“She’s moving,” Maddox announced as he watched the Adira slipping its berth. He’d been repeatedly scanning the yacht ever since vans had begun to arrive early that morning. He’d seen food being delivered and shaken his head over the two large trucks from which, one after another, huge arrangements had been carried aboard. Where in the hell did one get so many flowers in a city surrounded by desert? He had no idea. When the paparazzi began to arrive, he’d known the guests would soon begin boarding. As they did, he’d swept the binoculars, watching as the guests posed for photographs. Maddox didn’t lower them until he’d seen the guest of honor being escorted on board. Adira was stunning in a sleek red dress, pausing beside her father several times to pose for the reporters until finally she and Fadil, as well as a large security detail, at last stepped aboard.

Drake started forward. “We’ll cross her bow and run on her starboard side. It’s my understanding they won’t be going far but better to be away from the city lights.”

Their small fishing boat was running dark as they’d not turned on a single source of light when twilight had begun to fall. Drake quickly maneuvered the boat to a position that would take them in front of the slower moving yacht, throttling back once they were past it in order to stay as invisible as possible. A fishing boat was not given any notice during the day, but the night belonged to the lavish party yachts who claimed the gulf, while anyone who truly depended upon the daily catch to make a living had returned to the harbor hours earlier.

They didn’t have to worry about losing sight of the yacht that towered several stories above the water, every deck blazing with light. It truly was a magnificent vessel and yet Maddox felt not an ounce of envy. An afternoon fishing from a pontoon boat with a small group of friends, or a speedboat to run across a lake, pulling one of his brothers on skis behind him, or even a fat inner tube to sit in, sipping a beer and floating down one of the many rivers throughout Texas, suited him much better.

After the yacht slowed and the anchor dropped, Maddox set their own anchor as Drake cut the ignition off. They waited, scanning the decks, watching guests mill about for about an hour. Lifting the binoculars at the sight of something red, he saw the dress fluttering against a set of gorgeous legs as it caught the breeze. Adira and another young woman climbed the stairs and stepped onto the top deck of the boat. He saw both holding a champagne flute in one hand, and as Adira lifted her hand to push back a strand of hair, he saw a pair of shoes, hanging from her wrist like a piece of jewelry. He grinned at the incongruity of bare feet beneath such lavish, designer clothing. While Adira’s hair was unfettered, her companion was wearing a floral scarf to hide her own locks. The woman’s green dress wasn’t as short as Adira’s but she was lovely. The two were laughing as Adira went to the railing to look down into the sea, the other girl disappearing, presumably having taken a seat. Finally, setting aside the binoculars, Maddox stood and dropped down into the cabin. Sitting on the edge of a small berth, he pulled off his cowboy boots, not yet sliding his feet into the sandals that awaited. He had to agree that if one had to disguise his appearance, the long, loose white robe made it extremely easy to cover his jeans and t-shirt. Reaching for the bundle, he stood and pulled the dishdash on, again wondering who had come up with that name. Grabbing the ghoutra, he returned to the deck. “Hey, Pops, you’re gonna have to help me…” Maddox paused when he realized his father was no longer sitting on the bench but was standing, a pair of binoculars pressed to his eyes, looking out to sea. His absolute concentration had Maddox turning to follow his gaze.

At first, he didn’t see anything and then realized that he could hear the sound of a motor. Moving closer to his father, he said, “I thought the plan was for you to take me in?”

“It was. You were going to board on the dive platform,” Drake said, never lowering the binoculars, but he gave a shrug.

“Fadil doesn’t strike me as the type of man who’d leave his own party to pick me up, and this is supposed to be played as close to the chest as possible,” Maddox said, lifting the headdress. “Hence the clothes?”

“Maybe Fadil needs to give us more information…”

“When’s the last time you talked to him?”

“Early this morning,” Drake answered. “He said that though he believes Hadi is exaggerating any danger, he’d agreed to gather the heads of household during the party and discuss the situation. He felt the meeting needed to be on the yacht to avoid causing his newest associates to become nervous about their upcoming business agreement if they caught notice of you on the guest list.”

“Maybe,” Maddox said, “but what do you think Fadil’s change of plans means?”

His father shrugged. “As long as Hadi is alive, it doesn’t really matter what Fadil believes. We’re following Hadi’s wishes. As for me, I have no doubt that there is a real danger, as Hadi is not a man who scares lightly.”

Maddox nodded, understanding full well the hierarchy of a family… especially one whose members walked on the razor’s edge. Still, he snorted. “If you ask me, all this is just a too bit James Bondish.” Ducking into the cabin again, he grabbed another pair of long range binoculars with an embedded camera. Flipping the switch to set the camera to snap photos every few seconds, he stood beside his dad again, training them on the other boat. “Why is he running dark and why so fast? At the rate he’s going, he’ll rip right past us…” A moment later, he added, “And how in the hell does he even know where we are?”

