He turns away and stomps out the door. I watch his silhouette through the rain. It looks like he抯 pulling up the anchor.
When he comes back inside, he抯 reaching into the waistband of his pants.
Ugh. Do I even want to know? 揥hat are you doing??
He turns back to face me, but before he抯 even spun around, I can tell from his shadow there抯 something in his hands.
I gasp, forgetting how to breathe.
Looks like I won抰 be talking my way out of this.
I抦 on a boat, heading out to sea, with no one around for miles.
Cole, I抦 so flipping sorry, I think miserably. I wish I could抳e been the one to love you like Aster never did.
Whatever dumb things you said aside, I wish you抎 let me be yours.
24
Broken Cup （Cole）
Turns out, a business-class Lincoln is not a good rescue car.
It抯 a clunky, meandering heap of metal and leather, hardly suited for hard slumming through this damn endless rain.
揇ad, what are you doing??Destiny cries, her voice high-pitched.
揘othing you need to worry about. Stay buckled, baby girl.?
She gives me a stricken look.
It抯 been the same ever since Eliza called.
For a few seconds, I listened in frigid silence while she asked Troy what they were doing at a marina. Then the call cut out.
There抯 only one marina out that way I know of.
With traffic grinding to a crawl with what looks like two nasty accidents ahead, it would almost be faster on foot. If only I had a ship big enough to handle the mess, I could?Wait. Hold the fuck up.
揙n second thought, reach up here and find my phone,?I tell her.
揥hy??
揕et抯 play a game.?
揂 game? Are you serious??Her eyes are huge marbles, swirling with worry.
揧ep. I抦 the captain and you抮e a seaman. You follow orders, but you don抰 ask questions,?I say tightly.
揟his game sucks already.?
揇estiny, get my phone.?
With her nose wrinkling in protest, she reaches into the front seat and gropes around until she has my phone in hand.
揘ow find Brock Winthrope in my contacts, call him, and put it on speaker,?I say.
It only rings twice before I hear, 揥inthrope.?
揃rock, it抯 Cole Lancaster梐ny chance you抮e still in town??
揑 am,?he says cautiously.
Thank God. I don抰 have time to sugarcoat anything tonight.
揕isten, you抮e on speaker because I抦 driving in this crap. I抦 with my daughter and driver. I hate to ask, but I need a favor.?
He pauses before he says, 揑f I can, I抣l help. What抯 wrong??
揜umor has it you rented a good-sized yacht since arriving in Seattle.?
揧es, but you抎 have to be an absolute jackass to take it out in this weather. I never had you pegged for stupid,?he says sharply.
揑 know, it抯 garbage. Traffic is even worse, and that ship is my best bet at getting across the Puget Sound on a night like this.?
?you can抰 wait to cross until after the storm clears??
Fuck, how do I say this?
Do I just tell him my girlfriend抯 in trouble?
Also, how weird is it that I抦 chasing a woman who wants nothing to do with me through the storm of the century?
I don抰 want to tell him that Troy could hurt her.
I don抰 want it to be true. And I definitely don抰 need a reactive pack of cops swooping in and pushing him to do something drastic.
All I want is Eliza leaving that marina in one piece.
Before I can say anything, Destiny cuts in. 揙ur sourcing guy went crazy. We think he抯 kidnapped Eliza梠r maybe not like kidnapped-kidnapped, but he抯 taken her to some creepy marina and she doesn抰 want to be there. My dad抯 in full Navy man mode. He抯 gonna tear this dude a second ass.?
揈liza, the coffee girl??Brock asks, and then with some amusement says, 揑f it involves ass-tearing, why didn抰 you just say so??
揧es. The same brilliant woman behind the drinks for your resorts,?I say.
揇amn. She was such a sweet girl. I hope she抯 not in real trouble??
揑抦 worried she is,?Destiny says anxiously.
揂nd I抦 afraid my daughter抯 right.?I growl into the phone. 揃rock, can I use the yacht or not??
揙f course. You don抰 deserve to go through this again,?he says gently.
揟o go through what again??
揃ack in Hawaii, at the signing, I overheard… No man deserves to have a woman he loves ripped away twice.?
Oh, for fuck抯 sake.
I didn抰 say I loved her.
Still, it抯 plain as day I do. Otherwise, I wouldn抰 have my heart in my throat, throbbing with murderous intent the second I find Troy Clement.
揝he isn抰 going anywhere as long as we抮e quick,?I promise. 揑抦 turning around and heading for your pier now.?
揝hould we call the police and give them the location in case you抮e not fast enough??Brock asks.