The sight of the crystal sent energy rushing through her. Energy and a sense of hope. This was a twist of fate she hadn’t seen coming. She loved that. It meant not everything was already written in stone. It meant she and Rory were still connected. He’d trusted her with this crystal, and she wasn’t going to let him down. It felt like a miracle, this radiant, jagged-shaped mystery object in her palm.
The next miracle was that the sundress had pockets. Deep ones. She wrapped the crystal in a clean washcloth so no one would see its glow and placed it inside her pocket. The weight brushed against her leg and sent a tingle across the skin of her thigh. As if it was speaking to her. Don’t forget me. I’m important. And so are you.
27
Rory wanted to pepper Lincoln with questions about the danger he’d unwittingly inflicted on Mathilda. But they had to keep silent as they made their escape.
The first step was to get out of this damn cabin. That part was easier than expected thanks to the timely arrival of a guard with some food and water. Rory ambushed him from behind the door and pressed on his windpipe just enough to render him unconscious.
“Take his uniform,” Lincoln told him. “If anyone stops us, you can say you’re taking me to see the big guy.”
“The big guy?”
“That’s how they refer to Tanaka.”
When Rory stared at him blankly, he added, “He’s behind all this. He’s a longtime competitor of my father’s. Japanese organized crime connections, all of that. The only reason I’m still alive is he needs me to find the…come on, we don’t have time for this now. We have to get out of here.”
His urgent tone made Rory snap into action. He stripped off the man’s uniform and put it on, finding it a decent fit.
“Phelps said they might use me as a body double for you,” he said as he tightened the belt buckle.
“Yes, for a video in case I don’t give them what they want and they have to get rid of me. You want to stick around for that?”
“That would be a hell no. But what is it they want?”
“Later, Rory. I promise.”
Rory gave up and planted his hand on Lincoln’s shoulder, as if he was Rory’s prisoner. He didn’t hate it, as it turned out. Apparently he still had some resentment toward his boss, though he’d come to like him more over the past few days.
They spotted a few guards as they made their way toward the rear of the craft, but no one noticed them until they passed by the galley. As soon as they realized the kitchen crew was watching, Rory grabbed Lincoln’s upper arm and manhandled him harshly past the open door.
“It’s a good thing the big guy wants you alive,” he growled, loud enough for them all to hear.
He dropped his hand when they were out of sight. “Sorry about that,” he muttered.
“No need to apologize. I appreciate the realism.” Lincoln brushed off his sleeve. “To a point.”
“Understood.”
Billionaires gotta billionaire, he thought. No one with that much money expects to be pushed around like a helpless prisoner. Maybe there was an advantage to growing up needing to fend for yourself.
Still, he had to give Lincoln credit for rolling with the punches through this entire mess. The man was tough in the boardroom. Maybe that same killer instinct would keep him alive now.
After a heart-pounding half an hour or so, they reached the helipad on the upper level of the yacht. A small crew of workers were busy doing something to the helicopter, though it was hard to see what. Rory looked around for a place to hide. The only viable spot was behind a large lifeboat lashed to the side.
It was a tight fit for the two of them, and it smelled like expensive rubber. They could hear the chatter of the work crew, but couldn’t see beyond the lifeboat.
“Can you tell what they’re doing?” Lincoln asked in a nearly soundless whisper.
“No. Could be routine maintenance or it could be major repairs.”
“Fuck.”
Yeah. Agreed. What if the crew was repairing some serious malfunction? The last thing Lincoln needed was another plane crash. Rory too, for that matter. One would be enough for him for a long, long time.
A horn sounded. It appeared to be some sort of signal, because they heard the heavy footfalls of workers walking away from the helicopter. It must be their lunch break, or an all-crew meeting of some sort.
They waited until all was quiet, then Rory poked his head out. “All clear.”
