by Jamie Begley
Why did she want to do what Agent Collins advised? Fucking hell. What was she thinking? The memory of their afternoon together had him going into the other room to place the bugs in the glass jar.
Her eyes followed him across the floor as he went back into the bedroom to sit down on the bed again.
Closing the door she crossed the floor to sit down next to him.
“Ginny ….”
Ginny placed a gentle finger on his lips. “Trust me,” she whispered.
“I do. I just don’t trust those fuckers.” He meant his words. He did trust her.
In rehab, after Taylor had left him, he had sworn never to trust another soul, yet here he was, in a position to trust Ginny’s ability to navigate the quagmire they were in. He had to hold off from busting her chops about her decision.
Ginny took his hand in hers. “If I can convince Agent Collins to let you leave the island, would you go without me?”
“No.”
“Even if I beg?” she pleaded with him.
“Are you?” Reaper raised a brow at her.
“Yes.”
“I still wouldn’t go.”
“I want to leave as badly as you do,” she said softly. “I have to do this.” She took his hand in hers squeezing it tightly.
“Somehow, I have to make amends. I can’t do it if I leave before this is finished. Both Allerton and I have to pay for what happened on Clindale. I was a child and didn’t know what I was doing; he did. I have to find out what I took that is so important he’s willing to kill anyone to get it back. When I find that out, my questions will be answered and I can stop running.”
Reaper removed his hand from hers and began writing, opting not to whisper.
Whatever it was you took is long gone. How will it make a difference if you remember what it was?
Ginny took the pen.
It’ll make a difference to me. I won’t have to hide anymore. I can return it back to Allerton or the FBI. I can have a life with Trudy, my niece or nephew, and with you, if that’s what you want. I can’t live closed off from them anymore. I didn’t die in that plane crash … I might have another name, but Evangeline is still here.
I’ve never lost sight of who I am and how the islanders took me into their hearts and made me one of them. I can’t betray them by running away twice. I was too young to take Allerton on before. I’m not a child any longer. At least if I go down, this time, he’ll have to answer to everyone who cares about me. Allerton may be powerful enough to kill, make over a hundred native islanders disappear, yet he can’t vanquish an army without coming out of hiding. If at the end of the day, all I’m able to accomplish is to expose him enough for everyone to see him for what he is, I’m good with that, especially if it prevents one more person from becoming his next victim.
Ginny took his hand again, and he shook his head at her naïveté. “Military battles that were fought for a cause have been lost and misrepresented since time began.”
“That’s very true,” Ginny agreed. “But how many have come up against an army that is unbeatable?”
“Nymph, I’ve got a news flash for you. You and me together isn’t much of an army.”
“It is when one of them is a secret weapon.”
Reaper lips curled in amusement. “Who’s the secret weapon?”
“Allerton thinks he’s taking on a defenseless woman who has only you to protect me. It hasn’t dawned on him yet who he’s fucking with.”
His smile slipped at her seriousness. Was she talking about Agent Collins? “And who would that be?”
“A gladiator who walked through the fires of hell and won.”
Reaper closed his eyes, his face twisting in remembered pain. “I didn’t win.”
“Aw … sweet man, you did win. The problem is you don’t think you deserve the medal.”
“There is no medal that will ever make up for what I went through.”
“I get that ….” Ginny took his hand in hers. “I wouldn’t either, if I were you. That doesn’t mean that day won’t come.”
“I won’t be holding my breath.”
Rising with his hand still in hers, he tugged her up. “Shower, then we’ll find something to eat. I want an early night.”
“Me, too.”
They slowly walked into the bathroom to shower, both of them refraining from talking, lost in their own thoughts. Rubbing the wash cloth over his chest, Reaper knew the evening and night would pass in the blink of an eye. He had a bad feeling about Ginny taking the polygraph. He didn’t see any good coming out of it, regardless of the results.
