Murky Seas (A Rowan Gray Mystery Book 2)

  Murky Seas

  A Rowan Gray Mystery Book 2

  Lily Harper Hart

  HarperHart Publications

  Contents

  Copyright

  1. One

  2. Two

  3. Three

  4. Four

  5. Five

  6. Six

  7. Seven

  8. Eight

  9. Nine

  10. Ten

  11. Eleven

  12. Twelve

  13. Thirteen

  14. Fourteen

  15. Fifteen

  16. Sixteen

  17. Seventeen

  18. Eighteen

  19. Nineteen

  20. Twenty

  21. Twenty-One

  22. Twenty-Two

  Mail List

  Acknowledgments

  Books by Lily Harper Hart

  Copyright © 2017 by Lily Harper Hart

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  Created with Vellum

  1

  One

  “That is nowhere near sexy enough.”

  Rowan Gray, her emerald green eyes focused on a simple summer dress with full sleeves and a below-the-knee hemline, had almost forgotten she wasn’t shopping alone. Almost. The peace and the tranquility of the afternoon, the lazy breeze coming in from the water, made for a relaxing sensation that allowed Rowan’s mind to aimlessly drift. Rowan’s shopping pal, Sally Jenkins, simply wouldn’t allow that to happen.

  “What?” Rowan’s cheeks colored as she shifted her eyes to the gregarious woman standing to her right. Sally Jenkins was a force of nature, her humidity-plagued hair piled in a messy bun at the back of her head as her eyes flashed with disdain when she gave the dress another look. Rowan was still getting used to the woman – she’d barely known her two weeks, after all – and she felt as if she was working overtime to keep up with her newfound friend’s Bohemian charm.

  “That dress isn’t anywhere near sexy enough,” Sally repeated, locking gazes with Rowan and arching a challenging eyebrow, as if daring her to put up a fuss when they were in public. “This is your first official date with Quinn. You need to look … .”

  Rowan’s green eyes flashed with impatience as Sally searched for the correct word. “Slutty?”

  “I was going to say ‘unforgettable,’” Sally corrected, wagging a finger. “You shouldn’t make snap judgments.”

  Rowan had the grace to look abashed. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to do that. I just … I’m not sure I feel comfortable wearing something revealing on a first date.”

  Sally ran her tongue over her teeth as she regarded Rowan. She couldn’t decide if the woman was naturally shy or purposely obtuse about the way she looked. The one thing Sally did know for sure was that she’d never met a boundary – whether erected intentionally or otherwise – that she didn’t want to cross.

  “Okay, I’ll play.” Sally stepped closer, ignoring the two women watching the interplay two rows over. They looked to be in their thirties … and busybodies. Sally couldn’t stand a busybody … unless she was the one busying herself with information about everyone else’s bodies, that is. She’d purposely picked this stretch of stores for shopping because she knew Rowan would be unlikely to select anything flashy for her upcoming date with Quinn Davenport, the erstwhile head of security for the Bounding Storm, the cruise ship Rowan and Sally worked on together. The stores offered a variety of color and simple dress choices, which was exactly what Rowan needed.

  Rowan knit her eyebrows, confused. “You’ll play what?”

  “The game,” Sally replied, not missing a beat. “I’ll play the game.”

  “I’m not playing a game.”

  “You are.”

  “I’m not.”

  “You are.”

  Rowan didn’t bother to hide her annoyance. “I’m not playing a game,” she gritted out. “I simply don’t believe putting my goodies on display so strangers can ogle them is the proper way to start a relationship.”

  Sally pressed her lips together to keep from laughing. Rowan wasn’t exactly a prude, but she was hardly an extrovert either. That was unusual for a cruise ship. Most of the people who signed up for the long hours and poor pay had ulterior motives for doing so, including a love of adventure or desire to find a man or woman to distract themselves with. Rowan was the exact opposite.

  “You haven’t even seen what I picked out yet,” Sally pointed out.

