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I pull my hair out of the way and turn my head to give her access. While she puts the medicated patch in place, I think about how Elio sent her down here to take care of me. He didn’t have to do that. He could have ignored my shivering last night and avoided me while I was throwing up. Making sure his men don’t harm me could be tactical—a hostage is no good dead—but the other kindnesses paint a different picture that I’m having trouble reconciling with the Reaper persona he’s crafted.

“That should make a huge difference today.” Evie sits back and smiles. “How about we go up to the main lounge? Having eyes on the horizon can also be enormously helpful.”

“That works. I’ve already showered, but give me a few minutes in the bathroom, and I’ll be ready to go.”

“Take all the time you need.”

I use the toilet and brush my teeth again. My partially dried hair has embraced the humidity and is waving in every direction imaginable. I pile it into a messy bun before following Evie upstairs. The boat's layout isn’t insanely complicated, but I’m not familiar with it yet and appreciate the help getting around.

We make ourselves comfortable on the sofa along one wall. The sun is shining, evoking a warm summer day. It’s still November, so I know that can’t be right until the glass door to the outside deck opens and a mild ocean breeze fills the room.

Evie closes her eyes and inhales. “Ahhh, a little farther south and we can get our swimsuits on.”

I’m only half listening because my attention is fixed on Elio. He looks me over assessingly, then crosses the room to a wet bar.

“Swimsuits?” I ask absently.

“Yeah, we should be near Bermuda later today. Maybe tomorrow we can spend some time in the loungers, though we’ll need to stick to the shade, even if it’s not warm enough for swimsuits. You look like you tolerate about as much sun as I do. I love the warmth, but I end up one giant freckle.”

“It’s not like I have much else to do,” I say resignedly.

We both lift our gazes to Elio as he approaches, and he hands me a water bottle and a handful of saltine crackers, individually packaged as though from a restaurant.

“You need to eat. Start with this. If you think you can handle more, Evie can help get the kitchen to bring something up for you.” Not waiting for a response, he walks to the large dining table near the wet bar and sits at an open laptop.

Evie is fighting back a grin.

“What?” I whisper.

Her expression shifts to one of exaggerated innocence. “Nothing. Nothing at all.”

“Uh-huh.” I narrow my eyes with playful skepticism.

“I’m just surprised to see him acting so thoughtfully.”

“You and me both,” I mutter. Elio is definitely different than I would have imagined, and I’m not sure what to make of it.

“You two knew each other from before?”

“He and his brother were best friends with my older brother when we were kids. We all thought Elio was dead.” I peer over at him, curious if he’s listening.

Her eyes round. “No kidding?” She leans closer. “Even his own family?”

“Yup.” I open a package of crackers and test a bite.

Seeming to sense my reluctance to talk about the subject, she veers us in another direction that isn’t all that much better. “So you have a brother—any other siblings?”

“I did have a brother. He died in a car crash a couple of months after Elio disappeared.”

“Oh, Isa, that’s terrible. I’m so sorry.”

I nod with a frown and take a sip of water. “Especially since I was in the car with him.”

Her pain-stricken face contorts with horror. “Oh God. I can’t even imagine. That had to have been awful.”

“I was pretty beat up myself, so I didn’t wake up until after the fact. I was devastated when they told me. It’s been twenty years, though, so I’ve had a long time to heal, physically and emotionally.”

If only healing took us back to the way things were. I may be functional, but I’ll never be whole again.