Drake turned to look at his son. “He wouldn’t. Shit, I don’t like this.”

“I don’t either,” Maddox said, keeping the binoculars focused on the rapidly approaching boat. “Whoever it is, they’re not coming towards us… they’re going straight for the harbor.” Tracking the movement, he saw a flutter of white and a hand unsuccessfully grabbing for the cloth. Maddox suddenly stiffened… not only was the hand pale, a head of blond hair was revealed as the headscarf was lost. Two other men became visible for a moment as the boat swept past them. “What the hell…” Maddox muttered, looking at two men standing in the stern of the boat, both in wet suits, both still wearing twin scuba tanks on their backs. Depending on their skill level, they could have easily remained beneath the surface for well over two hours. The question was why? Recreational divers would not be getting their kicks in the middle of a waterway. Seeing three hands lifting, each holding a black box, aimed at the yacht, understanding bloomed.

“Fuck, no!” he shouted, whipping his head back towards the Adira. “Bomb!”

The word hadn’t left his mouth before the night was splintered with one roar after another, flames shooting eighty feet into the air as what had once been the Adira was obliterated right before his eyes. The utter destruction told Maddox that several bombs had detonated, destroying every deck, killing without discrimination.

The force of the continuing explosions ripped across the gulf, water surging beneath their boat, causing both men to have to grab for something to stay on their feet. Even from where he stood, Maddox could feel the heat. The chance of anyone surviving the inferno seemed impossible as bits and pieces of the yacht became nothing more than flotsam splashing down all around him. “Sweet Jesus,” he said. Having seen a body flying through the air and tracking it with as much accuracy as he could, he raced to the back of the fishing boat and began hauling up the anchor, Drake right behind him. The moment it cleared the water, Maddox shouted, “Go!”

Their boat sped towards the yacht. Secondary explosions continued to rip through the night. When a flaming object landed on their deck, Maddox grabbed the burning cushion and flung it overboard. The air reeked of diesel, a film already forming on the surface of the sea. “Starboard, go right,” Maddox ordered, pointing to the last location he’d seen the body, knowing the chances of anyone surviving such a horrific explosion were slim and yet refusing to give up all hope.

They slowed as they reached the debris field, pushing through jagged teak decking, burned cushions, and to his utter dismay, bloody and charred body parts. A different sound drew his attention… one not caused by anything mechanical. No, the keening definitely came from a human… a survivor. “There!” Maddox said, pointing again. Despite the intense light of the flames only moments before, the sea was dark. The bright lights of the yacht had extinguished within the first blast, and the sea was quickly taking care of the flames as the Adira began to sink to its watery grave.

“Where are you?” he called, his throat burning with the fumes surrounding him. No one answered, and he silently swore. Other noises began to make themselves known and he looked back towards the shore to see the lights of approaching vessels. He didn’t know if they were the authorities or just citizens rushing to aid, but he did know that this had been no accident. Hadi had been right… someone had tried to take out his entire family. Maddox also knew that this would be his one and only chance to fulfill their debt, even if on an extremely small scale. Even so, he only had a few moments to find any survivors and get out of the area. It would be the sole opportunity to get them to safety… for them to be assumed to have perished. But first, he fucking had to find them.

“Cut the motor,” he instructed. Once the boat was silent, he leaned over the railing as if the few added inches would allow the sound to reach him better. Instead, he had to force himself not to rear back as a body bobbed to the surface, the young woman obviously dead, her face burned beyond recognition, an arm missing. “Goddamn it,” he growled.

“Fuck,” Drake said, joining him at the rail.

Another cry was cut off by a racking cough, giving them a direction. Within moments, he saw her, clinging to a cushion, her hold slipping before her fingers grabbed again at the charred cloth. Ripping off the robe, Maddox shucked his jeans and t-shirt and dove into the water, stroking strongly towards her. When he reached for an arm, the cough became a scream, the woman attempting to jerk from his hold. Tightening his grip, he said, “Shhh, I’m here to help.” When she continued to struggle, releasing the cushion to strike out at him, he pulled her closer, wrapping his arm around her waist. “Quiet!” She flung her head back, her mouth opening to scream again. “I’m not going to hurt you but if you don’t shut up, you’re going to get us both killed!”

