Going Dark Read online

“And you’re stalling.”

  He sighed. “Back to the inflatable.”

  She groaned. “I thought you might say that.”

  “They could be watching the airport and ferry.”

  “You think there were more than those two?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “Who were they?” He shrugged, which she was beginning to recognize as a sign that he didn’t want to tell her. “The police?”

  “I don’t think so.”

  She sucked in her breath. “So I was right? They were Jean Paul’s men?”

  “It’s a possibility,” he hedged.

  “You think they want to shut me up?”

  “I think they want something.” He glanced at her again, this time sharper. “Is there anything you aren’t telling me?”

  She tried not to take the question defensively. But it hurt that he thought she could be hiding something from him. “Unlike you, I’ve told you the truth about everything.”

  She could see his hands tighten on the steering wheel. “Annie . . .”

  It sounded like some kind of warning. “Don’t worry. I don’t expect parity in the two sides of this equation.”

  He must not have liked that, either, because his jaw clamped down hard.

  “Will you tell me one thing?” she asked after a minute. Taking no no for a yes, she asked, “Is Dan your real name?”

  She’d lifted up her head a little, and he held her gaze in the rearview mirror for a moment before answering, “No.”

  She hadn’t thought so, but she still hated to hear confirmation. Wow, she was experiencing all kinds of firsts with him. First casual hookup and first casual hookup where she didn’t even know the guy’s name.

  She couldn’t quite cover up all the hurt in her voice. “So what do I call you?”

  “Dan is fine. I’m sorry, Annie. If it was just me, I would tell you. But it’s not. Okay?”

  “All right.” What else could she say?

  A few minutes later, the car came to a stop. “We’re here.”

  She sat up and saw that he’d parked along the side of the road not far from the beach and the hut where they’d stored the boat.

  “I was hoping I’d seen this place for the last time,” she said glumly, not looking forward to getting back in that leaky boat.

  “It won’t be so bad. I checked on the inflatable yesterday and did a little repair work. I’d hoped we wouldn’t need it again, but . . .” He shrugged.

  “Always have a backup plan. My dad used to say the same thing.”

  He quickly changed the subject, almost as if he didn’t want her thinking about that connection for too long. The Special Forces connection.

  Too late.

  “We’ll head for the Isle of Coll. It’s close, and we can catch the ferry from there to Oban. From Oban we’ll take a bus or train to Glasgow. It will be easier to get lost in a big city.”

  “And then?”

  He met her gaze. He knew what she was really asking, but he chose to take her question literally instead. “We’ll see when we get there. Hopefully my contact will have something by then.”

  In other words, sayonara.

  Got it.

  • • •

  Annie was quiet as they sped across the water the short distance to Coll. The two islands were less than a mile apart, but it would take about forty minutes to reach the port, which was located on the eastern side of the island.

  Dean didn’t delude himself that she was trying not to distract him so he could concentrate on making sure they weren’t being watched or followed.

  No, she was pissed and probably—even worse—hurt. That was what was making his chest burn and his jaw hurt from clenching his teeth every time he looked at her huddled in the seat beside him.

  But what could he do? He couldn’t tell her what she wanted to hear. Not his name, not anything. He sure as hell couldn’t tell her that he wasn’t going to stick around any longer than necessary. As soon as she was all clear with the police, he was gone. What other choice did he have?

  The LC was already ready to kill him—for good reason. Dean had involved her enough as it was. Not only was she a danger to him and the other five men who’d survived if she said the wrong thing to the right person, but he could be a danger to her if the LC was right and someone had wanted them dead.

  So why was he in the unfamiliar place of wishing otherwise? He didn’t deal in what-ifs. He prided himself on his clear-eyed perspective, his ability to strip away everything but the facts. Seeing things as they were and not how he wanted them to be. So what was his problem?

  Big green eyes and the woman who went with them, that was his problem.

  Fuck.

  But whatever they’d had back there, whatever short stop they’d had on fantasy island, it was over. The arrival of those two thugs had seen to that. It was time to face reality. And the sooner he did that, the better.

  Dean let up on the throttle as they turned into the deep V-shaped bay of Arinagour. No one paid them much attention as they tied up the inflatable beside the dock, but he was watchful all the same.

  He couldn’t shake the black cloud that had been following him since they left Tiree. But maybe that cloud had something more to do with the woman by his side than with the men looking for her. He knew he would have to leave soon.

  He looked at his watch. They had plenty of time. The ferry didn’t leave for another couple of hours. He’d memorized the timetables in case of something like this. “Why don’t you go get us a table in the café over there?”

  He pointed to the building overlooking the water opposite the ferry building. They would be able to see the ship coming in from there. As it was coming from Tiree, it would also enable him to get a look at the passengers before anyone saw them. It wasn’t inconceivable that the two guys would guess their direction.

  “Where are you going?”

  “To see about the tickets.”

  And he had a call to make. He hadn’t had a chance to get in touch with Taylor before they’d left, but he wanted to fill the LC in on the latest development.

  She looked as though she wanted to argue, but probably guessed his reasons. She was smart and seemed to know him too well. He wasn’t sure whether that was good or bad. Probably both.

  Dean returned a short while later with tickets, but without having reached the LC. He’d left a message, but the connection had been so crappy he wasn’t sure it had gone through.

  “We all set?” she asked.

  He nodded.

  “I ordered you some tea.” She nodded toward the pot in front of him. “I’m assuming you don’t like herbal, so it’s black.”

  He wasn’t much on tea in general, but when in Rome . . .

  He poured a cup and reached for the milk and sugar.

  He was more relieved than he wanted to admit to see her smile as she watched him.

  “What?” he asked.

  “Are you twelve?”

  Sugar cube number four plopped in the dark liquid. “I’m a growing lad.”

  She laughed, and just like that some of the cloud dissipated.

  “You still mad at me?” he asked.

  She eyed him from over the rim of her cup. “I wasn’t mad—” Seeing his expression, she stopped. “Okay, maybe I was a little mad, but I know I don’t have a right to be. You’ve done more than I had any right to expect. I should be thanking you for helping me get away. I don’t know why those two men were looking for me, but I can’t imagine it was for anything good.” She looked in his eyes. “I was scared.”

  For good reason. But he wasn’t going to tell her his suspicions. He didn’t want to make her any more freaked out than she already was.

  Uncomfortable with her gratitude, he shrugged it off and then shook his head thoughtfully. “What I d