Undertow (18 page)

´Do I think for a moment that it·s
Ben,
you mean?µ

Oh, shit.
Ńo³Maybe. I·m sorry, Maggie. But we·re al trying to figure out who would want to hurt Zane, and or this salvage³µ

Í·m not offended. Your suspicions are valid, given Ben·s gambling history.

However, I promise you. He hasn·t gambled in over twenty years.µ

Í believe you.µ Teal chose her next words more careful y. Śo who do
you
think is responsible?µ Ryan? Saul? Colson? None of them made sense either. But what did she know about
any
of them? ´Don·t you think it·s a little freaking strange that Zane spent weeks setting up decoy dive sites, yet the minute we reach the wreck, a host of other ships swoop in, including Zane·s worst competitor?µ

Ányone who knows about the Automatic Identification System can track where we are, honey. It·s not a secret. It·s public knowledge. I keep tel ing Zane not to be quite so «

exuberant with his finds. But you know him. Everyone is his buddy, and he loves to share.µ

Śhow off, you mean.µ Teal thought of the lavish party wher e Zane had acted out his Casanova fantasies.

Maggie smiled. Á little, maybe. But he
does
love to share his knowledge and love of salvaging with anyone interested enough to ask. And people are fascinated and eager to see what he·s discovered. It·s not uncommon to have a dozen boats around just watching to see what·s brought to the surface. And in Zane·s defense, I think he·s done a remarkable job of downplaying what·s down there.µ

Ńot from everyone.µ Teal thought of the missing pieces. Íf it·s not someone on board.µ

Teal wasn·t completely convinced that was the case. ´Then it must·ve been on e of Zane·s many adoring salvage stalkers.µ

´Possibly«µ Distracted by whatever she was thinking, Maggie trailed off. ´But there·s something«µ

The hair on the back of Teal·s neck prickled at the other woman·s tight expression. Shit.

Now what?

Teal found Zane on the deck talking on his phone. While he looked to the world like he was enjoying a breezy chat, she knew he was making tactical plans to secretly move another load of treasure off the ship and on to Cutter Cay. She wished he·d done it wi th a shirt on. His broad shoulders looked smooth enough to stroke. She stuck her hands in her pockets and stared out at the water as she waited for him to finish his conversation.

As soon as he stuck the phone in his shorts pocket, she turned back to him.

Í·m glad to catch you alone. There·s something I need to tel you.µ

´That you can·t resist me any longer and you want me to take you right here, right now?

Okay, but let·s go back to my cabin. We·l be more comfortable there.µ

He grabbed her hand, but she swatted him away.

Í·m serious.µ

´
Too
serious.µ Zane grinned as he shifted closer. ´Would it kil you to crack a smile, Wil iams?µ

When she straightened, she found he·d moved back into position. They were only a few inches apart. Teal·s mouth went dry at his closeness, but she didn·t move. Í smile.µ

He touched her bottom lip with one finger, and said huskily, Śhow me.µ

His eyes were impossibly blue, the naughty gleam dancing in them, compel ing.

Teal bit her lip as she tried not to smile, but she was so discombobulated with his nearness she couldn·t pul it off even if she wanted to. Śtay away, Zane,µ she told him; her voice hoarse, but without heat. ´We·ve already had this conversation.µ

His face got closer as he held her gaze. ´Yeah?µ

´Yeah.µ Not a word, merely a breath.

His hands rose, and he tucked her hair behind both ears, then cupped her face in his palms.

Ćlose your eyes,µ he murmured.

Her lips felt stiff. ´Why?µ

Zane huffed out a laugh. Í want to give you something.µ

Against her better judgment, she closed her eyes, and he brushed his mouth over hers with a kiss as soft and nonthreatening as a butterfly·s wing.

When he pul ed back, she opened her eyes. Her lips were buzzing and her brain had turned to mush. And body parts that had n o business participating were lit up like the Fourth of July.

Ńow, what were you saying?µ He gave her a cocky grin that made her pulses pound and her good sense falter.

´You real y have to stop doing that.µ

´Why?µ

Her body echoed his question. Teal shook off her mental haze and pinned him in place with a scowl. Ĺisten up, Ace. This is important. About the pieces that have been stolen ³µ

Í·m listening. What·s the problem?µ

´Maggie·s sure stuff is being stolen
after
we bring it on board. A few pieces she remembers seeing that hadn·t been processed yet.µ

Zane just stood there, his expressive eyes hidden behind sunglasses. When he didn·t respond, she grabbed his arm. His skin was hot, his forearm rock hard.

