“It does.” She scooted closer, her hip warm against his thigh, and he put an arm around her shoulders. Her heavy sigh seemed to flow straight into him. “I was on my way to break into the site office.”
What the hell?He managed to keep his mouth shut.
“I’m sure my ex-husband is involved somehow. Jackson didn’t show up a while back for no reason. If I can prove it, I can protect us from whatever he has planned.”
“That’s…” Crazy. Dangerous. “Admirable.”
She snorted. “Good save, but I’m aware it wasn’t the smartest of moves.”
“Definitely not,” he agreed. Though he wasn’t eager to reveal his full reasoning. “Isn’t Jess looking into it?”
“Yes. Veronica too, I’m sure.” Another sigh. “Ultimately, he’s my bad decision. I brought him into our world, and I need to keep him out.”
Trent understood her motives.
“He bilked my dad out of thousands of dollars. Dad always said it was the best investment if it got him away from me.”
Trent rubbed her shoulder. He also understood her dad’s determination to protect her. “He did what he had to do.”
“Because of me.”
She sounded so morose he wanted to soothe. Getting conned by an expert wasn’t her fault. Relationships failed all the time due to smaller problems. “No. Because?—”
“Look,” Natalie interrupted in a whisper, clutching his arm. “What’s that?”
Trent’s gaze immediately followed hers toward the water. A light bobbed near the shore, casting brief flashes into the trees. He heard the scrape and slosh as some small vessel scraped against the rough shore. “Royer,” he grumbled under his breath.
“Who?”
“Later.” He held her arms gently. Too late to prevent another wave of trembling. He helped her to her feet. “Go back to the house. Don’t turn on any lights. I’ll explain everything as soon as I join you.”
“I can help. I’ll call the police, or Jess, or?—”
“Please, Natalie,” he pleaded, his voice low. “To the house now.” He looked down at her, touched by the genuine fear in her eyes—for him. “I know what I’m doing, but I need you to promise me you’ll go straight to the house. Inside. Lock the door. Do you understand?"
She stared at him, her lips parted and for a second, he thought she might argue. “Yes.” She grabbed his shirt and pulledhim down for a swift, hot kiss. “Be safe. And do not keep me waiting.”
“Yes, ma’am.” Despite the danger, he was smiling as she dashed away, blending into the shadows.
He did the same, silently moving back through the trees. On the second floor of the nearest skeletal building he saw the glow of a faint, amber light. Smart phone, he guessed, based on the steady, low intensity. A figure was moving up from the water’s edge, carrying what was probably a duffle bag slung over a shoulder.
Trent’s instincts screamed this was the accomplice. He needed to get closer if he hoped to make an ID or overhear the conversation. On the second floor, the light changed, a flashlight app now as the person behind the screen started moving down through what would eventually be a stairwell.
The glare was such that Trent couldn’t be sure who he was looking at yet. The light stopped on the final step, aimed down at their feet. The corner pillar blocked his view of the faces. Cautiously, he moved until he could hear some of the conversation.
“Supplies for ya.”
“The GPS?”
“Inside. Dropped a pin on a better location.”
“Good. I barely got away this morning. Any word on the new boat?”
That was Royer. No doubt in Trent’s mind. He had to be referencing the recent theft. But who was helping him?
“Last check-in they said they’re clear to meet you on schedule.”
“Uh-huh.” Hearing the rasp of a zipper, Trent assumed Royer was checking out the supplies in the bag. “And the woman?”
