“And my girlfriend will fucking leave me if I stop bringing in that cash,” Ryan whined.
Lace felt bad about Zach’s mother, but Ryan’s girlfriend?
“She’s not worth your time,” Lace spat at him, but her stoicism slowly deflated. She really liked these two, and didn’t want to ruin their lives.
“Listen. I’ll do what I can for you both,” she offered with a long, pained exhale, “but you have to promise that after this, no more dishonesty. And you seriously need to rethink your lives; where you’re both headed for the future.”
“We will.” Zach’s answer was immediate, but Ryan…
He was shaking his head. “I can’t let you stop us. It will ruin everything.”
“Continuingthisway will ruin everything,” Lace laid out baldly. “Cheating and lying is a slippery slope, and only leads to worse crimes later on. You have to take a stand on this, right now.”
Ryan shot her an undefinable grimace, and walked away grumbling.
“Talk to him,” Lace told Zach. “You know this isn’t good for either of you.”
“Yeah,” Zach lamented. “We got sucked into it. But we didn’t understand what was happening at first. Then once the captain had us doing what he wanted, he threatened that we’d go down with him if we ever told anybody.”
“And the money is good,” Lace interjected sadly.
“Yeah. The money is good.” Zach looked repentant. “You know what though? I’m kind of glad you’re pulling the plug. I knew it would only be a matter of time before my mother found out, and… Damn. She’s going to be so disappointed in me.”
“I’ll talk to her,” Lace promised, because she sensed that Zach really was a good kid. “But right now, I need to get my laptop and let my office know what’s been going on.”
“What should I do?” Zach asked despondently.
Lace laid a hand on his arm. “Just keep baiting hooks. That way the captain can’t blame you for anything.”
Zach nodded as Lace turned and walked away.
Fucker, she swore at the captain in her head.
The asshole didn’t give two shits if he ruined lives. He was all about the money. Well, where he’d be going, he wouldn’t have to worry about much of anything but pocket change for cigarettes and phone calls.
“Hey! Heiger!”
Captain Crooked’s irate voice hit her like a blow.
Oh, Ryan.You didn’t.
Lace felt disappointment in the pit of her gut.
It was clear the young man had squealed on her, and Lace wasn’t dumb enough to think there wouldn’t be consequences.
For her.
“Yes, Captain?” she replied over her shoulder as she hustled back to the spot where she’d left her computer. If she could just get it open…
He strode rapidly across the deck after her, his feet easily chewing up the distance between them.
“I hear you have a problem with where we’re going today?” he hissed angrily
Lace knew she wasn’t going to reach her laptop before the man got to her, so she spun around to confront him. “What I have a problem with, is you selling black-market, undersized tuna,” she snapped right back.
“And you think you’re going to turn me in,” he glowered.
Lace didn’t flinch. “It’s my job.”