Śhe·s a beauty, Nick.µ Zane·s T-shirt enveloped her from shoulder to knee, and smel ed like him. It was enough to make her even dizzier than the short, fast trip between the two boats had done.
´My home away from home. Engine room·s this way.µ He led the way down several sets of stairs and through various companionways before opening the door into the bindingly white engine room.
Teal·s heart actual y skipped a beat with the sheer magnificence surrounding her. ´God, this is
beautiful
.µ Stepping inside, she took a deep breath and let the calming perfume of diesel fuel fil her lungs. Fortunately, the nausea wasn·t as bad as it had been at the start of the trip.
Maybe after almost going down with the ship she·d found her sea legs.
Nick leaned against the open door. Í·m picking up my engineer, Mario, on the way to my site, but that won·t be for a week. We·re experiencing some sort of valve issue. Would you mind taking a look?µ
´Mostly with the intake valves?µ she asked, heading over to the pristine engines. ´Dropped and excessive valve recession?µ
Śomething like that,µ he said dryly behind her.
Teal forgot he was there as she checked the intake air for proper filtration.
´Hmm. I·m not sure about the quality of the metal in the seats and valves«µ She checked the fuel air ratio control next, then straightened, wipin g her hands on the clean rag Nick handed her. Í·d give Caterpil ar a cal and have them do more tests, then they can provide the results in writing for your engineer. I know they·re making a lot more intake valve lash adjustments when they perform adjustments for older
³µ She looked up at him. ´You don·t care, do you?µ
Nick smiled. Ńot as much as you do. Wil the problem hold until Mario gets here?µ
Śure.µ Which she bet her last dol ar Nick knew perfectly wel . Śorry I couldn·t be more help.µ
´Knowing it·s not a serious problem helps enormously. Come on. I·l feed you lunch before I take you back. It·s the least I can do for dragging you over here to work.µ
Áre you kidding? I could happily spend a month down here.µ
He firmly took her arm, and escorted her out of the ER. Ínstead we·l be topside enjoying seafood fettuccini.µ
He showed her to a luxurious head on the main deck so she could wash up, and told her to meet him in the gal ey.
He was prepping lunch by the time she got there. He poure d her a soda and instructed she sit on one of the sleek black leather bar stools at the counter. The
Scorpion
was high tech and deluxe, but Teal was surprised at how attached she·d grown to the
Decrepit,
and wouldn·t trade Nick·s amenities for those on the Zane·s boat. Wel , except for his engines.
´What are you up to, Nick?µ She sipped the Coke at the black granite counter in his expansive gal ey while Nick expertly prepared the shrimp and scal ops in a large frying pan.
A big pot of water boiled on a back burner. The fragrance of the buttery garlic mixed with the seafood perfumed the room and made her stomach grumble pleasantly.
Úp to?µ He shot her a puzzled look through the steam. ´Maybe I·m flirting with a pretty woman on a beautiful day?µ
Ánd maybe you·re not,µ Teal told him dryly. Í·m sure if you put your mind to it, you·d be irresistible, but since flirting isn·t on your agenda, what·s going on?µ
Ice tinkled in her glass as she shifted on the bar stool, sending him a mildly suspicious look.
Real y, al three of the Cutters had lethal charm in varying degrees.
And God help
any
woman when they turned it on, as Nick had been doing in his cool, subtle way for the last fifteen minutes. Just because she didn·t play the romance game didn·t mean she was stupid.
Án enjoyable lunch with charming company.µ He smiled. ´Do you like fresh parmesan?µ
Śure.µ Nick was high-octane energy set on idle. Teal suspected that with him, what he felt was hidden just below the surface. He wanted something³and it wasn·t her.
Í appreciate the lunch, but we both know that you didn·t need me in that engine room today,µ she said as he tossed fresh pasta into the boiling water. Ánd I should point out that if you
are
trying to seduce me, charm me, or whatever me, I·m Cutter-proof, so why don·t you just get to the point?µ
He laughed, a deep relaxed rumble. ´Hel , I must be losing my touch if a woman has to ask what I·m up to.µ
Teal smiled rueful y. Even with that pirate -like thick beard, Nick was good looking. The fact that he had Zane·s electric blue eyes was disconcerting, however.
Í·m sure you haven·t,µ she told him, swirling her glass in the moist ring on the counter.
´But I·m pretty much immune. And since I·m sure you didn·t sail al the way out into the middle of the ocean to see
me,
I suspect it was to jerk your brother·s chain for some reason.
