Dead Reckoning

by Stanalei Fletcher

  Donny tossed a rope to Jason, who stood on the dock and tied it off.

  Egan pointed at Oleg. “This is your stop.” He took Oleg by the arm and led him out where Donny relieved Egan of the Russian, and helped him onto the dock.

  Egan turned to Jason. “Secure him for twenty-four hours. By then I should be available to take him to the authorities and give a report on the shooting up the coast.”

  Jason gave a curt nod. “You got it, Chief.” He tossed the rope back to Egan and joined Donny as they escorted Oleg off the dock.

  Two minutes later, Egan guided the Suzy G through the harbor, putting as much distance as he could between the Russian and Kellee.

  “Where will we dock?” Kellee asked as they motored closer to the Miami shoreline.

  “I know some people at Haulover Marine Center,” he said. “We’ll dock there.”

  “Can you just sail in and ask to dock?”

  Egan glanced at her. She didn’t look as tired as she ought to. Especially as she’d stayed awake with him most of the night. Shortly after six, she’d taken a brief nap. When she woke, she’d showered and hadn’t left his side.

  “I radioed Paul while you were below and asked him to make arrangements for our stay here. The marina’s expecting us.”

  “Once we dock, then what?” she asked.

  Egan’s gaze strayed back to the task of docking the boat, and considered the situation they faced. They needed to proceed cautiously. The meeting place should be one of his choosing. Preferably public, with lots of exits. “First, we’ll find some breakfast.”

  ****

  The hour it took to secure the boat and find a taxi tested Kellee’s patience. Around ten o’clock, she and Egan slid into the booth of a small café near the harbor. Her stomach rumbled as the hostess placed ice water on the table and filled their cups with coffee. Egan’s lips turned up at the corners. He’d heard it, too.

  She sipped the hot coffee, adding more caffeine to her system. That wasn’t what sent her blood sprinting through her veins—Egan’s smile did. She wondered if she’d ever tire of looking at him. His fathomless eyes, chiseled jaw, and sensuous mouth were one thing, but his stillness—a calm that permeated his being—fascinated her. Everything about him made her want to know more. What were his secret desires? How did she find the key to unlocking his heart? And what would it take for her to walk through that door and stay there?

  As much as she wanted to understand these things, she put her thoughts on hold. Her objective was finally within sight. Before her, lay a path to a future without fear or danger lurking around every corner. A life made of her choices, not what others dictated was best for her.

  Today was that day. The few tidbits Oleg had shared were enough for her to believe he’d told the truth. Inconsistencies she’d noticed while growing up—little things that hadn’t quite made sense at the time—now had explanations. She had her mother’s coloring, but there were subtle differences in her features that didn’t match either of her parents. Her mother used to tell her she was a throwback from her European ancestors. Now, she understood how true that statement actually was.

  She raised the cup to her lips and took another swallow, not careful enough of the scalding liquid. It burned her tongue. She coughed and sputtered as she set the cup down.

  Egan handed her a glass of ice water. “Here, drink this.”

  She took a sip of cool water to ease the fire in her throat.

  “How are you holding up?” he asked.

  “I’m okay.” She took another sip.

  His dark eyes studied her.

  Setting the glass down, she lifted her chin, determined not to show the anxiety brewing under the surface.

  “This whole thing will be over soon,” he said.

  “Promise?” she teased. If she didn’t lighten up, the situation would make her cry.

  Even as she spoke, his jaw visibly tensed. He gave her a slow nod. “One way or another, by tonight it should be all over.”

  Kellee reached for her glass and took another swallow of water. She couldn’t recall facing circumstances like this before today. How should she greet a parent she hadn’t known existed twenty-four hours ago? How would she react to a complete stranger who’d sent men to kidnap her? How would Nikolai react when she told him she didn’t want to be in his life and he had no business interfering with hers?

  The waiter stopped at their table to take the breakfast order. In spite of her stomach’s earlier grumblings, she didn’t feel hungry any longer. Egan must have seen the look on her face as he ordered for her. She didn’t protest. For once, she didn’t mind him taking charge.

  The minutes seemed to drag on. While they waited for their food, she toyed with her silverware, napkin and water glass. Trying to keep busy didn’t help. She wanted to talk about the things on her mind. She wanted to share her feelings with Egan before it was too late.

  Egan was probably right about Nikolai. The Russian would want her near him. Or at the very least, would want to be involved in her life. She’d never considered permanence in this new relationship.

  She wanted to stay with Egan—if he’d have her. How would two fathers react to that news? Maybe she was getting a little ahead of herself. She should discuss it with Egan first.

  As she cleared her throat to speak, the waiter appeared with their plates. Biting back the words, she let the opportunity pass. Egan had agreed to help her. He didn’t need the distraction of her baring her soul. Neither did she. Picking up a fork, she poked at her pancakes.

  Ten silent minutes later, Egan finished his steak and eggs. After shoving his plate to the side, he picked up his coffee cup. He hadn’t asked how she was doing. Her half-eaten breakfast was evidence enough. “You should eat something,” he said.

  She pushed around a section of pancake swimming in syrup. “I’m not very hungry.”

  “You don’t have to do this.”

  She looked up. Understanding gleamed from the depths of his eyes. In his way, he was telling her they could go back to the Suzy G and put out to sea. All she had to do was say the word. The thought was more tempting than she wanted to admit. “You wouldn’t run away.”

  He put down his cup. “No. I wouldn’t. Except you’re not me. No one would blame you if—”

  “I’m going to see this through,” she interrupted. “If I don’t, every shadow will be a threat. I’ll live the rest of my life knowing I was too afraid to face the situation. Dad will hover over me the rest of my life. I can’t live like that. I won’t.” The air-conditioning blew cold across her bare arms, like an ill-fated omen licking her skin. She ignored it. “I’m going to prove that I’m not weak when things get tough.”

  “No one said you were weak.”

  “That’s not how I’ve been treated most of my life.” She stopped, realizing she sounded whiney.

  Egan leaned forward. “Most people take the easy way out, Kellee. You’re not one of them.”

  She blinked. That was not a statement made by someone who saw her as a child. His words bolstered her confidence. “So you think I’m doing the right thing?”

  “Maybe. Probably.” He put his coffee cup to the side. “Since you’re determined to see this through, we need a plan.”

  Kellee took a deep breath and pushed her half-eaten breakfast out of the way. Elbows on the table, she leaned toward him and caught his scent mingled with coffee and toast. A familiar calmness settled over her. As long as Egan was with her, she’d be okay. “What do we do first?”

  He smiled.

  Her heart flipped. Man, she loved it when she could make him smile.

  “First, we rent a car and take a drive.”

  ****

  Proper planning prevents piss-poor performance.

  The axiom rolled around in Egan’s head like a pinball on track to beat a world record.

  His plan was simple. It had to be. There wasn’t time to make it complicated. The fewer details either of them had to remember, the more likely they�
�d both live to see tomorrow. And Egan wanted tomorrow.

  For the first time in a long time, he looked forward to the wonders each new day brought, with Kellee beside him. He didn’t question how she’d worked her way into his heart. It seemed like she’d been there all along.

  When he’d first met her, she was just a girl. Because she was so young, and because he worked for her father, he’d buried his feelings. But now she was a woman. A woman he couldn’t ignore. Above all else, he intended to keep her safe if it was the last thing he did.

  While Kellee used the ladies’ room after breakfast, Egan made a phone call. That call executed plan C. If plans A and B went the way of Murphy’s Law of Combat: No plan survives the first contact intact—he had a contingency in place.

  Next, he rented a white Cadillac SRX—Egan wanted something with some horsepower—and then they headed for the Bal Harbour Shops.

  Open. Public. Accessible.

  From anywhere in Miami, Nikolai could catch Interstate 95 and pick up the highway across Biscayne Bay to Bal Harbour. They could meet, greet—if it could be called that—and then go their separate ways. Plan A.

