F
errin woke up
to pitch-blackness and for a moment she fought back the urge to struggle against the sheets that felt as if they were strangling her. It didn’t last long and she shifted aggressively enough to get out of the stifling bonds. She was breathing hard by the time she sat up and worry started to set in when Daegan wasn’t next to her. She glanced behind her to see the clock read zero four thirty. Where would he have gone this early? He hadn’t mentioned needing to be up before her shift was scheduled to start at zero six hundred.
Her body would take at least a week before she was used to working the day shift. She dozed last night for an hour and would then wake up, Daegan being there to hold her and sometimes do more to pass the time. She’d slept most of yesterday, so it wasn’t shocking that she wouldn’t be able to do so through the night. He never brought up the subject of them as a couple, for which she was grateful. She didn’t know what she wanted and this morning didn’t change that. The one thing she did know was that Daegan played it fast and loose for most of his life. A person didn’t just change because they shared a piece of their past with you. She wasn’t the risk taker that he was. What if she invested too much and then he decided to walk away like he always had in the past? She loathed gambling and that’s what this felt like.
Ferrin quickly took a shower and changed into her khaki uniform. She was just finishing securing her hair at the base of her neck when she heard the hatch open. She stared at her reflection and basically wished herself luck that she would be able to get out of this cabin without continuing their discussion from last night. She honestly wasn’t sure how she felt about being compared to Kayla. It created doubts that Daegan was with her because of their similarities.
“Thought you could use a cup of coffee before your shift,” Daegan said, leaning against the partition of the head. His smile started off small and then eventually brightened his blue eyes. It was infectious and when he looked her over from head to toe, she recognized this playful side of him. “I’m very appreciative to know what you look like under that uniform.”
A flush rose up on her cheeks and she snatched the coffee from his hand, grateful that it was a disposable cup with a lid. The ship’s course at the moment was taking them through some choppy waters and it wasn’t safe to have an open liquid container. She took a sip before answering, grateful for the time to form her words.
“Flirting will get you nowhere, Einstein.” Ferrin closed the distance between them and then lifted up on the tips of her boots to brush her lips against his. She laid a hand against his chest, which unfortunately was covered with a black T-shirt and his leather shoulder holster. The secured weapon reminded her of past events and what they were still dealing with. She didn’t allow that to stop her from enjoying this moment and maybe that was her answer. She didn’t have to respond with a deep meaningful yes or no. It wasn’t something she was used to, but it was better than having to commit to something before she had the chance to weigh the pros and cons. “But a cup of coffee? That could get you more than a kiss.”
“I believe I’m owed a hell of a lot more than that,” Daegan replied, wrapping one hand around her waist. “I intend to collect tonight.”
Ferrin’s body came alive at the thought of Daegan taking his sweet time and learning every nuance of her body. Getting through the day while knowing what was in store for them was going to make the hours drag by. She didn’t want to be the only one anticipating, so she used her free hand and slipped it between their bodies until her palm cupped his hardening cock. She loved that she could affect him in such a way and tightened her hold on him.
“Then I better get my day started,” Ferrin said softly, looking up into his blue eyes so filled with arousal. “It sounds like a very interesting evening ahead. I could get used to working days after all.”
“If you keep stroking my cock like that, you won’t be working today either,” Daegan warned in a deep voice, letting her know that he was reaching his breaking point.
Ferrin smiled and then zipped past him, grabbing her Tic-Tacs that she’d left on the side table. She slipped them in her pocket and had made it to the hatch when she heard him call her name. She looked back to find him still on the threshold of the bathroom, only this time he looked like he had when he’d entered the interview room yesterday. Her stomach tightened at the thought that he’d found something out on his way for coffee this morning.
“Be careful,” Daegan ordered as he leveled her with a concerned gaze. “Stay in the radio room and if you go anywhere, make sure that someone is with you.”
“You know I can’t promise you that,” Ferrin said with a shake of her head, knowing full well her position sometimes required her to go to different areas on the ship. “But I will be careful. Will you let me know if you find out anything?”
