Page 38 of My Boyfriend Bites

“Me, too.” He dropped a soft kiss on her lips. “Stay here. I won’t be gone for too long. Don’t answer the door. Actually, barricade it once I’m gone and don’t open it until you hear me or Renard outside.”

“You think I’m in danger?”

“You aren’t in the lower decks anymore. These pirates might assume you’re hiding some treasures in your swanky suite.”

She snorted. “Like what? Most of my stuff got ruined when my previous cabin flooded.”

“Be safe,” his last admonishment before exiting her cabin to find a grim-looking Renard in the hall. Before saying anything, he listened.Clink. She slid the chain lock in place.

Dante angled his head and arched a brow at Renard.

His man nodded and strode up the hall, tablet in hand as he quickly summarized the situation.

“I don’t know if the captain or crew are aware yet of the invasion,” Rennie softly murmured. “I only caught the boarding pirates by accident because I noticed a camera at the stern of the ship had been turned off. I remotely activated it in time to catch them coming over the rail.” Renard pointed to this screen, showing a grappling hook and a flexible fiber ladder hanging over the ship’s rear.

“How many?”

“About twenty men armed with guns and knives.”

“Where are they now?” Dante asked as they bypassed the elevator and headed outside.

“Not sure. They immediately spread out, and cameras have been going offline and not coming back when rebooted.”

“They’re destroying them.” More statement than query.

“Most likely. Without eyes to track their movement, it will be hard for the captain to mount any kind of defense.”

“How long do you figure before they’re noticed?”

Renard shrugged as he flashed his wristband on the door that led to the outside. “Depends on what the pirates do next. I imagine it won’t take long before?—”

A good thing they’d already opened the electronically locked door because the power went out. Lights extinguished, leaving them in the dark. Well, Rennie, at least. Dante could see just fine. The constant hum of machinery died, all the little gadgets that ran a ship this size, suddenly inert, including the engine.

In that stifling silence, the ship’s momentum slowed and shouts of alarm, and a few screams, could be heard.

“It would seem they’ve made their move.” Dante’s grim pronouncement.

“The power going out is new,” Renard observed. “Previously the boarders showed up in the dining halls, guns out, with demands people hand over their valuables.”

“Most likely they wanted to prevent the captain or anyone from communicating the situation.”

“I’m surprised a backup system hasn’t kicked in.” Rennie glanced down at the pitch-black deck below.

“The traitors on board must have disabled it.”Dante frowned. “No power will make moving around difficult, as many doors will be locked. I don’t know how accessible manual overrides are for those that usually require bracelet access.”

“The emergency exits will work,” Rennie reminded.

“From the inside, yes, but not out here I would imagine.”

“What’s the plan?” Rennie asked. “Are we taking out the pirates, one by one?”

“Yes and no. Yes, to removing them, but before they die, I would like to find out who’s in charge of them. Can’t question a dead man.”

“Are we splitting up or clearing the ship in tandem?” Rennie was all business. No need to ask if he’d armed himself. Dantecould smell the oil he’d used cleaning his gun. While the ship had a strict no-firearms policy, that didn’t stop his assistant and most likely others from smuggling weapons aboard.

“You handle any pirates outside since the starlight and sliver of moon let you somewhat see.” Thankfully the fog remained thin. “Stow them in a lifeboat once incapacitated. If you must use deadly force, heave them into the sea.” No body, no evidence, no questions later on.

“I take it you’re going to stalk the inner halls?”

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