“Always have a backup plan. My dad used to say the same thing.”
He quickly changed the subject, almost as if he didn’t want her thinking about that connection for too long. The Special Forces connection.
Too late.
“We’ll head for the Isle of Coll. It’s close, and we can catch the ferry from there to Oban. From Oban we’ll take a bus or train to Glasgow. It will be easier to get lost in a big city.”
“And then?”
He met her gaze. He knew what she was really asking, but he chose to take her question literally instead. “We’ll see when we get there. Hopefully my contact will have something by then.”
In other words, sayonara.
Got it.
•••
Annie was quiet as they sped across the water the short distance to Coll. The two islands were less than a mile apart, but it would take about forty minutes to reach the port, which was located on the eastern side of the island.
Dean didn’t delude himself that she was trying not to distract him so he could concentrate on making sure they weren’t being watched or followed.
No, she was pissed and probably—even worse—hurt. That was what was making his chest burn and his jaw hurt from clenching his teeth every time he looked at her huddled in the seat beside him.
But what could he do? He couldn’t tell her what she wanted to hear. Not his name, not anything. He sure as hell couldn’t tell her that he wasn’t going to stick around any longer than necessary. As soon as she was all clear with the police, he was gone. What other choice did he have?
The LC was already ready to kill him—for good reason. Dean had involved her enough as it was. Not only was she a danger to him and the other five men who’d survived if she said the wrong thing to the right person, but he could be a danger to her if the LC was right and someone had wanted them dead.
So why was he in the unfamiliar place of wishing otherwise? He didn’t deal in what-ifs. He prided himself on his clear-eyed perspective, his ability to strip away everything but the facts. Seeing things as they were and not how he wanted them to be. So what was his problem?
Big green eyes and the woman who went with them, that was his problem.
Fuck.
But whatever they’d had back there, whatever short stop they’d had on fantasy island, it was over. The arrival of those two thugs had seen to that. It was time to face reality. And the sooner he did that, the better.
Dean let up on the throttle as they turned into the deep V-shaped bay of Arinagour. No one paid them much attentionas they tied up the inflatable beside the dock, but he was watchful all the same.
He couldn’t shake the black cloud that had been following him since they left Tiree. But maybe that cloud had something more to do with the woman by his side than with the men looking for her. He knew he would have to leave soon.
He looked at his watch. They had plenty of time. The ferry didn’t leave for another couple of hours. He’d memorized the timetables in case of something like this. “Why don’t you go get us a table in the café over there?”
He pointed to the building overlooking the water opposite the ferry building. They would be able to see the ship coming in from there. As it was coming from Tiree, it would also enable him to get a look at the passengers before anyone saw them. It wasn’t inconceivable that the two guys would guess their direction.
“Where are you going?”
“To see about the tickets.”
And he had a call to make. He hadn’t had a chance to get in touch with Taylor before they’d left, but he wanted to fill the LC in on the latest development.
She looked as though she wanted to argue, but probably guessed his reasons. She was smart and seemed to know him too well. He wasn’t sure whether that was good or bad. Probably both.
Dean returned a short while later with tickets, but without having reached the LC. He’d left a message, but the connection had been so crappy he wasn’t sure it had gone through.
“We all set?” she asked.
He nodded.
“I ordered you some tea.” She nodded toward the pot in front of him. “I’m assuming you don’t like herbal, so it’s black.”
