Chapter 18

• Crystal's POV It took a couple of days of Jackson hiding in his hole on the yacht, planning something before we docked again at another location. I wasn't quite sure where we docked this time, and I didn't think I wanted to know. Not really. It was another very nice port, high rises all around the waterfront, and a hundred or so more yachts all docked. I could, however, tell that we were no longer in America because the signs all around the port were in a language I didn't recognize. I looked over at Jackson as he and Noah were both staring at the computer screen in front of them, whispering to each other. I studied them cautiously as if waiting for them to strike. Julie leaned casually back against the wall next to me, eating an apple. "You know what they're talking about?" She asked me, her eyes never leaving them. I shook my head. "They're looking for this Martin person, but as far as I've gathered, he seems to be pretty hard to find. They haven't been having much luck." Julie looked at me briefly before looking out the window. "If you want to get out of here, I've got your back." She locked eyes with me. "And I don't mean go sightseeing." I looked out the window, tempted to run. Tempted to take my chances. I thought about what it would be like. Likely it would be no different than the life I had already planned on living after my father was sent to prison. I knew his influence, his orders, his followers, wouldn't stop while he was locked away. I knew he'd likely put a bounty on my head. And I knew he'd still be able to pay it despite being in jail. I thought it over and looked at Jackson out of the corner of my eyes before shaking my head. "If we ran, we'd not only incur my father's wrath, but also his." I jerked my head in Jackson's direction. "I only feel like being hunted by one bad guy at a time." Julie shrugged. "Suit yourself." She went back to staring out the window. "But what are the chances your father would actually believe a word Jackson told him?" I shrugged. "I'm not willing to find out," I replied. "Not until I'm able to turn over the evidence to the FBI. My father might believe Storm, he might not, but then he'd probably keep his eyes on me even without realizing it. After I turn over the evidence," I shrugged again. "I don't care what happens." I could feel Julie's eyes on me. "You don't care what happens?" She repeated. The tone of her voice got me looking back at her. She was angry. "And what if, say, your father kills you?" I turned away, a deep sadness filling me. I didn't want to think about that. I wanted to believe that my father would never hurt me . . . but I couldn't. Not anymore. A few years ago, I would have said that he wouldn't hurt a fly, but now? I had seen firsthand what he'd done to people that betrayed him. Deep down I wanted to believe he wouldn't hurt me, but that wasn't the case. I let out a long sigh. "He's my father, Julie," I said softly. "That may not mean much to you, but he's still the man who raised me." I turned away from her gaze and looked back and Jackson and Noah, completely oblivious and huddled together in conversation. Yes. I thought. He was still my father. Still the man who tucked me in every night for years. Still the man who drove me to school every morning when I was too young to do so. The man who would throw me the best birthday parties, show up to every modeling or school event I'd ever had, even when I told him he didn't have to. Still the man who loved me more than he'd ever been able to say. Still the man I loved too. I blew out another long, shaky breath and blinked back tears at the thought of what I was going to do. Of what this was going to do to our relationship. To our family. Julie's focus, I noticed, was still on me. Her expression turning sympathetic, even though we both knew there was no way for her to know what I was going through. Her eyes suddenly strayed out the window. "Hot damn, who is that?" Everyone's attention moved to the window. To the man walking down the dock. Jackson and Noah tore themselves away from their work at Julie's loud explanation to investigate. I pushed myself off the wall and moved closer to the window to get a better look. To tell myself that this wasn't happening. "Oh hell," I muttered as he walked casually toward the yacht. Hands in his pockets, long lazy strides, completely at ease. "Stay here," I muttered before moving quickly from the room and onto the deck of the yacht. He walked calmly down the dock, his sole focus on the yacht and then me as soon as I stepped into view. And even though it was fairly hot outside, he somehow managed to blend in with his leather jacket-which no doubt hid his gun-jeans, and boots. "How the hell did you find me?" I asked him as soon as he was within earshot. "Are you telling me you know that fine specimen?" Julie whispered from right next to me. I barely resisted the urge to jump away from her in surprise. Instead, I ignored her and focused on the man coming toward me. "You didn't make the exchange," He started, instead of replying to my question. "which not only makes me and my partner look bad but completely stalls our progress in arresting your father Miss Carver." I shrugged. "I got held up. And I'm fairly certain