Suite Revenge (Cruise Ship Christian Cozy Mysteries Series Book 8) Read online

  Suite Revenge

  Cruise Ship Christian Cozy Mysteries Series

  Book 8

  Hope Callaghan

  hopecallaghan.com

  * * * * *

  Copyright © 2016

  All rights reserved.

  This book is a work of fiction. Although places mentioned may be real, the characters, names and incidents and all other details are products of the author’s imagination and are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or actual persons, living or dead is purely coincidental.

  No part of this publication may be copied, reproduced in any format, by any means, electronic or otherwise, without prior consent from the copyright owner and publisher of this book. The only exception is brief quotations in printed reviews.

  ______________________________

  Visit my website for new releases and special offers: hopecallaghan.com

  Thank you, Peggy H., Jean P., Cindi G., Wanda D. and Barbara W. for taking the time to preview Suite Revenge, for the extra sets of eyes and for catching all my mistakes.

  A special thanks to my reader review team: Alice, Amary, Barbara, Becky, Becky B, Brinda, Cassie, Christina, Debbie, Denota, Devan, Francine, Grace, Jan, Jo-Ann, Joeline, Joyce, Jean K., Jean M., Kathy, Lynne, Megan, Melda, Kat, Linda, Lynne, Pat, Patsy, Paula, Renate, Rita, Rita P, Shelba, Tamara and Vicki

  Contents

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  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

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  Chapter 1

  Millie Sanders tugged her bursting-at-the-seams suitcase off the curb and hurried across the street. She stopped abruptly when she reached the other side. Her heart skipped a beat as she caught a glimpse of Siren of the Seas, her second home.

  It seemed like forever since she’d taken her mandatory break as assistant cruise director on board Siren of the Seas and traveled home to Michigan to visit family and friends.

  Millie had planned to return to work on Siren of the Seas a couple months back, but there had been a mix-up in her paperwork and the corporate office had assigned her to Baroness of the Seas instead. Baroness, one of Majestic Cruise Lines newer ships, would have been perfect except for the fact that her heart, and Captain Armati was on Siren of the Seas.

  The break had been wonderful and given Millie a chance to recharge her batteries and spend precious time with her family. Her daughter, Beth, had surprised her and told her the family planned to join her for a cruise the same week she returned to work on Siren of the Seas. Millie’s grandchildren were starting their Christmas break and the timing would work out perfectly.

  Millie had flown to Miami a couple days early to wrap up some loose ends and fill out a pile of paperwork the corporate office required before she could start her new contract.

  Beth had also told her there was another surprise but Millie had a sneaky suspicion it wasn’t a pleasant one. Beth had refused to elaborate and told her mother she would rather tell her in person.

  Millie pushed the nagging feeling something unpleasant was about to happen out of her mind and instead thought of her upcoming reunion with her close friends, Annette Delacroix and Cat Wellington, not to mention her boss, Andy Walker.

  There was also one very special person Millie couldn’t wait to see…Captain Armati.

  She hurried through the employee check-in counter where she picked up her new employee identification card. Millie let out the small breath she’d been holding when she spotted the corner emblem indicating the cardholder held a level two security clearance. Level two was below the ship’s officers and other high ranking officials, but it still gave her access to many areas of the ship that were restricted.

  She picked up the pace as she marched up the steep ramp that led to the ship.

  The familiar “ding” of keycards echoed inside the entrance as Millie stopped behind a group of other crewmembers. None of them looked familiar and she knew that, like her, others were coming back on board after a break or were switching from one ship to another.

  Millie reached the front of the line and a beaming Suharto, one of the security officers who manned the entrance, smiled broadly. “Miss Millie. You decided to come back.”

  Millie slid her keycard in the slot and waited for the familiar ding. “Of course, Suharto. You can’t get rid of me that easy,” she teased as she removed the card from the slot.

  She stood off to the side and gazed at the magnificent glass and brass atrium, as if seeing it for the very first time. A towering Christmas tree filled the center of the room. The twinkling red, blue and green lights winked at Millie and the soft strains of Jingle Bells filled the air.

  The familiar smell of freshly brewed coffee wafted across the room from the beverage bar and Millie closed her eyes, breathing in the aroma.

  “It’ll all still be here when you open your eyes,” a familiar voice whispered in her ear.

  Millie opened her eyes and came face-to-face with Andy Walker, Siren of the Seas Cruise Director and Millie’s boss. She let go of her suitcase and flung herself at him. “Did you miss me?” she asked as she hugged him tight.

  “Of course not,” Andy teased. He waited for Millie to release her hold and held her at arm’s length. “Your hair looks a little grayer and I see another wrinkle or two but other than that, I’m guessing you enjoyed your time off.”

  Millie playfully slugged him in the arm. “That’s not nice,” she shot back, the smile never leaving her face.

  “I’m joking,” Andy said. “You look great. I’m the one who has more gray hair and extra wrinkles. It’s been a nightmare having Zack fill in for you while you were gone.” Zack was one of the dancers and a member of the entertainment staff.

