Page 50 of Captured

Nicki wasn’t sick, not really. But her big heart that beat so fiercely as she pounded up mountains and down trails was threatened by a disease she refused to acknowledge beyond a precautionary regimen of beta blockers. Her brother and father had both been diagnosed with familial hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, a condition that could stop the woman in her tracks at any moment...or never strike at all. Testing was required to know for sure if she was going to develop the disease, and even that wasn’t foolproof.

So Nicki had decided not to be tested. And instead to go after life as if it could be swept away from her at any moment.

As a result, Lauren didn’t look at Nicki any more as some sort of daredevil. She looked at her as a kind of miracle. Or an idiot. Or a ticking time bomb, take your pick. Either way, she was who she was, and Lauren was glad to count her as a friend.

“So what has Stefan said, actually?” Lauren asked. “He told you I was still with Dimitri, right? We had a storm hit—did you guys get it too?”

“Storm? Not hardly,” Nicki said, surprising her. “It’s been blue skies and beautiful forever. But Stefan totally said you were with Dimitri, andthentried to give us some bullshit about you needing a holiday from your parents, which we both know is not true. He’s figured out that I know what he is, that we all know what he is, and I think he’s pissed.”

She sounded far too happy about that. “He knows that Emmaline told us, right?” Lauren asked.

“Oh, yeah. Seriously, how else would we know? But he keeps acting like he doesn’t have to dish all the details on everything. Have you talked to Dimitri about it?”

“Actually—no. I haven’t.”

Nicki sighed. “I mean, I guess it’s none of our business. I totally get that we all have secrets, but most secrets aren’t thisamazing. Anyway—what heistelling us is total bullshit. You’re not avoiding your parents. It’s that creeper Henry, right? He’s your supposed chosen one? Gross. He’s a million years too old for you.”

Lauren laughed in spite of herself at Nicki’s barrage of words, her gaze drifting along the rain-slicked streets. “He’s not that old.”

“Oh, please. He’s pushing forty. That’s old when you’re twenty-three. I checked.” Nicki didn’t let her respond to that. “You know, he seemed super pissed when he couldn’t find you the other night, and then he got super...not pissed. It was weird.”

Lauren’s brows went up. “What do you mean?” she asked. Though she knew the answer. Nicki supplied it for her anyway.

“Like, all this was a game to him, and you’d simply surprised him with an unexpected move. He seemed, I don’t know, delighted. Almost giddy.” She could almost hear Nicki shrug. “Like I said, creeper. I’m glad he split.”

That made her hand spasm on the phone. “He split? I thought he was part of the search party or whatever.”

“Jeez, do they tell you nothing? That’s why you’re coming home, I thought. Henry took off last night, back aboard his floating glitter palace, and sailed off into the sunset. Your parents are still freaking out, but creeper man apparently doesn’t give a damn about finding you one way or another.”

Lauren’s throat closed up. She was glad now for time passing quickly. She needed to get back into the open, back into a place where she would be seen, tracked, surrounded by her security people. If Henry had decamped, that didn’t mean he’d given up on her, far from it. That meant he was planning something else. Something new.

Probably something bad.

Nicki said something else, and Lauren’s attention flicked back to the phone. “I’m sorry, what?”

“I said, when specifically are you coming home? Tonight yet? Tomorrow? I think the queen wants to have another party. Because, you know, we’re staying in a freaking castle with the gatekeepers of the flippin’ Greek gods, and that’s what one does.”

“Tonight,” Lauren said. “I’m pretty sure it’s all going to happen tonight.” Her eyes strayed to Dimitri. He’d finished his phone call and had turned back to her, his grin so wide she thought it would take up her whole world. “I’ve gotta go, Nicki,” she said, feeling her heart lighten at last. “See you guys soon?”

“You better! I’m sure they’ll be killing the fatted calf in anticipation of your triumphant return. Only, please, for the love, don’t make me wear another ball gown.”

Lauren was still laughing as she clicked off the phone, and Dimitri bounded up to her. Before she could ask him what had happened, he grabbed her arm and pulled her into the sidewalk café she’d been loitering next to. “Food!” he shouted. “We’re celebrating.” The server closest to the door laughed and gestured to one of the tables. Dimitri was electric with energy as they sat.

“So it was good news?” Lauren said, drinking in the image of him. He seemed so completely relaxed and unfeigned around her. Back at the villa, they’d lain together for a half hour as the rain finally died down, dozing in the bed before getting up to shower and head into town. Except for the big human-demigod conversation they both were carefully avoiding, everything felt completely natural with Dimitri, like they’d been dating for years. Now, the sight of him filled with genuine joy and excitement was a balm to her nerves. A balm she hadn’t realized she needed so much.

“It was good news,” Dimitri said, grinning. “They believe me and want us back on the mainland immediately, of course, so they can inspect the watch themselves. I’m happy to oblige them. There’s no boat on the island now that is secure, however, so we’ll wait until we can have one outfitted and sent over. Should be later tonight.”

Lauren glanced out to the water. The sun was beginning to drop through the still heavy clouds already, so that cut down their time on the island to—what, mere hours? She forced herself not to think about that. “And then what?” she asked. “Will they track down the fisherman?”

“Already underway. He’ll be picked up at his next port and questioned. Most likely, he didn’t pull the watch off Ari’s wrist himself. He wouldn’t be so bold with showing it off otherwise.I expect he bought it off some beachcomber, but if there is any lead—anything at all to indicate what happened to Ari...” He spread his hands, his good mood dimming somewhat. “Well. That would be a blessing for the family. For me.”

“You’ll find something.” Lauren reached out and grasped Dimitri’s hand. That too seemed natural, as did the roughness of his palm as he closed his other hand around hers. He pulled her close and kissed her, laughing again as they were interrupted by the server bringing hummus and bread and olives.

They had eaten about half the meal before Dimitri leaned back, and she tensed as his gaze moved over her. He was about to shift tactics, she was certain.

She was right.

“So tell me, what will you do when we return? Stefan said Henry has left, probably to plot another day. How will you stop him completely?”

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