It’s what he doesn’t know that scares him.
?
The morning of Savannah Alderwyck’s birthday begins normally enough.Breakfast by the pool, gifts, pancakes.She’s a little pale, probably from the late night, but seems happy overall.The photographer, Wake, is very involved.He hangs around her, directing Jules to sit beside her, telling them to hold hands, hug, smile, move in closer, look at one another.Sometimes he gets Roman in the pictures, but never any of the adults.
Lachlan hasn’t seen him take pictures of them once.
It’s some publicity thing, probably.
Soft launching the next generation.
Lachlan’s had maybe ninety minutes of sleep total, but there’s no one to take over for him, so he’ll just have to lock in and stay sharp.Today, tomorrow, and then they’re out of here.
He can rest when they’re home.
‘Now then, while we prepare for the party, why don’t you three take a walk?Explore the beach,’ Ariadne suggests, sunglasses on throughout.She looks especially awful today Lachlan notes, with a twang of satisfaction.Skin sunless and wrinkled, hair lifeless.Her daughter is beautiful in a way she never could be.‘Julian, darling.You haven’t been in the sea yet!’
Jules looks to Alistair for permission and is given, at length, a small nod.
Lachlan directs them to a stretch of beachfront more isolated than the night before, tucked beneath thicker tree cover with fewer direct sightlines, but nowhere on Sable Key is truly private.Voices carry across the island when people yell, and nowhere here feels genuinely secure to him.The beach in daylight is obscenely beautiful, white sand, dazzling water, dense palms shifting softly in the ocean breeze.
While Jules settles onto the sand, Lachlan scans the glittering horizon for distant vessels no matter how small or far out.
So far, he sees none.
The three find a shady spot.Roman brought a cooler of drinks, which he sets down.‘Lock?’he says, offering a bottle of water to Lachlan, who takes it.
‘Thank you.’
‘Lock?’Savannah echoes, wrinkling her nose with a smile.
Roman Sorrenko grins wide and cocky.‘We are good friends, the bodyguard and me.I call him Lock.He calls meRo.’
Lachlan twists the cap off his icy water while avoiding Jules’ gaze.
‘Rois adorable,’ Savannah says, turning to look up at Lachlan, hand cupped around her eyes so she’s not blinded by the sun.‘Come sit with us?’
‘No, thank you.’
‘He’s watching for boats,’ Jules informs her knowingly.
Roman looks out at the ocean.‘Is private coastguard, no?’
‘Better safe than sorry.’
‘Doesn’t it hurt your legs to stand for that long?’
‘No.’
‘Did you train for it?’Roman asks, curious.
‘You get used to it.’
‘I don’t think I could ever get used to that,’ Savannah says, sipping her fizzy apple drink.‘It’s so impressive.’She turns halfway towards Lachlan.‘Did you have bodyguard training or are you ex-military?’
‘Infantry, advanced track, then private security.’
‘But did you train to, like, jump in front of bullets?’
