Fourth a Lie

Intan smiled, then stiffened as his sister stormed toward us. She hadn’t spoken a word to me since I’d climbed aboard and we’d set sail from the busy harbour, past paint-peeling boats, fishy fishermen, and into the open waters in the dark.

Unlike Intan, who worked as his grandfather’s strength and agility, she was hitching a ride to her employment. Two weeks on and four days off. She had the best green fingers in her family and had been hired by Sully’s head horticulturist—according to my midnight conversation with Intan.

“Why you go back?” She crossed her arms, her petite frame and face almost identical to her brother. “You free.”

I narrowed my eyes. How much did she know of Sully’s business and his goddesses? Did she know that the women who lounged around all day and ate the food she painstakingly grew actually paid for that luxury with forced sex?

Not waiting for me to reply, she snapped, “Grandfather say you dead woman.”

I flinched. “Why would he say that?”

“You curse on boat. Should never bring.”

“How am I a curse?”

She shoved a finger at the sky, pointing at the gathering black clouds smothering the pretty dawn. “Storm coming. You cause.”

My back prickled with temper. I deliberated using up energy I didn’t have to argue with her, but a crackle of lightning flashed just before the soft boom of thunder echoed in the distance.

Raindrops fell almost in slow motion, plopping onto the weathered deck, leaving behind wet spots as if the boat caught a strange kind of nautical measles.

“We’re almost there. I’ll be off your boat soon.”

“You get off boat. You die.”

I scowled. “I won’t die.”

“Grandfather say so.”

I looked over her shoulder, peering at the old captain. He pinned his black gaze on me through the salt-etched windows of his cabin, wrinkles deep-set around his cheeks and forehead, his lips thin and jowls hinting he’d lost weight he couldn’t afford. He looked as if he regretted bringing me, his determination faltering.

Goosebumps spread over my arms.

Does he know something I don’t?

Was this not fate’s doing...after all?

Had Drake arranged this?

I swallowed hard.

After all my searching, I’d been owed a break. But what if this lift was far too coincidental to be real?

But if someone is puppeteering my journey back to Sully...it doesn’t change anything.

I would still have taken the offer.

I would still have leaped aboard with reckless thought to my safety because Sully was hurt. He’d given me his credit card to track me. If he’d been of able body and free to chase me...he would have.

The fact he hadn’t meant I had to do the chasing because who the hell knew if he was even alive?

My heart galloped with fear.

I’d returned by impossible means. I had a girl promising my death if I leaped overboard. I had instincts that agreed with her and common-sense that told me to stay with this family and sail back to Jakarta.

But...

I also had the highly inconvenient disease of being in love, and being in love made people do stupid, stupid things.

Locking gazes with the girl, I said sternly, “If your grandfather brought me here on behalf of someone...if he’s regretting that choice because he fears I might be in danger, please tell him to call for help. I have no cell service. I have no idea where we are. I think your employer is in danger, and I can’t do this on my own.”

Her eyebrows knitted together as if shocked I’d faced her hints head-on or possibly struggling to understand my rabid tongue. “Please...just tell the police that Sullivan Sinclair is in danger. I’ll give your grandfather more money for his wife. I’m sure Sully will pay whatever expensive treatment she needs if he helps him.”

“Call police?” She shook her head. “No police allowed. Rules.”

“I’m sure we can break that rule this one time.”

“I get fired.”

“You won’t.” I went to touch her, to squeeze her arm and march her into the captain’s cabin to use the radio and summon every law enforcer and agent available, but Intan shoulder-bumped his sister out of the way, handing me a plastic bag. “Keep phone dry when swim.”

“Ah, good thinking.” I took it, slipping my phone inside and wrapping it up tight. “Thank you, Intan.”

His sister’s face scrunched up with dislike. “You crazy.”

My fear blended with temper, making me snappish just as Sully’s main island came into full exquisite view. With fresh raindrops bouncing off palm leaves and the golden-silver beach dappled with wet diamonds, I felt the most incredible longing. The deepest, rawest connection to a land that I’d chosen for my home.

My feet begged to sink into the sand. My nose flared to smell coconuts. And my heart...God, my heart physically ached with a hundred worries over Sully.

Where are you?

Where are Skittles and Pika...Jealousy and Cal?

No birds flew or sang.

No guards patrolled or goddesses laughed.

The island looked abandoned and in mourning.

Ice slithered through my veins. The vacantness of the island was wrong. The quietness was wrong.

Everything is wrong.

Something bad had happened.

I wasn’t making this up.

I was willingly putting myself in danger because I’d been right, and Sully needed my help.

Shit.

My heart stuttered with rapid palpitations, finally realising just how crazy this was, recognising that I didn’t have a choice, understanding that if I did this...it might be the most fatalistic thing I’d ever do.

It’s now or never.

The boat’s engines coughed like a bad smoker, the chug of diesel ruining my shield of surprise. If I had any hope of being successful, I had to be as stealthy and as sneaky as possible.

Gritting my teeth, I marched past the two siblings and straight toward the old captain.

He baulked as I entered his cabin, the interior smelling of mildew and fish scales. “Sail away. Don’t let them hear you.” Pointing at his decrepit radio, I added, “Call the police. You have to call them. You know more about this than you’re letting on, and I hold no ill will toward you for bringing me back if someone paid you. I wanted to come, but I also need you to radio for help.” Clutching my plastic-wrapped phone, I did my best to clutch my courage too. “I’m leaving now. Please...do as I ask.”

He raised his hand as if to stop me, but it was too late.

Smiling at Intan, nodding at his stern sister, I ran to the side and vaulted.

I tumbled overboard.

I fell and fell.

I sliced through the sea and deep into the warm embrace of Sully’s empire.

* * * * *

Rain battered me as I snuck from the shallows and ran up the beach to the undergrowth.

Breathing hard from my swim, cursing the heavy material of my dress as it clung to my legs, I dug a shallow hole under a glossy leafed bush and shoved my cell phone into it.

Hopefully, the plastic bag would protect it from the rain and the drenching of my swim.

Hopefully, Sully had his own network that would report my location back to my father if the old captain didn’t heed my request. The phone had become an amulet of protection. A beacon of hope that I had to protect to ensure artillery could find us.