Fury lit Darcy’s features. “Why do you have to be such an idiot?” she gritted out. “I mean ... seriously. I’m trying to help you.”
“I’m sure you can understand why I’m dubious about that. It doesn’t matter, though. I’m not going anywhere with you. If you want to talk to me, Quinn has to be part of it. That’s my line in the sand.”
Darcy gripped her hands together, squeezing until her knuckles turned white. “You’re more trouble than you’re worth. I mean ... I’m obviously wasting my time here.”
“Probably so,” Rowan agreed. “No one is making you stay, though.”
“I guess not.”
Rowan licked her lips, momentarily thought about changing her mind and acquiescing because it appeared Darcy was finally ready to share information, and then stiffened her resolve. Her life was on the line, her very future. She wouldn’t risk everything she’d worked so hard for on a whim. She wouldn’t be the stupid heroine in the movie who ran upstairs to check out the strange noise in Jason Voorhees territory. That’s not how she was built.
“I’m sorry I can’t help you,” Rowan offered. “I have to be smart, though. This isn’t smart.”
“If you say so.” Darcy’s glare was dark as she peeled away. “You’re going to regret this.”
Rowan sincerely hoped that wasn’t true.
SHE THOUGHT THE WEIRD CONVERSATION with Darcy would leave her edgy. It didn’t. It left her more perplexed than anything else.
Dave sat with her, his eyes tracking the people who passed, and waited for Quinn’s arrival. The security guru looked a lot more worked up than his girlfriend when he joined the party.
“Everything okay?” he asked, dropping a kiss on Rowan’s forehead before she could get up from the lounger she was reclining in.
Dave nodded. “Nothing to report ... other than the blond Phoenix Society chick approached her about thirty minutes ago. I think some rather heated words were exchanged.”
Rowan shot him a withering look. She felt as if she was being tattled on for stealing the last chocolate milk. “I was going to tell him.”
Dave slid her a sidelong look. “I didn’t say you weren’t. I was just making sure he was aware of the details.”
She rolled her eyes. “Whatever. You’re kind of a big squealer.”
Instead of being offended, he chuckled. “If you were going to tell him, you have nothing to complain about.”
“Yes, I do. That was my story. You totally took the wind out of my sails.”
Quinn was amused by the interaction despite the agitation threatening to dampen his spirits only moments before. “What if I promise to put the wind back in your sails with a nice lunch, huh?”
Dave snorted. “I think that’s my cue to leave. I’m heading down to the docks. We’re supposed to make it look like we’re diving no matter what. Nick didn’t plan this far ahead because he didn’t know about Spencer’s diving fetish. We might actually have to go into the water.”
Quinn nodded, thoughtful. “I was wondering. Are you guys all certified divers?”
“We’re former Navy SEALS.”
When Quinn didn’t respond, Rowan did it for him. “Does that mean you’re certified?”
Dave’s laugh was loud and from the belly. “Oh, I’m starting to really like you. It’s probably good that you found her first, Davenport. If you two weren’t so enamored with one another, I might try to steal her.”
“I would squash you like a bug,” Quinn countered, his hand busy as it ordered Rowan’s flyaway hair. The wind had really done a number on it. “I think you’ve got plenty of wind left in you, Ro. How about you tell me about your run-in with Darcy, huh? Then I’ll take you to a romantic lunch before we meet up with the others on the docks and figure out what’s what.”
She sighed, the sound long and drawn out. “You had me at romantic lunch. Can we go to that place that has the awesome crab bisque?”
“Absolutely.” He linked his fingers with hers and focused on Dave. “Thank you for keeping her safe ... and tattling. I believe she was going to tell me, but I’m glad you got it out of the way so there wasn’t a delay.”
Dave saluted and then turned on his heel. “You’re really lucky you met her first,” he called out. “I didn’t think I would like someone so adorable, but she’s got a certain … something.”
Because he agreed, Quinn let the comment go and focused on her. “What did Darcy want?”
“Well, it was interesting.” Rowan told him the story, leaving nothing out. A few times she had to backtrack, and when she was done, Quinn was as baffled as she was.
“I don’t understand what she was after,” he said, shaking his head. “Did she really think you would just skip off with her onto a strange island and participate in some ritual bonding exercise?”
“I don’t know. I’m starting to wonder if she wanted to confide something in me.”
“Like what?”
“Like ... what’s really going on.”
It took everything Quinn had to hold back the snarky response on the tip of his tongue. Rowan tended to be more trusting than he was often comfortable with. She believed most people were good to their core. He was more cynical. And, because he loved her more than anything, he was resolved to nip this potential situation in the bud.
“Baby, have you considered that she wants you to think she’s on your side but her real job is to entice you away from the rest of us to make it easier to grab you?” He hoped the question didn’t come off too condescending.
“I have considered it,” she replied, opting for honesty. “I know that’s what you want me to believe, so I’ll do it if it’s really that important to you.”
He made a protesting sound halfway between a growl and a sigh of exasperation. “Ro, I don’t want you to believe as I do simply so we won’t have an argument. I’m trying to keep you safe.”
“I know. That’s why I’ll do it. You’re the best man I know.”