  “Oh, well … .” Rowan hardly wanted to admit that she’d made a snap judgment regarding Sally’s clothing taste based solely on what she’d seen the woman wearing on the ship since their introduction.

  “I like bright colors,” Sally offered, scratching her cheek as she looked Rowan up and down. “I also know what looks good on people. Despite all that, I have no intention of changing your style. Your style is fine.”

  Rowan widened her green eyes, surprised. “It is?”

  Sally almost took pity on the woman. She looked so lost. Then she remembered why she was there in the first place and squared her shoulders. “Come here.” She grabbed Rowan’s arm and jerked her in front of a full-length mirror. “What do you see when you look in there?”

  Rowan swallowed hard, discomfort washing over her. “I … what?”

  “You heard me.” Sally refused to back down. “What do you see when you look in the mirror?”

  Rowan studied her simple cargo shorts and tank top in the reflective surface, her long auburn hair pulled back in a ponytail as her makeup-free face stared back at her. “I see me.”

  “Yes, and I see we’re being literal today,” Sally deadpanned, shaking her head. “I need to know what you see when you look in the mirror.”

  “I’m not sure what you’re asking,” Rowan admitted. “I see me when I look in the mirror. Do you think I’m going to see someone else there or something?”

  Sally shook her head, amused. “I actually want you to describe how you look. For example … .” Sally gripped Rowan’s narrow hips and squared them toward the mirror. “What do you see here?”

  “Your hands on my butt.”

  Sally snorted, giving Rowan’s rounded rear end a good squeeze rather than releasing her. “Now my hands are on your butt. I was talking about your hips, though.”

  “Oh.” Rowan chewed her bottom lip. “I see normal hips. Am I supposed to see something else?”

  Sally made an exasperated face. “You know, for a photographer, you have extremely narrow vision.”

  Rowan pursed her lips as she considered the statement. Sally wasn’t the first person to say that to her. In fact, her father said the same thing when she refused to agree with him about one of her high school classmate’s propensity for stealing things when no one was looking. That was years ago, though, before he disappeared on the eve of her eighteenth birthday and left her to fend for herself, before she lost her job as a newspaper photographer and joined the staff of the Bounding Storm to keep herself financially afloat.

  “I still see me,” Rowan admitted after a beat. “I’m not sure what else you expect me to see, because … well … it’s me in the mirror.”

  “Oh, geez.” Sally rolled her eyes so hard Rowan worried she might topple over. “I want you to see yourself when you look in the mirror. I’m not trying to change you. I’m just trying to make you … brighter.”

  Rowan glanced back at the dress she picked out – and Sally summarily dismissed – and si
ghed. Sally was right. The dress was plain, to the extreme of being boring. She didn’t want to risk being boring now that she was going on an actual date with the security guru of her dreams. Heck, Quinn Davenport was the security guru of everyone’s dreams. No joke. Once the rest of the female staff – and a handful of male staffers, too – found out that Quinn and Rowan were involved, the Bounding Storm became a hotbed of gossip and Rowan was suddenly popular with people she’d never even met.

  “I’m not suggesting that we go crazy,” Sally clarified, leading Rowan toward a rack that contained simple floral dresses. “Look at these, for example. They’re cute. They’re short, falling mid-thigh, which means you won’t be showing off anything unless you bend way far over. If you bend that far over it’s going to be on purpose, so I doubt you’ll care if he sees anything at that point.”

  Rowan’s cheeks flushed with color. “I … .”

  “Shh.” Sally pressed a finger to her lips to quiet Rowan. “This green right here is a fun color, not quite neon but still bright, and it sets off your eyes.” Sally held the simple shift up to Rowan’s chest. “It’s beautiful. I think you should try it.”

  Rowan glanced at the dress and immediately started shaking her head. “I can’t wear that!” She was scandalized. “My boobs will fall out of that. Are you crazy?”

