Chapter 12
Saul watched Sadie leave the room, feeling somewhat perplexed. The way she’d just exploded and then huffed out of the room was so out of character he was momentarily lost for words.
Maybe he should move back to his own place.
He knew he was an imposition. Sadie was going above and beyond what a person who had never before met the other should be realistically expected to do for a stranger.
The whole situation, with her having to help him with even the smallest task, was wearing and invasively intimate.
Never mind how having Zack turn up unannounced was likely making Sadie feel like a guest in her own home.
He’d have to think about what he could do about it.
He wasn’t oblivious to the issues. The chemistry that sparked between them was insane.
But was it genuine? Or just a by-product of the forced intimacy imposed upon them?
They were both kinksters, and on an island specifically geared to such.
Okay, so Sadie was an employee, and Saul, an investor currently here as a fugitive, rather than a visitor, but that didn’t change their basic makeup.
It was inevitable for all of that to lead to awareness…
even if he wasn’t in much of a position to do anything about it until he healed.
Still, it got him thinking.
“So, you want to tell me what has Luca so fired up about getting me here to see you?” Zack asked, pulling Saul out of his reverie.
“Of course. Let’s sit and I’ll grab us a drink.
I’m sure you’re tired and thirsty after all the travelling.
” He gestured to the shaded balcony, which offered a refreshing breeze, and grabbed a jug of iced water with lemon wedges bobbing in it from the refrigerator, along with a couple of glasses, while Zack settled himself.
He glanced at Sadie’s bedroom - the one he currently shared - and another pang of guilt speared through him.
Not for the first time, she was having to make herself scarce in her own home, and didn’t even have a single private place in which to do so.
He really did need to make it up to her. But that was something for later.
Saul’s conversation with Zack was productive, and he couldn’t deny being impressed. Whatever Luca had told him - which wasn’t much, from what Saul could glean, and definitely nothing that could be considered incriminating or traced back to him - the guy had certainly come prepared.
“None of this stuff has been released onto the open market,” Zack explained as he showed off several gadgets so tiny it was almost impossible to imagine how powerful they were.
“It’s not prototype testing or anything, just stuff that’s made by special request for those in the know.
And those who know are extensively vetted to make sure this technology doesn’t fall into the wrong hands. ”
“And yet you have it?” Saul was only slightly teasing. There was definitely a certain amount of envy involved. Even he wasn’t aware of some of this stuff, despite having worked undercover for the past decade.
One side of Zack’s mouth kicked up in the semblance of a smile. The closest he ever seemed to get to one. Zack Kincaid was a very serious guy, from what Saul could see. “Well, I bank roll this stuff,” he replied, his eyes lighting up. “The least I can get in return is to play with the toys.”
It was the most animation Saul had seen from the man, and he couldn’t help wondering about him and Dani Moreno, who despite having become much quieter since she’d taken on the role of administrator, running the everyday logistics of the island, had always been a very bubbly and effusive woman.
Was Zack the reason she’d closed in on herself the past few years?
Or had it been the way her uncle - Luca’s father - had treated her?
Or maybe she was just naturally maturing.
Either way, it was none of his business, and he pushed the thoughts aside.
The last thing he wanted to do was offend Zack by saying the wrong thing, and provoke him into leaving, taking all his lovely technology with him.
As things stood, with Zack’s help, he just might be able to pull this off.
Which, if he was brutally honest with himself, wasn’t something he’d been very confident about before.
Not that he’d let either Luca or Sadie become aware of that.
But truthfully, the odds had been stacked against him, and Saul had been preparing to make his peace with God.
“My place is right at the back near the cove,” Zack told him as he packed up the briefcase he’d brought with him. “I’ll set everything up there, and we can use it as an operations base since things here look like they’re already pretty hectic.”
Saul nodded, his expression rueful. “Yeah. Sadie’s been thrown in at the deep end since she’s the one who found me and we’re keeping my presence here under wraps.
Apart from her, only you, Luca, and Doc Blake know I’m here, and we need to keep it that way.
I’m already nervous about putting anyone here in danger.
That’s why I haven’t gone back to my own cabana, just in case someone manages to trace it back to me.
I’ve always been careful to cloak these things, but now people are actively looking… well, there’s no guarantee.”
Zack nodded his understanding, and the fact he didn’t argue was a relief. It meant he was taking the inherent dangers of Saul’s position seriously.
He patted the briefcase. “Well, we have all the technology here to set up perimeter warnings, visitor alerts based on suspect criteria, and start doing a sweep on the dark web to find this auction site so we can disable it.”
Zack stood, and Saul did the same, following him to the door. “Plus, I’ve brought state-of-the-art computer technology with me that has the capacity to run everything. I’m going to go get it set up now.”
And that told Saul that Zack Kincaid was clearly more than just a backer. He understood all this and could put it into practice.
The man just might be Saul’s savior… Along with the cynical blonde angel who’d brought him into her home and was nurturing him back to health.