Bermuda Nights - The Boxed Set (28 page)

My cheeks flared even brighter, and I looked down.

Evan’s voice was warm and steady at my side. “Something like that.”

Sven swept his arms wide. “Why not? Soak in every hour of pleasure you can. We’ll be in Boston in under six hours. Your girl can sleep for a week solid once she gets back to her apartment. Might as well make the most of what you’ve got until then.”

I wondered if my face’s glow could be seen from land.

Sven took a step forward, and his voice dropped into a quieter register. “It’s just as well I found you two up here.” He reached into his pocket and drew out a baggie with a white substance in it. “Here, Amanda, this is for you.”

I blinked, staring at the bag as if it was a coiled viper. My voice squeaked through my throat. “For me?”

He nodded encouragingly. “I know you’re still doing that cheap stuff. Well, you don’t need to any more. This is my gift for you.”

I swallowed, not wanting to look to Evan. Was this another test? Undoubtedly there would be drug-sniffing dogs on the docks when we landed, along with all the usual contingent of customs officials and police. Did Sven want me to get caught up as a distraction of some sort?

I shook my head. “I’m sorry, but I had only brought on with me what I’d use on the cruise. I’ve gotten rid of everything. I didn’t plan for how I might –”

Sven’s eyes lit up with understanding. “Oh! No, no, I didn’t mean I expected you to get it on shore yourself,” he clarified. “I’ve got that end all covered. I just meant it could be waiting for you by the time you got to your apartment.” He paused, holding my gaze. “That, and a constant supply, for as long as you wanted.”

Icy fear constricted around my stomach. This wasn’t how I’d heard drug dealers acted. My impression was that they piqued the interest of their mark and then drained the victim dry of every penny they had.

I licked my lips. “I’ll get this free supply of top-shelf heroin - in return for … what?”

Sven threw his head back in a hearty laugh. “Kayla did say you were quick on your feet. Guess she was right.” He rolled his shoulders, grinning. “I just want you to do your part in getting Kayla set up and running smoothly. You seem to have a good head on your shoulders, and your background in accounting should be the perfect complement to her talent in sales. You’ll make an incredible team.”

I blinked, the frigid cage tightening around me. “A team for what?”

His grin widened. “For selling heroin, of course. You and Kayla will be the keystone of our expansion.”

I couldn’t quite take it in. “Kayla will be selling heroin for you?” The thought of her hunched at the rail, sobbing, flared to life before my eyes.

Sven tucked the baggie back into his pocket. “Ah, I see you’ve run into her recently. Yes, she’s a little distraught now. You understand, of course. You’re the smart one. It was an unfortunate but necessary part of the process.”

I blinked.

Kayla had wanted to stay on the ship with Sven.

Sven preferred her on land, where her talents could earn him substantial money.

He’d found the perfect way to achieve his goal.

I nodded as the pieces slipped into place. “You set up the scene, and you knew exactly how she’d react. You manipulated her into choosing to stay in Boston.”

“It’s what I told her from the beginning,” he agreed. “We already have a handle on in-ship sales. We needed her back where she’d do her best work.” He shrugged. “Sure, she’ll be upset for a little while. It’s always hard to come down to the real world from a cruise-line fantasy.” He winked at me. “But that’s where you come in. You’ll get her to see sense.”

He turned to look forward, to the tip of the bow where it serenely pushed through the ocean at a steady pace. “I’ll be back in Beantown next week, once she’s settled down a bit, to discuss the preliminaries. Then you’ve got all winter to lay the foundation. Plenty of time to get your systems into place. By the time the ship restarts its Bermuda run in the spring again, the pipeline can open full throttle.”

Evan’s voice eased into the conversation, mild interest in his tone. “Won’t your current distributor mind this new competition?”

Sven shook his head. “Not at all. We’ve always had three contacts on shore. It spreads the load, creating a nice safety net. There’s no one central location for the cops to work on or swoop up. So Kamran knows we’ll be setting up two new groups, fresh from the ground up.”

Evan raised an eyebrow. “Two?”

Sven’s gaze darkened for a moment. “The previous two men had come recommended by Kamran, and I’m afraid I trusted him with the choice. I had too many other things going on to worry about that end.” His fist clenched. “Recently I discovered Vaisak and Chandak were planning on going into business for themselves. Cutting me out.”

His eyes glowed. For a moment he was a Viking warrior, standing on the field of battle, looking with grim satisfaction across the bodies of his slain enemies. “Their contract was permanently cancelled while we were docked in Bermuda.”

Evan stilled. “What happened to them?”

Sven chuckled. “Let’s just say, Kamran has gotten the message loud and clear. There won’t be any trouble from his quarter any time soon, if he wants to keep his lungs breathing air.”

A wave of nausea ran through me; Evan slipped his arm around my waist, holding me steady. I willed myself to stay on my feet, whispering to him, “I’m fine.” I knew Evan had a goldmine of information just open up for him. I would not let my own weak stomach lose him this critical opportunity.

I forced my voice to remain steady. “Sven, I’m sure Kayla’s just the girl for you. She’s loyal to the bone, and she knows everybody who’s anybody in Boston.”

He smiled. “That’s exactly what I thought. She’s exactly the type I want in this position. I heard how she’s stuck with you through all sorts of challenges. Her location in that bar is absolutely perfect. We’ve got plenty of time to work out the details and to build our relationship, before we get started next spring.” His jaw set. “I’m not going to rush it this time. I will do whatever it takes to guarantee it’s solid.”

