Page 79 of Fire and Ice Cruise

“I think it’s time we had a little talk,” I say quietly.

Marina sighs and resignation fills every corner of her expression.

“Yes,” she whispers. “I think it is.”

CHAPTER 26

The Second Act Society Soirée is in full swing with music blaring, laughter rolling through the ballroom in waves, and champagne flowing as though Iceland’s trying to hydrate the entire ship through alcohol alone.

Celeste is floating around Marina and me, doing dance moves that haven’t been used in the last almost forty years, glowing a brilliant shade of blue while she shimmies and twirls. I’ll admit, it’s a little off-putting.

Marina shakes her head at me, and I catch the shimmer of tears in her eyes. “I’m sorry, Trixie. There are some things I would love to share with you, but I just can’t.”

Her eyes shine like emeralds under the chandelier light—bright, beautiful, and desperate.

“You can trust me,” I tell her. “If you’re in trouble, I want to help. Wes wants to help. I know he would.”

“Oh, this is getting juicy,” Celeste announces, doing some kind of hip swivel that would make Elvis proud. “Two women arguing over a man. Tale as old as time.”

Says her.

“I know you mentioned something about your finances,” I continue to Marina. “Is that what Gideon had on you? Is that why the two of you argued?”

Marina’s eyes widen with horror. “Wow. You really are good.”

“I’m not that good.” I shake my head. “I have no idea what landed you in that bar in Copenhagen, or why you’d jump on the nearest ship to escape whatever you were running from.”

She turns her head as though I struck her. “Trixie, stop.”

“I can’t stop. I have to know what you and Gideon argued about. I have to rule you out as a suspect.”

“That’s not how this works.” She cups her hand over her mouth.

“That’s exactly how this works,” I shoot back. “Marina, you can trust me. I’m a safe space for you. If you need legal protection, Ransom and I will help. I will personally fund whatever legal aid you might need. I promise you’ll be safe. Whoever did this to you, they can’t hurt you anymore.”

“You don’t know what you’re saying.” She glances toward the exit as tears brim in her eyes. “I have to go.”

She starts to bolt, and I catch her by the wrist.

“Ooh, catfight!” Celeste claps her ghostly hands together. “I once got into a brawl over a man at a cocktail party. And technically you two are arguing over Gideon, or is it the captain? Anyway, this is basically the same thing.”

She giggles long and hard, and Marina freezes.

She looks around wildly, taking in our isolated corner of the ballroom. The party rages on fifty feet away, but here? We’re pretty much alone.

Or at least it seems.

“Who said that?” Marina’s voice goes tight with panic.

I cringe.

Right. That whole supersensual thing. The touching-bare-flesh-means-you-can-hear-the-dead thing. If someone touches me, well, I sort of work as a demented game of telephone, except the operator is deceased and has questionable timing.

“Who said what?” I try for casual and land somewhere around guilty.

Marina narrows those ice-blue eyes at me. “You are a terrible liar, Trixie.”

“And so are you,” I riot back. “Now tell me what you’re running from.”