Ivorie's Surprise [Golden Dolphin] (Siren Publishing Classic) (15 page)

“
Senhoras
, I happen to have a small river boat available for short trips upriver if you would like,” the driver said over his shoulder with a grin.

“We’ll see how the shopping goes. First stop—the market,” Jenni said, smiling back at him.

The Central Market, Santarém, Brazil, October 15, 2013, Tuesday, Midmorning

Jenni and Ivorie made their way through the crowded stalls at the local market. Jenni was engrossed in choosing between several different colorful woven blankets when she turned around to ask Ivorie’s opinion, but Ivorie was not where she had been standing a minute before. She didn’t think anything of it, and assumed that Ivorie must have spotted a stall with the lace she wanted to buy. Jenni continued to sort through the mountain of blankets and soon forgot about Ivorie. A few minutes later she looked for Ivorie again but didn’t see her. She was starting to get a little concerned. They had agreed to stay together, and it wasn’t like Ivorie to just wander off without saying a word. She’d give her a few more minutes and then start calling out for her. She didn’t want to be a loud American if she could help it.

* * * *

Ivorie was jerked up against a hard male chest, and she felt the breath squeezed out of her lungs as a hard hand came down over her nose and mouth.

“Don’t scream or struggle, and you’ll be okay. I’m not going to hurt you.”
Well, that makes me feel so much better
. She dragged her heels and tried to dislodge the hand over her mouth as she was pulled into a dark alley between the blanket stall and the fruit stall next door. Ivorie’s entire system went into hyperdrive as she tried to take in her surroundings.
This is not good
. From the few words her abductor had spoken so far, she hadn’t detected a Latin accent. She was no expert, but he did not sound at all like their Brazilian driver. In fact, he sounds like a New Yorker! she thought in shock. Keeping his hand firmly over her mouth, he continued to drag her toward the back of the market. When they reached the parking area behind the market, he shoved her into the same old green Jeep which they had engaged at the dock.
What the heck?
She was just about to open her mouth and scream bloody murder when she saw the other occupant in the back seat. Eugenia!

“Shut up and get in here. Give me the boarding bracelet for the ship.”

“I will not.”

“You will if you want to survive this. You’re not going to get away with taking over my life, bitch. Once I’m on board the
Golden Dolphin
and Drew and I make up, Frankie will let you go. I’ll tell Drew you decided to go back to New York, and he’ll forget all about you.”

Ivorie could see that Eugenia was delusional. The woman couldn’t be in her right mind if she thought this half-assed plan was going to work. Apparently, she thought that all she had to do was get to see Drew, and he would take her back just like that. She had to be mad. Ivorie’s mind was working a mile a minute. The last thing she intended to do was give Eugenia her dark-blue boarding bracelet with “
The Golden Dolphin
” in gold script across the front. She was gaining a new appreciation for the foresight that had prompted the boat’s management to provide the passengers and crew with identification bracelets with GPS chips imbedded in them. Thank goodness she had also worn the bright red one which signified nonparticipation in the BDSM activities once she had finally read the information packet in her cabin.

“Give me the damn bracelet.” Eugenia reached out and slapped Ivorie across the face. “I’ve always thought you had your eye on Drew. I never trusted you. If you think I’ll tolerate you working for him once we get back to the city, forget it.”

“Eugenia, you have it all wrong. I’m just Mr. Blessingame’s assistant. I have my own cabin and a small office on a lower deck. I’m not staying in the Master Suite with him.” The irony of the situation was that she was saying exactly the same thing that Drew had said to Eugenia and that she had found so offensive.

“That’s bullshit. I heard him tell you to have the steward move your things into the Master Suite at the dock in St. Bart’s.”

Ivorie had to think fast. “He was talking about some of the computer equipment. He didn’t like working in the small cabin down below. He says it feels cramped, and he isn’t paying for the Master Suite to be sitting in a small cabin on a lower deck.”

Eugenia appeared to be slightly mollified, but she grabbed for Ivorie’s wrist again. Ivorie pulled back. “Wait. I’ll take it off. You don’t want to break it.” Ivorie removed the red bracelet and handed it to Eugenia. She prayed that the other woman didn’t know anything about the color-coded system on board and that the blue bracelet was the boarding bracelet.

