Chapter 17
LOCKE
I closed the door behind me and paced away from the door.
I couldn’t leave her alone, but I needed to get my head back on straight. Ignoring her was easier on the boat because I could set her up with her books and her sunscreen then leave her to her own devices.
There was no where she could go.
Now, I just felt exposed.
I should have expected Leo to pull a stunt the minute I landed in Boston, but I hadn’t been prepared for him to show up himself. Maybe one of the guys on my team, sure. But Leo didn’t come out of his tower all that often.
He was happier wheeling and dealing with the major corporations we worked with. Jetting off to meet with heads of state or billionaire corporate CEOs. He didn’t bother with men like me.
I wasn’t sure what to make of that.
That he found something in the details I sent Nyx, or that I’d been gone long enough to make even the great Leo Kendrick come out to deal with me. Maybe a bit of both.
Now that I was evened out, I could get her back on the boat.
If she had a clean bill of health, we could head to Maine and get lost among the coves all around the rocky coast.
I’d deal with Leo and the crew later.
Much later.
I felt too exposed with her right now.
That’s your paranoia. You need them. They can help.
I did not need Milligan in my head right now.
I was the only one who could keep her safe. And that meant getting gone.
The door opened and Cilla came out, her face a little pale.
The doctor smiled at her. “Take care, Priscilla. I’m available if you have any issues.”
“Thanks, doctor.”
She nodded to me and disappeared down the hallway.
“Let’s get you back to the boat.”
Cilla frowned. “I thought we were going to your job.”
I shook my head. “You’re wiped.”
“I’m not.”
I just stared at her.
“Don’t give me that eyebrow.”
“Give you what?”
She reached up and tapped my arched brow. “Mr. Kendrick sounded very intent on seeing us. I think we should.”
“I’d prefer to have you away from Boston.”
She stepped forward. “I know. And I appreciate that you want me safe, but I want answers too. I can’t hide forever.”
“Why not?” I wanted to cup her face, to pull her into me, but I did neither. The minute I started touching her I knew it was going to be hard to stop. She didn’t need my brand of crazy.
“You really want me on your boat forever? Just traveling around with me in your business all the time?”
“We’ve been doing okay.”
“You ignoring me all day? Sure if that constitutes okay in your book.”
I tipped my head back. “I just mean we’re fine the way we are.”
“Eventually I’m not going to sleep fourteen hours a day, Locke.”
“It doesn’t need to be today.”
“Is it really that bad?” She touched my arm. “To see your friends?”
“Leave it, Cilla.”
She sighed. “Fine. But if you don’t take me, I’ll just get there on my own. I want to know who is doing this. I don’t want to be afraid every day.”
I stepped into her, crowding her until she backed into the wall. “You go nowhere without me.” The blood roared in my head. “You understand me?”
“No, I don’t understand you.” She pushed me back a step. “You act like I’m putting you out for weeks and now you are all up in my business like you give a shit?”
I braced a hand on the wall over her and lowered my voice. “I control my boat. Out here, I can’t control shit. So I need you to listen to my directions and that means I have to be in your space. Closely.”
Her espresso eyes flashed. “Every client gets this same treatment?”
I straightened.
“Yeah, thought so.”
“There’s a reason I’ve been off duty, Priscilla. This is what I need to do right now to keep you safe.” I took her hand and walked to reception. We did whatever paperwork that was leftover and she paid her copay.
We were both quiet as we took the elevator down. We followed the maze back out to where the SUV was. Part of me was pissed that it was so easy for me to get out, and the other was just glad I could get her to safety.
Was I being paranoid? Probably, but the fact that she’d been ambushed twice at the hospital still made me overly cautious. I got her settled in the seat and went around to my side.
I tucked my gun back into the holster and pulled out the rear entrance down a side street. When the hospital was in my rearview, I finally relaxed.
“Is this a bodyguard thing? How do you know all these side streets?”
“My best friend lived here.”
“Lived?”
“He’s dead.” I turned the radio up and hoped she caught the hint.
She turned it down. “I’m sorry. When did it happen?”
I tightened my hold on the steering wheel. “A year in a few weeks.”
“I’m assuming you don’t want to talk about it.”
“You assume correctly.” I turned the music back up again and Bad Omens drowned out thoughts of Milligan.
When we got back to the ferry, we didn’t talk.
She was a bit slower walking, but the limp from before was less pronounced.
She still had a lot of inner tears that needed to heal.