the FBI isn't supposed to operate outside of the U.S." He shrugged, the movement causing his t-shirt to ride up slightly, exposing a strip of dark skin between the waistband of his jeans and the edge of his shirt. "You weren't answering any of my calls." "I'm not obligated to." I watched as Special Agent Damien North narrowed his eyes at me in a threatening away. "You not showing up for the exchange doesn't exactly paint a pretty picture of you, Miss Carver." "Excuse me," Julie said to me, low enough that Agent North couldn't hear. "You had this man's phone number and didn't think to share it with me?" I gave her a deadpan look. "Julie, he's in law enforcement." "So?" "You ignore every speed limit ever when you drive." Julie took her time looking him over from head to toe and then again, not even caring if he knew she was checking him out. "He could arrest me whenever he wanted." Agent North's eyebrows went up but he didn't say anything. I groaned and turned away from her and back to him. "I couldn't make the exchange." "Why not?" He questioned. I let out a sigh, knowing full well he'd know if I was lying. "I didn't have the SD card." It's silent for way longer than it should be. "You want to run that by me again?" He asked, his tone of voice was calm, his entire posture was calm, and yet I knew he was anything but calm. "I didn't have the SD card," I repeated. I noticed his jaw clench. "I was busy trying to get it back." "Get it back?" I shrugged. "It was stolen . . . at the same time as the whole . . . scandal thing happened." Agent North crossed his arms over his chest. "The scandal that you told me changes nothing?" I rocked back on my heels. "That's the one." He took a deep breath before he spoke again. "Do you have it now?" I opened my mouth to say yes and then shut it just as quickly. I glared at the tinted windows of the yacht. At where I imagined Jackson was standing. "Kind of," I replied. "And that means what, exactly?" "I have it," I told him honestly. "But I can't give it to you. Not yet." Agent North narrowed his eyes at me further. "Would you like to be arrested for withholding evidence in an active government investigation?" "Yes," Julie interjected. She held out her wrists and winked. I watched as Agent North slapped a hand over his face. "This conversation doesn't involve you, Miss Owens," He replied. She shrugged. "Just answer me one question," Julie continued. "You single?" Agent North just raised his eyebrows at her again. Julie let out a groan. "Don't tell me you're gay," She said and then, turning to me she whispered, "The hot ones always are." He rolled his eyes. "No to both of your questions," He replied simply. "Damn," She muttered. "Let me know when you break up with your girlfriend." Agent North turned back to me, completely ignoring her. "Why are you trying to make my job so much more difficult, Miss Carver?" He asked me. "That was never my intention," I responded as I ran a hand through my hair in frustration. "Just give me a few days, I'll get the SD card to you." He stood still for a long while, his arms crossed over his chest, deep in thought. Finally, he shook his head and began walking toward the yacht once again, pulling himself on board as soon as he was close enough. "No," He told me. I stared at him incredulously while Julie walked around behind him, looking him up and down from behind. She gave an approving smirk. "No?" I questioned him, trying my best to ignore her. He shook his head again before looking around the yacht, his gaze lingering on the tinted windows even though he couldn't see into them. "You're clearly in some kind of trouble, and I need that SD card." I opened my mouth to voice my protests but he just held his hand up to keep me from interrupting. "I know you're in trouble because this yacht isn't registered . . . anywhere. Also, Julie went through a whole lot to make sure she wasn't followed when she came to you. I don't care to know what you've both gotten yourselves into, I don't need the details, but I'm going to help you out in order to get that evidence where it needs to go." I suddenly frowned as I thought over his words. "How did you find me?" I finally asked. He let out a sigh. "My partner found you." "That doesn't tell me how." "Yeah well, he doesn't tell me how he does it either," Agent North replied. "Where is your partner?" I asked him. "I was dealing with both of you. Why am I only dealing with you now?" Agent North was quiet for a long moment. "He's . . . tracking someone down." "Another case?" I asked. He looked like he was debating how to answer my question. "You could say that," He replied finally. Clearly, there was more to that story, but I didn't feel like figuring it out. "I don't need your help," I told him firmly. He shrugged. "My instincts tell me you do," He said, not breaking eye contact with me. Julie looked to me. "I say we keep him-er-let him stay." Agent North looked at her suspiciously out of the corner of his eyes. Jackson suddenly came walking out onto the deck of the yacht . . . or, at least, I thought it was Jackson. I had to do a doubletake. His hair, which I'm sure was a wig this time since he hadn't had enough time to dye it, was long and black, tied into a ponytail at the