Leashing the Tempest Read Free Page A

TV.”
    â€œSince he met you, he’s got his bedroom DVR set to record anything to do with Hong Kong or China,” I said.
    â€œHey!” Jupe complained.
    Kar Yee grinned. “Don’t listen to her, Jupiter. She’s just jealous of our love.”
    Jupe laughed, unsure if she was teasing him again, but too far gone to care. He pulled out his cell phone in a clumsy attempt to change the subject. “Picture time.”
    â€œSnap away,” she said. “Left side is my best side.”
    â€œPlease don’t encourage him.” Shivering in the cool ocean breeze winding over the stern, I scooted closer to Lon and tucked my feet under my legs on the ivory cushion.
    Jupe began snapping photos of Kar Yee, with the occasional pity shot of Lon and me thrown in to make it look aboveboard, I supposed. And never mind that his dad was a semi-famous photographer with a camera worth more than my car. He was going to fill up his phone with Kar Yee from every angle. God only knew where those pictures would end up. Probably on every online movie forum the kid patrolled, tagged with exaggerations about their nonexistent relationship.
    â€œWho’s running the bar if you’re both here?” he asked after what must have been a few thousand photos.
    â€œAmanda,” I said, referring to our lead waitress. “We’re breaking her in.”
    Kar Yee polished a small apple on the hem of her shirt. “Hopefully she won’t run off with all the money in the safe.”
    â€œHopefully she remembers the safe combination.”
    â€œYou guys can call to check on her,” Jupe said, glancing up at the captain’s distant figure, which stood under a navy canopy on the topmost deck. He pulled his phone back out. “Or maybe not. No signal. But you can send her a message—I remember Crazy Bandana Man’s Wi-Fi password.”
    I groaned. “Don’t we all. Seriously, Lon. Where did you find this guy?”
    â€œSomeone I knew used to work for the charter company.”
    Jupe stopped taking photos. “Oh, wait. Her? ”
    I felt Lon’s arm tense around my shoulder.
    â€œOh-ho-ho, it was her,” Jupe said.
    I waved to get Jupe’s attention. “Who’s ‘her’?”
    â€œAmanda.”
    â€œHuh?” I was momentarily confused, picturing Amanda back at Tambuku.
    â€œAmanda Morris, ” he clarified in a fake posh voice. “So, remember when I told you about the only woman he’d snuck into the house before you?”
    â€œSneaked, and yes.” It was one of the first Butler family secrets he spilled to me. The first of many. Jupe would not only let the cat out of the bag, he’d set the bag on fire so that cat would be sure to roam free for the rest of its nine lives.
    â€œSnuck, and that was Amanda Morris. She spent the night. ”
    â€œYou weren’t supposed to know that,” Lon complained.
    Jupe flashed Lon a sheepish smile. “Not my fault you couldn’t be quiet. I heard talking that morning, then I saw you hustling her down the stairs. I’m not dumb, hel- lo .”
    â€œYeah, hel- lo, ” I repeated in the same sarcastic tone, grabbing Lon’s chin to turn his face toward mine. “Who was this woman?”
    â€œNo one.”
    â€œHe went out on a bunch of dates with her,” Jupe offered. “Then he brought her home that night, then she stopped calling.”
    Kar Yee made a dramatic pity-filled sound. “It was probably your pirate mustache, Lon. Some women aren’t into that dirty rock star chic. You’re lucky Cady has low standards.”
    â€œHey,” Jupe complained with a cross face. “My dad makes the Lust List in the Village Weekly every year.”
    â€œBros before hos. Nice,” I praised. “Now, who is this Amanda chick?”
    Lon sighed. “She met some guy vacationing in Big Sur. Ran off to Tennessee with him.”
    â€œHe was