  Sally glanced down at the dress a second time and then burst out laughing, her chuckles catching Rowan off guard. “You don’t wear this without anything under it.”

  “Yes, but I’m not interested in showing off my bra strap,” Rowan argued. “I’m too old for that.”

  “Oh, you’re such a complainer.” Sally shook her head, dumbfounded. “You don’t wear a bra under this.”

  Rowan shifted from mildly worried to panicked. “What? Are you kidding? I’ll fall out in every direction. We’ve already been over that.”

  “Wow, you’re so much work.” Sally made a big show of muttering to herself as she walked to another rack, returning with a pretty white tank top. “See this? This has the bra built right in. It’s sleek and pretty, and has a beautiful lace neckline right here. You wear this under the dress.”

  “Oh.” Things clicked into place for Rowan and she felt a little silly for overreacting. “That is pretty … and it matches the dress well.” She held the two items together, chewing her lip as she regarded them. “I guess I kind of made myself look stupid, huh?”

  Sally wanted to nod. She wanted to agree without hesitation … and yet she couldn’t. Her expression softened when she saw the way Rowan stared at the dress, a momentary rush of sympathy washing over her. “You’re really nervous, aren’t you?”

  Rowan snapped her head up, her cheeks burning brightly. “I … no. Of course not. Why would I be nervous?” The words spilled out of her mouth at a rapid-fire pace.

  “Because this is a big deal,” Sally replied, unruffled. “You and Quinn have been shooting love daggers at one another with your eyes for two weeks. You’ve slept in the same bed … several times, mind you … and yet nothing more than some vigorous eye lusting has happened.”

  “We wanted to do it the right way,” Rowan protested, her fingers plucking at non-existent nubs on the dress fabric. “We were busy with the sweet sixteen cruise over the last week and we just … wanted to wait until we had some time off.”

  Sally snorted. “I’m not saying it’s a bad thing. I’m merely saying you’ve had a week to build it up in your head because Quinn insisted that your first date would happen off the ship. When you’re living in a fishbowl like we are, that adds pressure because everyone is staring.”

  “I really like him,” Rowan admitted, her voice small.

  “He really likes you, too.”

  “Do you think?”

  Sally fought the urge to roll her eyes when she saw the earnest expression on Rowan’s face. The woman had no idea about her appeal. Sure, Quinn turned every female head on the ship – and he did it without noticing or caring – as he strode down the deck. Rowan managed to turn a few heads of her own since joining the staff. She was even more oblivious than Quinn, though. She didn’t notice anything other than her camera and him, and he didn’t notice anything other than his security concerns and her. It was quite entertaining to watch them flounder around one another at times.

  “I think he definitely likes you.” Sally bobbed her head. “I think he’s going to like you even more in this outfit. You should try it on.”

  Rowan stared at the green dress before taking it and Sally couldn’t help but wonder if the nervous woman was going to come up with some sort of excuse to get out of buying the frock. Instead, Rowan took them both by surprise when she clasped the dress to her chest and wandered into the dressing room, shutting the wicker door before stripping.

  Sally perused the dress rack for something she might like as Rowan nervously chattered on the other side of the thin door. Sally offered Rowan the appropriate answers as the woman changed, and when she heard the door open, she shifted her eyes to the opening and smiled.

  Rowan was a vision of loveliness – other than the fuzzy hair, which was a result of Florida’s rampant humidity. The Bounding Storm was in dock for a few days as they prepared for another cruise. Nothing could be done about the humidity. Rowan was absolutely beautiful in the dress, though.

  “I definitely think that’s it,” Sally said, beaming as Rowan moved to the mirror. “That dress matches your eyes and fits your body perfectly.”

  “Do you think?” Rowan wasn’t convinced, chewing her lip as she studied her reflection. She was so caught up she didn’t notice two men move to the spot next to Sally so they could watch her, too.

  “I definitely think you should get the dress.”

