Chapter 20
CILLA
Nyx had been entertaining me with stories of her brothers, Locke, and his team.
She worked with Locke’s part of the company more and more now that cybersecurity was in more demand. The criminals were getting smarter on every level.
Nyx’s lab seemed to be a hub, and more than one employee had been in to see if Locke had really returned to the company. My lone wolf was actually anything but. Women and men, both in tactical gear and suits had been in asking questions about where Locke was.
Nyx seemed to be delighted to share the fact that the rumors were true.
I wasn’t sure if Locke was aware that The Kendrick Group assumed he was back to work. The little I knew about him told me that wasn’t going to fly all that well.
Nyx pulled up a photo and flashed it on screen. “If you were wondering who Locke was...”
My breath caught at the trio of guys mugging for the camera.
One man was a towering ginger with a close cropped beard and spikey hair that looked like he’d been dunked in the lake.
He had his arm slung around Locke’s neck.
A bushy handlebar mustache framed Locke’s lips and his hair was just as wet, only the dark strands were stuck to his forehead like he’d shaken off like a dog.
His eyes crinkled at the corners as he grinned up at the red haired man.
The third guy was holding devil horns up and his tongue was out as he leaned against the other two. His heavy curls hid part of his face, but there was no denying who it was.
All three of them looked mid-laugh.
“This is his usual crew. Jake Milligan is the guy who looks like a Scottish Viking, Locke, and the last guy is—”
“Jett Pierce.”
Nyx laughed. “Yeah. Hard to believe those two know one of the biggest rockstars in the world.”
“So, the facial hair is just part of Locke’s personality?”
She snickered.
“That was for losing a bet. Milligan was always making out-of-pocket wagers.” Locke’s gravelly voice behind me had me pushing out of my seat. My thigh screamed at the quick action and I wobbled.
Locke moved forward, catching my arm twirling me toward him and for the second time, my breath backed up in my lungs. He frowned down at me. “You okay?”
My whole body sizzled where we touched. “I’m fine.”
He stepped back and I couldn’t help but catalog all the changes. His overgrown hair was now shorn down. The top endearingly messy as if he’d scooped his hands through it, hacking at it with no rhyme or reason.
His beard was now close cropped and showed a strong jawline that made my mouth dry.
Nyx popped out of her chair, her gaze bouncing from me to Locke with a wide smile. She tipped her head and toyed with the end of her braid. “You don’t look like you’ve been living on a deserted island anymore.”
Locke rolled his eyes. “It’s getting too hot for all that hair anyway.”
“Whatever the reason, all I have to say is much better.” She glanced at me. “Right?”
“Um, yes. I didn’t realize that was under there.”
Locke’s eyebrow spiked as he crossed his arms over his chest.
“I just mean—never mind.” There was no way to navigate that minefield. “Is everything okay with your boss?”
He nodded. “He’s okayed Nyx digging deeper into the case.”
I nearly sagged with relief. With The Kendrick Group, we might actually be able to come up with some answers.
Nyx wiggled her fingers. “Excellent.”
“I’m going to give you Officer Stone’s information. Don’t contact him until I can talk to him tomorrow. With all of us putting our heads together maybe we can actually build a case that the cops can’t ignore.” He moved closer to me, concern pinching his brows. “She needs to rest.”
“I’m tired of resting.”
“Tell that to your pale face.”
I sighed. “You say the sweetest things.”
His hand landed on the small of my back as he urged me out of the lab. “You don’t want me to carry you out of here, do you?”
I licked my lips. “Of course not. I’m not an invalid.”
“You’re still healing.”
I sighed. “I wish it would just get on it with it.”
“In another week we’ll see if you can handle stairs.”
So he had to keep carrying me? The fact that my heart kicked at the thought was pathetic.
Nyx was grinning when I turned to her. I narrowed my eyes at her and her smile just got bigger.
“Thanks for babysitting me.” Impulsively, I gave her a quick hug.
Locke practically growled behind me, but he couldn’t deny it.
“Don’t be a stranger.”
“I’ll check in tomorrow.”
“Looking forward to it,” Nyx called after us as Locke hustled me out the door.
I glanced down at the black case he was holding. “What’s that?”
“Some new security for the boat.”
“Oh.” I rubbed my arm against the quick rash of goosebumps.
“We’re heading up the coast—tonight.”
“Where?”
“Maine.”
“Maine?” Surprise lifted my voice.
“I want Boston and Salem in our wake. Period.”