She gave him a little shake. ´Don·t you get it? The thief·s gotten way too confident.

Not only is he ripping off treasure
underwater.
Now he·s waiting until we bring it up and then ripping it off
on board. And that means it·s someone³or ones³close
by.µ

Íf Maggie·s concerned about possible missing pieces, why hasn·t she brought it up to me?µ

Śhe thinks maybe she·s misremembering things, or that she simply couldn·t find the items listed among al the other pieces we·ve been hauling up. She wants to be one hundred percent sure of her facts before she raises the alarm. And in the interest of ful disclosure³µ

His lips twitched. ´Yes?µ

Í·ve searched everyone·s cabin. Nothing major. Just a quick look around to see if anything jumped out at me.µ

His left brow winged up over the rim of his sunglasses. ´Find anything?µ

Her face felt hot, but damn it, her actions were justified. These thefts affected everyone involved. Not just Zane. Ńo, but I think that as captain of the ship, you should do a more thorough investigation.µ

Únnecessary, because it isn·t anyone on board the
Decrepit
.µ

Just because she hadn·t found the stolen loot didn·t mean that at al , but Teal kept her mouth shut on that one. He could probably have her tossed in the brig or something for in vading people·s privacy. ´Then it·s one of your friends out there. Or they·ve gotten on board somehow.µ

´Who? One of those airheaded women with pneumatical y-enhanced boobs and smal brains? Those cute little old ladiesµ³he waved and they waved back ³ór the old guys with their chains and pinkie rings? Not.µ He tucked her hair behind her ear, and the shiver went al the way through her body like the vibration of a tuning fork.

Śweetheart, Maggie·s a great diver³and she has a host of other strengths. Among them, being the heart and soul of this ship. But she
does
have a bad memory, and she·s mis-cataloged things before. Not to mention the sheer volume of what we bring to the surface.

We sent sixteen tubs back home last night.

Who·s to say if what she thinks is missing went in one of them?
Sea Witch
has been pilfering shit from us for years. She·s a nuisance, and she·s probably the one picking over the site. But getting on board the
Decrepit
? Not possible, and besides,
I
·
d
know if anything major went missing.µ

Clearly he was blinded by the redhead·s « assets. Honest to God. Laid -back was one thing, but was his eye on the bal here or not? ´How about a zil ion -dol ar emerald, or a priceless «

diamond-encrusted something or other?µ she demanded with asperity.

He grinned. Í·d know if we found either of those, and I·d sure as hel notice if they were missing.µ

Teal suppressed the urge to growl. Nick was right. The man was entirely too trusting. Too trusting and too pigheaded. A veritable flotil a of boats, large and smal , surrounded the
Decrepit
. Possible suspects on every freaking one of them, including his own team.

In an interesting optical il usion,
Sea Witch
hovered over Zane·s shoulder like a bird of prey.

Teal squinted at the boat. She·d kept a good dista nce away, so Teal couldn·t see much.

´My bet·s on her,µ she muttered. ´Hang on, I·l be right back.µ She went inside, found the binoculars, then joined Zane at the rail.

He stepped up behind her as she adjusted the focus on the binocs, neatly trapping her body between his and the railing. ´What are you looking at?µ He bent down to speak quietly against her ear, his breath warm against her cheek. She swatted him away like a pesky fly, then used both hands to bring the binocs up to her eyes again.

´The Sea Bitch. I·m looking at
her,
and she·s over there looking right back!

What is she«? She just held up her hand for me to
wait
.µ

She jabbed him in his hard bel y with her elbow. He wasn·t a butterfly now, he was a hundred-and-eighty-pound goril a at her back. ´Would you mind stepping back? You·re giving me claustrophobia.µ

The woman staring back at her was simply stunning. Her hair, the color of fire, hung down her back in a dead straight fal held back by an orange face mask. She had a dynamite body, nicely showcased in an orange-and-turquoise wet suit.

She was so Zane·s type that Teal felt a recurrence of her seasickness; worse, recurrence of al her insecurities. Had he intentional y left out pertinent details about their history together?

