"Good news." Jason leaned back in his chair with a huge exhale. "The FBI has Kendall and Fernando in custody. Nash says there was a scuffle at the airport, but he walked away unscathed." He shook his head with a grin. "Nothing fazes Nash. This was just another day at the office for him."
Allie picked up her fork, but she didn't refocus on the mountain of pasta in front of her. Instead, she narrowed her eyes at Jason while he read more texts, presumably from Nash. "Will the FBI really be able to use Kendall and Fernando to bring down Byron?"
Eyes still on his phone, Jason chuckled. "Oh, yeah. Nash says Kendall is staying pretty quiet so far, but Fernando flipped on his brother the minute the FBI showed up. Nash says Fernando is a gold mine of information."
Relief coursed through Knox. "And be sure to have them check out the Byron property where they shot down our drone. I'm betting that's where the first three bombs were kept."
"I already mentioned it to Nash."
"Good." Knox leaned back in his chair, still processing the past few hours. "So, that takes care of the threats. Did you get an update from Drakos on the injured?"
Jason finished a bite of fish before he answered. "Three guests from The Mandeville were hospitalized after the first explosion, and two more were seriously injured in the explosion near the ferry. Drakos called the hospital in Morghana City to check on their conditions. He wasn't given details, but he was told they're all in stable condition."
"That's really good news," Allie said.
Jason forked another bite of fish. "It really is. Casualties could've been catastrophic today. We have a lot to be grateful for."
Knox couldn't help glancing at Allie at those words. "Yes, we do."
Color filled her cheeks. Then, realizing Jason and Rowan were staring at them, she refocused on her pasta as if it required her full concentration.
He wasn't trying to embarrass her, but he meant what he said. He was incredibly grateful for the mission's success—and the fact that no one died—but he was also grateful Allie was back in his life. Hopefully, for good.
Allie tried to keep her laughter out of her reprimand. Unsuccessfully. "Stop spying. Leave them alone."
Knox chuckled, raised the binoculars to his eyes, and leaned over the balcony railing. "I'm not invading their privacy. They're still talking to Henrik."
Allie glanced across the beach sprawling below her balcony and spotted Jason, Tayla, and Henrik on the small pier near theboat Henrik had offered them the day before. Thankfully, they hadn't needed the boat for bomb disposal.
Jason had called Henrik early that morning to tell him he could come take the boat back and thanked him for his help, but Henrik had insisted they keep it another day. "Take it out for a spin," he'd said. "Go fishing." He offered it as a thank-you, because in helping Drakos retain The Mandeville, they'd really done a huge favor for the entire island. Henrik felt grateful.
WhiteRock scheduled an in-person debriefing in Houston for the next afternoon, but Jason thought Tayla might want to go for a boat ride before heading back to Texas. So they took Henrik up on his offer.
Allie joined Knox at the railing and nudged his arm. "Okay, my turn for the binoculars. I brought them out here to spot dolphins, not to spy on Jason and Tayla."
Knox grinned and handed over the binoculars. "You still want to go to lunch?"
"Yes. I was thinking about that restaurant on the second-floor veranda here at The Mandeville. Does that sound okay?"
Knox faced the ocean, resting his forearms on the balcony railing. "Yeah, that sounds good. Jason and I ate brunch there once. On our last mission here. We were meeting with a suspect though, so it would be nice to enjoy the view and the food without thinking about work."
Allie grinned. "Then it's a date."
She lifted the binoculars and scanned the waves, hoping to spot dolphins. Or a sea turtle. Two pelicans floated near the small boat pier, then flew off when Jason started the engine. He and Tayla looked deliriously happy. She wondered how soon he would propose. Would he do it here? Today? Or wait until they got back to Houston?
She was about to ask Knox his prediction when she felt his eyes on her. She lowered the binoculars to meet his gaze. "What's that look for?"
His lips pressed into a thin line, something serious churning behind his eyes. "I was thinking about the last time I was at that restaurant."
"Brunching with Jason and your suspect?"
"Before the suspect got there. Jason and I were talking. About you, actually."
She set the binoculars down on a small end table. He looked so serious. She wasn't sure where this was going. "What about me?"
He pivoted from the railing to fully face her. "It wasn't long after you were shot. You were still healing. And I . . . I was still struggling."
What?"What do you mean,struggling?"
