She nodded. “A few hundred people may read my Doctoral Thesis on deepwater shark diets. Millions saw my television show, and it changed public attitudes. It helped with the push for marine reserves and protections. Which do you think did the most good? Which do you think I’m prouder of as I look back?”
“The show,” I said.
“Exactly. You’ve changed more with your foundation and your tagging program than anything you’d do at a university. I bet you’re having more fun, too.”
I looked out over the water as we ate lunch and waited to arrive at our next dive site. “A lot more,” I said. “I’m so busy that I had to prioritize, and freshman chemistry lost out big time.”
She snorted at that. “You’re young, rich, beautiful, talented, and about to get married. Enjoy it. If your lack of a college education bothers you, tackle that later.”
“Strike while the iron is hot?”
“Exactly. Don’t have regrets as you look back on these years. Live life to its fullest, and let the rest take care of itself.” I didn’t respond for a while. “Of course, a hot husband and constant sex help big time.”
“SOFIA!”
“What? I’ve seen the pictures of you two!” We dissolved into laughter, joined by the others.
Of course, they heard everything, but I didn’t mind. Sofia validated for me that I was doing the right thing, and the girls were too. We dove another three sites, and Sofia and I were close friends by the time we finished.
When we got back to shore, my phone had a message to call Adrienne. Since we were almost in the same time zone now, I called her from the car. “Leo would be SO jealous of me right now,” I told her before I talked briefly about our dive trip.
“I’m afraid I have some news for you,” she said. “I have a source in the Council that warned me they are planning to take a harder line with you if you don’t come to heel soon.”
“What is going on?”
“Carrot and stick. The Council representative will meet you when you arrive in Jamaica. His job is to convince you to join them voluntarily.”
Great. I was hoping to avoid the Council entirely until the wedding. “Who are they sending?”
“Lawrence Fenwick.”
I smiled; Lawrence had defended Leo thirteen years ago before the Council and had prosecuted the Killington Alphas and my ex-mate. He was a family friend, and I trusted him. “They are trying the soft sell first.”
“Yes. I don’t believe Lawrence is a security risk but prepare for anything.”
“I’ll let Nicholas know; it wouldn’t surprise me if they tried the stick back home while dangling the carrot in Jamaica.” We’d have to wait and see what the Council gave to Lawrence to tell me. “How goes the negotiations back home?”
“We have the basic structure and format figured out. Give me another week, and we’ll have another videoconference.” Since the mermaids were decentralized, it took a lot longer to get their feedback and agreement on anything. Some parts of the treaty were easy, but how to resolve issues among three groups when only two might agree was far more difficult. Someone needed to lead, after all. We talked for a while longer before I let her go.
I wanted to go to bed early, but Mercedes insisted we make appearances at the nightclubs so the press and cameras could see us in our Bodyglove designs. Amy and I finally got back to our room at two in the morning and slept until it was time to leave for the airport.
It was a long flight to Jamaica, connecting in Miami. Thank Luna, we were in first class, where we could stretch our legs and get some work done. Linda was doing rough edits on her laptop while I was going over wedding preparations. Mom didn’t understand the non-traditional dress I had chosen until she realized why I chose the two-color scheme. The girls were thrilled with their design, and Mercedes promised they would be ready for fittings when we got to Cancun, our second-to-last tour stop.
We landed in Kingston, Jamaica, and cleared Customs when I got the first warning something was off. “Alpha, we have multiple wolf scents out here,” Carly sent from the other side of the security checkpoint. “At least five males.”
I quickly whispered in Linda’s ear what was going on, then directed my people. Linda and her assistant went through into the main terminal with the twins and Mercedes. With all the security and cameras, I didn’t think they would try anything here. Still, we waited on this side until Linda had secured our transport van to the hotel and had the luggage loaded. “Stay together. Fiona to my right, Amy to my left.” Amy took Fiona’s carryon bag so her hands would be free, and we walked together through the security doors.
Counselor Lawrence Fenwick was waiting about twenty feet away in a lightweight grey suit, and he smiled when he saw me. “Miss Vicki, and Mrs. Steele, it is a pleasure to see you again,” he said. “I was thrilled to hear your eyesight was recovering.”
“Thank you,” Amy said as we stopped in front of him. Carly was keeping an eye on the four Council Enforcers closer to the exit doors. No one else was close.
“Lawrence, it’s good to see you again,” I said as I smiled back. I gave him a quick hug, followed by Amy. “I didn’t expect to find you here.”
“The rough life of a semi-retired lawyer. There are worse assignments than Jamaica in December,” he said with a grin. “I didn’t have your hotel, just your flight information, so I had to meet you here. I know you’re a busy woman, so perhaps I could offer you a ride to your hotel?”
I looked at the four enforcers, then shook my head no. “Sorry, but I don’t know them. Security rules, you understand, after the attempts on my life. I can offer you a ride, and you can catch up with your boys later.”
“I was hoping to speak in private,” he said.
“At the hotel,” I replied. Lawrence accepted the ride and told the Enforcers to leave for their car while he followed us to the hotel van. When we settled in, I asked him to turn off his phone and verified his escorts were not in his Pack so they couldn’t link. “Are you working for them now?”
“No, the Council asked my boss if I would be the courier for this,” he said. “He sends his congratulations on your engagement, by the way. We were all shocked to see your announcement a few weeks back.”