Chapter 4

The pirate leader, clearly annoyed by Chloe' s hysterical shrieking, barked an order in a language I didn' t understand. One of his men, a burly figure with a scarred face, easily vaulted over the railing onto our deck. He moved with a predatory grace.

Before anyone could react, he strode over to Chloe and backhanded her across the face.

The sound was a sharp, ugly crack that echoed across the deck.

"Shut up."

Chloe stumbled backward, crashing into a deck chair. A bright red mark bloomed on her cheek. The shock on her face was absolute. Pain, real and undiluted, had finally pierced her bubble of privilege. This wasn' t a negotiation in a boardroom, it was a hostile takeover.

From the radio, Alex' s voice piped up, thin and reedy. He had heard her cry of pain.

"Chloe? What was that? Just do what they say! Don' t make them angry!"

There was no concern in his voice, only fear for himself. He didn' t care that she was hurt, he only cared that her actions might endanger him.

I watched this unfold with a detached calm. I stepped forward, holding up my hands in a placating gesture toward the pirate on our deck.

"There' s no need for violence. Let' s be professionals."

I pulled out my satellite phone and, with a few taps, initiated a crypto transfer. The pirate leader' s own device buzzed on his hip. He checked it, a flicker of surprise on his face.

"A down payment," I said, my voice even. "For your trouble. A sign of good faith."

It wasn' t a lot, just enough to show I was serious and had the means. It was a strategic move, meant to buy time and shift the dynamic. The leader gave a curt nod. He barked another order, and his men cut their engines, letting their boats bob in the water a hundred yards away. They weren't leaving, they were waiting. The immediate threat had subsided, but the crisis was far from over.

Chloe picked herself up, one hand pressed to her swelling cheek. She glared at me, her eyes filled with venom instead of gratitude.

"You should have paid them everything! Then they would have left! This is all your fault, Liam! You were too slow!"

She was incapable of seeing the reality of the situation, incapable of gratitude. Her world revolved around her own comfort and desires. Then, as if forgetting she had just been assaulted, she turned her attention back to the radio, her voice shifting back to a sweet, cooing tone.

"Alex, baby, are you okay? Don' t worry, I' ll handle this. I' ll make Liam fix it."

I watched her, a woman comforting the coward who told her to appease her attacker, while blaming the man who had just saved her from further harm. It was pathetic. It was disgusting. And it solidified my resolve. It wasn' t enough for them to face a moment of fear. It wasn't enough for them to be captured. I had to rip their whole, rotten world apart. I had to make them destroy each other. Only then would I have my justice.