“It sounds great,” Ben answered, flashing a smile. “We really are appreciative for what you’ve done for us.”
“It was part of my job.”
“It was more than that.”
“Yes, well ... I’ll see you soon.”
“We’ll be waiting.”
THE OFFLOADING OF THE SERENDIPITY passengers and crew turned out to be a media affair regardless. Someone in the Coast Guard tipped off the news crews and every television, radio, and print representative in the southern part of the state was on hand to scream questions at those rescued as they were led off the ship. Quinn wasn’t surprised when Patrice stopped to hold an impromptu press conference. He was almost expecting it.
The rest of the day went by in a blur. He was kept busy the entire afternoon by the Coast Guard, who had a bevy of questions. Quinn understood their curiosity — he also had trouble understanding how the group ended up where they did — but his annoyance with being asked the same thing over and over had grown to monumental proportions by the end of the afternoon.
That’s why he was thankful when Rowan texted and suggested he flee the ship. She planned to meet him at their favorite private beach. After that, they would have dinner at a quiet restaurant and discuss what was to come next with her father. That’s what Quinn wanted to focus on.
“Hey.” Rowan was happy to see him when she crossed to the beach. To her utter surprise, he already had a sandcastle halfway built. That was usually her favorite pastime, not his. “Are you getting a head start?”
He smiled as she joined him on the sand. “Sorry. I was nervous. I needed something to do with my hands.”
“That’s okay. I get it. How were the Coast Guard representatives?”
“Insistent.”
She waited for him to expand.
“Very insistent,” he supplied after a beat. “They asked a lot of hard questions. I think I get it, although I can’t help wondering if I’m missing something.”
“Like what?”
He shrugged. “If I didn’t know better, I would almost think they suspect the remaining members of the Sterling family of killing off the missing ones.”
Rowan sucked in a breath, taken aback. “You can’t be serious,” she said finally, her fingers busy as she worked on the turrets Quinn abandoned. “Why would they do that?”
He shrugged and held his hands out. “There are plenty of reasons to kill your family. Speaking of that, though, did you talk to your father?”
“Not Dad. I talked to Uncle Nick, though. It was a very brief conversation. They want to meet up with us tomorrow.”
Quinn’s lips curved at the way her hands fluttered over the project. He started it because he was annoyed, but he knew she would finish it because she was agitated. “Well, that’s what you’ve been waiting for, right? We couldn’t see your father for a few weeks because he had to lay low and make sure no one was following him. He’s settled into his new life now, though. You’re going to be able to see him.”
“Yeah.” Rowan tugged on her bottom lip. “We need to find transportation, though. Do you have a truck or anything we can drive tomorrow?”
Quinn nodded. “I’ll take care of the transportation. Do you know where we’re going?”
“No. He said he would get me the address right before we left tomorrow. He wants us to be really careful that no one follows us. Of course ... I don’t even know if you’re going with me. I didn’t even think to ask. You might have other stuff to do, especially since we have to deal with the fallout of finding people floating in the middle of the ocean.”
“Hey.” Quinn leaned forward and grabbed her hand. “Of course I’m going with you. Nothing could keep me away.”
“Good. Good.” She exhaled heavily. “I’m sorry. I’m a nervous wreck. This is almost as bad as seeing him for the first time. It’s been three weeks.”
“They had to find a place where they were relatively assured they could hide in plain sight. I don’t blame them for doing things the way they have. That’s what was safest ... for them and you.”
“Me?” Rowan’s eyebrows hopped. “How was it safe for me?”
“They haven’t seen you in weeks,” Quinn replied without hesitation. “If someone has been watching, they’ve more than likely given up because you’ve done some boring crap since the initial meeting.”
Rowan was fairly certain she should be offended. “Excuse me?”
He chuckled. “I didn’t say I found you boring. I simply meant, from their perspective, that watching you and me fawn all over each other while making sandcastles and eating seafood had to be boring. Your father and uncle lulled them, which was smart.”
“I guess.” Rowan scratched her cheek. “I’m still nervous. I can’t help it.”
“Yes, well, that’s why I’m here.” He beamed at her. “I’m going to distract you until we head out tomorrow. That means you’re at my mercy, little missy. What do you think I’m going to do to you?”
Rowan snickered. “I’m betting you’re going to feed and baby me.”
“You’re probably right.”
“I’m lucky that way.”
“We’re both lucky.” Quinn opened his arms so Rowan could slip into them. “We’re going to be okay. Once you see him, you’ll unclench and we’ll be able to start planning. We have a lot of things to go over.”
“We need to find answers,” Rowan said. “There has to be a way to take down the Phoenix Society.”