  He hoped plans B and C wouldn’t be needed.

  From the mall, the Suzy G was about fifteen minutes away, waiting at the marina. He and Kellee would be safely aboard the boat tonight and, if the storm held off a while longer, on their way up the coast.

  Then he’d worry about what to do with his attraction for her and how to deal with Byron O’Neal when the man found out about it.

  ****

  “Do we have time to look in the shops?” Kellee asked when he pulled into the garage of the massive mall after collecting the ticket to park.

  “We have some time,” he said as he parked the car. “Come on. Let’s go see what’s here.”

  She followed him into an open-air tropical wonderland. There were two levels of shops. A walkway of palm and orange trees, fountains, and ponds filled with koi ran through the center of the mall. After living shoulder-to-shoulder with storm evacuees, this luxury was like visiting another world. The contrast was indescribable and heartbreaking. So many of the refugees who had lost their homes would never know this kind of wealth.

  Egan took her elbow and steered her toward a salon. After he instructed the proprietor to work his magic, she was whisked into the back. An hour later, her hair had been trimmed and styled with highlights that caught the natural light, appearing as if it had a life of its own.

  Egan had received a trim and a shave, as well. Last night, he was dark, dangerous and sexy. Today, he looked smooth, almost polished, except for his cargo shorts and T-shirt. She couldn’t decide which version she liked better, but one look at him and she almost forgot about meeting Nikolai.

  Her new “do” boosted her confidence. As she strode beside Egan through the mall, her step was light, in spite of the foreboding confrontation ahead. Walking past palms that reached for the sky, Egan led the way to Saks Fifth Avenue.

  A salesperson greeted them as they entered the store. “Something for the lady,” Egan said with quiet authority.

  Kellee turned to him in surprise. “I can’t—This is too—”

  “Of course you can. Remember who you’re meeting today.”

  The expression on his face told her he wasn’t joking. He wanted her prepared for Nikolai. Preparation meant looking the part of a confident woman in charge of everything around her. She had to admit, it was a sound strategy. Hadn’t she been asking for more control? She should have thought of it herself.

  She gave Egan a grateful smile, then followed the sales clerk toward the back of the store. For several minutes, she plowed through dress after dress, searching for just the right one. Not only to impress Nikolai, but one that would make Egan take notice.

  Finally, she found the perfect dress. An indigo blue halter dress with a sweetheart neckline and gathered bust. The halter straps tied at the neck, leaving her shoulders and back exposed. The full skirt swirled just below her knees with a flirty hemline.

  Remembering she was meeting Nikolai, she chose an off-white sweater for the respectability factor, and then completed the ensemble with a pair of slightly wedged espadrilles. Treasures in hand, she followed the clerk to a dressing room to change.

  Shopping yesterday had been fun, but choosing this outfit felt different. Summer tops and shorts were more her usual type of clothing. However, this dress, selected especially to please Egan, made her feel like a princess dressing for the ball. A chance to snag her prince.

  She tied the halter straps behind her neck and stared in the mirror. The transformation was amazing. She no longer looked like a waif from the wharf.

  After stepping out of the dressing room, she searched through the women’s department for Egan but didn’t see him. She walked to the front of the store and surveyed the immediate area near the entrance. He wasn’t waiting there, either. Her heart tripped in panic. Surely, he wouldn’t leave to meet Nikolai without her? This was something she had to do on her own. He knew that.

  No, Egan wouldn’t leave her. His rules wouldn’t permit it. Perhaps he told the sales clerk where he’d gone. As she headed back to the ladies’ department, she realized she’d walked right past him. From a distance, she hadn’t recognized him without his shorts and T-shirt. He was wearing stylish cargo pants and an olive green polo shirt. The beach bum was gone. Her heart flipped at the transformation. It wasn’t only how incredibly sexy he looked—it was the fact that he’d changed for her. He’d stepped out of his comfort zone to support her.

  At that moment, she knew she loved him. Not a girlish crush. Not the heady rush of being in love. What she felt was a rich, deep love that filled her—body and soul.

