Waterborn (The Emerald Series Book 1) (10 page)

“Erin told me about him. I’m sorry. You must really miss him.”

Sometimes, like now, I heard traces of her Song in her voice. When I did, I was pretty sure I’d tell her anything and do anything for her.

“Yeah, I do.” My hands relaxed on the wheel and the ache I always felt when I thought of Jamie eased a bit.

“My Nana died a little over a year ago. And my mom when I was a baby. I never knew her though, so it’s not really the same. Nothing like losing a brother.”

“You live with your dad then?” I was more interested in talking about her, finding out where she had come from, and where she had been all this time and why.

“Yeah. We’re here for the summer.”

I looked at her sideways, drawn in by the faraway timbre in her voice. Did she really believe that? Surely she felt the pull of the Deep already. She would be here for a lot longer than the summer. If the Deep ever got a hold of her, she would never be able to leave. I pulled up in front of her house and too late realized I hadn’t asked for directions. She didn’t seem to notice and reached for the door handle. A man who I assumed was her father walked around the side of the house and came out to meet us.

“Caris, everything all right?” He jogged down the driveway, water sloshing in the bottle he carried. Sweat made a ring around the neck of his shirt, and sand stuck to his legs. It looked like he’d been running on the beach. An anxious crease formed under the hair slicked to his forehead.

“Yeah, Dad. Noah just gave me a ride home.” She grabbed her bag off the floor then pushed the door shut.

I hustled around to get her bike out of the back. A strange look passed over her dad’s face when he looked at the Bronco, like looking at an old friend he never expected to see again.

“I can get that, sir,” I said, reaching in front of him to unload her bike. Caris stood behind us, windblown and dry. He wrapped an arm around her shoulder and kissed the top of her head, totally at ease with the show of affection. I supposed that was a good sign, as if the kind of relationship they had was any of my business.

“Dad, this is Noah. Noah, my dad.” She shifted her bag over one shoulder.

“Patrick Harper.” Her dad held out his hand and I took it over the seat of Caris’s bike.

“Nice to meet you, sir.” I might have squeezed his hand a little tighter than was necessary as we looked at each other in mutual regard. He knew what I was. I knew what he wasn’t. He kind of looked at me like I was his worst nightmare, and for someone who’d been lying to his daughter about what she was, I could understand. But then, I knew she wasn’t really his. That would be impossible.

The urge was there to steal her away. This man might have raised her, but it was me she had called, and I felt a certain degree of responsibility for her, an innate need to protect her from harm, whether it was from this man who called himself her father or even Sol.

“Thanks, Noah.” Caris touched the top of my shoulder and it felt like a shock of electricity shot down my arm. I barely kept myself from jerking away from her.

“No problem.” I closed the back of the Bronco. “Nice to meet you, Mr. Harper.”

He opened his mouth as if he wanted to say something, then looked at Caris and thought better of it. Honestly, I’m glad he didn’t say more. I didn’t trust myself right now. Didn’t trust myself not to blurt out the truth. That would be about as effective as pushing her in the water had been. Caris needed a more delicate hand than that, but all my hand seemed to want to do was punch Mr. Harper in the face, the lying bastard. Was this how it was going to be from now on? This desire to crush anyone I thought might hurt her, even if it was her own dad?

“You too. Thanks for giving Caris a ride.” He ushered her toward the house as though he sensed he was in some kind of danger from me.

“Anytime,” I said, climbing back into the Bronco.

Mr. Harper looked back at me after Caris had gone into the garage with her bike—a sad look of the inevitable. I didn’t envy him.

I’d give him a few more days, but if he didn’t tell her the truth, I would.

“
D
ress up
? Really?” I stared at Ally, mouth agape.

Her bandana print bikini had little rhinestones sewn into the fabric. Cut-off denim shorts that showed off the curve of her butt cheeks were somehow more erotic than the bottoms alone. Her hair was done up in about a half a dozen loose braids, and gold hoop earrings dangled from each ear. A generous amount of black eye liner shadowed her eyes. She held up a tube and a brush, a wicked mad scientist smile pasted on her face.

“Let’s do you,” she said, eyes alight with excitement.

