Barry followed her; his steps sure.He had obviously been on his share of boats.“Mac, even if there is proof, he will kill you before you can expose him.”
“So, I should do what?Let him get away with it?Not happening.”Even if it killed her, she would protect these sharks.But before she died, she would expose Miles for the fraud he was.
“I didn’t say that.What I’m saying is, we have to be careful with our research.Do it quietly.Then when we have the proof we need, we’ll turn him over to the authorities.”
“Was that the deal you made with my sister?”
“There was no deal.I offered to check on you for Emma.The rest is because I want to help you.This is the sort of thing I do for a living.You could use my expertise.”
“I was doing fine before you.”She tried arguing though it was a lie.She was making stuff up as she went.
“Uh huh,” he replied in disbelief.“And what would you have done had Miles’s men showed up instead of me?Or the police?”
She would be dead or in a jail, which wouldn’t help the sharks.“Alright, you win.”Mac pointed a finger in his face.“But if I catch him in the act of trying to kill one of my sharks, I will go after him.”
“Fine,” he said in a placating tone.“Thank you.”
“For what?”
“Trusting me to help you.”
“I didn’t say that.”Mac wasn’t sure if she could trust the man hired by her sister to watch her.
“You’re letting me help you.”She’d see about that.“It’s enough for now.”
“I’ll meet you at your hotel in a little bit.I’ll bring my research, and we can compare notes.”
“Room number four.”Barry hopped onto his boat.As soon as he was clear, she put it in drive and sped through the water.Her mind whirled with reasons why her sister would do this to her as she cursed her own stupidity for falling into bed with him.Mac felt used and betrayed.
Mac didn’t slow until she was almost back to Jacques’ dock.She drifted into her spot and cut off the engine.Mac grabbed her gear and headed down the dock.Jacques was still in the same position she’d left him in, lying in his chair asleep.
“How were the corals?”he asked as she passed him.
Too irritated to play nice, Mac kicked his legs off the bucket they were resting on.He was secure in his seat, all it did was move his legs, but it got his attention.He pushed his hat up on his head so she could see the confused look on his face.“What’s your going rate for betrayal, Jacques?”
Jacques looked ashamed.“Mac, don’t be like that.I was worried about you.You shouldn’t have been diving there alone.”
“And what if he was a stalker or a killer?You told him exactly how to find me.”She wasn’t going to say working for Miles since he didn’t believe Miles was guilty of killing sharks.And even if he was, Jacques didn’t care.He didn’t concern himself with anything but himself.
“If you were concerned about that, why would you send him to me for a boat?”he countered, raising a challenging eyebrow.
Damn, he had her there.“Sending him to you for a boat and telling him where I am are two different things.I see there’s no loyalty on this island.”She had paid him handsomely to keep silent, and he’d given away her position as if she meant nothing to him.See if she helped one of his tourists again.
“Mac, don’t be that way.”
But Mac stomped off, not wanting to listen to him.She marched up the hill and down the road to her storage shed with her head held high.The scuba tank was lighter now that it was mostly out of air.
She dropped it off and headed home for a shower and change of clothes.By the time she was done, Mac felt a semblance of calm.She decided to call her sister and get to the bottom of this though.
“Mac,” Emma said, sounding shocked to hear from her.It wasn’t often Mac called.This time of year, she was rather busy on boat trips and gathering intel.
“Emma, why did you send him?”Mac asked without preamble.At least she wasn’t yelling.
“He told you?”Emma questioned instead of trying to deny it.Not that there was any denial.Barry wouldn’t lie to her about Emma sending him.It still hurt.How could her sister do that to her?It was the deepest betrayal.
“I didn’t give him much choice when he kept butting himself into my business then offering to help.”
“I was worried about you.”