“That is the main goal going forward,” Quinn conceded. “We’re going to take them down and reclaim the life you were always supposed to lead. We’re going to do it together, though. There’s no need to take this on alone.”
“I’m starting to get that.”
“Good, because it’s never going to change. It’s you and me from here on out, Ro. Get used to it.”
4
Four
Rowan changed her clothes five times the next morning, ultimately settling on a pretty skirt and top. She looked so cute it almost broke Quinn’s heart to tell her she had to change again.
“Sweetie, you need to wear jeans,” he said gently as he handed her a cup of fruit he liberated from the employee lunchroom while out making rounds.
Rowan glanced down at her outfit, unsure. “I ... don’t understand. I thought you liked this skirt.”
“I happen to love that skirt. We’re taking a motorcycle, though.”
Rowan was confused. “A motorcycle? But ... how are we going to get a motorcycle at the last minute?”
Quinn chuckled, genuinely amused by her reaction. “I actually own a motorcycle. I keep it in storage here because I rarely get to use it. I was going to sell it because it seemed a waste and then this came up.”
“You own a motorcycle?” Rowan was convinced that was something she should already know. “Did you tell me that?”
“Actually, I believe I did. I think it was back when we were first dating, though. You might’ve forgotten.”
“Oh, well ... a motorcycle.” She flicked her eyes to her reflection in the mirror. “That’s going to be murder on my hair.”
He understood what she wasn’t saying. It was a big deal to see her uncle and father again. It had been weeks. Tense weeks, at that. She wanted to look her best.
“Ro, I’m not trying to be difficult.” Quinn chose his words carefully. “A motorcycle is better for us. It allows us to navigate traffic easier ... and we can outrun anyone who tries to follow if it becomes an issue. Motorcycles can simply go places cars and trucks can’t.”
“Oh.” Realization dawned on her. “You’re playing it smart.”
“I am,” he confirmed. “Fred is picking up my motorcycle ... and dropping off the information he’s been able to scrounge up so far. It isn’t a lot. He’s still digging. For right now, the most important thing is finding out what Nick and Paul have been able to uncover.”
“Right.” Rowan stared at him for a long beat. “I guess that means I need to change my clothes.”
/>
He took a step toward her, placing the fruit cups on the small table in her room so he could pull her in for a hug. “From your perspective, the most important thing is seeing them.” He kissed her cheek. “It’s going to be okay.” He swayed back and forth as she buried her face in his neck.
“It’s weird to me,” she whispered. “Up until a few weeks ago, he was dead. I kept telling myself that over and over again because it was the only thing that made sense. He would never willingly abandon me ... and yet he did.”
Quinn bit back a sigh. “I don’t want to make excuses for him — no, really, I don’t — but he was trying to protect you. In his head, he gave you the magic that’s now putting your life on the line. He blames himself for that.”
“It was a fluke, though.”
“Was it?” Quinn wasn’t convinced that was true. “They were part of an experiment. I’m wondering if a component of that experiment was seeing how whatever they did to your parents affected you.”
“You think they somehow created me?” Rowan was horrified. “That’s ... no way.”
He held her tighter. “I’m talking about the general you, not you in particular. Your father said more than a few people were involved in these experiments. Maybe the whole point was to see how whatever they did affected the second generation. You would be of particular interest because both of your parents participated in the experiments.”
“Huh. I never considered that.”
“Well, don’t marry yourself to the idea. That’s only one theory. We don’t know anything yet. Hopefully that will change after our visit with your father.”
“Hopefully.”
Quinn pulled back and smiled at her. “You need to eat.”
“My stomach is all nerved up. I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
“That’s why I got fruit.” He was firm. “I don’t want you passing out on the ride. We have no idea how far we’re going to have to go.”
“Right.” Rowan blew out a sigh and snagged the cup. “I wish they would send the final message so we know where to go.”
“It’s coming. Just relax. We’ll be heading out there before you know it.”
ROWAN ASSUMED NICK WOULD send a text message when he was ready for them to come. She watched her phone obsessively for the next hour. Instead, a personal delivery representative from a private company showed up on deck shortly after ten and handed her an envelope. It was sealed with wax — and a symbol she didn’t recognize — and her hands were shaking when she opened it.
“This was smart,” Quinn noted, rubbing her shoulders as he watched her read the short letter. “He set it up in such a way that we would know something was wrong if the seal was cracked. On top of that, the paper looks to be the sort that can’t be X-rayed. That’s really smart.”
Rowan cocked an eyebrow and shook her head. “You find odd things smart.”
“Yeah, well, keeping you safe is my top priority. