“Don’t ever say that.”
Ginny firmed her trembling lips, nodding at him.
As the boat sped toward Clindale, they closed in on another mega yacht docked farther out from the marina. “Doesn’t it make you want one?” Ginny laughingly yelled out to be heard over the motor.
“No, I’d rather have the other one.”
At first, Ginny didn’t understand what Gavin was pointing at, her attention more focused on the luxurious multi-level one they were passing. Looking toward where Gavin pointed, she saw a single level that was anchored just behind the larger one.
Ginny sat motionless, inwardly registering the boat that had been dredged up from her subconscious. As realization struck, so did the reason why it had been strategically placed behind the multi-level yacht.
Whoever owned that boat was on Sherguevil Island. She had possibly been in the same room with the owner without her knowledge, and whoever it was, they were ready for her to know it.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Reaper gripped Ginny’s waist, lifting her off the boat and onto the dilapidated dock. Several boards were either missing or bowing upward, so he prepared himself to catch Ginny if the creaking boards gave way under their feet.
The captain remained on the boat. “I will be returning to Sherguevil. I have other guests waiting for transportation to and from their boats. Radio when you’re ready to be picked up.”
Taking the radio, they watched the driver leave them standing alone on the dock. Reaper was only mildly surprised they had been left alone on island. It wasn’t like he and Ginny could take off swimming for the States; they were stuck there until they radioed for a pick-up.
The decaying condition of the dock had him seriously contemplating whether it had been longer than three years since it had been used.
Looking at the overgrown jungle before them, Reaper cursed that he didn’t have a machete. Glancing at Ginny, he saw the mix of emotions she was battling to suppress, knowing it was exactly the response Allerton would want to see if he had cameras placed around the beach.
Searching the foliage, he saw an indentation with new growth where the plants weren’t as densely packed. “This way. Watch yourself.” Reaper stepped forward, parting the throngs of one leafy plant and holding it back until he saw Ginny clear the area before continuing deeper into the recesses of the jungle. She clutched the back of his shirt as they moved through the tangle of vines and brush.
“Fuck. I could kick my ass for not asking for gloves or a machete.”
“I don’t think you would have gotten a pocket knife from him,” Ginny bantered at his back.
“I don’t think so either,” he agreed. To be honest, his head hadn’t been on straight since breakfast. Allerton made a big production of eating his toast, the fucking perv showed every tooth in his mouth, and Reaper knew exactly what the fucker was imagining. Banishing the sexual degradation that Allerton had tried unsuccessfully to inflict upon him to the back of his mind, Reaper knew Allerton’s day was fucking coming. And when it did, each of those pearly whites would be smashed and shoved down his throat.
Ginny poked her head around his body. “Go more to the left,” she suggested.
Seeing the brush was thinner there, he struck out in that direction, telling her to watch her step on the uneven ground.
Pushing through, he finally managed to drive back one section of vegetation for them to step out and into an immense clearing. They found the island’s village. The small homes were crumpled and destroyed as if crushed by a wrecking ball.
Reaper heard Ginny gasp as she stepped around him to get a better look at the destruction.
“Ginny ….”
“Just give me a minute. I need to catch my breath.” The gamut of emotions crossing her face and heavy breathing wasn’t because she overexerted herself.
“They’re all dead. I should never have left ….” Her face crumpled.
Reaper stepped forward, pulling her to his chest.
“How am I ever going to make this right?”
Lowering his head, he muttered low in his ear, “I know it’s hard, but get a grip on yourself. We both know who is responsible for this shit.”
Ginny shakily lifted her head, pulling away from him to move around the crumpled huts. Following behind her, Gavin looked around realizing he’d mistakenly assumed there hadn’t been many islanders living here. Seeing the sheer number of mangled homes gutted him; he hadn’t seen anything this bad since leaving the service. Reaper didn’t have to imagine how Ginny was feeling. He knew all too well what evil could do.
“All of this just because I wanted to see a stupid boat.” Her voice was so low that it was barely discernable.
Bending down, Reaper picked up a small board. “Ginny, we don’t know what precipitated this destruction. It could be unrelated to anything concerning you.” Squatting down, Reaper used the board to shift through a stack of planks, then dropped it and dusted his hands off, resting on his knees.