Washing quickly, Reaper stepped out of the shower, not wanting to linger with Ginny as she washed her hair. He got dressed after drying off, then checked each of the doors and windows before going into the kitchen to make himself a cup of coffee.
“I thought you wanted an early night?” Ginny remarked, coming into the room dressed in a nightgown.
“The shower woke me up. You go ahead.”
“Is anything wrong?” Ginny gave him a concerned look.
“No.” Placing his cup on the counter, he went to place a kiss on her lips. “Go to bed.”
Her arms went around his waist as her head fell to his chest. He could feel her trembling in his arms. “I love you, Gavin.”
“You’ve told me that five times today.”
“Then one more won’t hurt.” She shrugged against him. “Gavin … I ….” She then mumbled something he couldn’t make out.
Reaper cocked his head at her. Several times today he had seen her grappling whether to tell him something. “What?”
“Never mind.”
“You sure?”
“Everything’s fine. Try to get some sleep.” Releasing him, she went into the bedroom.
Checking the door for the third time, he then went to get his coffee. He wouldn’t be getting any sleep tonight, other than a couple of catnaps on the sofa.
Wandering around the living room, he felt a familiar heightened awareness he’d experienced when stationed overseas. He had quickly learned to sleep with one eye open, waiting for the sound of an IED to strike at any minute. It was the same eerie feeling surrounding him tonight.
Turning the lights off, he carried his cup to the window and stared out into the darkness. He opened the window a few inches to let the cool ocean breeze flow inside.
“I have a bad feeling tonight, Silas.”
Despite feeling ridiculous for talking to a man who wasn’t there, he strained to hear if Silas answered him.
“Same,” the wind answered him.
Reaper uneasily searched the darkness for any sign of movement. Leaning to his right, he saw the two agents on duty talking, one of which was smoking a cigarette. The tip of the cigarette flared each time he took a puff, giving him insight into the identity of one of the guards.
Agent Clark was the only one he had seen smoking during their stay. From the height of the other guard, it had to be Agent Flores.
“Can you hear what they’re saying?” he asked Silas.
“Yes. They’re talking about Agent Collins missing their briefing.”
Holding his cup poised at his lips, Reaper rubbed his thumb along the underside of his jaw. “Whatever is going to happen, his men aren’t a part of it.”
The gust of wind blew in through the window. “Agree. Ginny’s afraid.”
“I know. Me, too. I want to get the fuck out of here.”
Aware there could be a listening device he hadn’t spotted, he kept his voice to a mutter, but at the same time unconcerned if he was being watched. It would look as if he was talking to himself, if they could even make out any of his words.
Another rush of wind slipped under the window. “Go to sleep. I’ll wake you if anyone tries to come in.”
Nodding, Reaper set his cup on the table. Then laying down on the couch, he placed one of the decorative pillows under his head.
“How many of you had to keep track of Ginny when she was younger?�
�
“All of us. It was a never-ending battle to keep her safe.”
“She keeps me on my toes, and she’s a grown woman. I can’t imagine trying to keep up with her at four.”
The window blew so hard it rattled the shutters as if in laughter. “You have no idea.”
“Brother, I’m getting there.” Reaper gave an exasperated grunt, rolling to his side. “She won’t be happy we’re talking about her behind her back.”
“It took all eight of us to keep an eye on her. You don’t stand a chance without my help.”
Tiredly, he laid his head back on the arm cushion. The shutters rattled again. “Sleep. I’ll keep watch.”
Lowering his lids, Reaper felt the air in the room go still, the eerie stillness returning. His mind’s eye replayed the flying jump that Ginny had taken off the side of the waterfall; it scared him shitless. He could still see the exhilarated joy on her face. It was the same expression he’d seen on his fair share of thrill seekers that he’d encountered—and almost every one of the fuckers ended up in a hospital or the morgue.
Moon was one of the worst. The brother had broken more bones than he hadn’t. The worst time was when they’d all gotten shit-faced and he had the bright idea to jump his bike over a road that was heavily trafficked with speeding semis. The road was flanked with low-lying hills on each side.
