She sighed, keeping hold of her patience. “Dad, these people are dangerous. They’re likely to shoot you and Mum if you try to stop them.”
He was silent a long moment.
She glanced back at the house, but no one was outside. “I’ll come out,” she said. “Monitor things.”
“You think I’ll let my daughter put herself in danger and not protect her?”
“Think about Mum,” she said. “I can’t protect you both and stop the bad guys. I need you to protect her.”
He grumbled, but finally said, “Call me when you’re coming out.”
“I will. And if you see this man again, call me.”
She hung up and started making a few plans of her own.
Rodney argued hard to take Lee into custody before he left. Perhaps he wanted another chance to talk to him alone and consolidate Stonefish’s plan, but Lee was relieved when Nhiari argued it was too much of a risk.
Rodney also wanted to take the treasure into town where it could be kept more securely at the police station. This time it was Brandon who gave a definitive no. He wasn’t letting it out of his sight until it got to the museum.
They didn’t mention they didn’t trust Rodney not to steal it.
Rodney had to think they still believed he was working for the good guys.
So he had left and now they had almost a day to kill before the truck arrived from Perth. The rest of the Stokes had returned from their swim, and Tess and Ed were making dinner.
Faith, Lara and Jordan were seeing to the horses and everyone else was busy doing their own thing. With so many people it seemed almost impossible they weren’t tripping over each other, but no one seemed to get in each other’s way.
A cohesive family.
Something Lee had never had. The longing was so strong and he pushed it down.
All he got were looks of suspicion.
Which he deserved.
The expression he liked least was on Nhiari’s face as she met his eyes. Her uncertainty pained him and he would hurt her again before this was finished, but he couldn’t let her get anywhere near Lucas. Lucas wouldn’t hesitate to kill anyone who got in his way, particularly when he discovered Lee had been playing him.
Far better that Nhiari hated him and was alive.
During dinner they spoke about the farm and what Lara and Jordan had been doing at school. Both Darcy and Gretchen had decided to keep the children away from school for the next couple of days so they couldn’t be used by Stonefish as leverage again.
Instead the Stokes were battening down the hatches, and keeping everyone they loved close at hand. Faith had adjusted any appointments she had booked, and both Georgie and Penelope had arranged to take the day off. Only Sam and Sherlock were heading back to town with Oliver and Dot in order to complete the expedition tomorrow and get the university students out of town.
The university had wanted the students to travel with the cannon since the car they’d driven up in hadn’t been repaired yet, but Dot and Oliver had vetoed the idea. Instead they would fly back and Oliver would arrange for the equipment to be taken in the truck.
A much safer option.
Dot and Nhiari had spoken together before Dot had left and when they were done Nhiari turned to Amy. “Is there a room free in the shearers’ quarters?”
Amy nodded. “There’s a couple.”
Nhiari glanced at Lee. “We’ll only need one.”
Matt shot her a suspicious look. “You can’t guard his room on your own.”
Lee bit back a smile. He could imagine Matt’s reaction if Matt knew they’d slept together. His hand went to his throat, which was a little tender from the earlier attack.
“I can handle it,” Nhiari said.
