Page 73 of Lord of Debauchery

I don’t know why it surprised me a tiny bit the captain was the woman. It was a pleasant one. “Miss Markham, if there’s anything you need, don’t hesitate to ask one of our crew.”

“How big is the crew?”

Captain Ellis smiled. “We have seven and a personal chef.”

“You made certain he was on board?”

“Absolutely, sir,” First Mate Breaker answered. “The bar is open, fresh ice in the maker.”

“I’ll be setting sail in a few minutes. Around the harbor and idle?” the captain asked.

“Exactly. You know me too well, Captain,” Beckham said. He was so obviously in his element it was crazy. The man made rich look easy.

They backed away and he led me into a salon of some sort, complete with a beautiful tropical interior and a huge bar made of glass and steel. Of course the surrounding windows allowed for a perfect view from both sides, the crystalline waters drawing my attention. While typically gray in the northern states, today it looked bluer than normal, the sunshine reflecting off the water’s surface.

I was pulled to them, peering out while additional butterflies crowded into my stomach. He wouldn’t unalive me while his crew were here. Would he?

God, I hated thinking this way more than anything.

“I’ll show you around in a little bit, but I thought you’d like some wine or perhaps champagne for a change.”

“Are we celebrating?”

He had a smirk on his face as he headed for the bar, taking his sweet time. Which allowed me a perfect view of his tight butt in his jeans. Why the man wore anything else was beyond me.

“In a way we are.” He pulled out a cold bottle of Kristal without bothering to confirm if that was fine by me.

“Wait a minute. You found out who was behind the attacks. Didn’t you?”

He chuckled as he tugged a towel from a rack on the bar, watching me intently as he twisted the bottle to open it. The slight fizz was the only sound. “Yes, I did.”

“Who?” I walked closer, more than eager to learn who was behind the horrible mess I’d been shoved into.

“Have you ever heard the expression you keep your enemies close but your friends closer?”

“Someone on your staff?” I found that hard to believe.

“Better.” He pulled out two glasses, carefully filling both. “Let’s take these out on the deck and I’ll tell you more.”

I don’t know if he was purposely keeping me in suspense or what, but he led me to another set of stairs that led to a deck. I shielded my eyes and took another glance at the yacht, realizing just how large it was. Breathtaking really. There was an upper deck as well and I’d seen other doors, likely leading to state cabins.

Yes, I knew my way around a yacht; however, I certainly couldn’t tell him that.

“Truly incredible. I love Lady Blue.” My words sounded unsettled.

“I’m glad you do. Let’s take a walk. This is my favorite part as the captain takes sail.”

I couldn’t believe how gorgeous the deck was with various pieces of furniture and even a raised hot tub. As he walked slowly, he acted as if all he wanted to do was to drink in the atmosphere. “I think you’re a very lucky man, Beckham. You have everything money could buy. Sadly, I can’t tell if you’re happy.”

“Neither the word nor the concept is something I’ve spent much time thinking about. Maybe I’ve taken my good fortune for granted. I have a close family, Kenya. At least my immediate family. My dad is still completely head over heels in love with my mother. They’re disgusting in their level of cuteness.”

“That’s wonderful,” I breathed, uncertain why the shift in the conversation.

“Yeah, it really is. I’m close to my two brothers and my sister as well, although when we were kids, we bickered all the time. Anyway, my father also grew up in a close family. He and his brother were almost like twins.”

“They’re not now?”

He laughed but this time bitterly, so much so another cold chill drifted down my spine. “Let’s just say the bad blood runs deep and thick, the color more like oil.”

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