She would have let him kiss her! Her head screamed at her now, that she should step away from him, but she was pressed against the wall. And her heart told her to stay. She couldn’t fight this—whatever it was between them—anyway, Coastie or not.
“Sadie.” His gaze sparkled with humor. “Do I make you nervous?”
“Yes. Yes, you do.” Part of her wanted to escape his uncomfortable and intoxicating proximity.
A grin cracked half his face. Her heart flipped. She wanted him to kiss her. Wanted to feel his arms around her again. Oh, Sadie, what are you doing? Gage was as much a “victim” of their fierce attraction as she was.
One of them had to remain strong. Had to save them both. She had to try. Maybe she could change the subject. Get his focus back to his investigation, where it should be for the both of them. “So... Um...we have to get these guys. How are we going to find them? What are we going to do next?”
His expression slowly morphed from tenderness to fierce determination. Good, her tactic had worked, except she missed the tenderness. Had denied herself Gage’s kiss. She wanted much more of him... Still, this was for the best.
Gage drew in a breath, their connection broken, and took a step back. Brows furrowed and eyes dark, he said, “We’re going for a dive.”
* * *
The utter surprise in her gaze almost made him laugh. But Gage chose to remain serious. He had to stay focused on solving this investigation and stop the drug runners no matter their venue, but Sadie continued to distract him at every turn through no fault of her own.
No. It was all on him.
But what could he do about it? He had to keep her close to keep her safe.
Come on, man, you can handle this. You have to.
Her life was more important than the struggles of his heart, than his attraction to her. And that was that. Gage would have to shove his personal wants and needs to the deepest part of the ocean and be done with it.
Her life was on the line.
But the way she stood framed by the ocean view behind her stirred his emotions again and reminded him of his near mistake last night.
He’d come so close to kissing her on the porch. What had he been thinking? He hadn’t been thinking, and that was the problem. Hard enough to keep from falling for her when she wasn’t interested in him, but now when she appeared to be fighting the strong attraction between them, maintaining control over his emotions was close to impossible. Impossible was one thing. Close to impossible, he could handle.
He had no choice.
“Why are we diving?” She’d inched farther away from him.
Didn’t much change things. Her nearness still scrambled his brains. But it didn’t matter. From now on, she was off-limits. He refocused on this investigation and his efforts to keep her safe and alive.
“The sinking boat you were put on could give us answers. We could learn who owned it.”
“What if it was stolen like the SUV? Then what?”
“We could learn that too, and still question the owner.” He nudged closer to her before he thought better of it. “You’re up for a dive, aren’t you? I know you’re experienced.”
“Sure. Of course I’m up for it. I think that’s the best idea I’ve heard yet.” She lifted her pretty chin high, purpose emanating from her blue eyes.
He’d never known anyone with more grit, more fortitude than Sadie Strand. He’d never known a more beautiful woman. Inside or out. He inwardly chided himself—be that as it may, he wasn’t the guy for her. Nor would he ever be.
Stop it, Sessions. Get a grip!
His cell rang. Gage was grateful for the distraction. “Thompkins, I hope you have something for me.”
“We’ve confirmed Sean Miller’s link to our drug runners. Ballistics on the bullets we found in his body match the bullets fired at the Kraken a week ago when it got too close.”
“Took you long enough.”
“There’s more.” Thompkins sighed.
Gage tensed. “And what else did you find out?”
“He wasn’t just at the wrong place at the wrong time. I found evidence in his belongings. He was working with them. Warning them so they could avoid us. It sickens me to run across a Coastie working with the other side.”
“Evidence. What evidence?”
“Cocaine. That enough for you?” Thompkins released an incredulous laugh.
“But that doesn’t mean he was warning them.”
“Doesn’t it? Think about it. Sean was either a user or a dealer. The Changs are always one step ahead of you, as if they know your next move. We know they killed him. And if it wasn’t Sean, then someone else is warning them about your every move.”
Gage slumped onto the edge of the bed. “I sense a but in there.”
“You’re right. We linked him but we still don’t know why he was killed. Karon was killed first—for all we know, Sean was the one to kill her—then Sean was shot and killed later. Maybe they held him for some reason. Or became suspicious or angry. Right now she is only linked by association and the fact witnesses confirmed seeing them together before their deaths. Unless you found something. Please tell me you have something more on her death.”
Gage explained about the results of her water test and about his conversation with Finley regarding the designer drugs.
“Seems like she was on to something there. Maybe was digging too deep.”
“I’d like to think it’s that rather than she was involved with the drug runners.”
“Maybe that’s the connection—she met Sean. Went out with him, and he introduced her to his world or she saw something that made her concerned.”
“Could he have drugged her and she figured it out? Took the water to test it?” Gage asked.
“That makes me even sicker. I wish he were still alive so I could get my hands on him.”
“Not to mention that would also give us some answers,” Gage said.
