AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Agent German swears, shaking his head as he starts typing into his phone. “We’ll have to move her,” he says.
My phone buzzes with a text, and I reach for it, thinking it might be Sadie, but that’s a stupid thought. I don’t have her number and she doesn’t have mine. It is a messageaboutSadie though.
John:Just wanted you to know Ms. Markham has arrived and retired for the night, and the yacht is secure.
“Move her to where?” Merritt says, her voice rising. “And why? You still haven’t told us what’s going on.”
“Like I said. The why is confidential,” Agent German says. He looks at the other guy. Daniels. “Can we get a track on Sadie’s phone?”
Maybe it’s the hint of possessiveness in the guy’s tone, or the thought of them tracking her down using the pings coming from her cell phone, but government agents or not, the idea of these guys whisking Sadie off to some unknown location sends a jolt of panic straight through me.
Also, I may not be a trained agent, but I’m no slouch. I could hold my own in a fight if it came to that. A surge of protectiveness has me wanting to locate Sadie and not let her out of my sight.
Which I’m sure she’d hate. Then again, I can’t imagine her liking these guys following her around either. Which is the only explanation for what I say next. “Actually, I have an idea about where she could go. Safe. Secure. Off the radar completely.”
“I’m listening,” German says.
I might have a death wish, honestly. Sadie would never go for this if she were part of the discussion. But it only takes a tiny bit of mental gymnastics to convince myself the plan is brilliant instead of full-on crazy. She’ll forgive me later.
Probably.
“How about the middle of the Atlantic?” I say. “I have a yacht.”
Normally, I downplay it. But if there’s ever a time to be crystal clear aboutThe Oakley, it’s now.
“Conveniently,” I add, “Sadie is already aboard.”
This earns a more probing look from Agent German, one that seems to be assessingmemore than the idea of my boat. I suddenly wonder if he has some kind of relationship with Sadie. Or maybe he just wants to have one? Surely there’s some kind of rule against that.
Then again, I have no idea how well Sadie knows these guys. Is she an official part of the agency they work for? Or are they only here because she’s in danger?
“What’s your relationship to the Markham family?” German asks. Definitely sounding territorial.
Which makes mefeelterritorial. Before I can say or do anything stupid, Merritt steps forward.
“He’s a close family friend,” she says.
“And one we trust completely,” Eloise adds.
The praise from Sadie’s sisters impacts me in an unexpected way. Their words—their praise—came quickly, without any qualification or justification. I haven’t felt that kind of open acceptance in a long time—not since Mom died. Warmth floods me, and I glance down at my phone to hide my smile.
I text John to see how fast he can pull together a crew. And if it can possibly be done tonight.
Too bad he can’t also tell me how long it will take Sadie to forgive me.
“It would probably be best to stay off the grid for five, maybe seven days,” Agent German says. “And we’d need background checks on your crew.”
An entire week at sea with Sadie? I’m all in—which means I need to make sure these agents understand I’ll be aboard too.
I also really need to know more about Sadie’s line of work, because I don’t like how serious this seems.
“I’ve already had background checks done,” I say. “Though you could certainly do your own if you’ve got time to waste.” I take a step forward, shooting a sideways glance at Eloise and Merritt. “But my boat isn’t going anywhere without me. And neither is Sadie.”
German isn’t the only one who raises his eyebrows. So do Eloise, Merritt, Jake, and Hunter. I do not meet any of their gazes. I can’t. Because I don’t know where this sudden protectiveness is coming from, and I can’t seem to stop the flow of words from my mouth.
“And why is that?” German asks.
“BecauseThe Oakleyismyyacht,” I reiterate. “And Sadie is mygirlfriend.”