“I’ll stop by the radio room a couple of times if I can break away,” Daegan assured, not really guaranteeing her anything. Ferrin was so integrated in what had been taking place on this ship that she should be in on these team meetings that Starr initiated. She nodded her acceptance anyway, pushing away her resentment. “Keep your eyes open.”
Ferrin didn’t reply but instead walked out the hatch leaving Daegan behind. She figured he would get his day started relatively soon as well and she couldn’t help but wonder if Starr had discovered anything more in those personnel files. She made her way through the corridors and up some ladderwells, finally arriving at the radio room. Roger and Spivey were doing paperwork when she entered and she wasn’t sure if that signified a busy night or a light one.
“Good morning.” Ferrin went to her desk and set down her coffee. “Quiet?”
“Surprisingly so,” Roger replied, looking up from his papers. “At least on the work front. How are you? Everyone’s been on pins and needles, the gossip running rampant on who’s to blame for what’s been happening on board.”
“I’m okay.” Ferrin left it at that, not wanting to get into the fact that probably everyone on board now knew of her relationship with Daegan. “I’m with the crew though. I just hope that Lieutenant Irvine can figure out who’s behind this before anyone else gets hurt.”
“Do you know how many places someone can put a bomb on this ship?” Spivey said, leaning back in his chair. “What do they hope to accomplish?”
“If we knew that, we’d probably know who it was,” Roger pointed out, pushing his glasses more firmly against the bridge of his nose. It had Ferrin patting her blouse pocket, ensuring that she had hers. The last time hadn’t turned out so well. “It’s too bad Chuck was taken off the ship before they figured out he wasn’t the one to kill that girl. We’re stretched so thin that Chief Jackson has to take up the slack.”
“I heard that McDaniel girl was involved with her immediate supervisor before we ever left port,” Spivey stated, revealing information that Ferrin hadn’t heard. “I’m surprised that he wasn’t questioned.”
“Wait.” Ferrin leaned forward, not wanting to misunderstand. “You’re saying that Tami had an affair with her supervisor? Chief Allen? That’s not true.”
“Hey, I’m just sharing what I heard.” Spivey imparted a disconcerted look Roger’s way as if he’d opened up a can of worms he hadn’t intended. That was too damn bad. “I told Lieutenant Irvine, but I don’t know what he did with the information.”
“Good morning,” Chief Jackson said, walking into the room with no idea he’d interrupted a conversation that Ferrin hadn’t wanted to stop. She’d always been the one to keep her head down and do her work, but apparently she’d missed out on a lot of talk that might have made a difference. If Tami had been involved with her chief, why wouldn’t she have said something? “Run down, please.”
Roger stood up and walked over to Ferrin’s desk, passing her the log. She only half listened as her mind spun with frenzied thoughts about what Spivey had just said. Had Lieutenant Irvine followed up that lead? What if Chief Allen had killed Tami and was using all the other incidents to keep Lieutenant Irvine preoccupied? Could it be that simple?
“Ferrin?” Chief Jackson must have repeatedly called her name. All three men’s gazes were trained on her when she looked up. “Are you going to be able to complete your duties today?”
“Of course,” Ferrin responded, not wanting Chief Jackson to think he had to take up her slack. He was already pulling double duty and stretching Roger thin. She hadn’t been pulling her weight and she needed to change that. Daegan would probably be by shortly and she would make sure he knew what she’d found out this morning. Jerry chose that moment to walk in, which was perfect timing. “Jerry, don’t get too comfortable. Would you go up to the bridge and check with the watch officer and note any communications issues entered in the duty log? I want to ensure that Captain Hensel has a day where nothing goes wrong.”
“Don’t curse us,” Chief Jackson warned, his brown eyes still studying Ferrin as if he wasn’t quite sure she was telling the truth about being able to handle her workload. “We will have a good day. With that said, Roger and Spivey—get some rack time. I’ll need you to come in a few hours early. I’m extending everyone’s shift, specifically due to the ship getting closer to our destination.”
As the conversation around Ferrin continued, she got lost in her work although Spivey’s words had stayed with her. He and Roger finally left and as her shift got under way, the morning passed and the hours ticked by uneventfully. Everyone seemed to relax a bit and when the hatch opened around zero nine hundred, Ferrin was surprised to see Nina. The woman should be on duty, but her casual dress code indicated that wasn’t the case. Ferrin had also hoped that it had been Daegan to visit.
