistakes.”

  “You had plenty of mistakes with only four of you,” Rowan pointed out. “Why did Stuart go after Selena so early into the trip. Why not wait until later?”

  “It was a power struggle,” Andrea explained. “Anthony was used to being in charge. So was I. We were trying to make things work … and yet they didn’t. We couldn’t agree on anything. That includes a timetable, a seller, and an escape plan.”

  “That doesn’t surprise me,” Nick said. “You both have strong personalities.”

  “We do,” Andrea agreed. “We thought that meant we would be dedicated to getting the job done in a quick and efficient way. That hasn’t worked out so well.”

  “No, I’m starting to see that,” Rowan said dryly. “Why did you and Selena keep working on this project after what happened? You had to know that was Anthony and Stuart trying to increase their haul when Selena almost went over the railing.”

  “We had our suspicions,” Andrea corrected. “We thought it was probably Anthony and Stuart, but we had no way of knowing. Selena was terrified. She wanted to quit right there. We had the better map of the undersea terrain, though. We thought they needed us.

  “I figured that was what Stuart was after when he attacked,” she continued. “I thought it was a little too convenient that Anthony chased the assailant and happened to lose him. That was a little too … fantastical. He denied it, of course, but I knew better.”

  “You have a map of the terrain?” Rowan scratched the side of her nose. “How did you manage that?”

  “Selena’s uncle works for the Woodhaven Oceanographic Institute. They have updated maps and they’re not available to the public. That was an edge for us when we were searching. It allowed us to plan ahead and we knew exactly what we were looking for when we landed.”

  “So what was the plan?” Nick challenged. “The four of you were going to work together, hand over a few coins here and there so you could look as if you were doing your job, and then run off with the rest of it. How were you going to make it happen?”

  “It wasn’t hard,” Andrea replied. “We’ve been collecting stuff since the first dive. We simply don’t bring it out of the water. We plan to go back for it when we can and treat it ourselves.”

  Nick flicked a weighted look to Rowan, but she had no idea what he was trying to say to her.

  “I see,” Nick said. “You were keeping it under the cannon, weren’t you?”

  Andrea widened her eyes. “How did you know that?”

  “Yeah, how did you know that?” Rowan asked.

  “The home office looked at the data we sent and said they couldn’t understand why Anthony was dragging his feet raising the cannon after he’d been keen to do it earlier, ultimately changing his mind out of the blue. It looked like a standard job to them.”

  “I told him that would come back to bite him, but he didn’t believe you were smart enough to realize it,” Andrea said. “I guess I was right on that one.”

  “I’m guessing that was another problem between you,” Rowan said. “You both wanted to be right.”

  “Anthony’s biggest problem is that he wants to be right, but I am always right,” Andrea corrected. “It’s been something of a … struggle.”

  “And it won’t get any better,” Rowan said. “How do you see this working out? Anthony killed his own guy to cover up what he tried to do to Selena. Do you think he won’t do that to you?”

  “There’s no way he would be dumb enough to go after me,” Andrea countered. “After he failed the first time, he pulled back. He knows I’m on to him. He’s afraid of me.”

  Rowan almost felt sorry for the woman. “You’re wrong. He was going to kill you yesterday. That’s why Nick called off the search before lunch. We were trying to figure out a way to save your life.”

  Andrea balked. “That’s ridiculous.”

  “And yet it’s true,” Nick supplied. “Anthony isn’t going to stop until you’re dead. Well, you and Selena. He wants to be the only one who can claim those coins. Let me guess, he said he killed Stuart because his man went rogue and Anthony had no idea he was going to turn on you. Am I close?”

  Andrea was flustered. “But … he wouldn’t do that.”

  “Oh, he would do that,” Nick argued. “That’s been his plan from the beginning. Your biggest mistake was not seeing it from the start. I believe you knew better, Andrea.” He made a clucking sound with his tongue. “What will you do once we’re gone and nothing is standing in Anthony’s way?”

  Realization washed over Andrea’s face. “He is un-freaking-believable. I can’t believe this happened!”

  Rowan couldn’t believe it either. That didn’t stop her from glancing at her watch. They were running out of time.

  THE DOCK WAS EMPTY when Quinn and Anthony showed up. Quinn knew why. He didn’t even have to consider it. From the moment that Anthony met him on The Bounding Storm’s deck, Quinn recognized the big security honcho was going to make a move … and sooner rather than later. Quinn simply had no idea how bold the move was going to be.

  “I wonder where everyone is,” Anthony mused, making a good show of searching the water for signs of his crew.

&nbs
p; Quinn knew better … and he was done messing around. “I think they’re wherever you sent them. You don’t have to keep up the act.”

  Anthony didn’t immediately turn to Quinn. He wasn’t worried about him, of course. He didn’t consider him a threat. Instead, his lips curved, and he kept his eyes on the water. “I wondered if you would figure it out.”

  “I figured it out long before you wondered if I would.” Quinn’s voice was grim. “Trust me. You’re not as smart as you think you are.”

  Something in Quinn’s voice forced Anthony to shift his head in the man’s direction, the move slow and deliberate. He widened his eyes when he saw the weapon in Quinn’s hand. He hadn’t even considered it when they left The Bounding Storm – he thought Quinn merely wanted the shark spear to protect himself, after all – but now he realized the truth.

  He also realized he was at a distinct disadvantage, which was something he didn’t expect.

  Anthony licked his lips, nervous. “You wouldn’t stab an unarmed man with a shark spear, would you? That hardly seems fair.”

  “I don’t care about being fair.” Quinn was unbelievably calm. He’d been expecting this all along. He simply didn’t want the fight to come in front of Rowan because he knew she might freak out and he didn’t want to worry her. He also didn’t want Anthony getting his hands on her so he could use the feisty woman who had stolen Quinn’s heart as a shield. “I’m not going to be baited into doing something to your benefit, so you can stop talking right now.”

  Anthony made a face. “I knew you were going to be trouble. I told Andrea and she thought I was crazy. I knew your reputation, though.”

  “Yes, well, I guess you were right.”

  “I was right.” Anthony bobbed his head. “That’s why I made sure to have backup on this one. That’s the reason I sent Andrea after your girlfriend in the first place.”

  Quinn’s heart did a slow, cold roll. “What?”

  “That’s right.” Anthony warmed to his topic, amused. “Andrea is going after your girlfriend right now. Did you really think I didn’t plan all of this out?”

  Quinn refused to let his panic show even though his heart rate had picked up a notch. “That’s exactly what I think. In fact … now I know it.”

  Anthony licked his lips as he darted another glance to the shark spear. “I won’t go down quietly. I don’t care that you have that. I refuse to lose.”

  Quinn’s eyes darkened. “I was hoping you would say that.”

  “I DON’T WANT TO do this,” Andrea offered, her expression rueful. “I don’t want to hurt anyone. I wanted to become a thief, not a murderer. Anthony forced my hand. I truly am sorry about this.”

  Rowan swallowed hard. She knew she was running perilously close to losing everything. Given her position on the deck, though, she had no idea what to do about it.

  “If you kill us, which you’re probably capable of doing, you’ll be playing right into Anthony’s hands,” Nick pointed out. “We’re your last hope for powerful allies. Anthony is out there right now taking care of Quinn. He’ll come for you next.”

  Rowan snapped her head in Nick’s direction, furious. “Don’t you ever say that! Quinn is fine.”

  Nick’s expression didn’t change. “You’ve seen Anthony. You know he’s not going to go down no matter how Quinn fights. Quinn is strong, but he simply can’t take Anthony. We need more men to do it.” Nick licked his lips, his demeanor utterly calm. “He’ll come after you next, Andrea. I can see you know that. You’re going to need help if you expect to survive.”

  Andrea shook her head. “He wouldn’t go after me. He’s not that stupid.”

  “You’re the stupid one,” Rowan hissed. “You’re the one here when he’s out there planning exactly how he’s going to kill you.”

  “He wouldn’t do that.”

  “He is doing that,” Nick said. “He’s out there plotting your demise. He’s probably already got a plan in place to claim the items you’ve pilfered and disappear from the area within the hour. He’ll either kill you or leave you behind. I’m guessing killing you will be the easiest route, though.”

  “No.” Andrea was beyond upset. “He won’t. He said he wouldn’t do that.”

  “Yes, and he always keeps his word, doesn’t he?” Nick challenged dryly.

  “But … .” Andrea was lost in thought. Rowan thought there was a distinct chance Nick was getting through to her. She didn’t have a chance to sit around and watch, though.

  “Oh, screw this.” Rowan rolled to her back and slammed the soles of her feet into Andrea’s knees with as much force as she could muster, catching the stunning diver off guard and causing her to buckle.

  Rowan was ready. She caught the gun before Andrea could drop it and slid backward once she did, keeping her eyes on Andrea as she hopped to a standing position. Rowan was on her feet, the gun pointed at the woman who previously held it, before Andrea grunted out a groan of pain and lifted her chin.

  “What are you doing?” Andrea gritted out.