Apparently, this ritual was part of some festival celebrating a notorious pirate named Billy Bowlegs. I’d seen advertisements all over the place and had heard the shots of cannon fire all morning long—a reenactment of the pirate Billy taking the town
Pirates of the Caribbean
style. I’d gotten roped into participating in some kind of boat parade, which sounded like fun, except that the boat in question belonged to Jax. Of course, that’s not what I’d told my dad when I bailed on our little bike outing. He’d been left under the distinct impression I was staying at Erin’s house and would be hanging by the pool all day.

“No thanks.” I couldn’t imagine how fast the make-up would melt under the scorching sun. I had two cans of SPF 50 sunscreen in my bag and planned on using every bit of it.

“Well, at least put these on.” She dug around in Erin’s jewelry box, coming up with a pair of silver hoops. They were smaller than hers, which suited me fine. “Oh, and this.” She looped a bandana around my head and tied it off do-rag style. I snuck a peek in the small mirror above Erin’s dresser. Jack Sparrow I was not.

“Arrgh,” I said to my reflection.

Ally’s phone beeped from the bed. She swiped it up, devouring the screen with her painted eyes. “He’s almost here.” Ally did a little happy dance around the end of the bed.

“Who’s almost here?” Erin came out of the bathroom, her black bikini outlined underneath a red lace cover-up. Hoops seemed to be the standard issue pirate accessory. Her hair hung down her back in a mass of intricate twists. I wasn’t quite sure what held it together.

“Jax. Brendon and Tyler are going to meet us on the island on their jet skis.” Ally smiled at me, eyes narrowed to slits of pale blue. “Tyler is really into you.”

“Oh, really.” I sat down on the end of the bed, my lack of enthusiasm obvious.

“Come on, Caris. Tyler is really cute, and he’s fun. He’s the perfect summer fling,” she said as though she’d given it a lot of thought on my behalf.

“I think Caris has someone else in mind.” Erin lifted her eyebrows at me.

“Who?” Ally looked between us, a confused crease marring her forehead. “She doesn’t know anyone else.”

“Tall, blond, eyes like the ocean,” Erin quipped, totally making fun of me.

“Noah Jacobs?” Ally’s jaw dropped, eyes darting between the two of us before settling on Erin. “And you approve?”

“She doesn’t need my permission to go out with Noah,” Erin said, grabbing a backpack off the floor and stuffing a towel inside.

“Wait a minute, ladies.” I held my hands up as though I was the referee of a fight. “Noah is just a friend. I barely know the guy.”

Ally crossed her arms in front of her chest and her eyes hard-lined on Erin. They had that best friends thing going on where words weren’t actually necessary. “Does she even know?”

“Know what?” Now it was my turn to be confused.

“Nothing.” Erin took my hand and pulled me off the bed then looked pointedly at Ally. “I think your boyfriend’s here.”

I peered out the window. It had been dark the night she’d told me her tragic story, so I hadn’t gotten a chance to see the view. The Choctawhatchee Bay sparkled under the sun like it had been covered in twinkle lights. I couldn’t even begin to count the number of boats cruising toward the island. The one pulling up to the dock looked big enough, the empty mast standing tall against a bright blue sky. Jax stood behind the wheel, guiding the boat to the dock, his baseball cap pulled over dark shades. My heart skipped a beat, and I squelched an inner warning that had Noah’s voice. I wanted to be out on the water no matter the risks.

“Come on, y’all. The sun is calling.” Ally bounced out of the room and Erin and I followed with much less bounce.

We walked down the dock, arms laden with towels and coolers. The sun warmed my face, and the ever-present breeze sang over my skin. Ally was already onboard when we got to the boat and I handed my cooler to Jax.

“I can’t swim,” I announced truthfully.

He was the captain of this boat and I thought he, at least, should know. Though I hated admitting such a thing to him.

Erin paused beside me, one foot on the boat, one still on the dock, waxed brows furrowed in speculation. “That’s interesting.”

I got the impression she didn’t believe me. I was keeping the rest of it to myself now that my conscience was absolved. They didn’t have to know I could be used as an anchor.

When we were all on board, Jax threw me a life vest. “Put it on or not. Just don’t fall in.”

