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She squatted down behind the forklift, her head tucked low, then reached into the cab, her hand searching blindly for the paperwork. Her fingers closed over it and she withdrew the paper from the cab and tucked it inside her coveralls.
She turned to face him, rising to dash back.
A hoist swung overhead, drawing the attention of the ground crew in their direction. Griff showed her one palm and shook his head abruptly so she’d stay put.
The hoist swung wildly toward the sub, and the men showed Griff their backs. Now. Griff curled his fingers with short, urgent gestures.
Jo hurtled toward him, her elbows pumping hard. He snatched her at the last moment, pulling her against him, out of sight. The thud of her heart ricocheted against his chest like a wild thing as he hugged her close, grateful she was in one piece. He hissed his disapproval against her ear. “That was fucking dangerous.”
Paper rustled as she withdrew the sheets from inside her coveralls. “But worth it.”
She smoothed the paper against his chest, reading. “These are delivery notes. The crates are from Alaska.”
Just as he thought. He peeked around the edge of the boat. “Does it say what’s in them?” No one was coming their way. For a few more minutes at least, they were in the clear.
“Um. I’m not sure. It’s just a bunch of letters.” Jo stabbed the paper with an impatient finger. “Wait, hang on. Some of these are chemical elements. Lead. Calcium. C45. Some kind of carbon?”
Vague school memories stirred in the vaults of his mind. “Carbon?”
An engine throbbed, and Griff peeked again. An orange golf cart careened into view, heading directly toward them. Shit. “We’ll worry about that later. We’ve got company.”
She quickly folded the paper and stuffed it back inside the baggy fabric of her coveralls. He glanced back to where the steps rose in the gloom. “We won’t make it back to the stairs without being clocked. We need to hide.” He scanned the nearby area. Not a lot of choices. Except. He pivoted on his heels. A rope ladder hung from the boat’s stern.
“Come on.” Griff bent and looped his hands, jerking his head up toward the ratty ladder.
She didn’t hesitate, taking a running pace and slotting her foot between his hands. He boosted her up, felt her weight shift, and then she was scrambling over the gunwale and out of sight.
“The scheduled drop… proceed as planned…” The voices drew close, too close. The golf cart engine cut out as the men continued to discuss deliveries and shipping.
Griff jumped and caught the bottom rung of the rope ladder with both hands. For a second, he hung, knowing what was to come, then he jammed his teeth together and flexed his arms, pulling himself upward. Pain detonated in his injured shoulder, but he focused on the rope threads, the sanded paintwork ready for a first coat. His fingers found the inside edge, his hips followed, and he tumbled into the boat, pain lancing him with each breath.
Jo partly broke his fall, a soft oof escaping her lips. Disturbed dust bloomed around him, dancing in the glaring floodlights directly above.
Shit.
The voices were too close. Movement now risked detection.
“Where’s the paperwork? Staines said it was here, but there’s nothing fucking here.”
Fuck.
Griff stilled, his legs draped across Jo’s, his chest parallel to hers, his face close enough to her hair he could smell the tantalizing scent of her shampoo.
The voices continued. “Staines is a dick. He probably still has the paperwork, but enjoys sending us on a wild goose chase.” Someone kicked something metallic and swore.
This was it. Staines was going to rock up right now. He’d know someone had taken it. Griff held his breath, every muscle in his body tensing, readying for action. Ready to take whatever steps were required to protect his girl.
“I’ll speak to him when we get back.” A grunt of agreement. Feet ground dirt, and the conversation moved on to the timing of the next shipment.
The paperwork was momentarily forgotten.
Griff muttered a silent prayer of thanks.
Jo’s chest rose and fell in a rapid beat of panic, her breath hot against his skin.
His girl. His mouth skimmed her ear. “Okay?”
A tiny nod bumped her head to his.