When we got to the garage, Jackson was waiting for us, leaning on one of the beefy SUVs that filled the garage. Locke paused and huffed out something under his breath that I couldn’t catch.
Jackson pushed off the front panel of the SUV. “Leo said you needed a ride.”
“I had it handled,” Locke growled.
“And now you don’t have to wait for a rideshare or walk.” He opened the back door.
I didn’t want to own up to the exhaustion dragging at me, but when Locke’s gaze locked on mine, he didn’t object. Instead he boosted me into the SUV and followed me in.
Jackson closed the door and got in the driver’s side.
The ride back to the harbor was quiet, the air thick with tension. My gaze kept bouncing between the front and Locke’s profile. Now that he didn’t have all that beard hiding his jawline, I could see how tight it was.
Had it been this difficult for him to come back to his job?
I don’t know what possessed me to reach for his hand. Locke froze, but he didn’t pull it away. His jaw relaxed a little, even if the tension in his shoulders practically vibrated the back seat.
The traffic around the harbor was thick and I was never so glad to see the Knot On Your Life gleaming in the late day sun.
Jackson craned his neck. “I don’t think I can get any closer.”
“We’ll hop out.” Locke slid out, grabbing his case as he opened the door.
The gun on his hip made me shiver. I knew it was a necessity, but the last few weeks on the boat had been peaceful and quiet. The reality of my situation shouting in my face had my stomach twisting in anxiety.
I looked over my shoulder as a crowd of people funneled out of the last ferry coming back from Salem. The chatter seemed happy, but I found myself looking at every face. I wasn’t sure I would even recognize the man who hurt me.
The big black eyes overshadowed everything. Was it my fear that created the monster effect or had he been wearing contacts?
Did he want to incite fear?
“Cilla?”
I looked up at Locke who was waiting for me to get out of the SUV. He held his hand out and I took it. “Thanks, Jackson,” I said with a tight smile and then we were pulled into the vortex of the crowd.
Locke held my hand tightly and we wove our way through the current of bodies to the other side.
A hand clamped down on my arm, yanking me away from Locke.
He swung around, his eyebrows furrowed. “Cilla!”
I tried to wrench my arm away, but the grip was steely and uncompromising. A hood hid his face, but the bruising fingers catapulted me back in time.
Were they the same fingers from that night? The grip on the ropes pulling my legs apart.
The fear froze my voice for a moment. My thigh throbbed as the man dragged me through the crowd again, this time going against the flow of pedestrian traffic. I yelled for Locke, my gaze darting around.
Where did he go?
I tried to wrestle my arm away, but he yanked me forward, throwing me off balance and my leg screamed at the position. The man swung around, and the wild teeth of my nightmares was all I could see.
Fear threatened to make me spiral, but I locked in and recognized it was a mask that you could add to the hood.
For winter runners.
His eyes were hidden behind sunglasses, but the sharpness of his cheekbones heightened my flight reaction. “Let me go!” My gaze whirled into the crowd of people.
Didn’t anyone see I was in trouble?
One woman frowned at me, but turned away.
I searched for Locke, my heart racing so fast that black spots started dancing in my periphery. I was a dead woman if he got me out of the crowd. I dragged my heels even as my thigh screamed at the position.
The man didn’t say a word and the strength in his fingers left my hand numb from his grip. I twisted and clawed at his hand, finally dropping like dead weight as my old defense training kicked in.
He snarled out a “for fuck’s sake,” as he bent down to get me off the ground. His short nails scraping over my wrists and forearms.
It was the distraction Locke needed. He blasted through the crowd, pushing people out of the way like a wrecking ball.
I reached up and tore off the man’s mask. He stumbled away, turning his face before I could see it. He tripped and nearly fell forward, but caught himself and sprinted away.
Locke scooped me off the ground and into his arms.
I could tell he wanted to go after him, but he just held me tighter. His hand cupped the back of my head as he tucked my face into his neck.
Now people stopped and held up their phones to video this.
Not when that asshole tried to take me away.
I wrapped my arm around Locke’s neck, the adrenaline turning to racking shudders. He hopped on his boat and did another leap onto the main deck between the hulls.
“I need to put you down, baby.”
I shuddered and held on tighter. “Don’t leave me.”
“I won’t. I wouldn’t. Ever.” He buried his face in my disheveled hair. “I just need to get us gone.”
I nodded. Shoring up whatever little pieces of bravery I had left inside of me, I pushed him back. “Go.”
He touched his forehead to mine once then scrambled back up the steps to the dock. I could hear his heavy footsteps on the dock as he ran around and untied the boat. A black case clattered down onto the deck.