Ivorie watched as Eugenia put the red bracelet on her right wrist. She then proceeded to pull her hair up into a knot and jammed a wide-brimmed straw hat down low on her head to obscure her face.

Ivorie did not want to appear to give in too quickly or Eugenia would be suspicious. “Eugenia, this is not going to work. You can’t seriously believe that you can board the ship as me.”

“They won’t notice a thing. I’ll keep my head down and my sunglasses on. No one will remember what you were wearing when you left the ship.” Eugenia freshened her lipstick and adjusted the straps on her sundress. “The driver will take me back to the ship, and Frank will take you to a safe place where you will stay until the ship leaves port. Then he will let you go. I’d advise you to get your ass out of here and back to New York while you can. I wouldn’t want to be a woman on my own in this place.”

Frank pulled Ivorie out of the Jeep and dragged her toward another car. She was terrified, but at least she still had her precious blue bracelet. She knew Drew would not let her down.

* * * *

Eugenia had their guide drive her back to the port. They went as fast as possible without attracting unwanted attention. Thank goodness the driver’s English was limited, and he had no idea what was going on. When she was standing on the dock in front of the
Golden Dolphin
, she had a moment of clarity, and she was worried about what she was about to do. Then she straightened her shoulders, put her head down, and approached the crewman on guard at the gangplank. She glanced quickly at the name on his uniform shirt, but she didn’t recognize him. She flashed her red bracelet at him, and smiled quickly. “I’m not feeling too well, Sam. I think I’ll go back aboard.”

* * * *

“Why don’t you have a seat for a moment then, miss. I’ll help you upstairs as soon as I can call in my relief to cover for me.” Sam helped her to a bench on the dock and sat her down. He recognized this nut case from the scene at the dock in St. Bart’s. He picked up his walkie and signaled the bridge.

When the chief mate responded, he said, “Sir, I have a 911 here. One of the passengers, who is wearing a
red
bracelet, says she doesn’t feel well and wants to come back aboard. I think you should alert ‘Dr.’ Greg Dempsey that we have a situation.” He turned down the volume on the walkie and put it up to his ear, and listened to the instructions from the bridge. “Yes, sir. I believe I’ve seen her before at the dock in St. Bart’s.”

Sam turned back to Eugenia. “Miss, I’ll be able to help you aboard in a minute. My relief is on his way down.”

* * * *

Jenni canvassed the nearby stalls in the market and was unable to find Ivorie. She couldn’t believe that someone could disappear that quickly and completely. She was really getting worried.

“Ivorie? Ivorie James!” she called and called. Finally, she enlisted the help of some other American tourists and a local security guard, to no avail. They were unable to find Ivorie. Jenni decided that she had better alert someone on board the ship and dialed Chris on her cell phone.

“Babe, I think we’re in trouble here. I’m at the market on the square, and I can’t find Ivorie. You’d better let the captain know.”

“What? What happened?”

“I don’t know. I turned around, and she was gone. She just disappeared.”

“Okay. I’ll call the bridge right away. I’ll get Drew and we’ll be right there. Don’t leave the market, Jenni, and be careful.”

“Okay, babe. I’ll wait for you at the front entrance. Hurry. I’m scared.”

* * * *

Alex Dragados turned to Con and said, “We have a situation on the dock. An unauthorized woman sporting a red rubber bracelet is trying to get aboard. Sam says it’s the woman who made the scene at the dock at St. Bart’s. She obviously doesn’t know her bracelet should be blue.”

“Well, if she wants to get aboard so bad, let’s bring her on. Greg, go down to the gangplank and bring her to the lounge. Also, find Drew Blessingame and let him know he has a lady caller.”

Just then, Chris Turner phoned the bridge to let them know that Jenni had called from the market in Santarém and that Ivorie James was missing. Con and Alex exchanged worried looks. They quickly briefed Greg Dempsey, who hadn’t left the bridge yet and was monitoring the GPS equipment.

