Blood Ties

"Please Miss Keese, call me Colin. My friends do, and I hope that you'll consider me as such."

"Colin it is then. And I'd prefer that you call me Sandra. Miss Keese makes me feel old."

Sandra coiled her arms around Colin's as they both boarded the yacht. His cologne and aftershave was not overpowering, quite unlike her previous boyfriend. Sandra quickly erased the past from her mind as yacht got unmoored and underway. It was not healthy, both physically and financially, to dwell on what might have been or should be. She was determined to enjoy what she hoped would be the start a grand new life. One that would not have the words 'poverty' or 'dead-end' in it.

She smiled at the loss of love. Love can feed the heart and soul, but her belly remained empty, and her apartment remained small, cold and leaked when it rained. The cockroaches were her companions when her boyfriend was not around. Former boyfriend, she corrected herself. She wanted more than what she had with him. More than what his love alone could provide. More than the dead-end life of a mother with 3 kids in a 3 bedrooms house if and when he could finally afford it. Too long a time for her to wait.

"A penny for your thoughts. By the look on your face you seem to be not enjoying the party."

"Oh, sorry Mr. Garret... I mean Colin. I was just thinking about some old stuff. Ancient history."

"Well, don't think about it overlong as the food is getting cold, and so too are the company."

"I'm not much of a party person Colin."

"It's alright. Neither am I." Colin lied easily. "Things that are past should stay in the past. It's not healthy to dwell on it."

His eyes light up as much as his smile. He could see that she was not overly concerned about not meeting any of his friends. Then he formulated a plan quickly. There would be enough opportunities and plenty of time to socialize later. Grabbing a bottle of champagne and two glasses, he said to Sandra, "Come with me..."

Colin led her through the decks and up to the more private fly bridge. It was larger than she had imagined. The expensive rosewood table was intimate enough for a private dinner. But the vast expanse of soft Connolly leather more than made up for small table. The seat seemed to suck them both in, as they got comfortable. The windshield prevented the worst of the biting wind from intruding into their private space. The champagne was hardly touched as both silently reveled in each other's company.

"Yes. I'm sorry about being such a grouse. I don't have much experience in such types of parties."

"Don't be sorry Sandra. Besides, this is a small intimate party with friends. No one will even notice, or even care. Don't worry about it. I'm not. I'm quite content to spend the time here with you."

"Do you consider me a friend?"

"Of course, Sandra. Moreover, whoever doesn't want to wants you as a friend is an idiot."

He was a smooth talker, that was for sure. Sandra smiled and snuggled against his body.

"It wasn't always like that. I can remember the time when I felt chained. Sometimes I wonder if I'm such a bad person."

"You? Nah. Not likely. I sometimes feel the same way as well. Everyone knows me as a Garret. Including you, and don't deny it either. What I want is to be Colin. Hahaha! Even the name Colin is taken up by Colin Senior, my father. I can tell that you're not a bad person. Hehehe!"

"Thank you for the compliment Colin. You're not such a bad person either. Wish that my ex-boyfriend would have the same understanding."

She was a smooth talker as well, Colin thought. He wrapped his arms around her tighter, in part to shield her from the wind.

"Well... That's one thing that I can help you with. It is to make him understand. Hahaha!"

"Hehehe! I may take you up on your offer, Colin." She smiled her most winsome smile.

The air was cool, but Sandra could only feel the trembling heat of her body pressing against Colin's when he wrapped his arms around her. She had not expected him to be so forward. This was not the way a gentleman would have acted, she kept telling herself. Her old boyfriend would never have made such a bold public display of affection. But when he closed in on her and smelled her lovely hair, all her arguments about gentlemanly behavior faded. When his hot breath and wet lips touched her neck, she shuddered. Her body betrayed her needs.

Colin could feel her initial resistance vanishing before his touch. Her hair felt wonderfully silky. He took the chance to tuck back the stray wisp of hair that fell over her eye. Her neck was smooth, inviting his predatory lips to pounce. The hair on her neck stood up when he kissed her, but she leaned back on him further. When he boldly cupped her breasts, she felt her entire body going through an electrical shock. The thin cotton material of her dress failed to hide her arousal. He took that as a signal to worm his way around the fabric to tweak at the bare nipples.