“Right.” Thompkins cleared his throat. “Let’s go through a possible theory on what we have right now. Sean was feeding the maritime drug runners information about the Coast Guard and where they were searching for them so they could avoid being caught, and maybe he was also involved in this designer drug scheme. Used them on Karon so she wouldn’t remember her time with him. She became suspicious and started trying to find out more. Something happened and they were both killed. Anything else you can think of?”
“Finley is going to make some calls about what specific drug we’re talking about, but we have to get our hands on it to know what it is. In the meantime, I’m going to dive this afternoon to look for the boat Sadie was on when she woke up. She believes Karon had been on that boat. Maybe there’s still evidence. I’m only going to find and identify it. If I can, then we can send in other divers to collect evidence.”
“Sounds like a good plan, but Gage, please...” Thompkins let his words trail off, then said, “Be careful. With Sean involved there could be others. You don’t know who you can trust. So I’d hold your cards close. Maybe you should find that boat on your own if you get my meaning.” Gage heard him loud and clear—he was advising them to keep their dive to themselves. “I have a feeling things are going to move fast the next few hours, which means our drug runners and murderers are going to get crazier and become more dangerous as they try to escape and we close in, or as they try to shut us down.”
Spoken like a man who’d been through this before. Gage knew those words to be true. “And circle us like a great white shark.”
* * *
Two hours later, Gage steered a rental boat—a nineteen-foot cruiser named Sea Hag—toward the coordinates where the fated boat had sunk and nearly taken Sadie with it. The North Pacific could be cold and brutal, but the sun shone bright today and the winds were out of the south between ten and fifteen knots. Part of the reason why he decided today w
as the day they should dive. See if they could find that boat.
The day he’d pulled her from the water had been rough, high seas, and the boat had already sunk too low for them to pull any identifiers, and then it had gone down completely. Lost to the sea.
And right now, he hoped they would also be lost to those pursuing them. At least out here he could be reasonably sure they were alone, but he would keep a sharp eye out regardless, Thompkins’s warnings lingering at the front of his mind.
Be careful...
Sadie hung out with him at the helm, the wind trying to steal her hair from the clip. “Oh, look, Gage. A couple of whales. Slow up, will you?”
He decelerated and let the Sea Hag drift. “You’re a marine biologist. Tell me what you know.”
She quirked a grin at him, then studied the whales. “I know that sometimes it’s not about scientific analysis, but just enjoying the moment.”
“And this is one of those moments?”
She nodded, appearing completely content. “It is.” Then she laughed. “But since you asked and I’m a scientist, I can hardly let the question go unanswered. These are humpback whales, which make sense since we’re farther out from shore. They breed and calve closer to Hawaii then make their way to the Gulf of Alaska in the summer. Closer in, we might see gray whales this time of year. They breed and calve off the coast of Mexico in the spring, and slowly make their way up to the Pacific Northwest for the summer. And that’s the end of the science lesson for the day.”
Sadie sighed, totally in her element. She looked like she could watch the whales all day. And Gage could watch her all day.
One of the whales breached—jumped out of the water—and landed with a huge splash, then slapped its pectoral fins on the water.
Sadie squealed in delight. “I can never get enough of that.” She turned to him. “How about you?”
Sure, Gage loved the whales, but right now he was watching Sadie. “No. I never get enough.”
He could barely see her beautiful eyes behind her shades, but she studied him. Did she have any clue that he’d been referring to her?
Any other time and he might have explored what was going on between them, but they were running out of time. She knew that too. “We need to get going.”
Her smile flattened but she nodded, understanding.
He started the boat back up and refocused his attention on their task. Being here with her on the ocean reminded him how much he’d loved being on the water with her before. Spending time together walking on the beach. How hard he’d fallen in love with her. Twice. How heartbroken he’d been. He’d spent the time with her then, knowing she loved someone else. But he’d been foolish enough to believe he could make her forget her Coastie boyfriend.
He’d kissed her then. Oh, yeah. His kiss had been unwelcome and uninvited. She’d been visibly angry. Back then, he’d lied to himself. Told himself that she felt something for him but kept it hidden inside because Sadie was nothing if not loyal.
He’d made a fool of himself that day, and he thought he’d lost even her friendship.
Turned out her boyfriend wasn’t so loyal to her, breaking their unspoken promise. And Gage had been there to comfort her. But a small part of his heart hoped she would turn to him. That’s how ridiculously desperate he’d been. Her turning to him on the rebound would have been second best. But he hadn’t had to worry. She didn’t turn to him then, in that way.
Why, oh why, was he thinking about all this now? That was years ago. He had a world of life experience under his belt, and so did she. They were two different people now, and yet here they were drawn together investigating a murder. And he was drawn to her for the same old reasons. Only this time, she wasn’t with someone else and unfortunately, she seemed to notice Gage. That shouldn’t be a bad thing. In another time he would have rejoiced.
Except he’d sworn off loving anyone. And as for Sadie, he’d missed his chance with her.
“Being out here today. Seeing the whales reminds me of the dolphins and how much Karon loved them.”
“I’m sorry.” Yeah. See how it went? He’d been reminded of his time with Sadie years ago, and was she thinking about Gage? No, she was thinking about her friend, which is where her mind should be. Where his thoughts should be too.
