CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO #2
Lachlan looks back at the gleaming, semi-transparent monstrosity. ‘Believe me, I’m trying. How’s Blaire?’
‘She’s tough.’
‘I meant emotionally.’
‘Tough.’
‘You’re a big help.’
‘The biggest.’
‘I’ll call tomorrow.’
‘Your little girl will know Systema by then.’
‘It’s like that, huh?’
‘Beats CQC every time, big boy.’
‘Goodnight, Danya.’
‘Be safe, Lachlan.’
He ends the call, stares out at the water.
There are sharks out there, he knows that, isn’t afraid of them.
It’s what he doesn’t know that scares him.
?
The morning of Savannah Alderwyck’s birthday begins normally enough.
Breakfast by the pool, gifts, pancakes. She’s a little pale, probably from the late night, but seems happy overall.
The photographer, Wake, is very involved.
He hangs around her, directing Jules to sit beside her, telling them to hold hands, hug, smile, move in closer, look at one another.
Sometimes he gets Roman in the pictures, but never any of the adults.
Lachlan hasn’t seen him take pictures of them once.
It’s some publicity thing, probably.
Soft launching the next generation.
Lachlan’s had maybe ninety minutes of sleep total, but there’s no one to take over for him, so he’ll just have to lock in and stay sharp. Today, tomorrow, and then they’re out of here.
He can rest when they’re home.
‘Now then, while we prepare for the party, why don’t you three take a walk?
Explore the beach,’ Ariadne suggests, sunglasses on throughout.
She looks especially awful today Lachlan notes, with a twang of satisfaction.
Skin sunless and wrinkled, hair lifeless.
Her daughter is beautiful in a way she never could be.
‘Julian, darling. You haven’t been in the sea yet! ’
Jules looks to Alistair for permission and is given, at length, a small nod.
Lachlan directs them to a stretch of beachfront more isolated than the night before, tucked beneath thicker tree cover with fewer direct sightlines, but nowhere on Sable Key is truly private.
Voices carry across the island when people yell, and nowhere here feels genuinely secure to him.
The beach in daylight is obscenely beautiful, white sand, dazzling water, dense palms shifting softly in the ocean breeze.
While Jules settles onto the sand, Lachlan scans the glittering horizon for distant vessels no matter how small or far out.
So far, he sees none.
The three find a shady spot. Roman brought a cooler of drinks, which he sets down. ‘Lock?’ he says, offering a bottle of water to Lachlan, who takes it.
‘Thank you.’
‘Lock?’ Savannah echoes, wrinkling her nose with a smile.
Roman Sorrenko grins wide and cocky. ‘We are good friends, the bodyguard and me. I call him Lock. He calls me Ro.’
Lachlan twists the cap off his icy water while avoiding Jules’ gaze.
‘Ro is adorable,’ Savannah says, turning to look up at Lachlan, hand cupped around her eyes so she’s not blinded by the sun. ‘Come sit with us?’
‘No, thank you.’
‘He’s watching for boats,’ Jules informs her knowingly.
Roman looks out at the ocean. ‘Is private coastguard, no?’
‘Better safe than sorry.’
‘Doesn’t it hurt your legs to stand for that long?’
‘No.’
‘Did you train for it?’ Roman asks, curious.
‘You get used to it.’
‘I don’t think I could ever get used to that,’ Savannah says, sipping her fizzy apple drink. ‘It’s so impressive.’ She turns halfway towards Lachlan. ‘Did you have bodyguard training or are you ex-military?’
‘Infantry, advanced track, then private security.’
‘But did you train to, like, jump in front of bullets?’
He bites back a smile. ‘No.’
She sighs sadly. ‘I wish you were my bodyguard. Mom didn’t let me get a new one after Alberto.’
‘That night was fucking crazy,’ Roman says, settling back to lie in the sand. ‘Luckily I saved everyone,’ he adds, grinning. ‘I was so brave, wasn’t I, Lock?’
‘You were all very brave.’
‘Yes, but which one of us led a battalion to save your ass?’
Jules pulls off his shirt, walks out towards the water.
Lachlan watches, debating following.
‘Good job,’ Savannah scolds Roman.
‘What?’ Roman tuts. ‘He’s always sulking.’
‘You’re a dick.’
‘I am not!’
‘I love you, Roman, but you’re a dick.’
‘I was only speaking truth!’
‘It’s truth to say Vasily is more handsome than you, then.’
Roman sits up, his jaw dropping. ‘What?!’
‘And Jules is far more charming.’
‘You break my heart right now.’
‘And the bodyguard is way stronger.’
‘OK, but I am brave!’
‘You’re a dick.’
‘Dicks can be brave.’
‘Go get him and apologise.’
‘He is happy in the sea, look!’
But Jules still hasn’t gone in yet. He’s standing on the shore.
Savannah lowers her voice. ‘You know he likes the bodyguard,’ she whispers. ‘Stop being a show-off.’
‘Ana,’ Roman snorts, lying back on the sand, no longer concerned. ‘He doesn’t like the bodyguard. He’s with the bodyguard.’
Oh.
Fucking great.
Lachlan goes to Jules.
‘Going in then?’
‘Go away.’
‘Why?’
‘Because.’
‘Go on, it’ll feel amazing.’ With the sun bearing down, Lachlan wishes he could dive in too, sink beneath and hold his breath and let all the worries drown. Silence, peace, safety. Just for a minute.
‘I don’t… what if it feels weird?’
‘The ocean?’
‘I’ve only ever swum in the lake and when I was little, we had a pool but my father had it filled in.’
‘He did?’
‘What if I don’t like it?’
‘Jules,’ he says. ‘You’re going to fucking love it, now stop being such a brat and go on. You were made for it.’