There were light footsteps on the stairs. We all turned as a pair of giggling teenagers, boy and girl, pulled up in surprise. The girl, her long, blonde hair nearly to her waist, took a tenuous step backward.

Sven stretched his arms magnanimously. “We were just leaving,” he assured the pair. “The rooftop suite is all yours.”

He gave them a wink, then headed down the stairs, the rest of us following. In a moment we were strolling along the long wooden planks of the main deck.

I peered through the mist. Was that Nantucket I could see in the far distance? It gave me an odd jolt. This ship had become a twisted fantasy - a world where heroin and drug dealers and even murders were as commonplace as cobblestones on a quiet street. But there, on that grey island – so close I could almost touch it – was the reality I knew so well.

It was almost within reach.

Evan’s tone remained my steady foundation in a world of spiraling chaos. “You said you had two new contacts you were grooming. Kayla was the first. Who’s the second?”

Sven nudged his head aft, to where the wake streamed in its moonlit ribbons. “I had him wait back here, to give us a chance to find you alone first. I’m sure he’ll fit in perfectly to our growing family.”

We came around the corner.

Jeff stood by the back railing, his eyes bright with challenge, his grin the predatory gleam of a shark.

Chapter 10

I staggered to a stop, my throat closing up hard against the words which almost burst from me.

You can’t be serious?

I clenched my teeth together, forcibly holding in any sound or word. Evan’s team had worked for months, maybe years, setting their operation into motion. Whatever it took, I would do my part to see it through. If Sven thought Jeff would make the perfect man-in-charge for his drug operation in Boston …

Was he insane?

Sven was watching me, his eyes dancing in delight. “So, Amanda, what do you think of my choice?”

I curled my fingernails to cut into the heel of my palm to sharpen my focus. Then I put on the brightest smile I could muster. “I think you’ll be in great shape.”

Sven burst out with a roar of laughter, and I nervously stepped back against Evan. His hand came up to rest on the back of my hip, holding me against him.

Sven looked to Evan, smiling widely. “You’ve got it made, man. This woman will never cheat on you or lie to you. She’s incapable of it.”

I flushed. “What I meant was –”

He waved his hand in the air. “Ah, no need to get all wound up. I know you have issues with Jeff. I know he’s locked in some sort of magnetic love-hate cycle with you! And I know that Kayla’s getting spun around like a kid’s top in the middle. That’s what makes Jeff the ideal third leg of this little stool of ours.”

Jeff came up off the rail, his eyes glowering. “Hey, there, I ain’t no shit pile.”

Sven barely glanced at him, speaking as if to a third-grader. “Stool, as in furniture, not as in excrement,” he corrected. He continued to look at me. “And I imagine you see why this will be ideal. My problem with the Three Rajas was that they were in too tight with each other. They enjoyed coordinating projects and sharing information. That coziness led to … well, to where we are now.”

He raised an eyebrow. “So, what do you think? Will you be able to work with him?”

All eyes were glued to me. I drew in a breath, paused as if giving the matter serious thought, and then nodded. “This is a business transaction, and I’m sure I can leave our past personal challenges out of it.” I stepped forward to Jeff, putting out my hand. “I’m sure we can find a way to make this work.”

Jeff’s eyes lit up with pleasure, and his strong grip closed around mine, holding me in place. “Oh, absolutely,” he agreed. “We’ll need to spend lots of late nights discussing our plans and hammering out the details.” His fingers slid along mine. “Maybe all-night sessions.”

His eyes flickered to Evan for a moment, then returned to me, his smirk growing. “Your summer fling will be down in New Orleans all winter long. I’m sure he won’t mind that you’re spending every minute with me.”

I knew it was all a ruse – that none of this would ever actually happen. And, yet, panic rose within me; a wild sense that somehow, inexplicably, this could all come to pass. It was like I was trapped in a nightmare and the doors to freedom were slamming shut with deadly finality.

I clung to the thread which might preserve my sanity until we made it through the maze. “And Kayla, too. We’ll have Kayla there as we work on this.”

His brows furrowed in confusion. “But Kayla will be staying here on the ship. I convinced Sven that you were the one we needed in Boston, to manage this by my side.”

Jeff’s grip on my hand tightened, and he turned to Sven, his shoulders bunching. “What’s this about Kayla?”

Sven’s eyes were dancing in delight. “A minor change in plans, Jeff. Kayla’s decided to disembark in Boston as well. So she and Amanda will be in charge of their hub.”

Jeff shook his head. “But then Kayla would be back at the bar, working that entire crowd.” His voice slid into a petulant whine. “That was where I was going to set up my base of operations!”

Sven shrugged. “Boston’s a big town,” he pointed out. “Plenty of space for all of you. That’s what you’ll spend the winter figuring out – I’m sure you’ll come up with a plan.”

Jeff’s face darkened. “But I
had
a plan,” he countered. “Me and Amanda. Amanda and me. We were going to take over that bar and beat Kayla at her own game. Wipe out her presence there and make it our own. The way it was meant to be.” His eyes glazed. “At night, when I’d sit there after a few beers, it was almost like it was Amanda there with me. Finally being the way I wanted her to be. A big-eyed doll, smiling at my jokes, listening to my stories all night long.”