Lincoln studied Andres's face, searching for fear.
There was none.
The two women hung on opposite sides of the mast, ropes cutting into their wrists as they swayed in the wind.
Deck in front, open sea behind—if either of them dropped, even if they didn't drown, the sharks might finish the job.
Anya, already awake, screamed herself raw. "Mr. Andres! Please—save me! Save me!"
Maeve, by contrast, was eerily quiet.
Her eyes moved, calculating—how had these men boarded? How had they poisoned the guests without anyone noticing?
Lincoln laughed, drunk on his own power. "Uncle Andres, you're talented—playing hot and cold with two women at once."
"But I wonder… which one matters more to you. Let's play a game."
He pointed at Anya and Maeve.
"Since we're family, I'll give you a choice. You tell me which one lives, and I'll let her down."
"How's that, Uncle Andres? Fun?"
Andres tried to assess Maeve's condition, but the distance was too far and the wind too violent. All he could see were their bound hands and the way they swayed against the mast.
Lincoln gestured, and one of his men hurried over with a remote control.
Lincoln thumbed it, and the mast mechanism began to rotate.
At first, the women were positioned so that if something went wrong they'd fall onto the deck.
But as the mast turned, Anya swung over the sea side—Maeve over the deck.

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