Romance on the Edge 01 - Hooked

fire erupted along the cork line as salmon hit the net. Peter and Wes pointed to areas of the net, hollering a “Hot damn,” and “Did you see that?” Even Aidan seemed to forget what had transpired between them as a smile lit his face.
    He turned to her, and his smile lost some of its shine, but he nodded to her and Sonya knew he got it. Set netting did bring a portion of this thrill, but not to the heightened level that drifting delivered.
    “Hey, hey, Captain. Looky there!” Peter pointed to a ten fathoms section of net where the corks were sunk.
    Now that’s more like it. A sunk net usually meant they’d caught lots of fish. Wes hollered a, “woo-hoo!” and Peter did a touchdown dance. Even Aidan slapped Wes with a high five. Sonya let the net soak a little longer then hollered that they were going to pull it in. Her crew took up positions, readying themselves for a morning of picking fish and hopefully filling all the holds aboard the boat. She switched on the hydraulics and started pulling in the full net. Now if they could keep that up for the rest of the summer. With the “accidents” they’d been plagued with lately it had been awhile since they’d been able to fish out an opening.
    She turned on her iPod that she’d hooked into the stereo speakers placed on deck and Bon Jovi belted out Wanted Dead or Alive . She sang along, running the hydraulics as her crew picked fish after fish after fish. Today might be their best day of the season. It was definitely the best stocked net of the season.
    She engaged the reel and pulled on the sunken section of net.
    “Hold it!” Peter held his hand up like a stop sign. “Something’s not right.” He leaned over the bow and swiftly turned to her, his face sickly white. “The net’s full of…Chuck?”
    “What?” She killed the music and leaned out the pilot house window. “What did you say?”
    Wes rushed to the side and bent to see what Peter had. He quickly turned back, looking as sick as Peter. “Better call the troopers.”
    Peter ran for the starboard side and threw up over the edge. Sonya cut the engines while Aidan took a look and Wes tossed out the anchor. Dread lay heavy in her stomach as she made her way to the bow. Dead silence onboard caused her boots to echo like hammer blows on the aluminum deck.
    Aidan suddenly stood in front of her, blocking her path. His hands held her shoulders, keeping her in place. “You don’t want to look, Sonya.”
    “Move aside, Aidan. I’m captain of this boat, and I’ll handle whatever I have to.” He released her, and she leaned over the bow.
    There, caught in her net, was Chuck Kendrick.
    Floating belly-up.

C HAPTER T WENTY- S EVEN
    Sonya radioed the Calypso . By the time she’d finished, the anchored Double Dippin’ had attracted a swarm of drifters. They swooped around her like a flock of squawking seagulls seeking a free lunch. She and Aidan had looped a rope around Kendrick’s body so the swift tide didn’t work him free of the net. Lord knew Kendrick was in no condition to help himself, as he was seriously dead. They’d also released the tension on the net so that Kendrick sunk under the surface, with the weight of the lead line keeping him under. She couldn’t imagine the squawking of the crowd if they caught sight of Kendrick’s bloated body.
    The main problem—besides the obvious dead body—was that the other drifters were getting downright nasty over the Double Dippin’ weighing at anchor while her net was still fishing.
    “What the hell you playing at, Sonya?” The captain of the Intrepid rammed them on the portside. “Set netting in a drift opening? You’ve got your rigging confused, woman.”
    A crewman from the Gale Force added from starboard, “The Calypso’s headed this way, and she sure as shootin’ better write you up.”
    Sonya ducked as a can of pop sailed over from the Intrepid . The can nearly hit Sonya, exploding on deck in an arc of fizz.
    “Hey!” Aidan yelled, ready to take on Intrepid’s crew.
    Sonya grabbed his arm before he could make the leap. “Don’t provoke them.”
    “This is getting dangerous.” Wes stepped to her other side so the men flanked her like a pair of bookends. “Somebody’s going to get hurt.”
    “Tell that to Kendrick.” Aidan turned to Sonya. “Wes is right, this is dangerous. Too dangerous for a woman like you.”
    “A woman like me?” she sputtered. The Intrepid tossed over another can. This time Sonya caught it