“Why would I need a driver’s license? I don’t own a car, and even if I did, I don’t know how to drive.”
My heart throbs. I learned to drive when I was thirteen. No one taught me, just like no one taught me how to throw a punch or fire a gun. I learned because it was necessary to survive. But since I was sixteen, I’ve been driving a Lamborghini. I can’t imagine never driving. It’s one of the world’s greatest escapes. I feel powerful and unrelenting when I drive. And suddenly, I have the urge to teach her how to drive and watch as she takes control.
“I’m Kai Miller,” her words are calm and steady.
“How do I know that? How do I know you aren’t lying to me so I’ll forgive your debt?”
Anger flares on her face, as steam flows from her ears. She’s pissed. It’s cute, but not enough to make me believe her.
She huffs. “Do I look like a Jocelyn to you?”
“No.”
“My name is Kai. My father calls me Katherine because he thinks Kai is too masculine sounding. But I chose the name Kai when I was little and thought Katherine was too long. It means—”
“Sea.”
She nods slowly.
Kai looks like the sea. Her eyes match the greenish blue color of the ocean, and her skin thrives under the sun making her tanner instead of burning. I would guess she’s grown up her whole life near the water, but instead of learning about the ocean, she’s been cleaning expensive yachts…for my father, I realize. This is one of his yachts.
Fuck. She really is Kai. Whether the name on her birth certificate is Katherine or Kai, it doesn’t matter. This is who my father meant when he wrote the name on the napkin. And she knows something, or my father thinks she does, which is why I have to kill her.
But I need to learn more. So much more. I have so many questions Kai needs to answer. I need to take her somewhere private, not here on the pier. Somewhere I can figure out what to do.
I look down at her lean body. I could grab her arm and force her to go with me. She might struggle or even scream, but it won’t be enough to draw much attention to us. The sailors know who I am, and they wouldn’t dare cross me or my family. Even if the police are called, it would be too late. I would already have her.
But she might answer more of my questions if I lure her, instead of taking her.
It’s not in my nature to persuade someone with the carrot rather than the stick. But with Kai, I think it’s the only way.
Her eyes widen as she realizes I believe her, and I want something from her.
I hold out my hand.
“I’m not going with you. Not until you tell me why you were searching for me.”
I let my shoulders drop, attempting to seem relaxed. I feign a smile, and let my eyes grow soft, so I stop looking like such a demon.
“Have you ever been on a yacht before?”
She chuckles incredulously. “Are you serious? You just saw me on a yacht.”
I smile more genuine now at seeing her brighten. “I meant, have you been on a yacht like this out in the ocean? Not when you were working, but when you could truly enjoy its grace and extravagance?”
“No,” she exhales in sadness.
I extend my hand to her, making it easier for her to accept. “Let me take you out on one. It could be fun. Just the two of us.” I wink.
Kai stares at my hand, and I know she’s debating with herself. She wants to take it. She wants to have fun, have an adventure. Pretend that cleaning away nonstop isn’t her life.
But she knows the danger. I don’t know much about her, but this much I know. She was wary of me in the bar, and she continues to be now. She should be. I don’t know what made her different than most kids our age, but I know she doesn’t get to spend her days going to school, doing homework, and flirting with boys her age. Her life has hardened her to the truths of the world. She knows danger when she sees it, and I’m danger.
“Do you know how to drive a yacht?”
I smirk; I’ve got her. “I guess you’re just going to have to trust me if you want to go out the ocean.”
She ignores my hand but walks closer to me. “Let’s go then.”