She tried to steady her breathing, but failed miserably. Instead she ground her hips against his. Through the skirt, she could feel his incessant hardness pressing against her. As he played with her nipples, she felt his twitches coming through the dividing fabrics. She wanted him as much as he wanted her. Her hands snaked back to uncouple him from his cotton prison. It took a bit of fumbling but eventually she was pleased to find her efforts had not been in vain as the throbbing cock pressed against her back. With a thumb she spread the first droplets around, running the long nail along the slit down to the vee underside. She giggled when he jerked hard.

He released one of his hands to feel the smoothness of her stomach. His impatience came through when he cupped her mound. Even through two layers of clothing, he could feel her heat emanating out. His palms rubbing back and forth elicit small growls of pleasure form her lips. The indentations on the cloth guided his movements. She surprised him by lifting her skirt up to allow him unlimited access to her treasure. Pulling aside the panties, he rubbed her engorged and moist nub in concert with her grinding of her back and hands on his aching cock.

She gasped loudly when he stuck his index finger in while continuing to rub her clitoris with his thumb. She heard his cry of pleasurable pain when she squeezed his inflamed head. She tried to match his movements but found it impossible to.

"Please..."

He groaned and withdrew just when she was so close.

"Please..." This time more urgent than the last.

Then he put his arms underneath her legs and lifted her up. She grabbed hold of his hardness and twirled the head around and along her wet folds. She was trying to torture him but ended up torturing herself instead. Slowly inch-by-inch, he reached her depths. Their combined moisture helped along the way. She cried out when the initial penetration hurt, but soon the cries were of wanton lust. He felt her hot depths mold to his shape. It was nearly enough for him to end.

"Please..." This time he was the one pleading.

The boat rose and fell with the waves. The two were rolled and tumbled in unison with the boat. He cupped the mound, rubbing his fingers on the hard and sensitive nub. She in turn had one hand rubbing her free nipple while the other cupped and massaged the base of the stem.

The seas were still relatively calm, but the storm that these were brewing was boiling over.

"Ungh..."

Like the tide, he felt his essence rising from his depths to the tip. Like the waves crashing against the rocks, his cum splashed deep inside her.

The only sounds that both heard were the slow recovery of breathing as the storm subsided. Only then they both fell the chill of the night on their skins. A soft drizzle was starting, steaming off their warm bodies. She wanted to be in this post-coital position forever. He may not have the comparable equipment as her former lover did, but he did bring her close to orgasm. The night was still young, and Colin would recover fast. That was all she cared about.

"We'll catch a cold if we stay up here any longer. Besides I think I can find something warmer and more comfortable than these seats."

"Mmmm..."

Colin lifted her up into his arms. She was not light but he was strong. The steep ladder presented a problem, but her nuzzling of his chin and neck made him surmount that problem easily. He did not care for some of the sly glances at his limp member hanging out of his zipper or for her trussed up look. Her womanly smells was intoxicating, and everyone else was jealous that he already had the post coitus smells on him.

The bow suite was a much smaller than the main suite amidships. But it had it own head, which Sandra quickly made use of. The warm water felt good on her body. She though about clenching her thighs to keep his cum from dribbling out. But then wickedly, she thought about the number of times tonight that he would have the opportunity to fill her again.

"So, did you have fun with that whore?"

"Damn, Evelyn! You scared the shit out of me."

"Oh, I scare the shit out of you. While she scared the semen out of you." Evelyn snickered while standing at the door.

"Jealousy? Coming from you? That's indeed laughable. Besides, this is a ship, out at sea, so seamen will be aplenty, my dear jealous Evelyn. Hahaha! Hahaha!"

"Fuck you Colin..."

"Oh I thought you already did... Now be a good girl and go entertain our guests... I've some seamen problems to attend to. You may catch some yourself if you're of mind... Hahaha!"

Colin locked the suite door, and quickly undressed. The night was still young as he got into the shower with Sandra.

"Mind if I take care of some semen problems?"

"What seaman problem?"

"Here, I'll show you..."

* * * * *

Jarrod fumbled for the last of his change to pay the cabbie. It had been a long and miserable day, notwithstanding the unhelpful weather. His thin coat did little to ward off the chill or wetness. The cab made much more sense when it finally got underway in the pouring rain. Now was not a good time to be getting a cold and be bed-ridden. He chuckled at the thought of being sick in prison while waiting for his execution.