“Father… Farrah… every… everyone…” Huge eyes turned towards him. “My family…”

“Shhh, don’t… not now,” Maddox said, recognizing her instantly, having watched her on the sundeck only a short time earlier. Knowing his words were useless. Knowing she could think of nothing else, but also knowing time was running out. “Adira, I’m sorry, but if we don’t get out of here, we’ll be joining them. You’ve gotta trust me.” When she didn’t respond, her body going totally limp in his arm, he cursed again and yet tightened his grip and began to swim with one arm back to the small boat, pulling her behind.

“I’ve got her,” Drake said, reaching to grab the young woman beneath her arms. Between the two of them, they got her on board, carefully laying her down on the deck. “She’s breathing but unconscious,” Drake said. “I suppose that’s a blessing really.”

Maddox nodded and gave the area one more look, his ears straining for any sounds of life and yet was conscious that time was running out. Other boats would be on them within minutes. Turning back, he scooped Adira off the deck and carried her below.

“What are you doing?” Drake asked.

“Help me,” Maddox said by way of an answer, his intentions obvious as he began to remove Adira’s clothing. Maddox shook his head as he gently disentangled a red high heel whose strap was wrapped around the woman’s wrist, remembering seeing the shoes dangling from her arm only a short time earlier. Drake removed the diamond bracelet, and a ruby necklace from around her throat. Only one earring had survived, the other now lying on the bottom of the gulf. Maddox stood and returned to the deck, once more diving into the water.

Reaching the floating, unrecognizable body he’d seen earlier, he pulled her to him, returning to the boat. He didn’t have to know the woman’s identity, her green dress and scarf told him this had been Adira’s companion on the sundeck. In silence, Drake helped him to get the deceased woman’s body aboard. Maddox didn’t hesitate to use his knife to slice through the dress she’d chosen for a celebration that had turned into a tragedy. Drake assisted as they slipped Adira’s dress over the ruined body. Once the shoe was strapped onto a small foot, lucky in that it seemed to fit, Maddox removed the charred floral scarf from her hair, dropping it over the rail.

“Give me the earring,” Maddox said. Accepting it, he threaded the post of the earring through the woman’s earlobe. About to reach for the bracelet, he hesitated. The jewelry had been around Adira’s right wrist which, with the injuries this woman had suffered, wasn’t an option. He took the necklace, running his finger over the large heart-shaped ruby. Fuck it, if the earring, clothing, and shoe weren’t enough, that was too bad. Handing the pendant back to his father, he then stood and lifted the girl’s lifeless body into his arms and gently slipped her back into the sea. Both men knew it was probably one of the worst things they’d ever do and yet both hoped that the woman’s soul would forgive them. “Liukann allah maeak—May God be with you,” he whispered. He hoped the ruse would serve as a red herring… assuring the authorities that Adira had indeed perished with her family.

Seeing multiple boats beginning to reach the area, Maddox turned to his father, knowing they’d stayed too long. “Running would only bring attention.” Handing him the khandoura, he waited until Drake pulled it on and wrapped the scarf around his head. “Pull in behind them and then turn on the running lights. Joining the search will keep attention away.”

Drake handed the remaining jewelry to his son, taking the wheel again. Turning away from what was now a mass grave, Drake drove through the debris field again, aiming for the back of the line of other vessels. “Go on below. There’s a first aid kit in the head.”

Nodding, Maddox scooped up his discarded clothing and the dead woman’s dress. Once he was in the cabin, he dried off and pulled on his clothing, tucking the jewels deeply into his jeans pocket. Grabbing the first aid kit and a rag, he sat on the berth. As the lights flickered on, he knew his dad was joining the search. Looking at Adira, he began to work, daubing at lacerations that were still oozing blood, picking splinters of wood and slivers of glass from her skin, going to the head to soak the cloth and grab another towel. He gently washed and dried her cuts, applying antiseptic cream and covering the worst with bandages. She still had not regained consciousness, though she moaned as he lifted her head carefully to find a pool of blood on the pillow. Probing gently through the wet tresses, he found a lump, the cut still bleeding. Rising, he grabbed some ice from the bucket, wrapped it in a washcloth and held it against the goose egg. She moaned again. “Shhh,” he said softly. It was only when he felt her tremble that he actually became aware of the fact that she was nude except for her bra and panties. Turning, he grabbed a blanket and was about to tuck it around her when she began to stir, twisting away, a horrid keening filling the small space.

“Shhh, it’s all…” He didn’t bother to assure her that everything would be all right because not only did he abhor lying, how could it be when she’d just witnessed the deaths of her entire family? Lifting her again, he wrapped the blanket around her and then sat with his back against the hull and pulled her onto his lap.

