His lips flattened but he remained otherwise stony-faced. “No.”
If possible, her heart shriveled even more.
They reached the two-lane road within minutes and crossed over to the shopping village that lined the Sugar Beach boardwalk. She used the bathroom under Scott’s watchful eye to wash her face and brush her teeth. Good thing she carried everything important in her purse.
A girl on the run always had to be ready.
He guided her down to the sand with a hand at her back, and pointed her away from the crowds. Waves thundered against the shore, illuminated by the lights on the pier and along the boardwalk. Her flip-flops threw sand against the back of her ankles as she walked, prickling like biting ants.
As they neared the water, the breeze strengthened, whipping her hair into her eyes like the blades of a blender. Facing the waves, she stopped and found a stretchy band in her bag, and then trapped her wild hair into a makeshift bun.
“Where are we going?” she asked.
“Somewhere we can lay low until I figure out what to do with you.”
She wanted to hit him with a witty comeback to show him she wasn’t afraid, but words failed her. Letting him take her hand again, she followed him into the darkness.
After giving her a moment to clean up in the cement-block public restroom next to the boardwalk, Scott prodded Valerie down the beach until they reached a small cluster of gnarly live oak trees that provided some buffer from the stiff breeze and kept them relatively hidden from view. The only light came from the nearby pier and the waxing moon.
Right now, the police were looking for the man who’d killed Jay, but at some point they’d probably realize Valerie had been at the bar. Then the manhunt—or woman-hunt—would be on.
If Scott were smart he’d turn her in, but after seeing a fed take out Suresh, he didn’t know who to trust. Dammit, he needed to think first.
Would the police expect her to stick around town or flee?
Scott wanted to get the hell out of Zachari, but for that they needed wheels. His van was safe, parked down the street from Good Old Days, but they couldn’t go near it until the police were done with the crime scene. The beach was as good a place to hang as any until he came up with a plan.
Valerie sat on a low branch and dug through her bag. She was like Mary freaking Poppins, pulling out one thing after another. Toothbrush, breath mints, tissues. What else did she have in there?
Shit.What kind of idiot didn’t search his captive’s bag for weapons? In fact, he hadn’t patted her down either. He knew better than to trust her just because she didn’t look like a threat. In Afghanistan, anyone might be gunning for you. Young woman, old woman, child. Didn’t matter.
“Let me see your purse,” he said, holding out a hand and wagging his fingers.
Startled, she removed her hands and looked up. For a second he thought she was going to ignore his command, but then she held it out by the thick strap, her arm trembling.
Hell, he might not trust her, but he didn’t want to scare her. Not too much. He needed her compliant but not paralyzed.
Keeping her in his peripheral vision, he meticulously went through every pocket of her mammoth tote bag, even checking the lining for hidden items. Valerie Sanchez was a woman ready to run. In addition to basic toiletries and feminine products, she also carried two clean pairs of white cotton bikini underwear, a spare T-shirt, individual packets of green tea, three granola bars, two thousand dollars in cash, and an unopened throwaway phone.
No birth control pills, no condoms.
So she hadn’t been looking to hook up with Suresh. Not that Scott cared. He handed the bag back to her. “Stand up. I need to check you for weapons.”
She set her purse on the tree limb and stood. No doubt she found his commanding tone unnecessarily barbaric, but there was little point in pretending that theirs was a friendly relationship. He needed to reestablish an emotional distance.
Pushing aside his appreciation for her body, he ran the backs of his fingers along her shoulders, down around the edges of her bra, and in between her breasts, checking to make sure she hadn’t hidden a knife or small pistol in her generous cleavage.
She stiffened.
“Sorry.” He couldn’t help but apologize. Some things died hard.
She kept her gaze trained on the sand.
Quickly, but thoroughly, he violated every inch of her privacy until he was certain she wasn’t armed. Christ, she was the criminal here, so why did he feel like the asshole right now?Goddamned fool.
Valerie resumed her perch on the wide branch and hugged her waist, refusing to meet his gaze. “Why didn’t you leave me for the police?”
“I didn’t think you were safe. It seems likely that whoever wanted Jay dead was using you to find him. With that accomplished, you might be next on the list.” Mainly, though, he’d been going by his gut. “Besides, the last guys who tried to arrest you are pushing up daisies. I’d prefer to avoid a repeat.”
