Page 31 of Shallow Remains

“Happy to help.” He gestured ahead of her. “You’re up.”

A bit flustered, she faced the young woman behind the counter and ordered a vanilla latte and Nanaimo bar. Before she could pay, Lachlan reached past her to tap his phone to the pay terminal. “Oh, you didn’t have to⁠—”

“It’s part of the moving service.” He shrugged it off. “You can get it next time.”

Carla and Lindsay were eyeing them with clear interest from a table to the side.

Maddy cleared her throat. “All right. Thank you.”

She moved to the end of the counter, accepted the plate with her Nanaimo bar and studied it a moment. The base was some kind of dark chocolate layer with bits of coconut and nuts in it. The middle layer was a creamy yellow made of custard, butter and sugar, and it was topped with a thin layer of chocolate. While the barista made her coffee, she took a bite.

“Mmmm,” she murmured as all the flavors and textures melded on her tongue.

“Good?” Lachlan asked as he moved in beside her to wait for his drink.

His low voice, his nearness, and the male interest in his eyes made her pulse beat faster. “Yes. It’s really sweet though.”

“But like I said, not as sweet as you.” He took the second coffee the barista placed on the bar, gave Maddy a slow wink that heated her insides. “See you later.”

She hadn’t quite wiped the smile from her face when she made her way over to sit at the table with the others.

Carla lifted her eyebrows. “And just who was that gorgeous hunk of a man?”

“Lachlan,” she answered, fighting the rush of blood to her cheeks but enjoying the hum of anticipation about seeing him again tonight. “He’s my…friend.”

It was true. But a secret, cautious part of her hoped he might become more than that.

FIFTEEN

“I’ve confirmed it’s her.”

“Visually?” the man on the other end of the line asked. Demanded.

Annoyance spiked in my chest, sharp and bright. He was always like this. Controlling, arrogant. Expecting everyone to jump when he snapped his fingers while he sat in his secure location on the other side of the world and let others do the work for him. “Visually, verbally, personally. It’s her, and she’s still on the island.”

“I need confirmation.”

“My word should be more than sufficient for confirmation.” It was impossible to curb the anger buried beneath those words. “But I already sent you some visuals. Check the usual communication channel.” A new encrypted email they used for that sort of thing.

“What’s next if it is her?”

The little jab didn’t merit a response. “Then I follow her, do the usual recon.”

“Why not just take her now? Put her in your trunk for all I care and get on a ferry to the mainland. It’s a small island with minimal police presence. No one’s going to check your vehicle on either end of the journey.”

“For one, Slater. She’s under his protection, and that makes this more complicated. For another, I don’t intend to risk getting caught.”

But mostly, I had my own plans in mind. Fucking with her head was only the start.

His answering chuckle held no trace of humor. “You understood the risks when you took this assignment. Just as you understood the urgency.”

“I’m not moving on her until⁠—”

“You have forty-eight hours. No more.”

The threat was unspoken, but clear, unfurling a trickle of fear in its wake. “I’ll take however long I need,” I fired back. This was my op. It was my ass taking the risks.

Hitting the button to end the call before he could say another word was deeply satisfying. Maddy Krause was here and would be dealt with as soon as I was ready.