The brothers were still in awe that Moon had successfully made the jump. He would have walked away unscathed, too, if his tire hadn’t hit a rail tie in the grass. Needless to the say, the brother had ended up staying in Ohio longer than he anticipated.
“Brother, I told you not to make the jump until one of us went to check out the other side of the hill,” he’d told Moon while him in the hospital.
Moon had looked up from with a gaping smile, exposing a top tooth missing. “Pfft. Fuck off.”
Reaper still remembered laughing at him, with his leg lifted high in a contraction, displaying his gory-looking knee with the metal pins sticking out.
“Going to do it again when I get these pins out,” he bragged.
Reaper had shaken his head at him. “You’re not that stupid.”
“Brother, you know why a cat will always cross a fucking road, even if it knows there’s a chance it’ll be roadkill?”
“Can’t say I do.”
Moon had given him a shit-eating grin. “Because there’s nothing sweeter than when you make it to the other side.”
Chapter Twenty-Five
Reaper watched the morning sunrise from the patio door. He had managed to grab a couple of hours sleep during the night before. Looking at the clock on the wall, he quietly went into the bedroom, intending to wake Ginny, only to find her awake. His eyes met hers from across the room.
“What time is it?”
“Seven. What do you want for breakfast?”
“Nothing. I couldn’t eat if I had to.” Sliding out of bed, Ginny went to the dresser to take out a pair of jeans, then went to the closet to take out a long-sleeved grey top with tiny flowers.
Walking across the room, Reaper took out his own change of clothes, putting them on while Ginny went into the bathroom to dress. He took one of her hair bands to tie his hair back in a ponytail, then braided it before taking another band to loop off the end. With the mirror covered, he wasn’t able to see the lopsided braid. Uncaring what the end result might look like, Reaper went back into the front room to make breakfast.
Placing two slices of bread in the toaster, he heated some water before taking out a box of tea. Removing two of the breakfast meals, he heated them in the microwave. By the time Ginny came out the bedroom, he had taken several bites of the meal and was making Ginny a cup of hot tea.
Seeing he set a place for her at the table, she made a face at him. “I told you I’m not hungry.”
“At least eat the French toast.” Setting the hot tea down in front of her when she sat down, he took the other chair to finish his French toast and sausage.
Staring at him eating from over the cup of tea, her face went pale.
“Take a bite of the toast. It’ll settle your stomach.”
Giving in, she lifted one of the slices to her mouth. “I need to get back to Treepoint so I can get some real food. All this microwaved food smells artificial.”
“That’s because it is.” Getting up to pour himself more coffee, he was happy to see she had eaten the first slice of toast and was working on the second. “What would you have for breakfast if you were home?”
“Oatmeal with raisins and some of Moses’ fresh honey.”
He made a face at her.
“You don’t like oatmeal?” she asked, picking up her fork to cut a section of French toast he made for her.
“Ate too much of it when I was stationed overseas.”
Once she finished her tea, he got up from the table to make her another cup. Satisfied to see she had eaten all of the French toast, he sat down to eat the sausage she hadn’t touched.
Afterward, they were washing the dishes when the knock came to the door.
“I guess it’s showtime.” Her attempt at humor failed miserably; she clutched his arm when he moved to answer the door.
“Gavin … if anything happens, trust Agent Collins.” Her eyes pled with his. “I would ask you to stay here, but I know you won’t.”
“I won’t,” he agreed.
“Then will you at least promise me to put in the same effort of keeping yourself alive as you would me if anything goes wrong? If anything happens to you, it won’t matter to me what Allerton does to me.”
“Don’t say that.”
“It’s the truth. I can’t go back to living like I did before. I could live with a broken heart if you decide you don’t want a relationship with me, but I can’t survive in a world where you don’t exist. Don’t make me.”
“We’re both getting off this fucking island together, okay?”
