Safari Island Shifters: The Complete Collection(30)

He’d learned a lot about wedding planning from just his one day on the job. At least it was good practice for when they married Lily.

Max went back outside and gave Gummy a thumbs up before returning to Finn and Lily, who were talking with Addison’s parents.

“It’s time to board,” Gummy called out ten minutes later.

The whole crowd filed onto the giant yacht. Max had only been on the boat for one cruise before this. He and Finn were seated on either side of Lily for the meal. It wasn’t exactly what Gummy had planned originally, but Max had convinced him to ease up. Branch had originally been seated between Lily and Addison’s father, but now he was seated between Ward and Chet.

The festivities got started with the captain welcoming everyone on board and giving them a rundown of the safety procedures. Max kept his arm around the back of Lily’s chair for the whole speech. He was a little uncomfortable that the photographers were snapping away, but he supposed he had to get used to it. They were going to be a frequent sight for the next few days.

Before the main course was served, Ward stood up. “Excuse me, everyone. I’d like to say a few words.”

The tables all quieted and everyone in the room turned their attention to him. “Thanks. For those of you who don’t know me, I’m Ward Langston and I work in PR here on Safari Island. I wanted to thank the lovely bride and groom for allowing us to turn their intimate wedding into a circus.”

He paused to allow his audience to laugh before he continued. “Seriously, we can’t thank you enough for letting us use your special day to advertise our new corporate ventures. When I saw that two such attractive people were getting hitched, I knew I could use it to our advantage. So I have to also thank the parents.” Ward raised his glass to the Gallows and Littles. “Thank you, guys, for making such a good-looking pair of people.”

Chet kissed the back of Addison’s hand and raised his glass to Mr. and Mrs. Little. “I have to agree with Ward, here.”

The room clapped. Max had to admit it was cute. Chet was really lucky, and Max had to thank Addison for bringing Lily back to the island. If it wasn’t for their big wedding, he and Finn wouldn’t have gotten another chance with Lily. He would remember to thank her at their wedding.

Ward raised his glass to the happy couple. “Thank you both for allowing us to capture your special day. Pictures of a couple so deeply in love are going to do wonders for our business. I wish you both a lifetime of happiness.”

The room applauded and then the waiters started bringing out plates of food.

“Excuse me.” Lily stood up. “I need to go to the little girls’ room before we eat.”

Finn kissed her before she left. “She’s looking a little queasy. I bet she’s not used to being on water.”

“I hadn’t noticed,” Max said. “She didn’t say anything.”

“She took a pill for motion sickness while you were doing work for Gummy.”

Max nodded. “I hope she’s okay.”

“I’ll go look for her if she isn’t back in a minute. I’m sure we’ll find her with her head over the side of the boat.”

Max chuckled. “Maybe we should give her a minute extra. I know I hate throwing up in front of people.”

Finn nodded. “Good idea.”

***

Lily hung her head over the side of the boat and took a deep breath. She hated being sick. When she’d heard the dinner was taking place on the water, she had known to pack her pills. The slow rocking of the boat made her feel awful.

“How convenient.”

She whipped around in disbelief. “Mr. Angelsen?”

Her boss nodded. “In the flesh.”

She couldn’t believe her eyes. A bald-headed hulking figure came toward her. The familiar face’s menacing glare made her stomach turn. Maybe the pills were making her hallucinate. “What are you doing here?”

“I thought I needed to pay my favorite employee a little visit,” Dave Angelsen said sarcastically. He moved closer and grabbed her around the arm. “I was on my way out of the country and I decided to make a quick trip here before heading to the Philippines.”

Lily looked at his hand. “What?”

Nothing was making any sense and her stomach rolled. She hung her head over the side rail and threw up into the ocean.

“I didn’t think it would so easy to get close to you, but this party made it really easy.” He pulled her closer and his black eyes flashed. “I don’t appreciate threats.”

Lily was afraid. She was on a boat full of people, but there wasn’t anyone nearby. Mr. Angelsen was a big man, at least six feet tall and much stronger than she was. Whatever he wanted, he wasn’t going to be good. She thought back to the self-defense class she’d taken in high school and stomped the top of his foot with all her might.

“Ouch!”

Instead of letting her go, Angelsen picked her up and threw her over the side of the yacht. Lily screamed as she hit the water. They weren’t moving fast, but they were already far away from the shore. If she couldn’t get back on board quickly, she could get lost at sea. She could end up dead in a watery grave. She had no idea how long it would take someone to come looking for her. Who knows how far away the yacht would be by then.

To her surprise, a second later, Angelsen hit the water. For a moment, she was elated. Maybe he’d made a mistake and hadn’t meant to throw her overboard.