  As she walked toward him, she caught the first, and second look he gave before recognizing her. His jaw slacked open with a stunned expression on his usually impassive face. She couldn’t stop smiling as warm pleasure wrapped around her heart.

  She stopped a few feet in front of him and twirled, letting the skirt flare away from her legs. “What do you think?”

  His gaze slid the length of her body from head to toe and back up again. A twitch in his cheek worked double-time. “It’s…nice.” He swallowed.

  She felt as though his strong hands had physically touched every inch of her body. Heat bloomed over her face. “Nice? Is that all?” She fisted her hands on her hips.

  Eagan cleared his throat and swallowed again. “Uh, it’s very, very nice.”

  If that was all he could say, she’d take it. Besides, it wasn’t the words—it was the look on his face. She’d stopped him in his tracks. Mission accomplished.

  Like a switch, his hungry look disappeared and he changed the subject. “Where are your other things?”

  “In the dressing room.”

  “Get them. I’ll take care of the bill.”

  Kellee went to retrieve her shorts and top, so giddy she didn’t think to protest Egan’s order. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw him veer toward the sales counter.

  An hour after they’d entered Saks, she glided out the doors, her arm tucked in Egan’s elbow, their transformation complete. As they strolled through the mall together, heads turned and eyes followed their progress. Kellee stole a glimpse of their reflection as they passed a large display window. She hardly recognized the striking couple mirrored in the glass.

  They carried the bags with their other clothes to the car and stowed them in the duffel Egan had packed before leaving the boat. As they returned to the mall, he asked, “Are you hungry?”

  “A little,” she answered.

  He led her to a restaurant with outdoor seating near one of the ponds. They followed a server to a table near the mall walkway. Once seated, Egan placed an order for key-lime pie and coffee.

  “This stuff must have cost a fortune!” Kellee whispered, making a sweeping motion at the new clothes. She’d tried to find tags on the dress, but couldn’t. “I promise to have my father, uh, Byron, reimburse you.”

>   Egan grinned, appearing more lighthearted than she’d seen him the last few days. “Not on your life.” His expression sobered. “Sorry. Poor choice of words. No reimbursement. This is my pleasure. I’m not giving it away to anyone.”

  “But how can you afford it?”

  “I can,” he said. “Just leave it at that.”

  She cocked her head to one side and contemplated the man across from her. There were more layers to her former Navy SEAL than she realized. Excitement rolled through her thinking of other delights to uncover.

  When the dessert arrived, Kellee was surprised to find she actually had an appetite. She ate and sipped her coffee while watching the shoppers. Her eyes lingered on an older couple, strolling hand-in-hand inspecting shop windows. They stopped in front of a jewelry store and looked at a display of rings. The man’s arm glided over the woman’s shoulder in a gentle, familiar caress. Someday, maybe she and Egan would…

  “Finish up.” Egan adjusted the band on his diving watch. “It’s almost time.”

  Kellee tore her eyes away from the couple and leaned toward him with a smile. “Time for what?” she asked, keeping her voice low and soft.

  Egan stared hard at her.

  She sat back with a gulp. Right. That time.

  Chapter Eighteen

  A cloud passed overhead, casting shadows across the outdoor mall walkway, and took the brightness and intimacy out of the moment. Kellee’s pleasure changed to a shiver. “Are you sure Nikolai will meet us?” she asked Egan.

  “I made the call while you were getting your things from the changing room. I gave him forty-five minutes to get here or we’d leave.”

  “How will we know him?”

  Instead of answering, Egan stood and walked around to her chair. He helped her stand, then slipped his fingers along her neck and tugged on the chain holding the pendant. He lifted it free and arranged it so it settled on top of the dress between her breasts.

  “He’ll find us,” he said.

  The intimate gesture shot a thrill through her—until she realized what it really meant. Her pendant was a signal. Egan must have thought the jewelry was unique enough that it’d be easy to spot. She touched the pendant, still warm from his touch. “Then what?”