Chapter 12 #2
Kenzie settled onto the worn couch, surprised at how different the place felt today.
Last night, it had seemed like a prison—a place she’d been brought to against her will, trapped with a stranger.
Now it felt like a refuge. The small, cluttered space represented safety in a world that had suddenly become foreign and dangerous.
The memory of Jaz’s lips against hers flashed through her mind again, making her hyper-aware of his movements across the room. The kiss had been a tactical decision, nothing more. A performance for the guards.
So why couldn’t she stop thinking about it?
Jaz leaned against the kitchen counter. “Hungry? Thirsty?”
“Not hungry after that breakfast, but I could use some water.”
He pulled two bottles from his little fridge and twisted the top off one before crossing the room to hand it to her.
She was careful not to touch him as she took it, and he retreated to the kitchen again, keeping his distance.
The physical space he put between them felt deliberate, as if he, too, were trying to reestablish some boundaries.
“I need to coordinate with Laguerre about getting into your apartment. We’ll need some kind of diversion to avoid being seen.”
She nodded, then realized something. “You said earlier…” That morning or the night before? She couldn’t remember now. “You said people were watching my apartment. How could you know that unless…?” The truth dawned slowly. “How do you know where I live?”
He looked away. “I did my homework.”
“The place isn’t in my name, so even if you searched real estate—”
“I followed you home from the marina one night.”
“You followed me?” The words came out both too loud and too high-pitched.
He exhaled a long breath, sipped from his water bottle, then stepped out the back door of the cabin.
“Where are you going?” She followed him to the edge of a line of shrubs and trees.
He glanced over his shoulder, then nodded to a narrow path she wouldn’t have noticed if he hadn’t pointed it out. “It leads to a little beach.”
“I don’t need the beach.” She marched up to stand beside him. “I need to know why—”
“You know why, Kenzie. You’ve been transporting drugs—”
“I didn’t know that.”
“I’m aware.”
“So why did you follow me?”
He looked up at the blue sky. “Believe it or not, I’m not actually omnipotent.” He lowered his gaze and faced her. “I’ve been putting the pieces together for a while, so I didn’t know if you were innocent or not. To be honest, I don’t really know now, I just…believe you.”
“You thought I might be smuggling drugs on purpose?”
“People do, you know.” He nodded at the path again. “I’m going to grab a shower. The beach is on the other end of this path. It’s secluded, so nobody will see you. Or you can sit inside my house and stew in your anger. I don’t care either way.” He marched back toward the door.
She wanted to be irritated with him. It would sure help her deal with her inconvenient attraction. She might be stubborn, but she was also fair, and being angry with him felt far from fair.
He was halfway to the house when something occurred to her. “Hey, Jaz.”
He stopped and turned. “Yeah.”
“If you’re thinking you’ll just leave me here and go to my apartment alone, don’t bother. I guarantee you won’t find my files without my help.”
He studied her an instant too long, then dipped his head in a curt nod and continued to the house.
Her guess had been right. Sneaky man.
She took the trail to the beach. There were better things to do with her afternoon, but every one of them required her laptop, which was at the bottom of the Caribbean, or at least her phone, which she couldn’t turn on.
She needed to buy a burner phone. As long as she was being stubborn, she’d insist they stop on the way to her apartment.
Meanwhile, she might as well enjoy the beach while she waited for the next adventure.
The moment Jaz parked the old SUV he’d picked up in town—borrowed from someone, he’d said—Kenzie’s nerves fluttered in her stomach, and the fluttering only got worse as they approached the restaurant.
Two days before, she’d come to this restaurant alone to enjoy the best codfish fritters on the island and had been annoyed by the infamous playboy’s intrusion.
Now that same man was her companion—and only guide in a world gone mad.
They’d stopped on the way and bought her a burner phone, and then he’d lectured her all the way here about what she couldn’t do with it.
She couldn’t turn on her location services.
She couldn’t make phone calls, which could be traced.
She couldn’t post on social media because posts sometimes tagged people’s locations.
She’d agreed to all his rules, thankful she could at least text her sisters and check her email.
The phone was locked in the SUV’s glove box now, and she and Jaz walked hand in hand, two tourists searching for an affordable place to eat.
She wore the most nondescript clothes Laguerre had provided—shorts and a plain T-shirt, nothing like the glamorous Simone or the serious ship’s captain.
