Page 87 of Queens and Monsters

“We’re still trying to figure out what happened,” he said. “Dante landed about an hour ago.”

“Landed where? What are you talking about?”

What had Camila said—Dante was in San Diego?

Jano gripped my arm. “Bella.”

A death grip came to my heart and my circulation ceased to flow. “What about Bella?”

It was the capo who spoke. “The yacht washijacked just after sunset last night. From what we’ve learned through the distress call, a boat with five Russians from Kozlov’s bratva boarded Bella, took out the first sentry.” He shook his head. “There was a gun battle. Two of the Russians were killed.”

“Two Russians. What aboutPadre’sguards?”

Jano shrugged and shook his head. “We don’t have answers.”

My mind did the math on the timing. Sunset was close to 7:00 p.m. That would be 9:00 p.m. in Kansas City. It was now three in the morning. “Six hours.” Placing my hand on my head, I pulled my wet hair. “What the fuck? Where’s Jasmine? Where’s Mia?” I looked at Jano. “Our parents.”

My brother’s jaw clenched. “They’re looking for the yacht.”

Chapter

Thirty-One

Jasmine

Seven hours ago

Aléjandro and Mia’s stateroom was next door to ours. I hadn’t determined if they could have heard Rei and me through the walls, but I didn’t doubt it was a possibility. Since Rei left, there wasn’t anything to hear except music or a podcast.

During a few of my late-night sleepless hours, I’d tried unsuccessfully to recreate the orgasms Rei had wrung from me. I tried pretending they were his fingers and not mine. I even imagined his tongue and whatever he did with his teeth. My imagination could get me wound up, but the coming down was anti-climactic in all senses of the term.

It seemed impossible to be bored on a superyacht, but I was. I’d completed all the assignments for myclasses, read two books, and spent more time than ever in my life resting in the sun. I was a newlywed and what I really wanted was time with my husband.

With dinner not being served until eight at night, I was showered and dressed, with over an hour to kill. Going out onto the balcony, I stood at the railing and stared out at the ocean. The horizon created a darker blue line separating the water from the sky. It truly was beautiful and far different than the view from my room in Kansas City.

My skin prickled at the sound of someone yelling.

Who would be yelling?

I took a step closer to the wall separating our balcony from Jano and Mia’s.

“Oh shit.” Am I hearing Mia?

Running through the stateroom, I opened my door and gripped the doorknob of the room next door. It was locked. “Mia,” I called through the door. “Mia.”

Back in our stateroom, I found my phone, thankful that we’d exchanged numbers. Calling Mia, I bit my lip, hoping I was wrong. She’d answer and say she was fine. Maybe she was watching a loud movie.

The call went to voicemail. I ran back out on the balcony, where I’d first heard it and called her name. “Mia.” I paused. “Mia,” I screamed louder. “Are you all right?”

“Jasmine.”

I could barely hear her.

“Get Josefina. I’m bleeding.”

One of the few places I hadn’t been on Bella was to Jorge and Josefina’s private quarters. I also knew thatJosefina enjoyed resting before dinner. As I passed one of the staff members, I asked, “Do you have keys to get into the staterooms?”

“Sí, are you locked out,Señora?”

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