  “Good. I hope you were miserable.” Millie quickly glanced around the atrium. “Is everyone else already on board?”

  “If ‘everyone else’ is Captain Armati, then the answer is ‘yes.’ He’s up in the bridge and nearly driving me nuts calling me on the radio every ten minutes to ask if you’ve arrived yet.”

  “He has?” Millie’s face turned a hint of pink and she beamed brightly.

  “Well, more like every twenty minutes,” Andy said as he glanced at his watch. “You have another hour before the first passengers start boarding.” He pointed at Millie’s large suitcase. “Why don’t you go on ahead and drop your suitcase off in your cabin? You should have plenty of time to make a stop by the bridge so the captain will quit calling me.”

  “I’m still sharing a cabin with Danielle?” Danielle was Danielle Kneldon, another member of the entertainment staff and although her official title wasn’t assistant cruise director, she shared many
of the same responsibilities as Millie. “Is she here?”

  “Yep,” Andy said. “She’s another one who’s been chomping at the bit, anxiously awaiting your arrival.”

  “It feels good to be loved.” Millie reached for the suitcase handle. “I’ll report back within the hour.” She saluted her boss and then headed to the bank of elevators and the stairs on the other side.

  She was tempted to take the elevators, just this once, but her claustrophobia wasn’t having it. Her heart began to pound at the thought and she quickly decided to lug her bag down the steps to the crew quarters, which were located on deck one.

  When she reached the employee corridor, nicknamed I-95 by the ship’s crew, she passed several familiar faces. Some she knew by name and they welcomed her back on board the ship.

  A red and white striped candy cane sticker was stuck to the front of her cabin door with the words ‘Welcome Home’ neatly written on the front.

  Millie smiled as she pulled the lanyard from around her neck and slipped the keycard into the slot, waiting for the familiar beep.

  She pushed the door open and dragged her suitcase across the threshold before maneuvering the bulky bag out of the doorway. She waited for the door to close before opening one of the closet doors, the one she’d previously used. It was empty.

  After quickly unpacking her suitcase and hanging her work uniforms on the hangers, she slid the empty suitcase to the far corner of the closet.

  Millie placed her makeup bag in the bathroom and changed into her work uniform. After changing into her uniform and freshening up, Millie hurried from the cabin, down the corridor and up the stairs to deck ten, where the captain’s bridge was located.

  She strode to the door, lifted her lanyard to use her keycard and then stopped. She’d always let herself into the bridge, but that had been before.

  The door abruptly swung open and Antonio Vitale, the ship’s staff captain, nearly plowed her over.

  “Millie.” He jumped back. “It’s so nice to see your lovely face,” he said, his thick Italian accent unmistakable. “We’ve missed you.”

  “I’ve missed you too. I thought I would pop in to say hello to the captain.”

  Captain Vitale nodded. “I was getting ready to grab a bite to eat. The captain and Scout are in the bridge.”

  Scout was Captain Armati’s teacup Yorkshire pup. The dog and Millie spent a lot of time together during her working hours when she took Scout out several times a week to visit with ship’s guests, including the junior passengers. They also liked to spend time at Ocean Oasis, a special place on board the ship Captain Armati had built for Scout and Millie.

  Millie waited for the door to shut behind Captain Vitale before she tiptoed up the steps and into the bridge. Captain Armati stood front and center, holding a pair of binoculars to his eyes.

  Scout spotted Millie first as he let out a small yip and scampered across the floor. He pounced on her shoe, pawed at her leg and let out a low whine.

  Millie picked up the pint-size fur ball and held him close. Scout promptly licked her face, attempted to bite her necklace and then head butted her chin.

  He wiggled and squirmed until she finally set him back on the floor where he circled her legs. She looked up and her eyes locked with Captain Armati’s eyes.

  Millie’s breath caught and she let out a small squeak, which was supposed to be ‘hello’ but didn’t quite make it.

  “Millie.” A wave of warmth washed over Millie’s body as her name rolled off the captain’s tongue.

  “H-hello Captain Armati.”

  “Nic,” he corrected as he set the binoculars on top of the computer console and crossed the room.

  Millie stood. “Nic,” she whispered as he got close.

  “I’ve missed you,” he said, right before he leaned down and softly kissed her lips.

  Millie placed both hands on the captain’s chest. He took it as an invitation and drew her closer as the kiss deepened.

  The kiss…his closeness, was Millie’s undoing and she lost all sense of time as they stood locked in a flame-worthy embrace.

  Scout, not happy at being ignored, began barking and raced over the top of their feet. They reluctantly took a step back and Millie fought to steady her breathing. She placed a hand over her heart. “I-I’m sorry.” She blurted out the first thing that came to mind.

  “I’m not.” Captain Armati’s eyes smoldered. “I was just getting started.”

  Millie’s heart flip-flopped and she began to stutter again. “W-well.”

  Captain Armati touched her arm. “Let’s just say it’s a good thing Scout is here to chaperone.”

