Page 70 of Riptide

“A doctor isn’t going to do him much good if he’s dead. And that’s where we’re headed if we don’t protect him. Until this auction is over, and these bastards are locked up, he’s not going to be safe.”

“My boss is—”

“Your boss doesn’t even know about this operation. That’s what Garrett said. Is that still true?”

“Yeah, it’s still true, although with the Coast Guard being called in for rescue, they’ll find out soon. I’ve got to escalate now. I just shot them a text and I’m going to have to fill them in later today.”

“Which is the reason why we need to keep Evan out of the hospital. Marcus. Listen. We can take him to the hospital and keep him there until he’s stable. Then we’ll move him. I’ll call our Altura doc. Garrett has a personal physician on call at all times. I’m tellin’ ya. Marretta is going to come for him again.”

Marcus nodded and rubbed the back of his neck. “All right. All right. I’ll see what I can do. Let’s get him to the hospital first. You call Garrett. But I’m telling you that if he can’t get that doctor here, Evan’s staying in the hospital and I’m calling in backup. This has gotten too big to keep it under wraps. This auction…my guess is it’s way bigger than what we initially thought. Who knows what info Evan is going to lay down once he wakes up?”

“Exactly why we need to protect him,” Seth insisted. “We almost lost him once. I’m not doing it again.”

* * *

Seth opened the door and quietly padded across the hardwood floor, taking care not to make too much noise. Evan slept soundly while Kaimana sat staring at him. A monitor beeped in unison with his heartbeat. He lay on his back, an intravenous line dripping hydration back into his battered body.

“Everything okay?” he asked her.

“Yeah, he’s stable. They’ve still got him hooked up to everything just in case. I sent Doc Jones downstairs to get a coffee. I know it sounds selfish, but I just wanted some time alone with him.” She gazed at Evan and shook her head. “I knew he was alive. I just knew it.”

“Guess you just lost your yacht,” Seth joked.

She gave a soft laugh. “I’ve never been happier to do so. Besides it was never really my style.”

“You know, when I first woke up on that boat, I couldn’t figure out why it seemed so damn familiar. It’s definitely got an Evan vibe to it.”

Kaimana yawned and shook it off with a shiver.

“You need to go get some rest, Kai.”

“I can’t leave him again,” she insisted.

“He’s safe,” Seth assured her. “We got FBI right outside his door. They’re surrounding the whole damn house both visible and in hiding. The security system’s on. Marcus is working the street, pinning down the exact location of the auction.”

“Sometimes I still can’t believe it’s real,” she said, her attention focused on Evan. “That we found him. How we found him. It’s surreal.”

“It is. We make a good team.” Seth looked to Evan and back to Kaimana. “Got word that Joli is doing better. The FBI is looking after her. Adam is in custody, but he’s not talkin’.”

“It’s sickening what they’re doing. The trafficking. Stealing government secrets. I just want Marretta locked up forever so he can never do this again.”

“You and me both.” Seth blew out a breath. “Kai. Why don’t you go take a shower? I’m getting food delivered. Don’t worry. It’s by a trusted source, of course.”

She smiled at him. “Of course.”

“We can eat in the master so we can have some privacy. It’s been a long day and we’re not going to do any of us any good if we don’t take time to eat and rest.”

“But the auction—”

“Let’s let Marcus figure out the exact location. He’s making progress. He’s got eyes all over the islands and one of them just let him know there’s a hotel on the North Shore that has been hosting some pretty interesting characters, ones that wouldn’t usually stay in North Shore.”

“Okay, sounds good.” Kaimana pushed out of the chair and approached Seth, falling into his arms the second she reached him.

“It’s going to be okay.”

I love you. The thought popped in his head before he had a chance to stop it. But he refused to say the words. Logic warned him to give Kaimana space, to allow her to heal without the complications of his feelings.

He brushed his lips to the top of her head and took a slow step backwards. Kaimana looked up at him with the same brown eyes that threatened to bring him to his knees. Like a tsunami, this woman had roared into his life, and he’d gladly drown himself in her arms every damn day. Fucking hell, I’m in trouble.