Her face fell in disappointment when he wouldn’t give her his promise. “Yes.”
Reaper went to the window first to see who was at the door, then opened the door to the lone agent standing outside.
Agent Collins gave them a quick once-over, taking in their grim expressions. “Everything is all set. There will be a series of twenty questions. Afterward, you’ll be allowed to leave. This evening, you’re scheduled to have a private dinner with Mr. Allerton and Soleil where you will discuss the date of your departure from the island and if you want to wait for your father’s return. If you’re ready, we should go.”
With a clenched jaw, Reaper wrapped his arm around Ginny’s waist as they went outside to the Moke. He wanted to demand they could leave this afternoon, but it was a futile effort without Allerton’s approval.
The agent’s behavior and appearance instilled zero confidence in him if shit went down. While his suit was neat and clean, the dress shirt wasn’t loose enough to hide the protruding gut around his middle. Reaper guessed it had been several years since the agent had seen any active duty. Reaper almost asked him if he was carrying his service revolver.
As they drove to the resort, he added more mental notes of the surrounding island. The driver pulled up in front of Allerton’s place, and the hair of the back of his neck rose in warning as he got out of the Moke and waited for Ginny to follow him. Keeping her on the inside next to the vehicle, they walked to where Agent Collins was waiting at the front.
“Where are the rest of your men?” Reaper asked harshly.
“At their quarters. Mr. James, I don’t know what you’re expecting, but I can assure you that Mrs. James is not in any danger. I will be the administering the polygraph alone. It will be just the two of us alone in the room.”
“Ginny’s not fucking leaving my sight!”
“She won’t be. You will be in the next room that has two-way glass.”
“Let me make myself clearer. Ginny’s not going into any room without me,” Reaper clarified. “There will be no doors between us.”
“I will m
ake your decision clear to Mr. Allerton when we reach his office.”
Ginny looked between both men and gave him a concerned look. “I don’t want to do this if you don’t want me to, Gavin.”
Having the ball put in his court didn’t lessen the dread he was experiencing. There was no guarantee they would be any safer at their bungalow, or that Allerton would allow them to leave the island once his wishes had been met. They could either put the ball in play or stay put. He wanted the fucking game over. If taking the polygraph gave them the possibility of leaving without a violent confrontation—and Ginny getting hurt—he had to take that chance.
“Let’s get it done.”
Ginny inhaled a deep breath when Reaper gave her the go-ahead. He couldn’t decide if the reaction was caused by relief or fear.
“We’re ready,” she assured Agent Collins.
The agent gave a curt nod, then gave Ginny an indecipherable look that Reaper couldn’t read. Traversing the corridors of the resort took a matter of minutes, and they were soon stepping into the elevator.
Allerton’s assistant was waiting for them on the other side of the door when the doors slid open. “Agent Collins, the room is ready for you.”
As they filed out of the elevator, Agent Collins approached Allerton’s assistant who’d come over to escort them down the hall. “Mr. James wants to talk to Mr. Allerton before the test.”
“Have a seat, then, and I’ll inform him.”
Reaper remained standing as the assistant went behind his desk to buzz Allerton. “Yes, sir.” Placing the receiver back down, the assistant gave them a reserved smile. “Agent Collins, Mr. Allerton wishes to speak with you first.”
Ginny and he watched as the agent made his way into Allerton’s office.
“Do you think he’ll give you permission to stay with me during the test?”
“Don’t care.” Reaper shrugged. “You’re staying with me.”
Ginny kept her gaze glued to the door of Allerton’s office, while Reaper kept his eyes glued on the assistant. About a minute after the agent entered Allerton’s office, Reaper saw the assistant look their way as his hand slid under the edge of the desk. Reaper’s heart started pumping faster. A frightening scenario of the man drawing a gun on them had him tensing, then relaxing when he heard the rustling of papers. The sign that his instincts were heightened had him reconsidering letting Ginny take the test. He was getting her the hell out of there.