Pier 31 was a private pier, not a commercial one. The bobbing of all those tall masts and white hulls told him as much. A rich man's parking lot and playground. Although Jarrod had never been here before, Charlie 'Twinkle Little' Star's sailing yacht was easy to pick out. It was painted dark blue, with bright yellow stars all round. Astern, just above the waterline was the painting of the Milky Way. It was ostentatious but it fitted Charlie's personality to the 'T.'

Charlie was a businessman, of the nonviolent illegitimate kind. He mainly dealt in smuggling electronics and hard-to-find antiques from the Middle East and Far East. If a person wanted an unauthorized satellite decoder or a Chinese 2nd century BC jade lion, then Charlie was the man to find. His enterprise seemed small, but it spanned the globe.

"Hi, uncle Charlie."

"Jarrod! Damn boy, it's been too long. I thought you'd disappeared from the face of the earth. How have you been?"

"Aww, uncle Charlie, you always know where I was and what I was doing. Besides, nothing escapes your eyes. Yes, it has been a while. I'm sorry I didn't come to see you sooner. I've been doing great, until now. I presume you've heard about my... um... bad fortune?"

"Hahaha! Bad fortune indeed. Yes. Yes, I've heard. Not from the press or anything like that either. Your mom called me. Damn! She threatened to pull my beard one whisker at a time if I don't help you. Now you know I normally don't allow anyone to touch my beard. But your mom is special. She's very worried about you... Damn Jarrod. This is a fine mess you've gotten yourself into."

"I was hoping mom would hold off hearing about this for at least another day... You know me, uncle Charlie. I've been in messes since I was born. Can't change who I am now... Hehehe."

"Hahaha! You're right. I do remember some of the, shall we say, situations you've been in. Hahaha! Now, how can I help? You know you can ask me anything, and this time like all the other times, I'll tear the world apart to help you."

"I know, uncle Charlie. Just one main question, is all this Colin Garret's doing?"

"No, I don't believe so."

Jarrod felt his shoulders slump in defeat.

"Not Colin Garret alone by himself is what I meant. He ain't too smart to pull this off. Although he has gotten rich, and a lot of problems, from the death of his uncle. But this is not his style. I know that for certain, as I've had dealings with him in the past."

"People can and do change, uncle... What do you mean by problems? I never saw any problems with some extra cash before." Jarrod shrugged.

"I know. Still, it's too easily traced back to him. At least that's what I think."

"You know that I was at the Garret Manor the night before. But do you also know that old man Garret changed his will to exclude Colin?"

"Hahaha! Jarrod, you may be the smartest nephew that I have. Well, you're the only nephew that I've, so no comparisons there. But that is old news. We all knew about the changes that Paul Garret was making. Even Colin. I know that because he was the one who told me when we're playing golf the other day. You fail to realize that much of the Garret fortune resides in one half of the Garret Empire. The half that's willed to Colin by Colin Sr. That's unchangeable. Paul's half is falling apart. He's heavily in debt."

"What! Wow... But why the changes? Paul Garret could have willed it Colin and let him take the debt burden."

"That's why this whole business doesn't make sense. Paul Garret could have left things alone and let Colin have some fun dealing with bankers and lawyers. And this is where the real mystery is, Jarrod. We're all expecting Paul to do as you've just suggested. It would have considerably lowered the price of the Garret stock by assuming those debts. But it would be a small price to pay for a large empire. On the other hand, it would make sense for Colin to keep the old man alive. At least until the will had been changed. Now, it's back to the same old ballgame but with a totally different outcome. I think I'm going to sell my stocks... What I don't understand is why Paul did what he did. Unless..."

"Unless what uncle? This is all so confusing."

"Unless there's a third player involved. Someone who really knows what was happening. Someone else who wants to keep the original intent of merging the two halves. I don't think she's smart enough for that. She would have wanted only the more profitable half. Too much trouble otherwise. And yes, I agree. It's all very confusing."

"She?"

"Gosh, Jarrod. No wonder you're the chosen sacrifice. You know next to nothing about this do you? I was referring to Colin's mistress, a real beauty by the name of Evelyn Breck. You may have seen them together in the society pages. A real hot couple, if you ask me."

"You know I don't run in those high-society circles."