The simple declaration touched him to the depths of his soul. “God, I love you.” He pulled her to him and buried his face in her hair. “You have no idea how much I love you. The thing I want most in this world is to take care of you, be with you. I don’t want you to put yourself in a box for me and think like I do simply because you believe it’s what I want, though.”
She patted his back. “I’ve given it a lot of thought,” she started.
“Ugh. I just know I’m going to hate this.” He squeezed his eyes shut and kept himself wrapped around her. “Tell me.”
“My gut tells me she’s trying to help. I know you don’t believe that — and I don’t expect you to — but my instincts are telling me to give her a chance. Now, before you start ranting and raving, you should know that I’m not an idiot. I have no intention of wandering off with her. I told her I could only talk if you were with me. I’m going to stand by that. You don’t have to worry.”
He exhaled heavily, swayed back and forth, and then pressed a kiss to her cheek. “Fair enough. I need a little time to think about this before we act on it.” He pulled back and stared into her remarkable eyes. “Can you deal with that?”
“We’re having crab bisque for lunch. I’ll be fine.”
He grinned. “Good. Do you want to lock your camera in the room so we don’t have to worry about it while we’re out? It will probably be easier.”
“Good idea.” She linked her fingers with his as he dragged her back toward the employee access door that led to her room. They were almost through it when her camera strap snagged and she stopped, her eyes going toward movement on the deck.
There, two familiar faces strolled past as if they didn’t have a care in the world. Michael and Spencer. They seemed to be having a good time, laughing as if they’d been best friends for thirty years, instead of minor acquaintances. They didn’t as much as look in Rowan and Quinn’s direction.
“You didn’t tell me about your meeting with Michael,” she said when she felt Quinn move in behind her. He tensed w
hen he realized who she was looking at. “Did anything interesting happen?”
“Not so much. He asked about security at the dive site. I reminded him I wasn’t in charge of that. He acted nervous ... and made sure to ask if you were really going to be there taking photos.”
“What did you say?”
“I said yes. If they want to try to move on us there, it might be for the best. They’re not going to realize that every diver there is part of our team. That dock is set away from the action and we can be as loud as we want during a confrontation.”
“Do you think that’s the way we should do things?”
“I honestly don’t know. I’m ready if it happens, though. Come on. Let’s take your camera back and then get some lunch. I’m starving, and I think we have a lot to talk about with the others.”
15
Fifteen
Quinn sent a quick message from his phone before helping Rowan return her camera to the room. Once everything was locked up tight, they joined hands and disembarked. Rowan was going to ask him about the text but kept her mouth shut when he decided to take a side journey through the market before heading toward one of their favorite port restaurants.
Instead of questioning him, she merely kept close to his side and watched his reaction as he scanned the crowd. Ironically, she was the one who found their target first.
“They’re over there.” Rowan inclined her head to the east, to where Michael and Spencer were standing next to a kitschy tourist kiosk and laughing while trying on sunglasses. The two men looked to be having a fun time, innocent even. If they were plotting, they were hiding it really well.
Quinn immediately snapped his eyes in that direction, his cheeks heating when he realized she was aware of his distraction. “I just want to play a hunch,” he hedged.
Rowan pressed the tip of her tongue against the back of her teeth and remained quiet. This was his show.
“I still want to spend the afternoon with you,” he stressed. “It’s just ... I’m trying to figure a few things out.”
His insistence on scrambling to cover his actions made Rowan laugh. “Do you think I’m angry?”
“I think you’re ... you.” He offered her a sweet smile. “That means you’re not going to give me grief regardless because that’s not what you do. I want to be with you today. I do. It’s just ... what are they doing?” His eyes took on a dark tint as he stared at the man he thought was a friend cavorting with the man he knew was an enemy.
“You don’t know that they’re doing anything,” Rowan replied after a beat, sliding closer to him so she could share in a bit of his warmth. It was hot and humid on El Demonio and yet a chill was in the air.
Quinn slid his arm around her waist and anchored her to him, running his hand up and down her spine. “He was spying on us in the basement. I’m sure of it.”
“He might’ve really been looking for you.”
Quinn pinned her with a dark look. “You’re adorable. I love that you’re occasionally naive and always loyal. He’s never been down there before, though. Why would he pick today to make the trip?”
That was a fair question, Rowan internally conceded. It did look suspect. Still, just because things looked one way, that didn’t mean they couldn’t swing another way. “We still don’t know.”
He exhaled heavily and leaned his forehead against hers. “I want to believe Michael is simply being duped. I also need to keep you safe. If I have to make a choice, it’s always going to be you. So, for right now at least, Michael is the enemy. I’m not going to kill him or anything, but I’m not going to trust him either.”
It was a practical stance. “Okay. Fair enough. Definitely don’t kill him, though.”
Quinn cracked a smile. “I hope I can manage to refrain.”
They stood together in the shadows for what felt like a long time to Rowan. In reality, it was only five minutes. Quinn didn’t comment further and she didn’t press him. Instead they simply stood there, hidden from prying eyes should Michael and Spencer scan their surroundings, and watched.
That’s where Fred found them.