She turned in to him, a small hand reaching to clutch his t-shirt. It took him a moment to realize she was speaking, the word repeating again and again as tears slid down her cheeks. “Baba… baba…”

Understanding she was calling for her father, Maddox felt a surge of intense anger towards the men he’d seen in the fleeing boat. “Shh… Adira, you’re safe, shh,” he said, speaking the truth, for he and his family would not only make sure that she was, they’d not stop until the people responsible for the annihilation of her entire family no longer walked the Earth but twisted in agony within the deepest pits of hell.

Drake’s call had Maddox gently moving Adira from his lap, laying her on the berth once again. He’d been dimly aware of voices, his father occasionally calling out “la sha” in response to inquiries from other boats whether he’d found anyone alive. Even knowing the chances of any rescue were dim, each “no or nothing” Maddox heard fueled his anger. The questions had come further and further apart as he’d simply held Adira as she cried, glad when she slipped into sleep again, her calls for her own father wrenching his soul. Ensuring she was covered, and hoping she would remain asleep, he stood in the shadow of the doorway that led to the deck.

“It’s all right, we’re pretty much alone here,” his father said softly. Still, Maddox stayed low as he stepped onto the deck. He scanned the area, noticing a greater number of official boats had joined the search, crisscrossing the water. There was no sign of the once magnificent yacht. His hands fisted as he saw several fins slicing through the water, knowing the sharks had no concern as to what bounty they were enjoying, nor any thought of how fast life could be snuffed out… innocent lives… mothers, daughters, sisters… murdered.

“How are you doing, Pops?” he asked, understanding that his father could not help but be thinking of his own loss, that explosion twenty years earlier.

“I’ll survive,” Drake said, his tone grim. “It’s been two hours. No calls of any survivors found so far. The police are asking anyone not essential to leave the area.” He paused and swiped his hand over his face. “Goddamn it! This is going to destroy Adira.”

Maddox didn’t bother to counter his father’s words. Both knew the pain of having loved ones ripped from you… but not every member of your family in one fell swoop. Putting aside the emotion, as it would not help, he said, “Take us in. I’ll call Keith… we need a safe place and can’t take Adira to the hotel. We’ve done all we can for now. We need to get her home. Only then can we form a plan to find the bastards responsible for this.”

Drake nodded, turning the wheel, aiming the boat towards the mouth of the harbor. Maddox stood beside him, looking behind for a final time before turning to face forward. After a few minutes, he dropped into the cabin again and made a call.

“What the hell happened?” Keith said, “the news is claiming it must have been some sort of explosion…”

“You could say that,” Maddox said. “Not now. Change of plans. I need you to meet us at the marina and a safe place—”

“Done, what else?” Keith interrupted.

“We’ll figure that out later. For now, just be there. We should be back in twenty minutes or so.”

“I’ll be there.”

Maddox had no doubt Keith not only would be, he also knew that he wouldn’t ever ask for specifics… leaving it to the Steeles to share only what they felt necessary.

After retrieving the garments from his dad, Maddox removed the blanket from Adira, dressing her in the white robe which swamped her small frame but would disguise not only her sex but her identity. He gently pulled the diamond clips from the tangle of her hair and then twisted it high on her head before wrapping the headscarf around it. It was sloppy but did the job.

Though he’d already taken care of the fishing rods and most of the deck, he began to wipe down every surface and each item he’d touched, putting any cloth that had blood stains in a bag, including the entire pillow she’d laid her head on. Only then did he pull on his boots, and after attempting to put the sandals on her feet, had to admit they not only wouldn’t stay on due to the huge size difference, she’d also likely be unable to walk without assistance. Besides, the pink polish on her toenails would have to stay as he doubted any remover was aboard. The sandals went into the bag along with the green dress.

Feeling the boat slow as they entered the channel of the marina, he went back up top and wiped down the remaining surfaces, leaving only the actual wheel and boat controls for last. It was well past midnight by the time Drake slipped the boat into its slip. A shadow moved, putting Maddox’s senses on alert until he heard Keith’s softly whispered greeting as he caught the mooring rope to wrap it around the cleat on the dock. Handing the bag to his father, Maddox wiped the cloth over the wheel and controls and then went below for the last time.

“Can you walk?” he asked softly when he realized that Adira had awakened. She gave a soft nod and yet, when she stood, instantly swayed on her feet. Wrapping an arm around her waist, he scanned the cabin one last time and guided her up the steps to join the two men. Maddox grabbed his backpack, slipping it onto his shoulder as Drake immediately stepped to Adira’s other side, ready to offer support if needed. Though she often stumbled, her feet tangling in the robe’s hem, Adira made not a sound. It wasn’t until they’d walked the length of the dock and across the parking lot that her knees buckled. Maddox bent and scooped her into his arms as Keith opened the back door of his car. Maddox slid inside, settling Adira on his lap as she slipped once more into unconsciousness.