T
he skull
and crossbones flag whipped in the wind above my head. I stood on the bow of the boat, bare feet anchored as I leaned over the rail. Strings of beads hung from my neck, shining red and gold in the sunlight. Erin lay behind me on a towel, earbuds in place. Ally had hopped onto the back of the jet ski with Tyler, and they rode off the starboard side of the boat, a spray of water shooting up behind them. Ally’s hair hadn’t lasted ten seconds in the wind. I heard her squeal when Tyler darted away to jump the wake of an oncoming boat.

“You promised me dolphins,” I yelled over my shoulder at Jax.

He stood at the wheel, his dark hair gleaming with streaks of gold. The mainsail billowed in the wind, speeding us forward. I told myself not to do it, that it would be too lame, but my feet were already climbing the rail, and I stood up, spreading my arms wide against the wind. “I’m the king of the world,” I said, not even caring that I looked like an idiot.

As if they’d been waiting for me to utter the magic words, a handful of dolphins appeared along side the hull, challenging us to a race. Jax steered the boat through the pass and we entered the open waters of the Gulf.

I was caught up in the flight of the dolphins, their sleek gray bodies cutting through the water at impossible speed. One jumped into the air, a graceful arch, before disappearing under the boat’s hull. I thought of Ellie and the freedom that had been stolen from her—all this open space in exchange for a forty-by-twenty tank. I’d be depressed too.

At first I didn’t notice the dulling of the sun’s heat or the sudden heaviness in the air. I looked out over the emerald water and watched as it turned a deep green. Fog rolled in, thick and heavy. The sound of the jet skis grew distant, swallowed by the fog. Even though I couldn’t see the water below the boat, I knew the dolphins were gone. The sails hung useless under the still air.

“Jax?” I turned, fingers tight on the rail and stepped down.

Shadows loomed in the fog, slowly taking shape. There were two of them, bare-chested with streams of water dripping down torsos rigid with muscle. I searched the water for another boat, but saw nothing, wrapped as we were in a cocoon of fog.

“It’s okay.” Jax’s hazel eyes sparked with a hint of fear before his expression hardened.

I really wished I had on more than a bathing suit. My t-shirt and shorts were tucked away in my beach bag. Erin had pulled her earbuds out and wrapped her towel around her hips. She looked more bored than anything and for some reason that made me feel better about our surprise visitors. Jax leaned an elbow on the wheel, trying for a casual, nonchalant pose. The tick in his jaw gave him away. The two newcomers spread out as much as the boat would allow. I had a sudden urge to flee, but there was nowhere to go.

“This is real funny, Sol. What do you want?”

Apparently Jax knew these guys, small relief that was. I could feel the tremor going through his body from where I stood two feet away.

“Oh come on, Jax. You’re ruining the game. Just call me Billy.” Sol’s hair was slicked back from a face hard with angles. A strand of it spiraled down his cheek, curling under the edge of his jaw.

My first impression was that he was good looking, but something was off, something I couldn’t name. It wasn’t until his gaze settled on me that I realized it was his eyes—dark, almost black and emotionless like the dead eyes of a shark—a predator.

“As in Bowlegs.” He smirked, cupping his crotch in the palm of his hand. “There’s a big reason they called him bowlegs.” I didn’t know why this was funny, but he and his cohort laughed as he thrust his hips in a crude gesture.

“Please.” Erin rolled her eyes. “Will you ever grow up?”

Brave words that rang with nerves. Sol turned his head toward her, and for the barest second, I thought I saw a flash of emotion, a brief softening in them before it was snuffed out.

“I see you’re back to slumming.” Sol shot her a pointed look, his disgust apparent, then focused his attention on me.

My eyes darted to Erin, looking for some kind of guidance. Not much to go on from the barely discernible shake of her head. Were they really afraid of these guys? Who the hell were they?

Sol wore a necklace much like Noah’s, only his pearl was black as onyx and flanked by what I’m guessing were sharks teeth. Yeah, tough guys wore sharks teeth and Sol thought he was tough, standing in front of me like he had every right to be here.