“Do you have a second?” Nina asked, tucking her black hair behind her ear. She looked tired as she pulled up a chair next to Ferrin’s desk without waiting for an answer and took a seat. Chief Jackson wasn’t in the radio room as he had gone down to the COC to talk to the Ops chief about timely handover of nets for maintenance and Jerry was swapping out a patch panel in one of the radio racks. “I just wanted to say that I had nothing to do with Tami’s death or setting that bomb thing.”
“Nina, I didn’t think you did.” Ferrin took off her glasses and set them on the paperwork she’d been completing. She turned her seat so that she was facing Nina. “I didn’t know they were going to question you.”
“All because I’m getting rent from a friend of mine for a sublet,” Nina replied almost bitterly. Ferrin didn’t blame her, but then again, pretty much everyone on board this ship had either been questioned or would be questioned. “Lieutenant Irvine checked it out and I’m cleared, but you didn’t come back to our cabin.”
Ferrin realized how things must have looked to Nina and she struggled with how to explain that she and Daegan were now sharing a room. Most of the crewmembers probably already knew, but Ferrin didn’t have a connection with them and didn’t feel the need to clarify.
“Nina, that has nothing to do with you. I’m…involved with someone and now that it’s come to light, everyone’s thinking it’s best that I stay with him since I’ve been made a target so many times.” She didn’t miss the way Nina’s brows shot up, especially since Ferrin was the one to always follow the rules. “I promise you that’s all it is. I was going to come and talk to you later today. I thought you were working the day shift.”
“Our schedules have been changed, just like a lot of departments.” Nina looked over when Jerry came around one of the radio racks and gave a smile in acknowledgement. She turned her attention back to Ferrin and then raised a hand to indicate the room. “Same with you, I guess. I don’t know why our department heads decided to do that, but I’m not complaining.”
Nina was known for mingling with the crewmembers from different departments and Ferrin wondered if she would answer some questions. She turned a little farther in her chair, not wanting Jerry to overhear them and think that they were gossiping. Ferrin honestly wanted to know so that she could relay this information to Daegan.
“Nina, did you know Tami McDaniel?” Ferrin asked in almost a whisper, leaning forward slightly so that her words didn’t carry.
“A little. We were on the same shift, so I saw her around the common areas.” Nina glanced Jerry’s way, catching on that Ferrin didn’t want him to hear their conversation. “Why?”
“I had become friends with her and I heard something today that kind of threw me.” Ferrin was being honest, wanting Nina to be the same in return. “Tami and Chuck had become somewhat close after we left San Diego. Do you know if she was involved with someone else?”
“You mean that rumor that she had sex with Chief Allen to get her job?” Nina asked, her words surprising Ferrin even more. She’d assumed that Spivey had meant that Tami and Chief Allen had a one-night stand, but not that it was for Tami’s job. “The story made its rounds, but if you’re asking if I believe it the answer is no.”
“Why not?” Ferrin didn’t believe it either, but only because she knew that Tami would never have done such a thing. Yes, the woman had liked men…but she would never have stooped so low as to sell herself for a job. She could almost hear Tami say that if she had to do that, she’d just be a prostitute so she could get some enjoyment out of it. “Did you hear something else?”
“I know Chief Allen and his wife,” Nina said with a shrug, as if that said it all. “They live in my apartment building and there is no way he would cheat on his wife. He absolutely dotes on that woman.”
Ferrin didn’t know whether to be happy to hear that or sad that it blew her theory all to hell. She told Nina that she would stop by their cabin to gather a few more things and they could talk more in private then. She didn’t want Chief Jackson coming back and thinking she wasn’t doing her job. Once Nina left, Ferrin and Jerry started discussing what the afternoon held and she wondered if Daegan had a more eventful morning than she did. She would still relay the rumor, although Starr and Lieutenant Irvine had probably already looked into it. That left one thing on Ferrin’s mind and that was what Daegan had planned for her tonight. It would be much easier to anticipate the upcoming evening if she didn’t feel as if someone on this ship wanted to take her down personally.