Facade of Love (Yvette Scott and Idris Young) novel Chapter 407

Inch seemed lost in thought, his lips a tight line. Then he said, "Ms. Scott, the boss isn't the villain you think he is."

I could not help but snort at the irony. "Not a villain? He has blood on his hands, and you are trying to tell me he’s not a villain? How much did he pay you to spin these tales, Inch? To make excuses for him without a shred of principles?"

I shot him a look and let out a mocking laugh. "Figures. You're just like him now, two peas in a pod. Makes sense you would stick up for each other."

His face scrunched up, his mouth opening as if he was going to say something. However, he clammed up instead, standing there silent and stiff as a statue.

The ship was pretty big, three stories high. I was a kid from the heartland, and even though I had seen the ocean a few times, it still blew my mind every time.

I found a spot to sit on the deck. The ship was zipping along, and the sea breeze was wild, drying out my mouth after a while. I noticed Inch, still on his feet nearby, and called out, "Inch, I'm thirsty."

He gave a curt nod, none of the old warmth there, and headed down into the hold. Once he was gone, I rose from my seat and made my way to check out the other levels.

The hold was packed with rooms, mostly filled with Lucas's crew. I was just wandering around feeling bored, thinking about heading back, when out of nowhere, someone came barreling around the corner with shouts chasing after him, "Quick, catch him!"

Our eyes locked, and on impulse, I shoved open the nearest door. The guy was fast, yanking me into the room with him.

I slammed the door shut behind us and stared at him, totally shocked. What was he doing here?

Once the sound of footsteps outside died down, I turned to him and blurted out, "Mr. Long, what are you doing here?"

Gregory looked uncomfortable, scratching his head as he admitted, "I've been tailing you guys. I was going to wait for backup before making a move, but I got spotted."

I was confused. "Are you making a move?"

He nodded, but before he could say more, we both got thrown off balance as the ship suddenly ground to a halt.