Mind tel ing me what that reason is, or is that a deep, dark, Cutter secret?µ
Í just dropped off some stuff Zane wanted from Cutter Cay. Then he mentioned the leak.µ
He paused to look at her. ´The situation concerns me, Teal. A lot. Yeah, the
Decrepit
lives up to its name, but my brother keeps his boat wel maintained nonetheless. This was no accident.µ Nick grated a wedge of fresh parmesan cheese, whisking it into a cream mixture.
´You know Zane. He·s never met anyone he didn·t like. I suggested an accident, which we al know is highly unlikely. A member of his crew? ·Course he adamantly denied it. Ace·s a straight shooter. What you see is what you get,µ his brother told her unne cessarily.
Únfortunately, Zane assumes everyone else is the same way. He·s too damned trusting.
This stinks of sabotage, and I·m concerned the danger is al too real.µ Nick poured out the water, returned the large pot to the stove, and added the seafood i n the frying pan to the noodles.
Í·d like to hear your opinion on the missing flax and tampered -with screw.µ
´You could ask Ben, or Ryan.µ
Í value your opinion.µ
She flushed with pleasure. It had been awhile since anyone had wanted her opinion on anything other than an engine. Í also think it was sabotage,µ she admitted. ´But then, despite how casual Zane acts about what happened, I think he knows that, too.µ She took a sip of her soda. ´Your brother·s a smart guy. He knows his boat from stem to stern. And he·s not in any way naive. He doesn·t trust everyone, Nick.µ He·d told her to get the hel out of his bed that fateful night, hadn·t he?
´You·re a levelheaded woman, Teal.µ Nick ladled the fettuccini into two enormous, shal ow, Italian-looking bowls and added another dash of grated cheese. Í·m asking that you keep an eye out as wel . You·re the new kid on the block, so the crew wil have their guard down around you. Maybe you·l see something strange, or someone wil say something that doesn·t sound right. If that happens, let Zane know ASAP. If someone·s wil ing to punch a hole in the bottom of my brother·s boat with al hands on board, then they·l stop at nothing to get whatever it is they want.µ
Teal rubbed a chil from her upper arms. ´What would they gain by sinking his boat?µ
´Putting Zane·s
Decrepit
permanently out of the running would certainly give another salvor a clear field to arguably the largest treasure since the
Atocha
.µ
The chil turned into a shudder of foreboding. Teal put her iced drink down, and wiped her damp hands on the hem of Zane·s T-shirt. ´The treasure he described would be worth kil ing for if it truly exists.µ Which Zane believed one hundr ed percent, and she·d seen some with her own two eyes.
Íf my brother·s done his homework, then it exists.µ Nick nudged her plate closer.
´Pigheaded idiot. I·d hate to see him in danger because of a sil y bet.µ
Teal rol ed her eyes. ´Jeez. Another bet?µ She remembered the boys used to bet on anything and everything, even when they·d been kids. Zane had, in fact, bet
her
her first bet at six, the day he and his father had brought Sam to Tortola to pick her up from the airport. She·d been violently, embarrassingly sick on her first boat ride back to Cutter Cay. Zane had bet her she couldn·t stop puking before they hit dry land. She·d managed. Barely. The thought made her smile. She·d even won a prize. A prize she·d treasured for over twenty years.
Í
do
remember
several
bets you guys made. Particularly that summer you bet Zane he wouldn·t eat a live crab. Whole.µ She laughed. ´He did it too. You do know he threw up for hours after that?µ
´He swore it walked up his throat.µ
Í·m sure it did. Encouraged by his finger.µ
Áh, to be twelve again.µ Nick·s stern mouth twitched. ´The current bet is that whoever brings in the most valuable treasure wins ten grand
and
becomes CEO
for the next year.µ
Teal shook her head and smiled. Had Nick lost his mind? ´First, if Zane finds what he believes is down there, it wil be worth a mil ion times that. And second, he·d hate being CEO. I·ve never met a guy more determined to feel the wind in his hair and a boat rocking beneath his feet. Al the paperwork involved would drive him nuts. So I sincerely doubt ten thousand dol ars and a suit wil appeal to him at al .µ
Nick lifted a brow. ´You know him pretty wel . The point isn·t the prize. It·s winning. Zane takes this betting shit seriously. I hope to hel he doesn·t let it cloud his good judgment, that·s al .µ
´He·s very much aware of what·s going on around him, Nick. Zane won·t do anything that would put his boat or his crew in jeopardy.µ Except that he was a daredevil and thrived on a chal enge. Teal heaved an inward sigh. Í·l keep my eyes open.µ
After a moment, Nick nodded. Then indicated her plate. Éat.µ
Teal forked a bite of fettuccini into her mouth. The rich, savory taste of seafood, garlic, and cream burst over her tongue. ´God, this is amazing.µ
´My culinary talents notwithstanding, the engine and Zane·s problem weren·t the only reasons I asked you to lunch,µ Nick told her. Í wanted to check that you·re doing okay. I know you didn·t want to join his crew. I felt bad, taking part in strong-arming you into joining Zane·s team.µ
Her eyes widened. ´You came to check up on me?µ The very concept stunned her.