The other guy jumped onto the mast, dangling from one arm. Water dripped from his dreads. An elaborate tattoo covered the whole right side of his torso. Eels slithered up from the band of his shorts, lithe bodies twisting around each other, cobalt eyes meeting at his shoulder. Once again, I searched for a boat that wasn’t there, wondering how in the hell they had gotten out here. It was like the whole world had disappeared and nothing lay beyond the fog. They couldn’t have swum out here, could they?

“So, this is our little song bird?” Sol stood so close to me our chests nearly bumped. He didn’t smile so much as smirk and looked down his nose at me with eyes that could have been made of marble. “She’s real cute, isn’t she, Cree?”

Water lapped against the fiberglass hull, a mocking slurp. There was no safety for me there. But something inside me wanted to do just that, jump overboard. Sol lowered his head, running his nose up the side of my cheek. If he was trying to intimidate me, it was working.

“Leave her alone, Sol.” Erin made to step toward me, but Cree leaped down from his perch and took her by the arm.

“Don’t,” he said.

“What? Are you going to tell Daddy the natives are getting restless again? Maybe they’ll give us another stretch of beach with our name on it. Maybe they’ll get us to do their dirty work so they don’t have to risk their own lives.”

Erin blanched at Sol’s words, the color draining from her face. I didn’t even pretend to know what they were talking about. Jax just stood there as though he were trying not to draw any attention to himself.

“It’s not like that and you know it,” she said, then turned to Cree. “Let go.” She yanked her arm from his grasp.

“Oh, Erin, it’s exactly like that,” Sol said in a voice so soft and sympathetic it belied the underlying threat.

My gaze dropped, following the slow move of his hand. What was it with guys and their knives around here? My breath caught, lodging in my throat as Sol pulled the knife from its sheath. It rested like a heavy weight in his palm, comfortable, like he knew how to use it. It looked old, the blade deadly. His other hand fell on my shoulder, a warning that held me in place.

“Takes some powerful voodoo to create a charm like this.” His fingers plucked at my hair. “Someone must have really loved you.” The tip of the knife skimmed down my cheek and over the line of my jaw, leaving a shiver in its wake. “Or hated you.” A cruel smile spread over his full lips.

“Leave me alone.” I inwardly cringed at the tremble in my voice.

“I can’t do that. And you don’t really want me to.” His hand skimmed over the top of my shoulder and down my arm, picking my hand up at the wrist. He brought it to his mouth, pressing his lips to my knuckles. What kind of sick game was this guy playing?

“Do you even know what you are?” His smile faded as his dark eyes pierced mine, and try as I might, I couldn’t look away. I didn’t answer since I didn’t have a clue what he was talking about.

“I didn’t think so.” He raised the knife. It had a smooth sharp tip that rounded into a serrated edge over the mother of pearl handle. He slipped the tip underneath the strap of my top, right along my collarbone. For a horrified moment, I thought he was going to cut it loose. Cree laughed, the sound rolling out of his cavernous chest, as though it were coming from the bottom of a well. It set my teeth on edge. He had deep-set eyes in an unnatural shade of blue that matched the eel eyes on his shoulder. His teeth flashed in amusement. I waited for the strap to pop.

“Don’t Sol,” Jax finally spoke up but his voice lacked any real conviction.

At least I had to give him credit for speaking up at all. Jax wasn’t so tough without his buddies around. In fact, he was down right docile. He’d gone belly up the minute Sol and Cree had boarded his boat. Even Erin was acting strangely, as though the presence of the two invaders was an inconvenience, something that had to be endured. They were both powerfully built, bodies hard with muscle like honed athletes, but with an indefinable quality that lent them an air of menace.

“I hear you like to play games, Jax. Take things that don’t belong to you.” Sol was talking to Jax, but his gaze was locked on my face. He stepped toward me, knife flashing despite the lack of sunlight. His arm circled my waist and he pulled my back up against the hard wall of his chest. “Like this one.” He stroked my hair the way he might stroke a beloved pet, his tone gentling. “She’s ours and here I find her on your boat.”

Some unseen energy radiated off of Sol. Goosebumps rose on my skin. I swore the fog grew thicker, heavier. Something pricked my neck under my jaw. Warm blood trickled over my skin.