Oh, Bite Me (Guardians of the Deep 1)

“Don’t say it like that,” he replied. “You know I want you here so fucking badly. But I want you safe even more.”

“I know,” she said. “So, fix it so I’m safe. But do it quickly or maybe I’ll get used to life back home.”

They remained quiet and Thane wasn’t sure she was kidding. He turned her head so she was looking at him and saw her smirk growing.

“That’s not funny,” he said.

“What’s that?” Penny asked, pointing off in the distance.

Thane saw something on the water, but it was far away. It was big though. Big and loud. He could hear music and laughter and cries of joy. It sounded like one of those stupid party boats or party barges a lot of the high school graduates and college spring breakers came to the area for. Cancun used to be the place to go. Now it seemed youngsters wanted a new place for some fun in the sun. Australia was that place.

“I think it’s a party barge,” he said.

“And that?” she asked.

Speeding toward them from the opposite direction was a boat, this one smaller than Juan Diego’s but it was fast. With the sun starting to go down, the flashing lights on the boat were easy to see and Thane instantly knew who it was.

“That would be Keelan Kane,” he said. “I knew it. Something’s going on.”

“Evelyn?” she asked.

“I don’t know yet,” he replied. “But the officer is definitely up to no good.”

He turned his attention to the older man driving the boat.

“J.D., slow down,” Thane ordered. “Keep your hand on the shotgun. But don’t shoot unless it’s necessary.”

“Yes, sir,” Juan Diego replied.

“Poet!” Thane yelled down the stairs to the lower deck. “Keep your eyes and ears open. We have a visitor.”

“Maybe you should go below deck,” Thane told Penny.

“Not a chance,” she said. “If things get bad I will, but let’s see what he says.”

Poet climbed up to their level and made his way around to the back of the boat where he sat casually with his notebook opened.

“Cut the engine,” came the mechanical voice of Keelan over his loud speaker. “Cut the engine and prepare to be boarded.”

Keelan Kane came into view, his gun at the ready. Thane’s chest flexed as he gently pushed Penny away from him, so he could stand.

“What’s the problem?” Thane asked as he stood up.

“Got a report of some unruly sharks out on the water,” Keelan said.

“What does that have to do with us?” Thane asked.

“It’s my job to make sure everyone is safe around here. Where are you headed?”

“I’m taking Penny back to the mainland,” Thane said.

“I’m going home,” she said.

“Are you now?” Keelan asked.

?

?Yes, I am,” Penny said.