He braced both hands on the rail on either side of her body, making a cage of his arms.

´Don·t engage her, for God·s sake. She·s just baiting y ³µ

Óh, the sneaky thieving
bitch
! She·s holding up something she stole! A gold « Damn it, what
is
that? It·s some sort of medal ion! I·m going over there to kick her ass!µ

Zane huffed out a laugh and settled his hands on her shoulders. Probably to restrain her from diving over the side of the
Decrepit
and swimming over there.

´Take a breath and let it go. We can·t prove anything, and we·d never catch ³µ

´
Ohh!
The sneaky thief just gave me the freaking finger!µ

Zane plucked the binocs out of her hands. ´Don·t take it personal y,µ he told her dryly.

´That finger was probably meant for me.µ

Teal turned around. A tactical error, since Zane had practical y been standing right on top of her, and now his broad chest was pressed dangerously close to hers. ´What did you do to her? Why does she hate you so much?µ

Ńothing,µ he told her cool y, but his eyes were hot as he searched her face. Í don·t even know her name.µ

You didn·t know mine either, Ace, but you still had sex with me
. ´Did you sleep with her?µ Teal could·ve slapped herself. She held up her hand. Ńever mind ³none of my business, I don·t want to know.µ

´Wel I·l tel you anyway. I can tel you in al honesty that I·ve never slept with the
Sea Witch
·s captain.µ

´That could just mean you stayed awake al night.µ

Zane broke into that easy laugh of his that made her feel hot and cold and itc hy al over. Ít could, but I·ve never even met the woman.µ He put one hand over his black octagonal heart.

Śwear.µ

´How can you be so³so
relaxed
about al of this. Doesn·t it piss you off that someone is stealing your stuff?µ

Óf course it does. And I·m working on it. But it doesn·t help to get freaked out about it.

When I have more of an idea of who might be responsible, I·l take action.

Until then I watch and wait.µ

´What·s to stop the Sea Bitch from stealing even more while we wait? How wil you stop her?µ

´We won·t, but the law wil .µ

Óh, like she gives a rat·s ass that the law says don·t steal! Give me a break, Cutter.µ

´Wil iams, she·s fol owed Cutter Salvage for a couple of years. She·s nothing more than a pain in our ass nuisance.µ

Śo far.µ

Śo far,µ he agreed. Ánd if and when that changes, I promise you, I·l deal with it.µ

Teal slipped sideways between him and the railing. She half believed him that he hadn·t slept with the redhead. But the other half of her wasn·t so sure. And she didn·t believe for a moment that the Sea Bitch was as innocuous and unthreatening as Zane thought. The redhead had traitorous bitch written al over her.

Íf I were you,
Ace,
I·d send flowers. Lots and lots of flowers. Maybe even chocolate. Or better yet, stick her sorry, thieving ass in jail and throw away the key.µ

* * *

Al the women in this new batch had names like Barbie or Bambi or Bitsy.

They·d come over at Zane·s invitation and had draped themselves like skanky, sparkly tree ornaments al over the deck and railings. Six bikinis didn·t have so much as a quarter of a yard·s worth of fabric between them.

The guys they were with had a lot of chest hair, not much head hair, and wore plenty of gold chains and pinky rings.

Another freaking party. How the hel Zane expected everyone to push off and leave them the hel alone, Teal had no idea. She was once again cranky and out of sorts.

One thing she knew with absolute certainty: If Zane had even an inkling about how she felt about him, he·d be relentless. Relentless for two weeks. Because that was al the time he·d have to toy with her. If that. There were prettier,
nicer
women everywhere he looked. He had the attention span of a water newt as far as women were concerned. She, of al people, knew that truth firsthand.

He was a teeny, tiny bit intrigued because she was a chal enge, but that minimal interest would wane the second she gave in or someone more interesting came along. Al she had to do was ramp up her verbal defenses so he·d never suspect how she real y felt. It was exhausting.

The minute her tour of duty was over, she was so out of here. She·d take her cut and be gone so fast his head would spin.

He·d come to the engine room earlier this evening and told her about the party.

Then he told her, in no uncertain terms, that she·d better get her ass topside, or he·d come in and carry her out bodily. Teal slouched down on the fringes of the party, hot in her khaki pants and blue shirt because she stil hadn·t taken the time to go to St. Maarten to shop.