She’d skipped the blond wig but added a baseball cap, her hair tucked up inside, and a pair of huge sunglasses.
Jaz looked different too. He’d chosen a fishing hat that cast shadows across his face, and his distinctive gray eyes were hidden by mirrored sunglasses.
He changed his posture. He walked with less swagger, more unselfconscious enthusiasm.
If she’d passed him on the street, she wouldn’t have recognized him.
They reached the restaurant, its weathered planks and simple decor feeling a little like home. No white tablecloths or overpriced cocktails here—just honest food and cold drinks at prices that didn’t make a person flinch.
Kenzie aimed for a table covered by a blue-striped awning that snapped gently in the breeze. From here, she could see the road to her apartment.
Jaz pulled out a chair for her, whispering, “Laguerre is in position.” Once settled in the shade, he removed his sunglasses.
Maybe she should’ve stayed where it was safe. But she was here now, and she wasn’t about to admit she was afraid.
Their server approached, a stocky man with salt-and-pepper hair and the deep tan of someone who’d spent his life in the Caribbean sun. As he set two water glasses on the table, recognition flashed in his eyes.
Kenzie’s heart stuttered.
“I thought you were sailing to Miami.” His head tilted to the side, genuinely confused.
“Hey, Emile. Trip was canceled.” She worked to sound relaxed. “Owner changed his mind.”
“Fortune smiles on us, then.” His gaze shifted to Jaz, and his expression hardened. “This guy bothering you again?”
So much for their disguises. She forced a casual laugh. “He’s not that annoying once you get to know him.”
Jaz chuckled. “Gee, thanks.”
Emile gave Jaz a skeptical once-over. “If you say so.” He tapped his order pad with his pencil. “You would like water, yes?”
“As usual.”
“Tea with sugar.” Jaz’s voice was perfectly steady despite the tension wafting off him. Being recognized was not part of the plan. “And bring us some of those fritters I’ve heard so much about.”
“Very good.” Emile made a note and walked away but shot a suspicious glance over his shoulder.
Kenzie leaned forward, keeping her voice low. “I didn’t think he worked afternoons. I always see him in the evening.”
“It’s fine.” Jaz’s jaw was tight, though. “You’ll be off the island by morning. Hopefully, nobody will come asking about you before then. Even if they do, your friend won’t know where you are.”
But he could confirm she was alive and had been here. Jaz didn’t mention that, and she saw no reason to either. It wasn’t like they were going to kill the waiter for having the misfortune of serving them.
She sipped her water, then set it down. “I’ve been meaning to ask you what you were doing here two nights ago.”
He didn’t say anything, and after a few seconds, she guessed. “You came here for me.”
He dipped his head in a curt nod. “One of my contacts… I overheard him talking to someone else about the Blue Fantasy and realized they’d learned of its route.
I figured out what they were planning.” He dropped his gaze to his hands for a long moment, and she got the feeling she wasn’t going to like what he had to say.
When he finally looked up, his expression was flat, emotionless. “I was going to drug you.”
The words hit like a slap. “You were what?” Her voice was too loud and she didn’t care.
“Let’s not argue in public, darling.” His voice was a whisper as he leaned in, lifting the corners of his lips in a pathetic excuse for a smile. “We’re tourists having the time of our lives.”
“Explain yourself.”
“I could’ve lied.”
As if, by telling her he’d planned to physically harm her, he’d taken away some of the sting.
She gripped the edge of her chair. She wanted to storm away in anger. And also, she wanted to know why he’d even consider doing such a thing. She was forming words to lay into him when Emile delivered the tea, giving her a concerned look.
She forced a laugh. “What I said earlier about him not being that annoying? I was wrong.”
Emile glared at Jaz, unamused. “I should get help, yes?”
“If I thought there was any help for him, I’d be all for it.” She laughed again. “But we’re fine.”
Emile seemed even less inclined to walk away this time than he had before, but he finally did.
“If anything happens to me, he’s going to give the police your description.”
“I don’t care.” Jaz looked as angry as she felt, though he was trying harder to hide it. “Obviously, I wasn’t trying to hurt you.” His voice was barely above a whisper.
She matched his volume if not his tone. “That’s not so obvious from my side of the table.”