Page 51 of Cruel Tides

Bullseye. I’d obviously hit a sore spot.

“Sorry, Lee, I shouldn’t have?—”

“They didn’t call for any storms today.” Dad’s brow furrowed, his hands tightening over the helm. “Looks like we should turn back…”

“That was me,” Leander said hotly, a hand covering his face. “My apologies, sir.” He was uncharacteristically red, down to his neck, like it had hurt his pride to admit he’d lost control. “It won’t happen again.”

“That was… you.” Dad’s gaze slowly panned from Leander to me, his eyes full of questions. “Are you sure about that, son?”

“Yes, sir.” He bowed deeply, and my mouth fell open. “It won’t happen again,” he repeated, his voice sounding strangely empty.

“Lee, wait.” I reached for him, but he drew away to the other side of the boat where Laverne had her head stuck between an opening in the rail.

Kai’s hand landed around my shoulders, steering me away. “I don’t think it’s you, Claira. He’s going through a lot,” he said in a soothing whisper, his grip light yet reassuring.

“No, it is me,” I said, my voice shaky. “He was being too hard on you, and I—I goaded him.”

Kai’s smile turned warm. “I don’t mind him taking his frustrations out on me.” He shrugged like he was used to being a scapegoat. As the youngest of all his brothers, maybe he was.

“Just because you don’t mind, it doesn’t make it right.” My molars clenched. How would things work between the three of us if they didn’t start getting along?

“He’s about to leave his kingdom as a deserter,” he whispered, sadness filling his voice. “Abandoning something he cares about more than himself.”

I… hadn’t considered that. What Leander was going through, what he must be feeling, yet Kai had.

I swallowed dryly, my mind racing. Even if I wanted to, I couldn’t speak. As we sailed across the water, the wind blew through my hair, yet my mind stayed locked on that thought.

I might not have heard Dad say, “Not too long now. We’re getting close,” if Kai hadn’t stretched his arms out right next to me.

“Time to get changed.” Barren drew away from the helm. The next thing I knew, he was unbuckling the strap over his chest.

I stared at him, captivated by the movement of the brace falling away from his shoulder, until his hand went to his top button and his words finally registered.

Dropping my bag from my shoulders, I unzipped it in search of my bathing suit. “Get changed, right,” I mumbled, and then my body went rigid when I realized the most horrifying thought.

These guys were about to get naked. Right here, right now. Right on my boat.

Right in front of my dad.

“Crap, crap, crap.” My hands worked quickly underneath my shirt to exchange my bra for a bikini top. Hearing the guys shuffling around me made my heart work harder thanLady Ochre’sengine.

Whose plan had this been? Who had invited my dad along to witness this madness?

Forget about the threat of cecaelia, we could have swum. Weshouldhave swum. Anything was better than Dad witnessing three grown-ass mermen stripping down to put their hands all over his daughter.

Sure, it was because of their betta fish curse, but I hadn’t explained to Dad how my curse breaking worked. That detail hadn’t seemed like something he needed to know. But now…

“Shit, shit, shit.” I threw my wrap around me and tied it up, spinning it so the opening was at my hip. “W-wait, guys.Guys,” I called out, fumbling over each word as I threw my shirt down and wiggled my pants off from underneath the wrap.

When I looked up, a blindingly golden ass told me Leander had already dropped his pants.

“Oh,heck no.” I abandoned my bag to charge at him, my face already feeling the heat. Why was he always the first to get naked? It was like clothing melted off his perfect form with only a word or a simple snap of his fingers.

As I seized Leander by the shoulders, my gaze immediately shifted to my dad. His focus was still on the horizon—thank Poseidon—but for how long?

Laverne sure had noticed, though. Her snout plunged open, her tongue unraveling so far out of her mouth I was sure it would hit the deck.

“Uh, Claira?” I turned back to see Leander’s eyebrows curving, astonishment replacing the dreary expression he’d been wearing for the last hour. “What are you doing?”

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