“Ginny raised her hand to push her hair from her face to look him in the eye. “Just tell me one thing … What was the artifact you think I stole?”
The cane stopped midswing, as if he was taken by surprise. “You really don’t remember?”
“No,” she said truthfully.
His chuckle melted into a frown.
“You took it. I saw it with my own eyes.”
“How?”
“On videotape. All the interiors of the ships coming into the island are set up with surveillance when visitors dock their boats for screening.”
“Why am I not surprised you lied?” Scornfully spat out at him. “You make that a habit, don’t you?”
The expected swing of the cane didn’t come because of her snide remark. Instead, it gave him the opportunity to gloat. “Sometimes my guests need motivation to come to an agreement with me.”
“Agreement? You mean kiss your ass?”
Ginny saw little black dots when he struck out at her.
“That day, with the owner being present, I couldn’t get access to the camera. The owner was there and found the artifact missing. He didn’t know who had taken it, only that it wasn’t where it was supposed to be. He searched for it before he called for my assistance. One of the crew had accidently left a deck door unlatched, which is how you must have gotten inside. By the time we got to the boat, all we had to go on was a vague description of Gyi’s son going to different boats at the marina and looking for something or someone. We only knew what the owner told us—the artifact was missing. Naturally we assumed it was Manny. Unfortunately back then, I didn’t have the state-of-the-art equipment to work with or the feed would have gone to my office. I had to wait until I got access to the equipment on board the owner’s boat to see what Manny had stolen. By then, my security had cornered Manny on Gyi’s boat. Manny denied being on the board, saying he didn’t know what had been taken. Needless to say, he was telling the truth. Unfortunately, I didn’t know that at the time, and sadly for Manny and Gyi it was one of the few times in my life I lost control. By the time I was able to retrieve the security tapes, clearly showing you were the one sneaking on the boat, you and Trudy had already been sent to your grandmother’s. I was eagerly waiting for your return when the plane went down. Your pretend death was a stroke of genius, by the way. I believed it, but I did cover my bases if you were alive, but somehow you managed to keep just out my range. I’d like to know how.”
Ginny didn’t flinch when Allerton used the tip of the cane to force her shoulder backward so she had to look up at him.
“You admit killing them was a mistake?”
“I’ve never been a man dwell on my mistakes. Especially”—clicking his tongue at her he walked around her prone body—“because those were your mistakes. You alone are responsible for the events that transpired. I was only trying to appease a guest who was quite angry.”
In spite of the excruciating pain of her injuries, Ginny pressed on with her questions, determined to find out the answers since that fateful day had changed the course of her future. “So, the owners of the boats don’t even know you’re watching them to this day?”
“Depends; it’s on a need-to-know basis.”
“In other words, you use the tapes to blackmail them to get what you want, when you want?”
“It’s a quid pro quo world. I merely take advantage of the fact.” He shrugged. “I’ll have to re-evaluate that night over again. Don’t fear, my dear, you will be reunited with your husband once I’m assured you no longer have any information I need, then my men will wear away the shine of you being their new toy.” As he spoke, he lifted the cane high above his head.
Ginny could see the salacious desire in his face to strike her one more time before he turned her over to his men. She curled tighter into a ball by bringing her thighs up and lowering her arms to cover her belly.
“Have you finally run out of things you want to say to me?”
Holding her head at a proud angle, Ginny refused to utter the pleas of mercy that Allerton was trying to beat out of her. Then a loud sound coming from the office doorway had everyone turning their heads in that direction.
Gavin stood there like a gladiator ready to do battle.
“Ginny might not, but I sure as fuck do.”
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Ginny took one glance at Gavin and the men who came storming into the room with raised military guns and knew reflexively what to do. She was already ducking her head to the floor when shots rang out, shattering the stunned silence of Allerton and his guards.