“Don’t forget yachts. They could hide women very easily in the lower compartments,” I offered.
Maverick grinned. “She’s a keeper, Kendrick. And she’s right. I’ll talk to my buddy with the guard and have them expand their watch, checking for anyone heading out to international waters.”
“Good. Let’s hope for a hit on the women and for a phone call.”
Maverick nodded. “Don’t let the old doddering fool bother you, Reese. Kendrick is mostly harmless.”
“Shut the fuck up.” Kendrick laughed and ended the call, immediately taking the sketches to a scanning machine. His silence was a clear indication some unsaid but important communication had passed from one to the other.
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing I can’t handle.”
“Not good enough. This is about this gatekeeper. Isn’t it?”
“While Maverick’s idea is a damn good one, if he’s correct, that could create additional problems.”
“Because you might know the person he’s talking about.”
He nodded. “And if that’s the case, my cover has already been blown.”
CHAPTER 16
Reese
The essence of pizza lingered in the kitchen, the sweet fragrance of sauce and pepperoni, sausage and mushrooms still assaulting my senses.
Plus, my beloved Canadian bacon.
Kendrick had insisted on ordering pizza for dinner. Once it had arrived, he’d taken his plate with him, now doing God knew what. He’d done an excellent job of staying away from me.
I felt as if I was being punished, the penance for having any sexual desires for him worse than the flogging I’d received.
I’d come to the untethered conclusion men were far too complicated to deal with. In my defense, the men I’d dated up to this point had all been self-centered pricks because that’s all I’d managed to meet in Jacksonville. Or maybe I’d had my guard up to the point the nice guys had all been terrified of me. I don’t know if it was the sun and the salty sea air offering a perfect life in some affluent ocean view villa that had created the group ofnarcissists I’d run into, but after a string of bad first dates, I’d tossed in the towel.
That didn’t mean I’d been happy about it. I’d tried to pretend I didn’t mind lonely nights, enjoying my quiet time to do whatever I wanted. However, after engaging in highly inappropriate carnal activities with Kendrick, I’d reminded myself at least a dozen times that I’d lost my mind the two nights before.
Completely. Totally. As if somehow the terrifying and humiliating days spent locked away had stripped me of all my mental faculties.
I’d also felt safe, which allowed the guilt to continue crowding in. My sister was still out there, still suffering and I felt safe. The mixture of emotions had kept me on edge for the last day and a half.
Kendrick and I had been like two ships passing in the night, only neither one of us had gotten much sleep. I’d found him the night before in the mission control room making lists and cross referencing what little information had been gathered. His frustration was increasing. So was mine.
As the hours ticked by, the fear that I’d never see my sister again increased.
I put the few remaining slices of pizza in the fridge then wiped the counter, which I’d done four times. With the twilight settling in, I was growing even antsier.
“Have a drink.”
The sound of his voice startled me and I jumped, half laughing when I turned around. He was standing in the doorway of the kitchen in another pair of faded jeans and a Miami Heat teeshirt that had seen better days. As anticipated, he was wearing his signature cowboy boots that I’d wanted nothing more than to run my fingers across. Just like I wanted to do with his tattoos.
For some reason, I’d chosen one of the simple dresses hanging in the closet. Maybe because the air was sweltering outside, the bright sun beating through the windows making the house seem like an oven.
Or maybe the excessive heat exploding in every pore and blood cell was centered around our close proximity. Since I wasn’t allowed outside without a guard dog, there weren’t enough rooms in the expansive house to keep us from running into each other.
Broody vibes dripped off him in waves as they’d done the entire time I’d known him.
The look on his face was as heated as any I’d seen, his eyes making a dangerously slow trail down to my bare feet. Afterwards, he inhaled and ambled toward the refrigerator.
