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“Eva.” He swallowed hard. He didn’t want to scare her, but if Ryken was here or coming, they needed some distance. “Let’s walk out on the beach a bit.”
She didn’t look like she wanted to leave her house, but she nodded and strode off the patio.
“I wouldn’t go screaming for help if I were you,” he said to the attacker. “I imagine you’ve got a long rap sheet and if you scream and the police come running, they aren’t going to go easy on the man that tried to kill Eva Chevron.” Miles needed some time to figure this out and the guy was going nowhere tied like he was.
The man’s mouth went slack. “I didn’t try to kill her.”
Miles ignored him and followed Eva. They walked out to the water and then turned back to face her house. The house and others around it were lit up. With the sun gone, the beach and ocean were dark. He half-expected ‘Ryken’ to come prowling after them.
“I know you don’t know me from Adam,” he said to Eva, “but …” He hated name dropping and bragging, but he needed her to trust him so he could protect her. “I’m friends with Captain Aiden Porter and Lieutenant Quaid Raven. I served with Quaid. Do you know them?”
Her brows lifted. “I know their reputations. Aiden Porter has a house a couple miles up the beach.”
“That’s where I ran from. I’m staying there.”
“Impressive friends. Are you trying to brag?”
His neck felt hot. He rubbed at it. “You’re Eva Chevron. My friends wouldn’t impress you.”
She folded her arms across her chest and shrugged. Since he’d told her he knew her, she hadn’t been as warm or flirtatious.
“Why did you name drop then?” she asked.
“This feels really off to me. If this Ryken is your agent and he paid this guy to attack you …” He shook his head. “I don’t know. I’m wondering if he orchestrated it all and is going to show up and play the hero, or maybe he was planning to kidnap you for ransom or trafficking.”
She shivered and stepped closer to him. “But he couldn’t have orchestrated all the messages from Jorge Augilar from prison and being personally assigned to my case.”
Something about Jorge Augilar tickled at his mind, but if the man was in prison, he wasn’t the most immediate issue. “Does Agent Henderson hit on you?”
She gave him a look as if trying to decide how to answer such an obtuse question.
“Okay, sorry. I’m sure every man hits on you. Have you turned him down for a date?”
She nodded.
Miles didn’t like any of this. They had to get out of here, get Eva to a safe place, and figure out where to go from there.
“Would you be opposed to walking down the beach with me to Aiden’s house? We can call Aiden as we walk, get some inside information on Agent Ryken Henderson. If he’s clean, Aiden’s people will verify it. Maybe Jorge knows Ryken is your agent and is trying to make you not trust him by hiring some guy to attack you. You think Jorge would have those kinds of connections from prison?”
“Yes.” But she didn’t sound convinced that was the answer. “Should I just leave everything?”
“Yes. If Ryken isn’t a threat, you’ll be back.”
They turned and walked together. He appreciated that she trusted him enough to listen and come with him. He wouldn’t have left her here alone if she’d refused to come with him, but getting entangled with a dirty FBI agent couldn’t end well.
Eva glanced back. “Isn’t it a crime to leave a crime scene?”
He smiled. “We’ll be okay. If everything checks out, we’ll be back soon.”
“Thank you.” She glanced up at him. Even in the semi-dark, her face was more beautiful than anything he’d ever seen, and he’d seen Montana sunsets. “You don’t even know me and you’re helping me. Well, I guess you think you know me.”
Miles had no idea how to respond to that. Hollywood relationships must be a nightmare, cutting through the public persona and finding the real person underneath. Not his issue right now. His attraction to Eva had to be thrown to the rear seat of the bus as well.
He pulled out his phone to call Aiden when suddenly a voice called from behind them and to their right, “Eva?” A beat, then louder, “Eva!”
Eva stiffened and backed away from the man calling from her patio. Miles pocketed his phone, almost reaching for his gun. Together they eased farther down the beach, watching him. The man searched the dark night but didn’t seem to see them.
When they had about a hundred feet of distance and were shrouded by the dark night, Miles saw the man bend down to the attacker.
