Lisa Jackson's the Abandoned Box Set by Lisa Jackson

hair. She let out a whoop of pure joy!
    For the first time in her twenty-four years, she felt completely free. She closed her eyes and felt the soft caress of the wind on her face.
    The next few weeks were going to change the course of her life forever!

CHAPTER THREE
    A DAM TRIED TO MOVE his cramped muscles. He’d been hiding in a storage closet in the hold for forty-five minutes, according to the luminous face of his watch, and for the last fifteen the boat had been moving, cutting through the water at a pretty good clip. The Marnie Lee pitched and rolled as they traveled, and Adam guessed that the storm was stronger than the weather service had predicted. The force of the gale didn’t seem to deter Simms though; he never turned about.
    Good. The farther they were from Port Stanton, the better. Adam couldn’t wait to see the look on Simms’s face when he appeared on deck.
    Adam gave Kent another fifteen minutes, then eased himself from the tight quarters. He’d stashed an overnight bag in the galley because he’d learned over the past year to be prepared for anything. He didn’t know how long he’d be stuck with Kent—he hadn’t worked that out yet. A lot depended upon Simms’s attitude and what kind of deal they could cut, because, Adam was sure that Kent Simms was up to his eyeballs in the embezzling mess. There was a chance that Simms hadn’t been involved, but the probability was slim. From his overreaction at the sight of Adam, to his insistence that security be called, Simms looked guilty as hell. Yep, Simms was hiding something. Adam just had to find out what it was and how it was tied to the embezzling.
    He glanced up the stairs, felt the lash of rain and windand decided to give Kent a couple more minutes while he changed. Tossing his bag into an empty cabin, he stripped out of his tux and slid into jeans, flannel shirt, sweater and high-tops. Finally he flung a black poncho over his head.
    Using sea legs he’d acquired in the navy, he climbed up two flights to the bridge and twisted his lips into a grim smile at the thought of scaring the living hell out of Simms. If nothing else, Simms’s reaction would be worth the rocky ride.
    Flinging open the door of the bridge, he stopped stock-still. A blast of wind caught the door, ripping the door latch from his hands. Papers rustled and caught in the icy breeze. Marnie Montgomery, planted at the helm, nearly jumped out of her skin. With a scream that died in her throat, she whipped around and fumbled in the pocket of her jacket, presumably for a weapon. The helm spun crazily and the boat shuddered.
    â€œDrake? What the hell are you doing here?” she cried, her face ashen, her hair blowing in the wind as she scrabbled to regain control of the spinning wheel. “You nearly gave me a heart attack!”
    He was as stunned as she. Marnie? Here? At the wheel in the middle of a gale-force storm? The wind was fierce, the waters of the sound rolling and unpredictable.
    â€œI asked you a question,” she said, her blue eyes dark as the angry ocean. “And close the door, for crying out loud!”
    Damn his rotten luck! Adam caught hold of the latch and pulled the door shut behind him. The door slammed tight, shutting out the wind and rain.
    Papers stopped blowing, and Marnie’s blond hair fell back to her shoulders. “Well?”
    His entire plan—spontaneous as it had been—depended upon getting Simms alone. Now he had to dealwith Simms’s angry lover. Terrific! Just damned terrific. “I’m looking for Kent Simms.”
    â€œHere?” she said, laughing bitterly. The disgusted look she sent him accused him of being out of his mind. “You expected him on board?”
    â€œIsn’t he?”
    â€œNot if he has a brain,” she muttered. Scowling, she added, “I think Kent’s back at the hotel, living the good life, kissing up to my father.” She turned