Page 18 of Shark Bait

I step after her. “I need to secure you.”

“I’m not going anywhere without you.”

“You must. Trust me, this man won’t let us both up there.” And I can’t shoot them both from down here without crashing the chopper. I also can’t shoot them both because I don’t shoot random people. Only the ones Alessio needs dead. If I’m repeating this, it’ll stick and I’ll get through this day.

“Not leaving without you,” she says again.

“Birthday girl, don’t give me attitude now when we’re pressed for time and I’m this close to completing the entire mission.”

She folds her hands over her belly and pouts. “I’m sticking with you, Shark. You pinky promised.”

Are you kidding me?I throw up my hands. “Fine. I’ll call him. But I promise you, you’ll wish you got in that chopper.”

“You want me to fly away with strangers I don’t know anything about and leave the only person I think can help me get home? I won’t do it, Shark.”

Our eyes lock, and I file away what she’s told me for later. “You don’t really know me either.”

“I know you missed me on purpose. I know you made me tea this morning. I know you remembered my birthday and let me keep fifteen million dollars.”

“And a bag of diamonds,” I add since we’re tallying up my good deeds.

“See?” she says.

What I see is that this woman ought to have a normal life. The best kind of normal life instead of a life that’s just good enough as long as she’s with a man who won’t take advantage of her. But I also see how that’s impossible. No woman in her right mind would click with me. I’m too far gone for someone who hasn’t experienced suffering or fear at the level that changes their perspective on life. This woman suffered. She pretends well, but she suffered.

“Give me a minute,” I say.

From my pocket, I take out my phone and show the man in the chopper my screen as I press a thumb over the app shaped like a triangle. It’s actually a letter A for Alessio. This tells the mercenary I’m calling Alessio directly.

The man takes off his sunglasses, now understanding I’m not just a random billionaire who got lost at sea. I’m showing him I have access to Alessio, who answers on the third ring.

I press the phone to my ear. “I need your help with the rescue mission,” I say.

I can barely hear him over the noise his nephew’s making, and I’m guessing he can barely hear me over the chopper noise.

“Are you hurt?” he asks.

“No.”But thank you for asking.

“What can I help you with?” I hear the confusion in his voice. It’s highly unusual for me to ask for his help or call him during a mission. I report on the mission in person and only if he asks. Sometimes, he reads about it in the papers, so there’s no need to ask how it went.

“I need you to update the rescue crew and tell them they’re picking up two people. It’s me plus one.”

A pause where I think Alessio is moving into a quieter space. I hear a door close and picture him in his office.

“Repeat that,” he says.

“It’s me plus one, Alessio. Tell them to permit two people onto the chopper.”

A lengthy pause. “Who is the other person?”

I turn away so she can’t hear me say, “My wife.”

SEVEN

YOU OWE ME ONE

SHARK

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