“But it’s possible, right?”
“Not likely.”
Then where was he? Moving into the doorway of the bathroom, she used her light and heard herself gasp in horror. “Oh my God.”
“Don’t freak out on me now,” Christian called from the bedroom. “We’ll find him.”
“I-” Oh, God. She was going to be sick. “I think I found… some of him.”
TWELVE
The sound of terror in Dorie’s voice stopped Christian’s heart cold. He tried to rush toward her, but rushing through this much water was all but impossible, and half swimming, half running, he felt like he was moving in slow motion.
Jesus, why hadn’t she listened to him? Why wasn’t she safe with the others? When he made it to the bathroom door, she was staring at the sink and counter, at the mirror, all of which were spattered with blood, and he lunged to her side. “Are you hurt?”
“It’s not my blood.” She turned her ashen face to his. “Bobby’s?”
“I don’t know.”
“It’s everywhere!” Her eyes were glassy, and she was breathing as if she’d just run a marathon. Her entire body shivered. Recognizing the signs of shock, he pulled her close.
Over her head, he eyed the blood. Bobby had been young and lazy as hell, and had definitely pissed off just about everyone he’d ever met, especially those he’d worked for, but Christian had a hard time picturing someone wanting him dead.
She pulled free. “There’s not that many of us on this boat. And one of us-” She clapped a hand over her mouth. “Ohmigod. Did one of us do this?”
“Dorie, listen to me. I need you to-”
“No. I’m not leaving you.”
No, she wasn’t. No way in hell was she leaving his sight. “Sit down,” he ordered. “I need you to sit down before you fall down.”
She sat right there on the floor, right in the water. “You were in here. Earlier, right? Looking for him.”
He met her gaze. “What are you saying?”
She looked away. “Just asking. You didn’t see this?”
“No. We’re going upstairs now, where we’ll figure out our next step.”
“I vote for a helicopter ride back to Fiji, and getting the authorities involved.”
That was the best case scenario. He didn’t know how to tell her that it wasn’t likely to happen that way. If they could have gotten a helicopter evacuation, they would have by now. Unfortunately, they had no way of communicating with anyone on any shore. The truth was, their lives were in grave danger without this added complication.
Given the way she was looking at him, she’d already figured that out. She knew, and she was holding it together. She had guts.
She also had mascara running beneath her eyes, and her clothes plastered to her body. Her hair had completely rioted into a frizzy mane around her head, and she was shaking like a leaf.
Her eyes filled. “Do you think he’s… dead?”
“I’m hoping he’s up on deck, whining about the extra work.”
A tear spilled over and slid down her cheek, and something deep inside him cracked open.
“Not yet,” he said. “Don’t fall apart yet.”
“Okay.” She hugged herself tight. “I’ll just postpone that until later, say, when we sink like a stone. Does that work for you?”
“Yes.”
She let out a shocked laugh.
“Look, Dorie, I need you to be strong here. You can do it.”
“Is that how you get through life? Holding on to anger instead of dealing? Is that how you stay so completely calm, so cold?”
He nearly flinched at the accuracy of the accusation.
Her mouth tightened as he helped her up. “You’re missing out on life, you know. Living it this way, without feeling.”
Okay, he felt plenty. In fact, he felt so much right now he thought maybe he would explode from it. Rage at Denny for not turning back at the storm warnings. Sick for whoever’d been hurt here. Gut-deep fear for Dorie and her safety. He clamped his hand on hers and pulled her to the door.
“What-”
“Come on.” There was no time to preserve the crime scene-and this sure as hell looked like a crime scene. The boat wasn’t going to make it. Eyeing the rising water, he checked Dorie’s life vest, checked his, and then took her back into the pitch-black hallway.
His beam of light did little to alleviate the darkness, but the sudden cry from up on deck seemed to cut right through it.
“Cadence,” Dorie gasped, and lunged for the stairs. She got a few steps up before Christian managed to grab her, sending them both sprawling to their butts in the water.
As it soaked into their clothes and splattered in their faces, he kept a hold on her. She was in his lap, scrambling to get up, and he was holding her against him. Even there, in the midst of hell, he wanted to pull her close and bury his face in her hair.
“Let me go! She might be in trouble!” Squirming, she fought him like a wild cat, nothing like the meek woman he’d once believed her to be.
“No,” he said, but she fought dirty, and put a knee in his crotch. When he doubled over, she surged to her feet to make her escape.
“Goddamnit.” He grabbed her calf and tugged her back to him. “You don’t know what’s up there!” he hissed, then shoved her behind him so he could reach for the railing. “Stay,” he commanded her coldly, wanting her good and pissed so he had a chance she’d actually listen. “Wait.”
“Why?”
Jesus. “Because I said.”
“Christian-”
“What are you going to do, rush out there and protect her with your big, clunky purse?”
“Yes, if need be!” Then she shocked the hell out of him. She lifted her foot, the one with the ankle he’d wrapped himself, and stomped down on his foot.
“Son of a bitch!”
Slithering out of his loosened hold, she beat him to the stairs.
Gritting his teeth, he went after her. Had he actually thought she was brave, even for a second? She wasn’t brave, she had a freaking death wish!
He was behind her on the stairs in a flash, where he realized several things at once. First, Dorie was definitely wearing panties today-pink silk as a matter of fact.
And second, the storm finally seemed to have ended. It was still raining, drizzling really, but the wind was all but a memory. Given the slightest lightening of the sky due east, it was somewhere near dawn.
But too little too late, because Ethan had lowered the raft, while Denny spoke to Brandy and Cadence; whatever he was saying seemed to be making them very unhappy.
“I’m not leaving without Dorie!” This from Cadence, in a panicked cry that matched the one they’d heard.
It looked like panicked chaos to Christian, nothing close to the orderly evacuation they’d always drilled in. Then suddenly Andy twisted around, locked his eyes on Dorie, and seemed to deflate in relief.
With a hoarsely drawled “Thank God,” he reached for her. “I thought-”
“I’m fine,” Dorie whispered, and walked right into the cowboy’s arms.
Good, Christian told himself ruthlessly, searching the seas as far as he could see, which wasn’t far. No sign of anyone in the water.
Andy was still holding Dorie. Yeah, right where she should be. In fact, right where he wanted her, in the arms of a man perfectly willing to protect her and keep her safe, which meant she wasn’t his own responsibility.
So there was no reason for his gut twisting, no reason at all.
While Andy was holding on to Dorie like he might never let go, Cadence and Brandy joined the group hug like they might never let go.
“Get in the damn boat!” Denny yelled.
Ignoring him, Brandy pulled back a bit and fingered the shirt Dorie wore over her clothes.
Christian’s.