Nick gave a one-shoulder shrug. ´You·re family.µ
Her mouth went dry, and her heart actual y,
physically
hurt at the very idea.
Nobody had ever championed her. Ever worried about her. It was a strange and uncomfortable fit. ´You don·t even know me.µ
´We·ve known Sam al our lives. We consider your
father
family, and by association, you as wel .µ Nick reached out and covered her hand with his. Í don·t know what happened back in San Francisco. Logan said you took the job pretty fast ³you didn·t even know Sam was sick before you said yes. But I have a feeling whatever it was, was bad. I just want you to know I·m here for you, Teal, no matter what you need. So are Logan and Zane.µ
She rubbed her upper arm with her free hand. The sun stil shone, but a familiar chil seeped into her bones. They didn·t know anything. No one knew what her marriage had been like, because no one knew she·d even been married. And she intended to keep it that way.
Ńothing
happened
in San Francisco, Nick,µ she said uncomfortably, sliding her hand from beneath his and resuming eating a meal she suddenly didn·t want.
´Thanks for your concern. Real y.µ
Something must·ve shown on her face, because he suddenly asked, ´What about Dennis Ross?µ
His question caught her completely unaware and her jaw dropped. ´D ³How do you kn³
Who told you about Denny?µ
Ĺet·s put it this way. I know things. Sam mentioned you mo ved from there to Orange Beach in a hurry round about the time my dad died. He expressed concern. I looked into it.µ
She·d tried to make her voice less hysterical on the phone when Sam had cal ed her as she raced to the airport, to tel her Zane·s dad had died, and the funeral was the fol owing week.
´Does anyone else «
Know
things?µ she demanded, appal ed.
Ńot unless you choose to tel them.µ
Her bare toes curled. Í don·t.µ
´Fine.µ
Ít was a fairly amicable divorce.µ God, how to explain she·d been an idiot? If one considered fleeing in the middle of the night, shearing off waist -length hair and dying it black in a seedy hotel room, hiding in a multitude of smal and large towns, and p eeing her pants every time she·d heard a knock on the door
amicable
.
Í don·t want to pry. Just making sure you·re okay.µ
A lightbulb went on. ´You think
Denny
is responsible for the leak in the
Decrepit
?µ
Nick shrugged. Ńot out of the realm of possibility. Especial y if he·s paying you a large chunk of change in alimony.µ
´He·s not even paying me a
small
chunk of change in alimony. Not a red cent.
And I·m fine with that. I didn·t want any paper trail. He doesn·t know where I am, Nick, and I·d like to keep it that way.µ Nick·s eyes, so much like Zane·s, were like powerful blue lasers.
´He knows where
Sam
is, however. Would you mind if I discreetly checked to see where Ross is and what he·s up to?µ
A cold chil prickled across her skin. Í don·t want h is cage rattled, Nick. He·s not a nice guy, to put it mildly, and I don·t want him coming back at me if you ³µ
Í know people who are discreet,µ he assured her. ´He won·t know. I promise.µ
How did Nick know ´peopleµ in San Francisco? Í think it·s a waste of time, but if it·l make you feel better knowing he has nothing to do with this, then go ahead.µ
And now she·d be looking over her shoulder waiting for Denny to show up. Teal sucked in a sigh. Just when she·d thought it was safe to get back in the water «
Cue ominous freaking music. The
Jaws
analogy fit perfectly.
Ánd talking about Sam,µ she said to change the subject. ´Did you see him before you left?
How is he?µ she asked casual y. Zane had spoken to him, but Sam was a master of understatement and reticence. Seeing how he was would give Teal a truer picture, if only he·d let her close.