Page 116 of Ship Outta Luck

“I think you believe that, both of you. But it doesn’t mean you haven’t, does it?” A sad smile crosses her face.

June stretches, and I reach out to her. My heart swells as she takes my hand.

“Do you have clothes for me?”

I shake my head, a fresh wave of guilt washing over me. All she has on is a hospital gown. She makes it look damn good.

“Here.” Charlie thrusts her purse at June. “I grabbed some things from your house for you... before all this, I mean. When I saw the Jeep wreckage…” Charlie’s throat bobs, and she shakes her head. “You might not want to go back there for a while. June, I meant what I said on the boat. None of us got into this job to hurt good people. Like you.”

June squeezes her eyes shut, and I rub her back. “We’ll get him. We’ll get him and then you’ll be safe.” It’s all I can offer.

Wordlessly, June extracts a pair of beat-up jeans and a shirt that reads,Divers Know How to Go Down.I make myself look away as she tugs on the clothes.

“I’m not staying at a safehouse.” She laces up a pair of sneakers.

“Yes, you are,” Charlie snaps.

“No, I’m not. I’m so tired of hiding. Did you know they kidnapped me, Charlie? When I was a kid. I’ve been hiding my whole goddamn life.” She gestures around, resigned. “And look where it’s gotten me. Nowhere. Trouble found me anyway.”

My stomach falls. That’s what I am to her. Trouble.

I can’t let her down now.

“She can come.”

“She’s not coming.” Charlie tugs on the mouse-brown wig.

“I already called it in, Charlie. Coast Guard should be heading for the site any minute now. We should both be there.” A muscle twitches in my temple. “June should be there. She’ll be safe with me.”

Another machine beeps.

“Coast Guard? You did find the drugs.” June’s voice is small. Full of hurt. “They were by the wreck, weren’t they? That’s where you swam off to.”

She sags back onto the hospital bed, eyes downcast. Her face so sad, so beautiful, it almost breaks my heart. Her palms press into her eyes, a ragged breath shaking her chest.

My heart twists, and I can’t stop myself from moving. The bed protests as I sit next to her, gathering her up in my arms. Her cheek rests against my shoulder, hot tears leaking onto my skin. My shirt soaking them up, but it isn’t enough.

I wish I could soak up her pain.

“He was running drugs. You were right.” The words gasp out of her, barely audible. “I didn’t want to believe it. I am an idiot.”

Charlie turns away, facing the door, giving us privacy. The small but unexpected gesture surprising me.

I rub June’s hair, savoring the silky slide of it against my fingers. “June.”

“No, don’t. You can’t make it better. After they took me, he was so angry. So angry. Because they forced his hand—throughme. I can’t believe I didn’t see it. I feel so stupid. Of course he went to work for them.”

“You weren’t stupid. We can all be blind when it comes to the people we care about.” I know that firsthand. My lungs hurt. “You were leverage for the smugglers.”

“Why my dad? Why us?”

I sigh, sending strands of her hair floating into the air. “Access. Your dad was ex-mil, knew the area, knew how to handle himself. You were an easy target. Opportunity and occasion.” I rub her back, holding her close, her quiet sobs wracking her body against mine. “He did it to keep you safe, June. It’s as easy and as hard as that.”

“It doesn’t make it right. None of this makes it right. I can’t believe the stupid shipment was there.”

Words fail me. I have no idea how to make this better. There’s no way to stop her from hurting. Every fresh tear against my skin burns, acid regret.

“I should’ve told you. I tried to.”

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