The vessel bobbing in the water of the cove was nicer than I had expected. Having pictured a speedboat, crashing through the bay, I was surprised to find us on a much larger vessel. The cabin was complete with a small kitchenette and a couple bedrooms. A jet ski sat strapped in on the upper deck, able to be lowered should the need arise. The ship must have cost a fortune.

Our mishaps of the day had resulted in a late departure. I guessed it to be around seven in the evening when we finally left, picking up speed with remarkable rapidity. My earlier reservations regarding the boat's appropriateness in our current situation were quickly dissuaded.

Any time Garrett saw Kael, he grew silent, agitated even. I knew he was still fuming from their altercation earlier, so I chose not to comment on his behavior. I sat now, on the upper deck watching the last few rays of the sunset disappear. I was alone and glad for it. Garrett had succumbed to sea sickness and was resting below. I hadn't seen even a glimpse of Madeline, so that Higgins fellow must be doing his job. I had the impression Kael had brought two to three thugs along with us for protection. I had seen glimpses of them pacing in the corridors or walking across the decks as if doing security checks. These men made my skin crawl, but at the same time their presence made me feel safer somehow.

I hated the idea that I could pick a side in a war against two criminal entities. Helping Kael outwit Garrett in his blackmailing scheme had been the only way to bring Kael back to me as an impenetrable ally. Whether Garrett saw it or not, Kael and his group of criminal masterminds were the only ones in this scenario even remotely looking out for us. Losing their trust in us would be crippling to our own chances of survival. I knew I wasn't doing the right thing by Garrett but rather the smart thing. Keep your enemies closer. I remembered Kael saying in the kitchen earlier. How true. As long as this group tolerated Garrett and me, we had a chance of ultimately surviving this and bringing the whole ring of criminals to justice.

Justice. I was surprised at how passionately I wanted my actions to eventually bring an end to the corruption my past was imbedded in. How fitting it would be to send the whole lot of these scoundrels to prison for life. Remembering the cages where Madeline had nearly killed me, I shuddered. I could see them, packed with prisoners, crying, begging for their lives to be restored to them. Horrid.

"Are you cold?"

In my deep introspection, the person behind me had managed to sneak up unannounced. I jumped a little at his voice, turning to see Higgins approaching me.

"No, don't get up love," he said and took a seat opposite me. He looked out at the ocean, much as I had been. Taking a few moments, he sighed as if appreciating the sight for the first time. He seemed to remember that he had interrupted my privacy, "you don't mind do you?"

I shrugged, minding more than I cared to say. I hadn't seen much of this man, but what I had seen was a man that I couldn't trust with dark, disconcerting eyes that brought a tingling sensation up my spine. I remembered the first time I had met him. He had looked me over quickly, his gaze missing nothing. There was something in his air, the way he handled himself that attributed itself to a class lost to another time. At the same time, he had an edge to him that I couldn't quite pinpoint. Something told me he could be more than a little dangerous. As head of security at Harper Manor, he was more lethal than elegant I was sure.

He leaned back in his chair, studying me. "So, are you nervous?" he asked and folded his arms across his abdomen in a manner usually reserved for interrogation specialists. My mind searched for the fastest, safest escape route. I had an idea of where Garrett had gone to rest. I could retreat there. If all else failed, I could run for the bridge. I was fairly sure Kael was steering the ship at least some of the time. He would call Higgins off if I asked.

Higgins chuckled softly, "Do I make you nervous?" When I didn't answer he went on, "but of course I do. Everything," he indicated with his hand broadly, "here should make you nervous. You are a little fish in big, strange waters now, aren't you?" He seemed to enjoy making me squirm. What had my father seen in this man to make him head of security? On second thought, making one's skin crawl was probably an asset in their business.

I looked away, considering ignoring him, but the man grated on my nerves too much not to respond. "Of course I'm nervous," I retorted, "would you expect a different response from a novice? But we haven't a choice, have we? We must see this through." I watched him processing what I said, trying to decide if he believed my brave insight.

"You know, you remind me a lot of your mum. Not sure how Gideon will take seeing you after all these years."

"My mother?" I whispered the words, barely able to believe them. "You knew her?"

"Ah, but I've said too much. Not even Kael knows anything about her. Sealed book that one." He started to stand, probably guessing I would plague him with more questions after the slip he had made.

"I know." I stood as well, not wanting him to tower over me. "I know her name was Ava Price."

I hoped he would give me more information once he heard that I already knew more than he expected.

His eyes widened, nearly bursting from their sockets. "Who told you about Ava?" he asked, sounding indignant.

"Not that easy," I retorted, wanting to use the edge I now had. "Tell me what you know about her, and then I'll share."

To my horror, he lunged at me, grabbing me around the throat and pushing back into the ship's railing in one swift move. His grasp pressed firmly just above my neck wound. With his hold around my neck, I could manage a hoarse scream, but nothing more. Terrified, I hardly fought him, hoping he would release me when he realized his mistake. He did not.

"Who told you?" he spat, releasing his grip just enough so I could whisper.

"Madeline," I gasped. My eyes were wide now, the metal railing imprinting where it would leave bruises in my back. I didn't move, praying that he would release his hold on my neck. Instead, he tilted me backwards, toward the crashing waves below.

"What else did she tell you, little lady? Or I swear, I'll let you fall right here, right now." He sounded angry enough to follow through with his threat. Hours after Kael had sworn to protect me, it would be sickening and ironic for me to fall to my death at his employee's hands. Afraid of making him angrier, I mentally revisited his question. What else had Madeline said? I couldn't remember.

"She probably lied anyway," he sneered. His hold on me tightened, pushing me back further, increasing my chances of toppling over the edge. The bar pressed deep into my flesh. His hand crushed my throat. I could scarcely breathe in this position. "Tell me you little wretch!" he snarled. His face was inches from mine, red and sweaty. I wanted to vomit, but the bile couldn't leave my stomach in the position he had forced me into.

"She - she said she was killed!" I said, finally remembering. "Is that true?"

I dared not give the details of how Madeline, then Kael had been given the order before it was finally executed. I wasn't sure how true it was, and he certainly didn't seem to be in the mood for fabrication.

"Dead?" He seemed to consider that a moment, then pushed me back further.

"Stop!" I begged.

"Is that all? Did she say anything else at all about her?" he asked and shook his hold around my neck.

"No, I swear!" I croaked and hoped this nightmare would be over soon. He loosened me, but did not release me, allowing my feet to touch the boat once again. I felt the blood return to my head. I was going to live.

"If you tell anyone about this - either what happened here or what you know about Ava, I will kill your little boyfriend in there, you understand? And I will take my time." I stared, saying nothing. I couldn't believe that he would be willing to kill Garrett to protect this secret. He released me abruptly and turned to leave. Much to my chagrin, he had another thought and turned back around to add, "And I'll make sure you never see the light of day, you understand? I've got plenty of places to lose a woman like you. They'll never know where I shipped you off to." With that, he was gone.

I stood for a moment in a fog, trembling, not sure what to do. Too shaken up to decide on a course of action, the only option at the moment was to get in someone else's company. I didn't want to be alone in case he returned. Finally, I found the strength to leave. The decks were vacant, fortunately. The moon above me and few lights along the deck offered dim light, guiding my shaky path to the bridge.

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In case Harper forgot, Higgins reminded her that she is in over her head with these people! Let me know your thoughts and leave me a vote if you enjoyed the chapter. Thanks for reading guys!

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