I knew firsthand just how annoying a knife wound could be.
It almost had to heal from the outside in, which didn’t make any sense until you experienced it.
I herded her to the edges of the ferry on the top deck.
Talking about Milligan made my skin feel tight. I needed to be able to look around and make sure she was safe.
Shuffling bodies were too damn close. The urge to drag her into me and surround her made no sense. I’d been carefully keeping my distance for weeks. One day and all that was wrecked.
Her navy dress fluttered around her tanned legs making her look like she’d been on vacation if you didn’t look too close at the lingering bruises around her neck and wrists. My fingers tightened into fists at my sides.
She was too exposed.
No matter what she wanted, I was getting her back on my boat. Leo would just have to update me on the SAT phone I kept in my kitchen drawer.
Someone jostled me and I whirled around. The guy gave me a startled glance and quickly melted into the crowd.
The scent of diesel dented the cloying sense of panic. She was fine. We were fine.
There was no one around us that was a danger.
Her fingers slipped around my hand. I glanced down at her and saw the wariness in her dark eyes.
Instead of overthinking it, I drew her in front of me and caged her against the railing.
Her coconut and citrus scent flooded my brain like a balm.
The only other thing that had done the same was the scent of the sea and my boat.
I closed my eyes, trying to anchor myself in the now. She was fine.
I wasn’t fucking up.
The ferry lurched forward, and she stumbled back into me. “Sorry.”
“It’s fine.” I curled an arm around her to steady her, then she eased forward to lean on the railing.
I should have dropped my arm, but I didn’t want to.
Dangerous precedent, but her warmth and scent eased some of the anxiety brewing in my chest. After Milligan, I’d had a hard time being around people. It was why I’d left on my boat to start, but then it just kept getting easier to stay away.
The Kendrick Group paid me well, and I’d saved most of my earnings by living simply.
I didn’t need to return for years if I didn’t want to—if ever.
A pair of rambunctious boys started acting up beside us. The tired mother was losing her cool.
I was about to move us farther down the railing when Priscilla turned in my arms. “Will I be meeting some of your friends?”
I narrowed my eyes at her. “We’re not going to the tower.”
“Mr. Kendrick said he had details we should know. Don’t you think that’s a mistake?”
“I don’t like you out in the open.”
The older boy stumbled into me, and I caught him before he crashed into Cilla. “Careful.”
The kid stared up at me, his eyes wide. “What’s on your face?”
Cilla snickered.
My arm tightened around her. “What’s so funny?”
“You do have a wild animal on your face.”
I rubbed my cheek. “You try shaving on a boat. Not worth the cuts.”
“If you have clippers, I can do it for you.”
I just grunted.
The kid looked up at me. “Mom, he looks like—”
The mother came up behind the boy and covered his mouth. “It’s impolite to point at people, Sam.” She gave me an uneasy smile. “I’m sorry about that. They had too much sugar.”
“No problem.”
They hurried off and I glanced down at Cilla. “Don’t give me that look.”
“No looks.” She turned around, but I could see the curve of her cheek as she stared out at the harbor growing closer.
It had only been me on the damn boat for months.
I could shave or at least cut down my beard.
It was getting hotter by the day, but it was easier to ignore everything.
Just to coast on the day to day. Fish when I wanted to, swim when I wanted, sleep when I wanted—hell, drink the day away most of the time.
She could deal with my woolly face for fuck’s sake.
My annoyance surged as we slid into port and the screech of children and laughter of tourists ratcheted up my anger.
I took her hand, leading her off the ferry as my gaze took in all the strangers around us. When we got to the stairs, I hitched her up on my hip like last time and practically steamrolled the people around us.
I needed to get away from all the people and smells.
“Locke.” She gripped my shoulders as her feet skimmed the deck.
Ignoring her, I finally got to the ramp and let her down. She gripped my hand and stumbled along until we were safely on the dock.
“Locke, what’s wrong?”
“Nothing. I just—”
She stopped and dragged me back to her. “I can’t move this fast. Just wait.” I made a move to pick her up and she stilled my arms. “Stop.”
I glanced around but no one was paying us any mind. No one was watching us even if it felt like they were.
Her hand came up to cup my bearded cheek. “It’s safe.”
I stiffened, but didn’t push her hand away.
“Locke?”
I turned at the voice and cursed. ”Bastian,” I growled.
Priscilla’s hand fell to her side. She stayed at my side though—small favors.