  “Well, for starters, I’m going to shoot you if you move,” Rowan replied calmly. “I’m done playing around with you people.”

  “Rowan, perhaps you should give me the gun,” Nick suggested. He was standing, too, getting to his feet when he realized Rowan was on the attack. “You don’t want to accidentally shoot someone, my dear. That’s probably not how you want to spend your day.”

  Rowan snorted. “Don’t worry. I know what I’m doing. This is hardly the first time I’ve been in a situation like this.”

  “Sadly, I’m starting to believe that’s true,” Nick murmured.

  Rowan’s eyes were ice as they locked with Andrea’s. “You should’ve surrendered. We would’ve taken it into account when we turned you over to the police. Now we just want you to suffer.”

  “You can’t keep me,” Andrea argued. “You don’t have the strength to hold a gun on me and take me into custody. You’re not strong enough to do both.”

  “I guess it’s good that’s not necessary, huh?” Rowan said, a small smile playing at the corner of her lips when the security guards who had been grouping in the nearby alcove – the one behind Andrea that she couldn’t see – pounded to the deck. “As I said, I have everything under control.”

  “No!” Andrea fought the first set of hands that landed on her, but it was a fruitless effort.

  Rowan took another step back and saluted Demarcus. He’d seen the whole thing go down, ducking behind his bar before Andrea could realize he was there. He’d called for security right away … and waited. Rowan may have secured the gun, but Demarcus was the real hero.

  “You did well,” Nick offered, impressed.

  “Yeah, we’ll talk about that and other things as soon as I find Quinn.” Rowan turned so she could head toward the gangway. All she could think about was getting to Quinn, saving him. She had no idea how she was going to do it, but she figured the gun could only help. She didn’t get that far, though, because Quinn – his cheek bruised and his brow sweaty – stood in front of her, his chest heaving due to his haste to get back to The Bounding Storm and a lopsided grin on his face. “You’re okay.”

  “That was going to be my opening line.” Quinn held out his hand for the gun. “Can I have that?”

  Rowan nodded, mute.

  “Thank you.” Quinn flicked the safety on the gun and placed it on a nearby table. “Aren’t you going to say something?”

  Rowan worked her mouth, no sound coming out. Finally, she found her voice. Even she was shocked by what came out. “I was just on my way to rescue you.”

  “Oh, I’m kind of sorry I missed that.” Quinn grinned. “I couldn’t wait for you. I had to go after Anthony myself.”

  “But … how? He’s huge.”

  “Why do you think I took the shark spear?”

  Rowan’s mind traveled back to the weapon Quinn nonchalantly claimed before leaving The Bounding Storm and felt her insides relax. “You just wanted to get him away so I woul
dn’t see the fight.”

  Quinn nodded. “Pretty much.”

  “That was smart.”

  “I’m a smart guy.”

  “Uh-huh.” Rowan swiped at a tear on her cheek. “I kind of want to hug you.”

  “That’s good.” Quinn sobered. “I definitely need that right now.”

  “Okay.” Rowan threw her arms around Quinn and burst into tears. The emotion didn’t surprise him. He’d been expecting it. If his men weren’t busy securing Andrea and making arrangements to transport Anthony to the brig, he would consider crying himself.

  Instead, he stroked the back of her head and met Nick’s studied gaze. “I guess we worked well as a team this go around, huh?”

  Nick nodded without hesitation. “We certainly did.”

  “We had to start somewhere,” Quinn mused, swaying back and forth. “Everything worked out. Everything is okay. It could’ve been worse.”

  “It wasn’t.”

  “Let’s hope it never is.”

  21

  Twenty-One

  Saying goodbye wasn’t easy. It especially wasn’t easy for Rowan the next morning when she realized Nick was staying on El Demonio and an American law enforcement team was traveling there to take Selena, Andrea, and Anthony into custody.

  “We haven’t had a chance to talk.” Rowan was morose as she stood on the dock next to The Bounding Storm. They were set to leave within the next thirty minutes and she was desperate to get answers out of Nick before that happened. “You were busy with everything else yesterday and … we haven’t had a chance to talk.”

  Nick’s expression was sympathetic. “We’ll have time.”

  “But … .”

  Quinn rested his hand on Rowan’s shoulder. He sensed her distress but there was very little he could do about it. Rowan filled him on what Nick said right before Andrea’s attack and he was curious. He was also resigned to leaving without the answers Rowan so desperately needed. He could see no way around it.

  “Ro, we have to leave.” Quinn’s voice was gentle. “We should already be on the ship.”

  Rowan ignored him. “Nick … .”