“Nice hiding spot,” he teased, sliding in beside them and scowling when he realized Quinn and Rowan were clinging to one another. “Geez. Do you guys ever give it a rest?”
Quinn smirked and then inclined his chin toward the sunglasses display. “They’re over there.”
Fred found the two men in question and frowned. “What do you think?”
“I don’t know,” Quinn admitted. “I want to believe Michael is innocent. I like him. It’s just ... I can’t decide if I want to believe because I think it’s unlikely he would turn on us or I simply don’t want to have been wrong about him. I’m afraid I’m thinking with my ego.”
“Well, you do have quite the ego,” Fred teased, ignoring the way Rowan admonished him with her eyes. “I don’t think that’s to blame this time, though. If you trusted him, I think it’s probably safe to say that he’s a good guy. Your instincts are rarely wrong.”
“I agree with Fred,” Rowan added. “I think your instincts are amazing. If they were wrong in this instance, though, it might not have anything to do with you and everything to do with him. I mean ... if he’s been working against us this entire time, he really is a masterful actor. Think of all the women he slept with just to make us think he was a womanizing lunkhead.”
The comment was so surreal that Quinn barked out a laugh. He couldn’t stop himself. “True. Apparently, if he is evil, he’s very dedicated. He should get a raise from whomever is employing him.”
The comment caused Rowan to cock her head. “Actually, that’s a good point. How could he have gone through all the training he did to get this job way back then on the assumption that I would end up on this ship? That seems a little far-fetched.”
“Oh, you misunderstand. I don’t believe it goes back that far. You said someone emailed you the link to the job on The Bounding Storm back when you were getting desperate, right? I think that’s what you said.”
“Actually, a friend emailed me a link for a different job on the ship. I found the photographer job when I was clicking through things.”
“Oh.” Quinn made a face. “That’s slightly different. It doesn’t match my theory.”
“What was your theory?” Fred queried.
“I thought maybe Michael somehow managed to get the photography link to her friend or something. Never mind. That’s way too diabolical.” He shook his head to dislodge the thought. “There’s no way it could’ve worked that way. If he was spying on us, it started after you took the job.”
“That means Spencer would’ve had to contact him with an offer,” Fred noted. “I don’t foresee that happening unless Spencer has always been watching Rowan. I mean ... that’s possible. I find it unlikely, though. If Rowan was being watched, she would’ve figured it out. She’s good when it comes to spatial awareness and senses when someone is watching her. I’ve seen her in action.”
“That’s true.” Quinn absently ran his hand down the back of her head. He’d plied her with little touches all day. It was a way to show affection, and even when he was distracted, his first instinct was to touch her. “It’s more likely that any contact between them was more recent. I wonder if there’s a way to track their communication.”
“I’ve already started on that,” Fred volunteered, taking them both by surprise. “I figured it couldn’t hurt to look. I pulled Michael’s cell phone records, which wasn’t easy. I had to call in a few favors.”
“Have you got any information yet?”
“No. I don’t expect to for a few hours. For now, I think you two should head out. In fact, I think you should cross this shopping plaza in plain view and see if our friends try to follow.”
Rowan was taken aback. “You want them to follow us? How come?”
“I don’t necessarily want them to follow you,” he clarified. “If they see you and react, though, I’ll be able to judge their emotions. I’m not saying it
will be one way or another. If they nod at each other and start following without saying a word, that would seem to indicate they’re working together. On the other hand, if Spencer manipulates Michael into following, that would seem to indicate something else entirely.”
Realization dawned on Quinn and he liked the plan. “That’s a fabulous idea,” he enthused. “Sorting out if Michael is friend or foe is one of our top priorities.”
“I thought I was your top priority,” Rowan teased, poking his ribs.
Quinn caught her finger and brought it to his lips so he could press a kiss to the tip. “You’re always my top priority. Michael is still up there. We need to figure out exactly whose side he is on.”
“I don’t suppose you considered just asking him, huh?” Rowan’s smile was rueful. “Of course, that might be too easy.”
“If I ask him and he’s working with Spencer, our hand will be tipped.”
“Our hand is probably already tipped.” Rowan opted to be logical. “I freaked out the other day. It’s doubtful they missed it. They saw me get drunk and everything. We’re probably no longer fooling them.”
Quinn worked his jaw. “I don’t know if I believe that.”
“I happen to agree with Rowan,” Fred interjected. “I think they’re fully aware that we’re aware of what they’re doing. It might be convoluted, but I think it’s part of the game. There’s a reason the blonde keeps approaching Rowan. She’s trying to get her attention.”
“Yeah.” Quinn ran his hand over the top of his short-cropped hair and considered their options. “Well, I need to think about it more. I’m sorry. All of this is a lot to absorb and I don’t want to make the wrong move.”
In truth, Rowan figured that was the fear talking. Now that she had the omen on her photograph, he was terrified of making the wrong move. If they moved right instead of left at the exact wrong time, everything they’d worked so hard to build could be gone in an instant. It would devastate him — and probably forever — if that happened. With that in mind, she leaned closer and whispered so only he could hear. “Follow your instincts.”
Raging Seas (A Rowan Gray Mystery Book 9) Page 14
