Sebastian approached from behind as though he wanted to protect me, but how could he when I felt like I needed protection from him too? My entire mood was now muddled with a suffocating resentment. He should have told me the truth sooner and not waited until we were faced with her looming presence. Now, it was all I could feel.
The engine of the boat quieted, and I opened my eyes, expecting to find us approaching the cruise ship. No such luck. We’d only gone halfway. Ocean surrounded us as waves crashed into the side of the boat, tossing in every direction as the overhead speakers crackled.
“Apologies, passengers. Due to the storm, we have a bit of a traffic jam. Once the boat in front of us unloads passengers, we’ll be free to move. Sit tight. We’ll get you to the ship as safely and as soon as we can.”
My eyes snapped to Sebastian’s. “We’re stuck here?”
“Only for a minute. You’ll be okay.”
I glared at him. “Will I? Because it doesn’t feel like it, Sebastian. Not at all.” I could hear the shrillness of my tone, but I didn’t have the mind to fix it. “You lied to me.”
His gaze searched mine before he nodded. “I’m sorry.”
“Do you still have feelings for her?”
He huffed, his eyes narrowing as he did. “No. Not even a little. You’re it for me, Kai.”
“Don’t say that.” Anger continued to brew in my chest. “Not when I can’t be sure that you mean it.”
I pulled away from him and gripped the metal pole with all my might. The next wave slammed us, throwing me off balance. Sebastian had me in his arms before I could fall, pulling me to my feet and gripping me with his eyes.
His arm tightened around my waist. “I won’t let anything happen to you.”
Between the weather, being on this damn boat, and Sebastian, my emotions were swirling like a tornado.
“You say that like you’re in control.”
“I’m not.” He shook his head. “No one is. We’re here for the ride, and we can only control how we respond to the waves. So hold onto me, Kai, and don’t let go again.”
Despite the anger I’d felt toward him seconds before, I couldn’t deny that Sebastian always had a natural way of calming me. And as I looked at the waves sloshing around the boat as it threw us every which way, and at the distance separating us from where we needed to go, I realized how similar his calming words were to something my father would have said.
“I need to get off this tender.” I stared up into his eyes so that he could see my plea as well as hear it.
“As soon as we get to the ship, you’ll be the first one off,” he said.
A wave crashed into the side of the boat, and the deck below me jerked from under my feet. I steadied myself, but my heart was already lodged into my throat. I looked up at Sebastian, my eyes wide, and remembered the first time I ever felt the same way in his arms—breathless, afraid, yet anchored by him in a way I couldn’t explain. “Distract me, Sebastian.”
In less than a second, his mouth met mine, calming me with his warmth. I gripped his shirt and yanked him closer as my tongue lashed through his parted lips like a sword in battle. He bit my lip in return, causing me to bite his.
The purr of the engine started up again, forcing me to pull away. We were moving again, heading toward the ship. Thank God.
A few minutes later, we were pulling up against the Royal Athena, and Sebastian got me to the front of the line, notifying fellow passengers that I had to get off right away, that it was an emergency.
“Is she okay?” a crew member asked.
I nodded viciously, hating to draw any more attention to my attack than I already had. “I’m fine.”
But Sebastian shook his head to disagree with me. “She needs to get off now.”
The crew got the ramp hooked onto the boat, then Sebastian gestured for me to walk the plank first since the two of us couldn’t fit on it together. I clutched the rails, one in each hand, and carefully took one step and then another until I reached the other side.
I can do this.
I was even starting to breathe a little more easily.
I was only a foot away from a crew member, who had just reached his hand out when another wave slammed against the boat, throwing me forward.
A scream tore from my mouth.
My foot slipped against the wet metal.
My head slammed against the plank.
Then everything went fuzzy.
Then it went black.
Chapter 38
Sebastian
The room was too quiet, save for the beeping of the monitor hooked up to Kai. Her eyes were closed, her breathing normal. If not for the bruising on her forehead and elbows, a person could be fooled into thinking she was just resting soundly. I wished that were the case.
A voice burst through my thoughts, and I turned my head to see Wayne arguing with a nurse outside the room.
“My friend is in there,” he said. “I’m practically family. Just let me in.”
I held up a hand when the nurse turned to look at me, and I nodded. “Let him in.”
The nurse nodded and moved to one side. “Okay, but due to space, we can only allow one visitor to stay with the patient. I’ll give you fifteen minutes, then one of you needs to leave.”
Wayne flew past her, a wild look in his eyes as he searched the room for Kai. “Oh my God.” He spotted her a second later and held a hand to his chest.
“She’ll be okay.” My words were rushed, hoping to help him avoid a freak-out.
“Then why is she still here?” Wayne took my spot at Kai’s side and leaned in to kiss her forehead.
“It was a pretty good fall. She has some bruising, but that’s about it. The doc pumped her full of meds so she would rest off some of the pain.”
Wayne’s eyes were glued to Kai. “Jesus. How did it happen?”
I’d only texted him the CliffsNotes version of the story. “We were coming back on the ship, and she was rushing to cross the plank. It was wet from the rain, and she slipped. Then fell and hit her head. Doc said she’ll be fine. She just needs some rest. I just—” I stopped myself midway, not wanting to diminish the progress Kai had made since first stepping on the Royal Athena.
“What?” Wayne probed.
I shrugged. “She’s made a lot of progress, that’s all. I hope this doesn’t ruin it.”
I didn’t have to be more specific with Wayne. He knew I was talking about her father.
“That won’t happen.” The conviction in his voice relieved me some. “Kai’s a badass, and she is fully invested in this show. And in you.” When I fell silent, Wayne raised his eyebrows. “Which reminds me. I swear to God if you hurt my girl, I will end you.”
As much as I wanted to promise that I wouldn’t ever hurt Kai, guilt betrayed me—guilt over my past, which followed me like a shadow, guilt that stemmed from buried secrets rising from the dead. And everything might be coming to an end after my earlier confession.
“I have no intentions of hurting her, Wayne. But—”
He cut me a look that froze me midsentence. “But what?”
“But,” I started again, “Kai and I are still getting to know each other, and she may not like the things she finds out.”