Chapter 6 - The Poisoned Toast
""Go to the galley,"" Mateo whispered, shoving a small glass vial into her hand. ""Pretend you were looking for water. Buy me four minutes to wipe the telemetry.""
Before Naomi could protest, the engineer melted into the dark access duct leading down to the auxiliary machine room.
Naomi smoothed her hair, drew a ragged breath, and stepped out from behind the pantry shelving directly into the path of Julian Vance.
Julian was waiting at the galley entrance. His maroon blazer was buttoned, his posture immaculate, though a thin sheen of nervous sweat glistened along his hairline. In his right hand, he held two glasses of vintage Dom Pérignon.
""There you are, darling,"" he said, his lips curling into that practiced, predatory smile. ""I was starting to think you were avoiding me.""
""I told you, I had a headache,"" Naomi said, stepping past him into the main saloon where Marcus stood by the bar, arms folded. ""The rolling of the boat is making me sick. Can’t we turn back toward the harbor?""
""Just a sudden front passing through,"" Julian said, offering her the glass with the faint crystalline dust settled at the bottom. ""Drink this. It will settle your stomach. A toast to our future, Naomi. To everything we built.""
Naomi took the crystal flute by its slender stem. She looked into Julian’s eyes—the warm hazel eyes she had fallen in love with, the face of a man who had held her while she mourned her father, the man who was now waiting for her heart to stop.
""To our future,"" Naomi said softly.
She raised the glass toward her lips. Julian leaned in, his eyes widening slightly, watching the rim approach her mouth with an undisguised hunger.
May you like
Marcus stepped forward, watching her throat.
Naomi tilted her head back, let the liquid touch her bottom lip, and then, with deliberate precision, let her knees buckle beneath her. She crashed against the heavy oak table, sending the flute shattering across the parquet floor, the poisoned champagne splashing across the cuffs of Julian’s designer trousers.
