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.He pressed his arm against Sin's without looking away from the water."They'llbe okay.She has no reason to believe they're involved in any of this, and worst casescenario they have their own plan.""Yeah.Maybe." Sin looked down at Boyd, a smal smile flashing across his face."Don't think I regret leaving.I don't.I want to be with you.I only want to be with you.Always.I'm just worried about the people left behind.""I know, I didn't doubt your reasons." Boyd tipped his head against Sin's shoulderand breathed in the fresh air.The cool wind chilled his exposed skin, but he didn'tmind."I'm worried about them, too, but at the same time I know these are the onlydays we'll have even the slightest chance to relax.Once we hit dry land, we'll haveto be on the run again.""And keep running." Sin squeezed Boyd's hand tighter."It will be worth it."Boyd smiled and turned toward Sin.With his free hand, he pul ed his lover down intoa short kiss.Their lips were chapped and tinged with the chill of the night air, butBoyd still felt a sense of stability and completion that he wasn't sure he'd ever feltbefore now.Sin's hand rested against the back of Boyd's neck, beneath the fall of his hair.Thetouch was light, almost gentle, and Sin's eyes seemed a deeper green in the lowlighting.Boyd was struck by the intensity of happiness he could feel from such asimple moment, and at a sudden thought he let out a low laugh."What?"Shaking his head, Boyd couldn't keep the bemused smile from his face."Nothing,just.We met, what? Almost six years ago?" He gestured to the ocean and the ship."If someone had told me back then that this is where we'd end up, I would'vethought they were insane.""They put us through enough shit that it's amazing we've survived." Sin looked downagain, and bumped his shoulder against Boyd's."We're pretty tough."Boyd smirked and rocked back against Sin."And apparently both too stubborn toknow when we're supposed to give up.""And we never will.""Not in a million years," Boyd agreed.They stood together in silence for several minutes before the quiet scuff of afootstep behind them interrupted them.They pulled apart, and pivoted.A man waswalking across deck; his skin pale in the night, with short dark hair and a pointedgoatee.His eyes were partially hidden by black-rimmed glasses."Oh," he said when he saw them.He paused, glanced behind him toward the doorhe'd presumably come from, and then out to the sea.After a second, he continuedwalking toward the railing.Sin stood up straight, but didn't step away from the railing.Still, Boyd could feel himtense.The man stopped to lean against the railing not far from them.When they continuedto watch him suspiciously, he looked over at them with a twist of his lips."If I ruineda moment or whatever, it wasn't on purpose.I just wanted some fresh air.First timeI've seen you two on board, though-- I thought I'd met everyone already atmealtimes."He looked at them questioningly.Boyd shifted against the railing, debating brieflywhether to answer or not.He ultimately decided that they might stand out in memorymore if they were completely uncooperative, but he wasn't going to give the manany important information."Neither of us have been feeling well.Thought we'd get some fresh air, too.""Ah," the man said knowingly with a nod."Seasickness." He turned to face them,with one arm still leaning against the railing."Name's Eli.What can I call you two?""James," Boyd said, gesturing to himself, and then for Sin, "and Ethan.""Americans, I see." Eli flashed a smile."I've been on this sort of transport a fewtimes, and I don't always get a hometown accent along the way, even when we'releaving port from there.Where are you headed?"Boyd raised his eyebrows at that, and Eli let out a humorless laugh.He waved hishand with a short shake of his head."You're right, sorry.Weird question, considering the circumstances.""It is." Sin's eyes raked over the man, and he shifted his weight away from the rail.Boyd glanced at Sin, and followed his lead."We'll let you have some peace."Eli's eyebrows rose and he glanced between the two of them, but then he shrugged."Alright then.Maybe I'll see you both around.""Maybe."The two of them headed back toward their room.Even so, Boyd could feel Eli's gazeon them until they left the deck.They saw Eli once more on the deck, but that time the man didn't speak to them.Even so, they took to barricading the door after their nightly excursions to the top.They didn't dare talk about their plans, and they occupied their time by focusing oneach other.When their time on the ship finally drew to a close, they'd had sex onevery possible surface in the cabin.They'd licked the salty tang of the ocean fromeach other's bodies, waking each other from sleep with hands and mouth almostevery day.The cycle of sex, sleep, and finding ways to release their anxiety seemed to go onforever, but when they finally docked in Lisbon, the departure was almost abrupt.They packed their belongings, armed themselves, and followed the other fewpassengers onto the deck.Eli was nowhere to be seen.They arrived in the dead of the night, with the dark lines of the suspension bridgePonte 25 de Abril spread in pale lights against the black sky.The passengerswandered off while the crew members began unloading the designated cargo.Taylalooked up through a fall of blue hair and flashed a quick smile at Boyd and Sin.As they were about to walk down to the dock, Liani walked over.Her clothing wasdarker than she'd worn earlier in the trip.She smiled with a curve of her lips and no teeth, and looked between the two ofthem."As-salamu alaykum.If you need us in the future, you know how to find us.""Thank you for your help," Sin said.He paused, and then added, " Chingon and Iboth are grateful.""It is our pleasure." She paused, glanced over at Tayla who jauntily waved at herlover, and then turned back to Sin and Boyd.Her back shifted slightly toward therest of the passengers, and her voice dropped further."Tayla tends to trust her first impression very strongly.She liked Boyd from the start,and it became stronger with his referral and the new business from Di Zhi.I won't lie;we were suspicious when chingon contacted us for the first time, but when welearned it was for you two it was an easy answer.Now, we may work with him againin the future." Her lips quirked."Perhaps we should make smal statues of you bothto keep aboard and use as money idols.""I'm pretty sure any statue of me would just scare people away," Sin said blandly."Perhaps, but that could be of use as wel." She winked and then looked over hershoulder.Boyd glanced back just in time to see Tayla waving a tablet with hereyebrows raised pointedly.Liani's lips thinned and she stepped back."It seems I'mneeded.Insha'Allah we will meet again.""I'm sure we will," Boyd said.He hitched the bag up further on his shoulder andflashed a small smile at her."Thanks for everything [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]