Chapter Three
Caroline
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“WANT ME TO RUN THROUGHit again?”His expression was sympathetic, but I had the sense he was running out of patience.He’d already told meCarlawas due to dock in Rotterdam soon, and once the night’s catch had been unloaded, we’d need to move.
“Yes, please, Sir.”Ignoring my hammering heartbeat, I tried to pay attention, but inside, my thoughts were reeling.
I hadn’t even realized there was ‘a plan’ until he’d started to explain, but I supposed I should have known better.When had Harper not had a plan?It seemed from the moment he’d laid eyes on me, there had been a strategy behind his actions; to pluck me away from Sorosson and Walker that first night, to use and enjoy me for his own personal entertainment, and finally, to save me all over again.Fleetingly, I acknowledged the only thing he hadn’t anticipated was his growing feelings for me, but observing his steely countenance then, I’d have never guessed at the emotions.He might have cast off his uniform, but years as the commander general would take longer to discard.
“Andrew says there’s a truck that will take us across the border.”
“A truck?”I repeated, already imagining how dark and arduous that journey would be.
“Not the most salubrious way to travel, I know.”He shrugged.“But right now, that’s the best way to avoid officials who might want to see our passports.”
“Passports?”Shit, I hadn’t even thought about documentation.“That’s going to be a problem.”
“We’ll be okay,” he consoled.“We’re together and, all being well, the driver will only take one break on the way to Zurich.”
“Wait,” I interrupted.“Zurich?”
I couldn’t remember him mentioning Switzerland before, but then, everything since we’d come back to the berth seemed to have been a haze, as though his passion had subdued the part of my brain that would usually have been panicking.
“Yes, Caroline.”His quiet sigh spoke of exasperation, but, reaching for my hand, his touch was gentle.“We’ve been through this.”
“I’m sorry.”Anxiety tore at my belly.No matter how slowly he went through the details, I couldn’t seem to retain any of the information.“I don’t remember, Sir.”
“It’s probably the shock.”He squeezed my fingers.“Zurich is where my private bank account is held.It holds a safety deposit box for me in its vault.”
Safety deposit box?
“Okay...”I sounded as confused as I felt.
“And we need that box now, little girl,” he prompted, piecing the puzzle together for me.
“What’s in the box, Sir?More money?”My gaze flitted to the stack of currency he’d bundled into the bag before we left.
“Swiss francs and Euros, yes,” he replied.“Which will be a whole lot more useful to us now than British pounds, but also a few other things that will help us get settled.”
