Chapter Eight
Stone couldn’t shake the dark cloud of foreboding that hung over him. Gut clenched and every muscle drawn tight, he scanned the crowd. He’d let Jack and Soph talk him into this, into bring her out for another day of festival fun, and with each tick of the clock he regretted it more. He knew most of his anxiety stemmed from the fact Soph was no longer just a client.
He’d fallen in love with her.
It didn’t matter that it was only days since they’d met. They’d connected. Deeply.
Last night had cemented that connection. She’d let him inside her with no barriers. He was too old and cynical to be awestruck by that alone, even if it was a first for him. And her. They’d taken that step together and in spite of common sense telling him whatever relationship they were forging couldn’t be real under the circumstances, it was the most real he’d ever been with a woman.
“See anything?” Jack’s voice rumbled in Stone’s earpiece.
“Nothing yet.”
“Sophie?”
“No signal yet.” And he’d been watching for it. His eyes hadn’t left her since she’d arrived with Karen. “She’s talking with some local women Karen introduced her to.”
“How close are you?”
“Not close enough if something goes wrong,” he barked.
“Suck it up, lover boy. She knows what to do if he gets hold of her.”
“He better notbreatheon her, never mind touch her.” Stone struggled to remain in place. The conversation alone had him on the brink of racing over to Soph, grabbing her and getting out of here. His gut told him things were going to go south and he’d never ignored his instincts before.
Jack laughed. “You’ve got it bad.”
So what if he did? It didn’t change what they were here to do. Protect Soph. “Focus.”
“Don’t worry about me. I’m not seeing things through lust-fogged glasses.”
“I can do my job.”
“Never said you couldn’t but if you don’t dial back those emotions, you’ll be distracted, and that’s the last thing Sophie needs right now.”
Stone knew Jack was right, knew he had to push his feelings aside and find his usual stone-like calm. “She’s on the move.”
“Got her.”
He could trust Jack. Had done so on numerous occasions, but this time the stakes were higher and they both knew it. “I’ve got eyes on her.” Stone moved around a family with three small kids. Almost tripped over the littlest one as she darted away from her father.
“I’m to the north of you both.”
Stone spotted Jack among the many faces. “I got you. Any sign of our target?”
“Nothing.”
“Where the hell is he?” he growled.
“Give it some time. We haven’t been here an hour yet.”
It felt like days. “They’re stopping again.”
Stone paused at the stall of a local artist. Pretended to admire the sculptures covering the booth’s table while he kept an eye on Soph. She didn’t seem nervous. In fact, she was laughing and talking as though she didn’t have a care in the world.
“At least one of us is having fun,” he muttered.
“That’s made from locally sourced timber and scrap metal.”
