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“Your father is on his way home.”
“I was beginning to think he took Lynx all the way to London.”
“Yes, well, not quite that far. They did go to Washington.”
I put my head in my hands. “Oh my God. What did Dad do?”
“You’ll have to ask him yourself. Here he is now.”
I looked behind me, ready to give him the third degree, but he wasn’t alone. Lynx was with him, and by the look on his face, it was obvious he’d already anticipated I wouldn’t be happy to see him. I stood and stalked down the beach away from them.
“Emerson,” I heard my mother call after me, but I was already yards gone, brushing the sand off my butt.
I’d begged my dad not to interfere when I went to work for MIT. Begged him, and he’d promised me he wouldn’t. Granted, two men had disappeared, but still, he’d usurped me, and I didn’t like it.
“Emerson, wait,” I heard Lynx call after me, but I kept walking. I knew he’d catch up with me in a matter of seconds, but I sure as hell wasn’t going to just let him—so I started to run.
I was right. Mere moments later, he was right behind me.
“Stop!”he shouted.
I did, but I didn’t turn around to look at him when I said, “I thanked my parents for you. Was there anything else?”
He came around and stood in front of me. “There were things I needed to take care of. I didn’t plan to come back.”
“So leave.” Instead of standing there not knowing what to do with my hands, I sat down on the sand. I expected Lynx would too, but he didn’t. He stood behind me and put his hands on my shoulders.
“What I’m about to tell you isn’t likely to sit well.”
“Say it and get it over with.”
“I’ll be staying on here indefinitely.”
“Wow. I’m so happy to hear that,” I said with zero inflection. When I tried to stand, I knew why he had his hands on my shoulders. To hold me in place.
“Hear me out.”
He sat beside me; I still hadn’t looked at him and didn’t plan to. The man was just too damn good-looking. If he smiled, I’d probably melt into a puddle, and I didn’t want to melt. I wanted to stay mad at the way he’d left this morning, essentially without a word.
“Dr. Benjamin and Saint were arrested in Hong Kong.”
“Oh my God.” I put my head in my hands, half with worry and half ashamed that I’d been so wrapped up in being mad at a man who was simply trying to save lives. “What now?”
“Our governments will work to get them released.”
“What about your brother and the other men? What are they doing?”
“We’re attacking from both sides. One way or another, we’ll get them out of China.”
I looked out at the water. “Then what?”
“What do you mean?”
“You’ll return to England.”
It took him a while to answer. “Yes, Emerson.”
I stood and walked in the opposite direction, past my parents’ house and farther down the beach. I didn’t turn around and look for Lynx; I already knew he wasn’t following me.
