“Alejandro is opening today. I’ll find somebody to cover your shift. Take the day off. Hell, take the week off.”
"How about a month?”
“If that's what you need."
"I'm fine. I don't need a month. But I’ll tell you what I do need. A vacation!”
"Where do you want to go?”
Teagan shrugged. "I don’t know. I need to think about that."
"Well, it's my treat whenever you make a decision."
She smiled. "You're the best."
"I know.”
She gave me another hug and squeezed tight, then gave me a kiss on the cheek. Teagan gripped my hand as we parted, and I told her to call me if she needed anything.
I left the loft and plunged down the steps, then locked the main door after I stepped outside.
Amber rays of sun cascaded across the marina as I jogged back to theAvventura. I crossed the passerelle and slipped into the salon. Buddy perked up from his slumber on the couch. He jumped down and trotted to me. I knelt down and petted him, then hustled up to my stateroom.
Madelyn stirred as I stepped inside.
I peeled out of my clothes and slipped into bed, hoping to get a little sleep.
"Is everything okay?" she asked in a sleepy yawn.
"It is now.”
"Have you been out all night?”
"Go back to sleep. I'll tell you when you wake up."
"Well, I'm up now.”
Madelyn gasped when I told her the story. "Oh my God, I hope she's okay.”
"Me too. That kind of thing can mess with somebody's head.”
Madelyn curled up beside me, and I managed to get a few hours of sleep.
I woke to an empty bed and the smell of fresh coffee. I crawled from the covers, slipped on some clothes, and stumbled down to the galley.
Madelyn had grilled up quite the spread—bacon, eggs, hash browns, French toast, the works. We dished up plates and chowed down at the breakfast nook. We crunched on bacon and sipped coffee, and I gave her more details about last night’s adventure.
Isabella called about midway through the meal. “Hey, I’ve got some information you might find interesting.”
43
"Ray Corbin was a CIA asset,” Isabella said.
“Not shocking,” I replied.
“He worked in telecom. Apparently, he was instrumental in implementing a mass surveillance program that remains classified to this day.”
"How did you get the information?" I asked.
