Page 111 of Ship Outta Luck

“I don’t. And I don’t know who you are, but you aren’t my friend.” It sounds childish, but it freaking stings. It hurts. This whole time, for the last month, Charlie has been there. An ally infaculty meetings, a shoulder to cry on after my dad’s funeral. I thought I was so lucky I’d met her and we’d hit it off right away?—

“Oh my god. You’ve been here to find out about the drugs from me this whole time? You… you’re not even an academic, are you?”

“Like that’s the end of the world.” Her tone is flippant, but her cocky smile disappears. “Is your boyfriend here going to attack me if I cut his ties? We need to abandon ship, Dean.”

Dean brings his hands up in the air, the zip-tie gone. “Charlie, we are going to have a long talk about your methods when we get off this boat. You don’t just get to decide to step all over the chain of command.”

Chain of command?

“Fine.” Charlie’s brows rise. “Then let’s move this party.”

“What about me?” Pierce whines.

“Looks like you’ll have to swim.” Charlie takes a leap off the sinking boat, splashing into the water, gun tucked into her bra.

Dean stares at Pierce, who moans softly, bleeding from two bullet wounds. “Fuck.”

Water laps Dean’s waist and he bends down, tugging Pierce over his shoulder.

“Leave the traitor there, Dean,” Charlie calls out before ducking under a wave, surfacing closer to my boat. No, the rental boat. My boat is now half sunk, about to join theSantu Espirituat the bottom of the sea.

Dean grunts, stepping off into the water, towing Pierce behind him.

Trembling, I sit down heavily on the captain’s chair and close my eyes.

I’ve been played, by a woman I thought was my new best friend.

Dean… Dean knows her. Knows Charlie. They’re working together. The knowledge curls inside me, a snake waitingto strike. I shouldn’t jump to conclusions, but when the conclusions in question are jumping out of a sinking boat?—

None of it quells the rising relief in my chest, though. I’m alive. Dean is alive. Charlie is alive, though a complete stranger.

I found the sunken treasure ship and sank my own.

Dean is alive.

I’m alive.

I open my eyes, the sun glancing off the water. I frown, curious what it is that’s caught my attention. Probably Pierce’s foot. Dean is foolishly hauling him across the water to the rental boat.

Charlie hauls herself from the ladder.

“June, I should probably apologize.” Water puddles at her feet. “Dean and I don’t always agree on our methods. I didn’t mean to scare you with that, I’m sorry. It’s nothing personal.”

“Not now, Charlie.” My frown deepens, whatever it is I saw tugging at me, demanding attention.

Something about the water.

Pierce’s toes stick out from it as he floats along behind Dean.

“Okay, don’t talk to me,” Charlie mutters. “I saved the day, but go ahead and be mad.” Out of the corner of my eye, I see Charlie shake her head, wringing her hair out.

The water changes around Pierce, frothing with movement.

A triangular shape cuts through the top of the foam before disappearing.

“Shark,” I scream, my body going rigid with shock and a new round of adrenaline. At this rate, my kidneys are going to shrivel up into dried beans. Perfect for canning, less perfect for daily use.

Dean swims faster, and a second, bigger fin cruises behind him. Pierce is leaving a blood trail, leading the way to the human all-you-can-maul buffet.

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