nape of his neck. His eyes were a light green. Of course, all he had been doing around me was changing his hair and eye color, nothing out of the ordinary. Nothing that would cause me not to be able to recognize him. This time, however, things were different. He had sideburns (which I thought looked like fuzzy caterpillars stuck to the sides of his head). His cheeks were somehow fuller. His nose, which was thin and slightly crooked, was now longer and slightly wider. Still crooked though. He also seemed to look older somehow. He was still dressed in one of his suits, but this one was just slightly baggier as if he'd lost some weight. Even the way he walked was different. His normally cocky and confident gait was slower, lazy almost. He still held himself tall and straight with an aurora of confidence but instead of the cockiness that usually accompanied it, he was practically oozing charm and friendliness. Even Julie stared at him in utter surprise, like she couldn't understand where Jackson went. It was both utterly amazing and completely frightening. It was as if he simply flipped a switch and turned into someone else. I barely recognized him and I had been forced into living with him for the past week. Before, I had thought people were idiots for not recognizing him when all he'd done was change his hair and eye color and maybe his shirt. Now, I completely understood. I also came to the realization that he could have disappeared from me whenever he damn well pleased, but he'd purposefully only changed his eyes and hair color in my presence. He'd been allowing me to recognize him the entire time. If he didn't want me to see him, I wouldn't. It also got me wondering just what else he was doing to his appearance to keep up the same look that I'd recognize. And it made me realize that I honestly had no hope in hell of ever knowing exactly what this conniving bastard actually looked like. "May I help you?" He asked Agent North, with a Texas accent. I mentally smacked myself. Of course, he'd change his accent. At this point, I was just surprised he hadn't undergone a full sex change. I also figured that he'd had way too much time on his hands in the past if he'd perfected a complete movie-worthy makeover in like five minutes. "This is Damien North," I said to Jackson. Introducing Damien. "He's FBI." The last statement didn't faze Jackson at all. At least not outwardly. Jackson nodded his head in a thoughtful way and held out his hand to Agent North. "Pleasure to meet you," He said, his voice dripping with charm and oozing friendliness. Julie was still staring at him as if he were a three-headed dragon. "Likewise . . ." Agent North trailed off, leaving Jackson to fill in the blanks. And what he said next had me facepalming and wanting to scream in frustration. "Sean Marrek," He said simply. Julie just barely managed to turn a wheezing laugh into a cough. Agent North's eyebrows shot up and he looked at Jackson in surprise. "Sean Marrek, huh?" He questioned. His tone of voice suggested he'd heard that name before . . . and not in a good way. "Yes," Jackson replied smoothly. "Is there a problem?" Agent North nodded. "I'll say there is." He crossed his arms over his chest and stared Jackson down. "You ever heard of someone named Quinn Delaney?" I frowned. The way Agent North said it, suggested that he already knew the answer to that question and that answer, would be yes. But I'd never heard Marrek ever mention anything about any guy named Quinn Delaney. Then again, Marrek wasn't exactly a talking kind of person. Jackson pretended to ponder over the question like he was trying to pull some long-buried memory to the surface of his mind. Overdramatic much? Finally, he just shook his head. "Sorry, never heard of him. Who is he?" "Her," Agent North corrected immediately. "And she's only the woman you've been harassing for the past few months." I raised my eyebrows in surprise. Now, this I had to find out more about. Marrek harassing someone? And a woman no less? This was completely out of character for him. Especially since he never called me . . . or anyone else for that matter. If you wanted to talk to him you'd have to call him. So . . . I needed more details. Marrek, you and I are going to have a very interesting phone conversation as soon as I can get rid of Julie's new eye candy. Jackson was vehemently denying any such harassment while Agent North continued to fire off questions. I let out a long sigh, regretting that I was about to get involved since I so wanted to see where this was going to end up going and let out a loud whistle. "Agent North," I said as I locked eyes with Jackson. Jackson stared back at me and I knew that he knew what I was about to do. What I was about to say. His eyes narrowed in a silent warning. A muscle in his jaw ticked as he clenched his teeth. But above all, there was an unspoken challenge in his eyes. Daring me to do it and face the consequences. I was more than happy to oblige. I meant his challenging gaze with one of my own, a smirk forming on my lips. I swept my arm out dramatically, as if announcing a royal guest. Jackson sent me one last glare. Wordlessly telling me not to do it. Not to say it. So, I said it anyway. "Meet Jackson Storm."