  Rowan jolted at the voice, swiveling quickly. She forced a smile when she saw the two men, both of whom looked to be in their late twenties. They were quite handsome and Sally couldn’t help but give them both an appraising look out of the corner of her eye.

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t see you standing there.” Rowan’s cheeks were already red thanks to the heat. The hue only deepened when she realized the two men were staring at her. “Am I in your way?”

  “Oh, you’re not in anybody’s way.” The man who spoke had blond hair and blue eyes, strong shoulders tapering to a narrow waist, and his cheekbones looked to have been chiseled out of stone. His eyes were lit with mirth as they roamed Rowan’s bare legs. “You look great.”

  “I told you.” Sally winked before focusing on the men. “Are you guys locals?”

  “What? No. Sorry. We’re just passing through the area. We wouldn’t mind taking the two of you out for dinner and drinks tonight, though. In fact, we would really enjoy that.” This time it was the darker of the two men who spoke. He was just as handsome as his friend, although his hair and eyes were brown. He also had something of an accent, although Sally couldn’t quite place it.

  “Oh, well, that’s sweet.” Rowan kept her face pleasant even as her mind drifted. “I have other plans, though.”

  “Oh, that’s too bad.” The blond man’s expression slipped. “You could always cancel those plans.”

  “Not bloody likely,” Sally said snickering. When she realized the two men were watching her with curious gazes, she collected herself. “Rowan’s plans are set in stone. Trust me. She won’t change her mind on that.”

  “Ah, well, that’s too bad.” The dark-haired man made a soft clucking sound in the back of his throat. “I feel strangely depressed.”

  Sally bit the inside of her cheek to keep from laughing. These guys were good. They’d turned flirting into an art form. They clearly weren’t used to anyone turning them down. “Yes, well, I’m free.” The words were out of Sally’s mouth before she had a chance to consider whether it was wise to utter them.

  Rowan widened her eyes to comical levels, as if to say “what do you think you’re doing,” but Sally ignored her friend’s obvious signs of distress.

  “I happen to know a great bar that’s close to
the beach,” Sally offered, grinning. “Rowan has plans but I’m sure I can scrounge up another friend or two if you guys want to meet us there.”

  The blond man turned his full attention to Sally, Rowan seemingly forgotten. “That sounds like a marvelous offer. What bar?”

  “And what time?” the dark-haired man pressed.

  Sally’s smile was serene as Rowan turned back to her reflection. Rowan tuned out the rest of the date negotiations, and when she risked a glance over her shoulder, she found Sally standing by herself.

  “Are you sure that’s a good idea?” Rowan asked, a slight wave of worry niggling the back of her brain. “You don’t know those guys. They could be dangerous.”

  “That’s why I invited them to the bar where everyone from the Bounding Storm hangs out,” Sally explained. “I can hang out with them and not be worried they’re serial killers … or something worse.”

  Rowan cocked a dubious eyebrow. “There’s something worse than serial killers?”

  “Thieves.”

  “Oh.” Rowan didn’t believe thieves were worse than serial killers, but she understood what Sally was getting at. If the two men were grifters and thought Sally had money to steal, they wouldn’t hesitate to ply her with liquor while also trying to pilfer her wallet. “I feel better knowing you’re going to be hanging around with people from the ship now that you mentioned that. You guys can watch each other’s backs in case those men are up to no good.”

  “I’ve been at this a long time,” Sally said. “I know what I’m doing.” She smoothed the back of the dress and smiled. “This is definitely the outfit for your big date. Quinn is going to go non-verbal when he sees you in it.”

  Rowan returned the smile, genuinely thankful she’d managed to make a true friend in such a short amount of time. She bobbed her head as a helpful clerk shuffled closer. “I’ll take this one … the tank top, too.”

  2

  Two

  “How do I look?”

  Demarcus Johnson sat on the chair at the far side of Quinn’s room and arched an eyebrow as his friend fussed in front of the mirror, amused. He’d watched the normally taciturn security chief change his shirt no less than five times over the past hour.