“You didn’t tell me about your meeting with Michael,” she said when she felt Quinn move in behind her. He tensed when 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.”
He slid his arm around her and held tight for an extended beat before releasing her. He understood what she was saying. His gut hadn’t let him down so far. “Okay. I’ll follow my instincts.” He turned to Fred. “We’ll set off, make sure they see us in the market but don’t acknowledge them. You follow them and ascertain exactly what they’re up to.”
“That sounds like a fabulous idea to me. I’m ready to see some action, quite frankly. All this waiting is giving me a sour stomach.”
“And here we thought that was just your normal personality,” Rowan teased.
“Even I’m not that much of a downer. Come on. They’re moving. Let’s do this.”
FRED REMAINED ROOTED TO HIS SPOT and watched as Quinn and Rowan made their way to the east. Quinn caught his eye through a few palm fronds and then held Rowan’s hand as they crossed the open-air market.
Quinn gave off an air of calm that most people would be unable to muster under the same set of circumstances. He was always calm in the face of deadly fire, though. That was one of the reasons Quinn and Fred bonded in the military. Their personalities weren’t all that similar — in fact, there were times Quinn wanted to strangle Fred to shut him up — but they were both experts in carrying out a task.
Their friendship was cemented in the aftermath of a roadside attack. Fred was struck in the leg during the initial exchange of gunfire. The rest of their comrades fell by the wayside when the vehicle rolled. Fred remembered watching with grim detachment as Quinn checked every single one of his men. There was something that struck him in the man’s eyes that day. It was pity. Quinn was genuinely moved by the death of his comrades and Fred remembered feeling impressed despite the pain rendering him immobile.
Fred and Quinn were the only ones alive ... and Fred couldn’t walk under his own strength. He didn’t consider himself the martyr sort. He didn’t want to stay behind. He knew neither of them would make it if Quinn tried to carry him, though. He was a goner no matter how you looked at it.
So, he sent Quinn on his way. He ordered his superior to leave him and try to escape. Quinn was having none of it. He came up with a different plan. He pretended to leave Fred, let the wounded soldier draw in their enemies, and then together they dispatched those who came to finish the job by squeezing them from both sides.
They laughed after … and grieved for a long time. Quinn had to throw Fred over his broad shoulders and carry him out. It was miles — five of them, to be exact — before they stumbled across help. Quinn immediately handed Fred over to a team of medics and then led the new group of soldiers to where their fallen comrades remained. Quinn had no intention of leaving without the bodies. That’s simply who he was.
That’s why Fred had no problem volunteering his services to help Quinn now. Sure, he’d run the occasional search for his buddy in the past. Quinn asked on a semi-regular basis — especially in recent months — but it didn’t feel like enough given what Quinn had done for him. At least what was happening with the Phoenix Society was tangible. It was something Fred could help and feel good about himself. It was clear Quinn loved Rowan to distraction. He’d felt it the first time he saw them together. If something were to happen to the comely photographer, Quinn would become a shell of the man he was. Fred couldn’t allow that. He didn’t consider himself a fairy godmother or anything, but he knew when things mattered ... and Quinn mattered to him.
He recognized the moment Spencer caught sight of Rowan and Quinn. The couple did a good job of pretending they didn’t see the two men across the aisle. They kept their focus on each other. Quinn held tightly to Rowan’s hand and stared soulfully into her eyes. Every few seconds, however, he looked around to make sure danger wasn’t coming from another direction. He was careful to keep from staring at Spencer, but he checked every other angle to make sure Rowan was safe.
Fred waited until Rowan and Quinn disappeared from the market to disengage from his hiding spot. He wasn’t surprised when the two men started following. Unfortunately, given the way Spencer and Michael looked at one another, it was difficult for Fred to ascertain if they were agreeing to follow at the same time or if Spencer was playing a game to get Michael to follow without the captain’s knowledge. It was too hard to see their faces.
“What are you doing?”
Because he was so distracted, Fred didn’t notice Sally until he was right on top of the woman. He’d been so focused on Michael and Spencer that he didn’t pay attention to any of the people surrounding him until Sally practically threw herself in his path. He knew the woman through Rowan, generally found her entertaining, but now wasn’t the time for fun and games.
“I’m ... um ... doing something,” Fred muttered, forcing a distracted smile for Sally’s benefit even as he attempted to skirt around her.
“You look like you’re doing a lot of something weird.”
“I ... um ... really can’t talk right now.” He shot her an apologetic look. “I’m in the middle of something.”
“Does this have anything to do with why everyone is closing ranks around Rowan?”
Fred was surprised. He was under the impression that Rowan intended to tell Sally what was going on. He swore he heard Quinn say that before they even left Florida. “I ... really can’t talk about that. You should ask Rowan what’s going on.”
“So, that’s a yes.” Sally made a tsking sound as she shook her blond head. “I’m kind of disappointed that no one thought to tell me something was going on. I mean ... am I not her best friend?”
“You’re definitely her best friend.” Fred couldn’t wait any longer. He knew it was rude, but if he didn’t follow now, he would lose Fred and Spencer. “I swear someone will tell you everything over drinks tonight. I really have to go, though.”
Sally sta
red after him for a beat and then started following. “Well, I don’t care what you want,” she said as they hit a dark pathway that led to the other side of the market. It was narrow and dingy. El Demonio wasn’t quite the tourist destination that other islands were at this time. It was a work in progress. “I’m going with you because I’m sick of being kept in the dark. I’m a person, too.”
“You’re definitely a person,” Fred agreed, keeping a close watch on the path so he didn’t accidentally trip. “You really shouldn’t be a part of this, though. It’s better if you keep a distance. I’m sure Rowan will be thrilled to tell you the story later ... as long as she survives.”
Sally was horrified by the offhand comment. “Why wouldn’t she survive? That’s a terrible thing to say. You know what? I don’t even like you right now. Yeah, I said it. I think you’re a turd.”
“I guess that means I stink,” he muttered, stepping around a bush. He wasn’t familiar with the island, but he’d studied a map. There was a small bit of isolation on the other side of the footbridge and then another shopping area. He’d memorized as many routes as possible.
He let out a small gasp when a strange figure stepped from behind a nearby tree and slid onto the path in front of him. Fred wasn’t expecting the individual. He most definitely wasn’t expecting the knife clutched in this person’s hand.
He reacted out of instinct and grabbed the attacker’s wrist before the knife could make contact with skin. “Run, Sally,” he ordered as he struggled for the upper hand. “Get out of here right now. Run!”
16
Sixteen
There was only one hospital on El Demonio. When Quinn got the call that Fred was being rushed into surgery, he and Rowan abandoned their lunches and raced to the facility. Fred was already in surgery when they arrived and the intake nurse was grave when they demanded answers.
Farewell Seas Page 53
