He despised unknown variables.
“That’s my counteroffer,” Emma said into the quietude. “I’ll relocate. I’ll follow your security rules. All of them. No arguments.”
Zach waited for the other shoe to fall.
“But I help investigate. With your supervision.” She paused. “I'll work with you, not around you.”
The distinction mattered.
Zach could work with that.
He hated it.
“You follow my orders,” he said, eyes narrowed. “Exactly. No improvisation.”
“Agreed.”
“If I say we abort, we abort. No debate.”
“Okay.”
“And you tell me everything. Every conversation, every observation, every suspicion.”
“Yes.”
There wasn’t a version of this in which he kept her completely out—only one where he controlled how close she got.
Zach let out a long, slow breath, accepting the decision even though he hated it.
This was a mistake.
Emma running loose in the investigation would be a bigger one.
“Fine,” he gritted through his teeth. “You help. Under my conditions.”
Relief flashed across Emma’s face. “Thank you.”
“Don’t thank me yet.” He pulled another knife from his belt. “We start tomorrow. 0600. I’ll brief you on what we know so far.”
“I’ll be ready.”
Zach nodded once, then gestured toward the path. “Come on. We need to get you relocated.”
Emma hesitated. “Now?”
“Now.”
She fell into step beside him, and the faintest hint of vanilla and warm wood drifted past him.
Zach didn’t mention where. Didn’t mention that the safest place on the island was under his direct control. Or that, from this point forward, distance was not an option.
Or that she’d be staying with him.
Chapter 11
Secure Location
Zach wasn’t takingher to the resort tower.
