He hesitated. “Sure.” He turned and started back toward the bridge. “But think about what I said. Calm down and find a way to come to terms. Lassiter knows what a son of a bitch Nicos can be. He’s just not letting himself think about it in connection with you. He doesn’t believe he can afford it.”
She turned back to face those sparkling lights. She could do it. She was healthy and strong. She knew that endurance and will were everything. She had only to set her mind and never give up.
She kicked off her shoes. “He can’t afford it? Too bad. Because there’s no way on earth I can afford to go back to Nicos.” She started at a run toward the rail. “So screw both of you.”
She heard him call out as she threw her legs over the railing and dove into the water.
Cold. Very cold. Breathtakingly cold.
Not good.
The waters off San Diego were often mild and warm. But not if the currents disturbed those temperatures. Then they could be cold … and treacherous.
She’d be better once she started to move.
She struck out for the shore.
Yes, that was better. It was chilly, but not too bad. It was the shock that had made the temperature appear dangerous.
“Margaret!” She heard someone dive off the ship behind her.
Lassiter. Cursing.
“What the hell? Do you have a death wish?” Lassiter said between his teeth. He was only a few yards behind her. “First those tigers and now this?”
“I’m probably a better swimmer than you are. I can make it to the shore. I’ve done longer swims. That’s how I got off Nicos’s island. And if you try to stop me, I’ll fight you and we’ll both probably drown. You wouldn’t want that after you went to all this trouble.” She concentrated on shutting out the cold and taking long, easy strokes. “You’ll probably give up before I do. I have motivation, and you’re just a bad guy trying to do a bad thing.” She looked at him over her shoulder. “But maybe your friend will rescue you if he sees you drowning. I won’t.”
“You might be a better swimmer than I am, but the water’s too cold tonight,” he said quietly. “There’s no way you can make the shore.”
“It’s not that cold. Maybe a little under sixty degrees. It just seemed that way at first. I’ll make it.” She forged ahead in a breaststroke. “But I can’t waste my breath talking anymore.”
“Have it your way.”
“I will. I won’t go to—”
Concentrate. Even strokes. Breathe deeply. Keep moving. Keep the blood circulating. It wasn’t cold enough to give her hypothermia, but the temperature was always a factor on a long swim.
She could hear Lassiter behind her, but he was no longer speaking. He was a very strong swimmer, she realized vaguely.
But so was she, and all she had to do was keep this pace going.
The shore was much closer now.
Just keep her arms moving. She could make it.
Her body felt heavy, cold, but if she moved faster, that would take care of that.
It wasn’t really cold. It was just creeping up on her because she was getting tired.
The lights were closer.…
Her arms were moving slower now.
Make them go faster to fight the cold.
She could do it.
She was almost there.
“That’s enough,” Lassiter said roughly. He had caught up with her and she saw his expression. Angry …
“Get away from me. I’m almost there.”
“Yes, dammit, you are. I didn’t think— But not close enough. You won’t make it. You’re probably already suffering from a mild form of hypothermia. Hell, probably so am I. But I’m stronger than you are. Your arms are going to give out and you’ll drown.”
“No. You’re not stronger. I don’t need you. I don’t need anyone. I can do it. Get away from me.”
“My God, I almost wish I could.” His lips twisted. “But I didn’t go to all this hassle to have you drown on me just because something in me wants to see you make it. Don’t fight me, Margaret.”
“Get … away … from … me.” She tried to push him away.
“You keep ignoring warnings. This time, I really regret that you’re doing it.”
Her head snapped back as he struck her on the chin.
Pain.
That heavy, cold water.
Darkness.
*
She woke up on a bunk on the ship, naked, coughing, and shivering as Neal Cambry piled blankets on top of her.
“Keep still,” he said. “I’ve got my orders. I’m to get you warm and I’m not to let you jump off the ship again. I intend to do just what Lassiter told me to do. He’s not in great humor at the moment. He wasn’t pleased that I let you go for a swim.”
“Where … is … he?”
“Trying to warm up, too. You were both in pretty bad shape.” He supported her while she drank the hot tea he held to her lips. “You’re very stubborn, you know.”
“Could—have—made it.”
“A matter of opinion,” he said. “But I lean toward Lassiter’s. I think you were going down for a long fall.”
She shook her head.
He chuckled. “Okay, maybe not. Argue with him.” He tossed a San Diego Zoo nightshirt on the bed beside her. “I found this in your backpack. Pretty flimsy, but I thought you’d be more comfortable.” He headed for the steps leading to the deck. “I’ll be right back. I’m going to make sure I complete that second order and get far enough to sea so that you won’t be tempted to try to swim to shore again.”
“We can’t stay … out to sea forever,” she called after him as she pulled the nightshirt over her head. “Sometime I’ll get another chance.”
“I’m sure you will.” Lassiter was coming down the stairs. He was wearing a dark blue crew sweater and jeans and his hair was still wet. “I just hope you have better sense next time.”
“Self-preservation is always sensible.”
“Exactly.” He sat down in the chair beside the bed, his gaze going to her zoo nightshirt. “That has elephants instead of tigers. Why?”
She frowned. “What difference does it make?”
“Curious. I only wanted to make sure you hadn’t abandoned your allegiance.”
“It was on a sale.”
“Money can move mountains. Or tigers.” He tilted his head. “You look like a drowned rat.”
“I didn’t drown. I wouldn’t have drowned. I would have made it.”
“I’ve heard that mantra before.” He smiled faintly. “You almost had me believing it.”
“It’s only important that I believe it.” She could hear the engine start and felt the ship’s motion escalate. “You won’t be able to keep me prisoner until you can turn me over to Nicos. There are all kinds of ways that I can get away. You can see how much trouble I am.”
“Yes, I can. A great deal of trouble.”
He didn’t seem as angry this time. Or it could have been how exhausted she was. She could barely keep her eyes open. “Then wouldn’t it be better just to forget about me?”
“You’ve made that extremely difficult to do.”
“Surely I’m not worth it. You’ve probably already paid too much to try to find me.”
“Considerable. Let’s just say, to me you’re a jewel beyond price.”
“Bullshit. Nicos wouldn’t think so. He has a price for everything. Why do you want to get to him anyway?”