Shaking her head, Sadie stared at the expansive Pacific Ocean ahead of them. “I still can’t believe she’s gone. Death comes to every one of us, yes, but it isn’t supposed to happen like that. Not to Karon. She didn’t deserve to die like that.”
“We don’t know for sure how she died. She could have been unconscious before she drowned. I hope she didn’t suffer, but I agree with you. She didn’t deserve to die this way. This should never have happened.” A measure of guilt anchored in his gut. If he could have caught up with the Changs and shut them down much earlier, maybe Karon would still be alive. Except someone else would have sprung up to take their place. And if Karon was digging on her own regarding the designer drug, she’d unintentionally brought trouble on herself. For that he was truly sorry.
“At first I thought maybe Karon’s boss had been jealous and this was all about revenge. But considering this mysterious drug and now Sean’s involvement with your drug runners...” Sadie jerked her head to him. “Do you think her boss is involved in all that too?”
“No way of knowing, but I got a call while we were securing this rental boat. He had an alibi for the day she went missing. We’ll come back to that if everything else is a dead end.”
“And they thought they could bury me and whatever evidence I might have found by sinking me on that boat. Except I woke up. I keep coming back to that. I don’t think I was supposed to wake up.”
This part of the conversation disturbed him. He didn’t want to think about it. Didn’t want to think about her sheer terror when she woke up to find herself sinking in the middle of a storm on the Pacific. Providence had brought them back together in that one pivotal, life-changing, life-saving moment. Gage didn’t know what to think about that, except he was grateful Sadie was alive, and he had to keep her that way.
And someone else’s life still hung in the balance.
Lord, please help Donna come out of that coma. Help us find the people responsible for this.
“I’m sorry it’s taking me so long to figure it out,” he said.
Hugging him, Sadie surprised him. “It’s not your fault, Gage. Let’s hope we learn something today.”
While he savored her nearness, he couldn’t forget he was spending time with Sadie now for an entirely different reason than years before. Today had nothing at all to do with his personal feelings. He wouldn’t allow himself to fall for her again. Why did it have to be so hard?
She eased away from him and adjusted her sunglasses. He breathed a sigh of relief. And tried to shake the increasing feeling that they were being followed every step of the way, even out here in the water on this quiet, peaceful day. Would someone stir up trouble in the deep waters of the Pacific?
TWELVE
The Sea Hag anchored at the coordinates where the boat Sadie had woken up on had sunk. She and Gage donned dry suits for diving in the colder waters of the Pacific Northwest and prepared the diving equipment. They were here to see if they could locate the boat and find something to help them potentially identify the owner.
Gage had overseen the diving equipment at the rental place and now he double-checked the gases on their tanks, as did Sadie. This would be a deep dive. Not something for novices. Though she focused on assembling her equipment, she couldn’t help but notice Gage’s muscles in the form-fitting dry suit.
For not the first time she wondered why she hadn’t noticed him before. His good looks and trim, athletic form were only a small fraction of why she was attracted to him. She couldn’t explain it, but it must have to do with chemistry. She couldn’t forget that the man was a hero, her hero, and h
ad saved and protected her on more than one occasion. Plus, he listened to her, really listened—taking her with him to investigate as much as possible, and letting her weigh in whatever they discovered. He was kindhearted and...wow...she was really making a list.
But she couldn’t help it. Everything about him drew her in. But now wasn’t the time for this. Focus, Sadie, focus...
“What are you frowning for?” Gage appeared ready to don his tank. “You’re not nervous are you? We definitely don’t want to go down there if you’re having second thoughts. I figured since you’re a marine biologist—”
“You figured right. I can dive, believe me. I’m not nervous, Gage. Relax. I just hope we can find the boat and get somewhere with this before someone else gets hurt.”
He nodded, then his brows furrowed. He lowered his tank and grabbed his binoculars to search the horizon. His stance with the binoculars reminded her of a time when they had been whale watching on the coast.
Sadie had thought she was in love with a Coastie back then. But even though he knew that, Gage had kissed her. She’d been furious with him. She hadn’t felt that way about him, but what a stupid girl she’d been not to have seen it then. Gage... He’d been in love with her. Was she deluding herself? No. He’d been there with her every minute, it seemed. Spent hours walking on the beach talking and laughing with her. Sharing dreams, while the man she loved was far away.
Why? Why else would someone do that? And that kiss—yeah, it had given her second thoughts, but Sadie wouldn’t be unfaithful to her boyfriend. Except he’d found someone else while he was gone. Gage had been there to comfort her and reassure her through that miserable time. What an idiot she’d been. She should have paid more attention to Gage. And now... They couldn’t go back. But when he’d kissed her, knowing that she was in love with someone else, that had effectively ended their friendship. Sure, he’d comforted her over her breakup. But afterward, she’d thought it best to distance herself from Gage and not lead him on. Let him believe she could never fall for him, even after her breakup. So she hadn’t seen him again.
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