"Sorry, Jarrod. Evelyn Breck is the real brain behind Colin's, shall we say, 'enterprises.' You know the kind I'm talking about. Anyway, I've been around the block too much not to recognize it. She's one smart foxy lady; although some of the things they did I would have done a little different. I guess each to his or her style. She's probably the one who set you up. If you want answers to that, she's the one you should be looking for. Don't blind your eyes to just her pretty legs and what's in between them... Now why didn't I think of this before? Of course. Evelyn is going to be aboard Colin's yacht, the Coventina tonight. There is going to be some sort of a private party. I'm not sure if she'll talk, but it's your best bet right now. Well, it's your only bet."

"I don't have too much choices do I? What does she look like?"

"Tall about your height. Short black hair, and deep blue eyes. Very Latino looking, much like that actress who married the Douglas' boy, what's her name... Catherine Zeta-Jones. Yeah that what she looks like. Although Evelyn's bust is smaller and she's much thinner... Oh yeah, when you do see her, tell her that Twinkle Little Star sent you. She'll understand. She may not cooperate, but she'll understand."

"Thanks uncle Charlie. I've more to go on in the few minutes with you than with a full day's investigation by the cops. I'd appreciated it if you could tell mom that I'm all right. Or don't tell her until this whole thing is over."

"Here... Something to help." Charlie pushed the small Glock 9mm towards Jarrod. "Hahaha! So you're passing the buck to me to get yelled at, again."

Jarrod shrugged and smiled at the same time.

"Don't worry. I'll handle your mom. You just be careful. I wish I could do more Jarrod. But I can't get involve, as you well know."

"I know. That's why I didn't ask. You've done more than I'd ever repay. Mom and me both. I'll promise you that once this is over, I'll come visit more often. We can go to some of the Yankee games. Thanks, uncle Charlie. And I do love you."

"Come back, alive Jarrod. That's not a request. And don't think I won't take up your offer of the Yankees, even though they suck now."

Jarrod made his way further down the pier. The description given to him by Charlie was precise. The problem was getting onboard without being seen. The two big bruisers, the ones who chauffeured Jarrod yesterday, were screening those who were coming aboard. Jarrod thought about phoning this in to Andy. But that would bring more cops on the scene while he was still lacking in evidence. Finding Evelyn Breck and then talk to her without himself getting shot was a better plan. Well, one obstacle at time, like his mother used to say.

Getting aboard turned out to be easier than he thought. The swim out to the anchored yacht was thankfully short. The climb up the chain was easy, helped when the anchor was being raised. The problem arose when the wind started blowing. All other problems would the least on his mind when hypothermia sets in. The foredeck was bereft of passengers or crew, as the raising of the anchor was done automatically. The hatch to the secondary decks was unlocked. Jarrod's luck was holding as he made his way further down below, and further away from the main salon.

Jarrod found the crew's locker room in no time. Although this was a big 90-footer yacht, the layout was fairly standard. He quickly dried himself and got dressed in a crew uniform. The shirt, pants and shoes were slightly larger than his size, but it was comfortable. He found a string to act as a belt as his pant kept falling down to expose his butt crack. The sound of music and laughter were coming throughout the decks from the salon. The party was in full swing allowing Jarrod the short respite to rest and warm himself for a while.

* * * * *

Colin did not slam the door in Evelyn's face, although it might as well be that he did. The brusque dismissal chafed her, as she walked away. He was the one getting above himself, not her. As long as he did not realize that, then Evelyn was safe. The calculating mind clicked away as she greeted and laughed with the guests. She knew that this crowd would dismiss Colin's absence easily.

The food was delicious, and the drinks were free flowing. It would take a lot for this particular to be passed-out drunk, but yacht carried enough to float a boat. The conversations were jovial and dull. The same soap opera type mentality of who was fucking who, when, how and where. A few men did try to strike up a conversation with her. But she in turn brusquely dismissed them when all they wanted was a quick romp. She was not a whore, she kept telling herself.

The salon was warm, oblivious to the outside elements. She felt herself being hemmed in. A breath of fresh air would help to clear her mind. But half a minute of standing in the cold rain persuaded her to find somewhere warmer and quieter. She thought about her suite, but that would be the first place where Colin would expect her to be. So she made her way down to the lower deck, where stores and crew berths were. She thought she might get lucky and be alone for a while.