Chapter 2

"19 hours until Rosalind makes landfall."

"Shut every freshwater tank valve in the hold and take out the backup generator. Don't leave so much as a candle or an emergency blanket."

I stood in the second-deck corridor, giving orders to Mark Dalton, the mechanic the shipyard had sent.

"Ms. Grant, do you want me to service the ventilation in the hold too? The National Hurricane Center just issued its highest storm surge warning. Waves and rainfall like this come once in a century. If the hold isn't sealed properly, seawater will flow back through the vents."

Mark wiped the rain from his forehead and gave the box of HD security cameras in my hand a puzzled look.

"Don't service it. Remove half of each gasket from the four check valves on the outside of the hold."

"Remove the gaskets? But once the water rises, filthy water will flood straight into the hold! The hurricane will wash leeches, horsehair worms, and even flesh-eating bacteria out of the Everglades. If those bacteria get into an open wound, they can cause tissue necrosis. It's incredibly dangerous!"

"Do as I say. Here's $50,000 for your trouble. Install these eight waterproof night-vision cameras throughout the hold, making sure there are no blind spots. Connect them directly to the control room on the third deck."

Mark glanced at the thick wad of cash and immediately fell silent. He grabbed his toolbox and headed down into the hold.

Just then, the phone in my bag buzzed again.

"Susie, where the hell are you? The wind's terrible out here! Why aren't you waiting for us at the dock?"

As soon as I answered, I heard the reproach in Paul's voice. Lily was complaining shrilly in the background.

"Why are you wasting time talking to her? My Chanel shoes are completely soaked! Tell her to get down here and carry my bags!"

"Did you hear that, Susie? Lily twisted her ankle. Bring two big umbrellas to the parking lot and meet us. Then carry the four big suitcases in the trunk onto the boat."

It had been just like this in my past life.

The four of them strolled ahead under their umbrellas without lifting a finger.

Meanwhile, I struggled through the wind and rain, making three trips to haul their heavy suitcases, stuffed with designer clothes and personal belongings, aboard the yacht.

I was drenched to the bone, developed a fever of 103°F, and curled up in the hold, shivering uncontrollably.

But Martha complained that my coughing was too loud and disturbed her card game. She carried a bowl of scalding seafood soup from the stove into the hold and dumped it over my head.

The scalding seafood chowder contained shrimp, which I was severely allergic to. Within seconds, blisters covered my face, and my throat swelled shut, leaving me struggling to breathe.

Crying, I begged Paul for help, hoping he would bring me an EpiPen.

He just stood on the steps, staring at the mess on the floor. Then he frowned and let out a sigh.

"Susie, Mom's getting older and has high blood pressure. Do you have to pretend you're sick just to upset her?

"It's just some seafood chowder. Wash it off and you'll be fine. Stop being so dramatic and making things difficult for me."

Just remembering the searing pain of my burns and the terrifying sensation of my throat closing up made my hand tremble as I held the phone.

"Sorry, Paul. I was up on the top deck checking the electrical system and didn't hear my phone."

I walked to a porthole on the second deck and watched the security feed as a silver sedan pulled into the marina parking lot. I kept my voice meek.

"I hurt my back moving supplies yesterday, so I really can't lift anything heavy. But I've hired two marina security guards to wait for you at the slip. They'll carry your luggage aboard."

"Well, at least you've got enough sense to hire someone to wait on us."

Ethan snatched the phone and began lecturing me with all the arrogance of a man who thought being older made him superior.

"Since your back is bad, you'd better move fast once we're aboard. Heat up the sauna first, then bring us a plate of good Iberian ham.

"And if you serve us another cold salad like last time, I'll teach you some manners, even if Paul's watching!"

"Of course, Ethan. Everything's ready. I promise it'll be an experience you never forget."

"All right. As long as you take good care of my parents and Lily this time, I'll take you to get our marriage license once the storm passes. Then you'll officially be part of the family."

Paul took the phone back, tossed out the promise as though he were doing me some grand favor, then hung up.

I looked down at the mandatory evacuation alert for Palm Beach County flashing on my phone. Outside, the steel-gray sea was already rising rapidly.

Mark climbed up from the hold, brushed the dust off his hands, and handed me a tablet.

"Ms. Grant, all the storage lockers in the hold have been cleared out, and I've removed the check valve gaskets. All eight surveillance cameras and the two-way PA system are installed and tested."

I took the tablet. Eight live feeds filled the screen, each showing the empty hold's bare metal walls from a different angle.