“Greg, send a couple of ABs to the market in the city and pick up Jenni Turner. Her husband will probably want to go along. Where is Drew Blessingame?” Con asked the security officer, who consulted the chart listing all of the passengers and crew and then returned his attention to the GPS monitor.

“He’s in his office on Deck 3. I’ll send someone to get him and bring him to the lounge while I go down to the dock. Ivorie James is currently moving away from the city. It looks like she’s going upriver on a boat.”

Alex said, “I’ll get Drew, explain the situation, and bring him up to the lounge. I hope I can convince him to keep calm and not let this woman know that she’s wearing the wrong bracelet—the less she knows right now, the better. I’ll assure Drew that we have eyes on Ivorie.”

Greg called two of the ABs from his special security team and rushed down to the gangplank.

* * * *

Eugenia sat patiently on the bench near the gangplank. She was excited. At last! It looked like her ruse was going to work. They were sending someone down to bring her aboard.

A very handsome, if somewhat intimidating, officer came down the gangplank and walked over to the bench where Eugenia waited. “I’m Gregory Dempsey, miss. I’ll help you up the gangplank. Will you come with me please?”

“Do you know where Drew Blessingame is? I need to talk to him.” Eugenia smiled at the muscular officer with a dark ponytail and a colorful dragon tattoo disappearing under his uniform shirt.

“Yes, he’s in the lounge, miss. I’ll take you to him.” Eugenia was red faced and out of breath with excitement. She was so close to her goal. Her heart’s desire, a life of luxury with Drew Blessingame, was within reach. She just knew it.

* * * *

Drew burst through the door of the lounge with Alex Dragados in his wake just as Greg had seated Eugenia in a leather club chair. He stopped on a dime when he saw Eugenia sitting there as though nothing was wrong.

“Oh, Drew, darling. I’m so happy to see you. We have to talk and work this little problem out.” She smiled at him as though they were talking about where to have brunch.

Drew was furious. She was amazing in her self-absorbed dementia. He had to keep it together for Ivorie’s sake, however, and see what information he could squeeze out of Eugenia before she realized her mistake and shut down. “What do you mean, Eugenia? I thought we had said everything there was to say in St. Bart’s.”

Con walked into the room with Saltydawg on his heels. The pudgy little beggar ran over to Eugenia, his short nails clicking on the floor as his stubby legs went as fast as they could go. He jumped up on her legs and smelled the red bracelet on her arm and began to bark furiously. Con looked at Alex and smiled a cold smile. Drew knew that Ivorie had taken the time to make friends with Saltydawg the first day she had been on board, giving him treats and pats. He had followed her adoringly every chance he got since then. Just like every man, he would follow a beautiful woman anywhere, especially if she had biscuits. It was clear that he smelled Ivorie on the red bracelet.

“Where is Ivorie, Eugenia? I believe that’s her bracelet you’re wearing.”

“Oh, I ran into her at the market. She gave me the bracelet and said she was returning to New York, that the job on the ship wasn’t working out for her. She asked me to give you her apologies and to say she’d be tendering her resignation and probably wouldn’t be seeing you again.”

Drew was astounded. Did this lunatic actually think he would believe that load of bullshit? He took a deep breath to help him keep his temper under control. “Eugenia, I think it would be in your best interests to tell me exactly what is going on and where Ivorie is. Right. Fucking. Now. I’m fast losing my patience. Don’t forget where you are. This might not end well for you.”

“Drew, I just want us to work out our problems and get back on course. I love you. Don’t throw away everything we had. Ivorie is standing in the way of our happiness.”

“No, Eugenia. She isn’t standing in the way of our happiness. She is the sum total of my happiness. You and I don’t have a relationship and have not had a relationship for weeks before I left New York for this cruise. I would strongly advise you to start cooperating before the captain contacts the Brazilian authorities and reports Ivorie’s abduction. They will not be sympathetic to your cause. Believe me. The people here very much depend on the tourist dollars spent on these Amazon cruises. They would not look kindly on any scheme that might damage the tourism trade in this area.” He hardened his tone. “Eugenia, I don’t think you’ll enjoy a Brazilian prison in the Amazon Jungle. Start talking.”