  Before she could answer, the doorknob rattled and Donovan Sweeney, the ship’s purser, stepped inside.

  He took one look at Millie’s face and stopped in his tracks. “I hope I’m not interrupting.”

  Millie cleared her throat, hoping Donovan hadn’t noticed the flushed look on her face. “I was just leaving,” she said.

  Donovan strode across the room to give Millie a quick hug. “We’ve missed you ‘round here. It’s been quiet and boring. We haven’t had a single man overboard nor stumbled upon a single dead body.”

  “I’ll see if I can change that,” Millie quipped as she returned the hug. “It’s good to be home.”

  She smiled. “I better get going.” Millie patted Scout’s head and made a hasty retreat.

  Millie’s next stop was Waves, the ship’s buffet area, where she planned to grab a bite to eat but quickly realized it wasn’t open yet.

  There was also a deli station and pizza station, across from the buffet. Millie wandered over to study the menus. One of the crew turned and although he looked familiar, Millie couldn’t quite place the name.

  “Welcome back Miss Millie. We’re getting ready for the lunch crowd. Can I get something for you?”

  Millie ordered a turkey Reuben with extra sauerkraut and Thousand Island dressing. She grabbed a bag of corn chips from the chip display rack and placed them on the side of her plate, next to the sandwich before thanking the crew and wandering to a nearby table.

  It was good to be back, to be home. She gobbled her food and sipped her watered down iced tea before placing her dirty dishes in the bin near the door and heading down to deck five.

  Andy, who was already there, glanced at his watch. “Two minutes to spare,” he teased.

  “Right on time,” Millie argued. “Have I ever been late? Don’t answer that.”

  Suharto gave Andy two thumbs up, his signal the passengers were starting up the ramp.

  “It’s show time folks,” Andy bellowed to the staff and crew inside the atrium.

  Millie fixed a smile on her face and kept it there as the first wave of passengers, the diamond level guests, arrived. Several of them were regulars, and Andy and Millie greeted many of them by name.

  Next in line were platinum guests. She even remembered several of their names. Between lulls, Millie managed to tell Andy her children would be joining them, that they had surprised her with the news of booking a cruise while she’d been on leave. She was excited to see them again and have them meet the Siren of the Seas crew.

  The crowds finally started to thin and Millie caught a glimpse of Beth’s face. David, Beth’s husband, was beside her. Behind them were Noah and Bella, Millie’s grandchildren. They darted across the floor when they spotted their ‘Nana.’

  “Nana!” Bella tugged on the edge of her grandmother’s jacket. “Mommy said we might get to see Santa Claus while we’re here.”

  Millie hugged each of them. “Wouldn’t that be fun?” She wasn’t sure if “Santa Claus” was onboard, but Andy knew as he knelt down in front of the children. “I heard that he’ll be here later tonight.” Andy pointed toward the Christmas tree. “Right over there so be sure to come down here after dinner.”

  “Can we?” Noah’s bright blue eyes grew serious.

  “Of course,” Beth said as she patted her son’s shoulder.

  “I
would love to bring them down for a visit.” Millie reached for Bella’s hand. “But first you’ll need to find your cabin and get settled in.”

  “Why don’t you give them a quick tour of the ship and show them to their cabins?” Andy said.

  “Thanks Andy. I’ll be back in a minute.” Millie waved her hand. “Follow me.”

  She spun on her heel and nearly collided with her ex-husband, Roger Sanders.

  Chapter 2

  Millie’s mouth dropped open as she stared at her ex-husband in disbelief. She shifted her gaze. Roger’s girlfriend, Delilah Osborne, was right behind him.

  “Millie, you look surprised to see me.” Roger grinned evilly.

  Beth rushed forward. “I’m sorry Mom. I-I didn’t know how to tell you Dad and Delilah booked this cruise, as well.”

  More than anything, Millie wished the floor would open up and swallow her. She hadn’t seen her ex since the day she’d signed the divorce papers, not long after Roger had come home from work and told her he was leaving her for one of his clients, who also happened to be a friend of Millie’s…Delilah.

  Delilah eased past Roger. She waved a large sparkling diamond ring in front of Millie’s face. “Dear Millie. You look wonderful. Why I can hardly see those deep wrinkles on your face what with all the makeup you’re wearing, or is it tanned skin from overexposure to the sun?” Delilah squinted her eyes and leaned forward to examine Millie up close.

  Millie, still in a state of shock, stared, unable to comprehend the fact two people she wished she never had to face again were standing in front of her. Not only that, they were on Siren of the Seas…her ship, her home.

  “Are you going to show us to our cabin too?” Delilah handed her carry-on bag to Millie. “We’re in an owner’s suite. Before you show us to our suite, I’d like to stop by the salon to make an appointment to have my hair done before the wedding.”

  The word wedding buzzed in Millie’s ear. She felt two things at once, an overwhelming urge to throw up followed by the urge to whack Delilah Osborne over the head with her bag. Instead, she tightened her grip on the bag and clenched her teeth.