Page 5 of Dirty Empire

“Sorry, ma’am. I just want you to know that Mr. Miles has gone into town. I...I don’t know what he’s planning, but he says he’d be back in about an hour, so please hurry and get away now,” he begs in a shaky voice.

I nod my head as a lump forms in my throat. I’ll miss Juan and some of the housekeepers. They are the only ones I could talk to when Miles took his turn for the worse, and I felt utterly alone. Sweat beads start to form on my upper lip. My body threatens to shut down entirely as I realize I don’t have any allies, no one I can call to help me. All I know is that I have to stay focused enough to form a plan to flee. Otherwise, I’d be floating in the water.

“Thank you so much.” I briefly squeeze Juan’s hands and continue out the door. I jump in the golf cart and head back to the property’s edge toward the marina, hoping to find a way off this godforsaken island.

A few minutes later, I spot Maverick, tall and sleek with dark features and jet black hair that frames his face. A man who exemplifies a tower of strength. His demeanor appears agitated. He’s muttering underneath his breath as he throws a rope out, preparing to launch out to sea on the biggest yacht I’ve ever seen. The outside is jet black, and it looks like there are at least two floors. I’m not an expert on yacht’s, but I know it has to be worth at least three-hundred million dollars, if not more, because it looks customized.

This is my chance.

I park the golf cart off the path near the trees and quickly jog to the marina’s edge, approaching the intimidating man.

Maverick see’s me drawing near and sighs heavily, “What are you doing here?” The frustration evident in his tone, but I don’t miss the way his deep blue eyes scan over my body. He’s probably thinking about my naked body that he got a full view of not too long ago. My cheeks heat up at the thought.

“I just need to get to another island, and then I can take it from there,” I beg. “As long as I stay on this island, he will find me. Please let me onboard, and you can drop me off at the first island we come to.”

He starts to massage his temples as if I’m giving him a headache. “Ma’am-”

“It’s Hazel. My name is Hazel.”

“Okay, Hazel, I stepped in as an instinctive reaction, but I can’t let you get on this boat with me. I’ve done a lot of business with your husband. I know what kind of man he is. If he finds out I’m helping you run away; it’ll start a war that I don’t have the time or patience to be a part of.”

“Please!” I plead, cringing at how desperate I sound.

I look like a hot mess, but what else can I do? I just need to get somewhere safe. Maverick walks to the back of the yacht, ready to pull the anchor up and take off.

“You’ll have to find another way off the island. I’ve already gotten too involved in this whole damn thing.” Maverick’s sinewy arm reaches down to pull up the walkway to the water’s edge. He moves swiftly to the front of the boat, signaling to the captain before walking out of sight.

I stand on the dock feeling dejected and desperate as the boat’s engine cranks. Tears rim my eyes, threatening to spill over. The yacht starts to move slowly, but the end is still close to the shore. I see a small gap that exists at the rear. Small enough that I can jump across. I have an opening...if only I can reach it. I have nothing to lose at this point except for my dignity. And that was taken from me long ago. With no time to think, I grip my two bags in my hand as tight as I can and sprint at full speed. I jump aboard with my two bags. My body tumbles onto the boat with a thump. I hit the deck a little harder than I want, but still…I'm on the yacht. I hurry across the teak flooring to the back stairs of a lower floor. This seems more like someone’s house than a boat. In front of me is a small cabin door.Please don’t let there be someone on the other side. With a deep breath, I slip inside and sigh with relief.

My heart sinks back into my chest. The room is sizable with a plush king-sized bed and ensuite bathroom. This room has marble floors instead of the teak flooring on the deck above. There’s a large flatscreen TV mounted on the wall opposite the bed. The room smells like a mix of seawater and mint; it's oddly comforting.

I drop my bags and start sobbing. Isn’t my body out of tears yet? The mattress dips as I sit on the edge of the bed. I’m safe now. Wherever this yacht stops, I can sneak off and figure out what I’m going to do. Hopefully, wherever I end up, I can find a job waitressing or something so that I can make quick cash. Everything will be ok.

Heavy footsteps creak against the floor above. I slow my breathing so I can hear where they’re heading. It sounds like a door closes and then… stairs. Oh shit, they’re coming down here. My body tenses up as I will my brain to think of what to do.

Son of a bitch, what am I going to do now?

Rushing away from the bed, I open the closet door. Men’s dress shirts and jeans hang from the black hangers. I push them aside so I can crouch down in the closet and close the door. I try to control my breathing. I want to run, but there’s nowhere to go.

The door to the bedroom opens before the sound of footsteps move to the bed. Through the cracks of the closet door, I see my mistake. Dammit! He trips over my bag strap but catches himself before hitting the floor. Shit, why don't I move the bags into the closet? I clamp a hand over my mouth to try and quiet my breathing. Maverick peers down at the bag strap, and then to the closet door. He grabs a handgun from his waistband.

“Whoever the fuck you are, come out now, or I’m shooting!” He points the gun at the closet door, his arms strong and steady as he holds the gun. Does he have to hold a weapon often? My heartbeat picks up again. I’ve never had a gun pointed at me before. Haven’t I had my life threatened enough for one day? Fuck, so much for going unnoticed. With shaky hands, I slowly open the door. His cold demeanor melts from his face as he stares at me.His dark, blue eyes soften, and his shoulders visibly relax before he tucks the gun back into his jeans.

“What the hell are you doing here?” He asks with a sigh.

I unfold myself from the crouched position, feeling mortified that I’ve let this stranger see me so desperate. I tug at the bottom of my shirt, making sure I’m completely covered, not that it matters, considering he’s seen me butt-naked.

“I’m sorry… I saw you pulling off from the dock. I panicked and jumped on board.” My throat burns as I speak from a mix of being choked almost to death and the amount of crying I’ve done since then.

He rubs his hand over the top of his silky jet black hair. Heavy silence hangs between us. He places his hands in his pockets and starts to pace the room. It’s a decent-sized room, but he seems to take up all the space, making me feel claustrophobic.

“Listen, if you would just drop-”

He stops pacing and puts a hand up, cutting me off. His face is a mask that I can’t read. What if he takes me back to Miles? I hold my breath, waiting for him to speak.

“I just sold your husband over five-hundred-thousand dollars worth of guns. Once he realizes that you’re gone, and I’m gone, he is going to assume I took you. All hell's going to break loose. I should just take you back. Tell him that this is all a misunderstanding.”

“No, no! Please. No! Have a heart.” I plead with him. I have no defenses. I just want a safe haven. Miles will kill me the second he sees me. Going back to Hawaii is suicide.

Maverick sits down on the edge of the king-sized bed and starts to take off his shoes as if the conversation is over. So that’s it? He’s going to feed me to the wolf.

“Lucky for you, I’m not a man to apologize, even if I accidentally took another man’s wife.” He lets his shoe fall to the floor with a thud before untying the other and dropping that one too. It takes a while for me to process what he’s saying.

“So you’ll drop me off? At the next island?” I ask, hope filling my chest for the first time today.

Maverick shakes his head before standing up and unbuttoning his dress shirt. A slight grin coats his lips. “Oh no, Pumpkin. Miles is going to come after me, and without you, I have no leverage.”

He takes off his shirt and leaves it in the middle of the floor. His washboard abs are on display, each one perfectly sculpted in a way that could only be achieved by hours spent at the gym. “I’m not a knight in shining armor, Pumpkin. I’m a villain.”

He turns and walks to the ensuite bathroom, leaving me more confused and anxious than before.

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