“We’ll go there Thursday. Park up. Observe. And hope we get lucky,” Ryker said.
35
JAY
In the back seat of our hired SUV, out of Ryker’s sight, I curled my fingers around Nova’s. “Are you sure about this?” I said in a low voice. Ryker had made the decision to inform her of our plans, and she’d insisted on coming with us. I hated that she could be putting herself in danger, but she’d talked Ry into it, and he’d agreed the risk was low. I just hoped they were right. If not…I was prepared to do whatever it took to keep her safe.
Nova squeezed my hand. “I’m sure. It’s like I said to Ry, if you have to leave the car, three people are better than two. What if you have to spread out? We don’t know what kind of situation we’re getting ourselves into, and it’s better to be overprepared than underprepared. Having someone to stay in the car in case we need to make a quick exit makes sense.”
“I know. I just don’t want to risk you.”
She exhaled, her grip briefly tightening. “I’ll be locked in the car, well away from the action. I’ll be perfectly safe. Ryker’s given me a burner phone to use, so I can contact any of you if necessary. Which it won’t be.” After giving my handanother quick squeeze, she released it, turning her gaze to the window.
In the rear-view mirror, Ryker’s gaze flicked to mine before returning to the road. I shifted away from Nova, tipping my head back and letting my eyes close as I exhaled, trying to ground myself. It was torture being so near to Nova but so far apart at the same time. We hadn’t been alone together since the night in the barrow.
That night. It had been the best and worst night of my life. Our first and last time together. Nova was everything I’d ever wanted, but we both knew it was the end for us.
My thoughts crowded in over one another, a non-stop barrage there was no escape from. My concerns for Nova—because regardless of whether or not we were together, she deserved to be happy and not a pawn in her family’s games. My worries about my family’s business, both with the accounts and the ongoing Operation Foxglove investigation. What was happening with the Thorpe Syndicate, and if it was connected with any of this. Anton Volkov. I was struggling to sleep at night, my mind refusing to switch off, replaying worst-case scenarios. I’d been relying on pushing myself to the limits playing hockey and putting in extra hours in the gym to exhaust my body enough that I would collapse into sleep, but even that wasn’t a given.
The SUV came to a stop, and I did my best to push everything else from my mind. Now, I needed to focus and hopefully get some fucking answers.
I was all too aware of Nova’s presence in the silent car as my gaze met Ryker’s again in the rear-view mirror. I cleared my throat, hoping Nova would understand that I wasn’t underestimating her when I spoke. Every single one of my instincts wanted to protect her, to keep her away from harm, to make sure that anyone who didn’t have her best interestsin mind would keep their distance. I knew she was strong, and I knew she was more than capable of handling herself, but we were heading into a situation none of us could prepare for. “Are you sure she’ll be safe?”My voice came out way too hoarse, and I just had to hope it didn’t betray my feelings to her brother.
Ryker scanned the quiet countryside around us, his sharp gaze taking everything in. It was quiet and still. We’d parked in an unobtrusive corner next to a farmhouse close to the canal. The SUV was tucked away behind a hedge, facing the bridge that led us out of the area, ready for a quick getaway. “As sure as I can be,” he said. “There are no guarantees, but?—”
“But I’ll be fine,” Nova cut in. “You’ve given me the phone, the car will be locked, and no one knows we’re here. I’ll be the one worrying about you. Please be safe, all of you.”
“We will. Let’s go. Nova, if you see anyone arrive, text us on the burner.”
She nodded, and with that, Ryker pulled on his mask and gloves and tugged up his hood. Dan and I followed suit, and then we left Nova in the back seat with her own hood on and a bandana covering the lower half of her face as an extra precaution. As we left, I took one last look back at the car. I couldn’t see her through the darkened glass, but I could picture her waving her hand at me impatiently, telling me to get a fucking move on.
Behind my mask, my mouth curved upwards.
We skulked down the canal towpath to the small footpath that led down to the River Severn and the ship graveyard. Once we were off the main towpath, Ryker flicked on his torch, keeping the light shielded with his hand and pointing towards the muddy ground.
“This way,” he said, indicating the path with the beam of his torch before switching it off.
“No recent footprints,” I said.“We should keep to the grass on the edges so we don’t leave our own. We don’t want to give them any hints that we’re here.”
“Good thinking.” Dan moved to stand behind me. “Single file. King, lead the way.”
We picked our way down the path, keeping to the verge. It was still light enough to see our surroundings, which would hopefully give us an advantage when it came to positioning.
“Here,” Ryker murmured as we reached an open grassy area with a small tree and a wooden bench in the centre. The river was directly in front of me, and to my left and right, rusting hulls listed on the banks of the river. Some of them were so overgrown that they looked like organic parts of the riverbank, almost blending in with the long grass.
It was eerie down here, beyond the canal and its towpath, in this overgrown area with the mists rolling in from the river. The freezing drizzle bit at my skin, penetrating the layers of my clothes, and I shivered involuntarily.
“This is creepy in a fun way.” Dan made his way over to one of the vessels, poking the rusty hull with his toe. “It looks like they’re growing out of the ground. Look, King. There’s a sign that tells you?—”
Ryker cut him off with a slash of his hand. “No time for sightseeing. I came down here yesterday to check out the place in the daylight so I could find us the best places to hide. There’s a boat farther up that’s more intact, and it’s on a solid part of the bank. It’s farther from the path, but it’ll provide some coverage.”
“We should triangulate. I think I can climb down here,close to the water, get below the sight line of the riverbank,” Dan suggested. “Jay can hide in the hedge.”
“No. Stay the fuck away from the river. If you fall in, you’ll drown. The current’s too strong.”
“But—”
“I’m not fucking joking, Dan. It’s a tidal river. We haven’t even been able to bring the smaller boats into the port this week because of the rain. We have to wait for the water levels to drop.”
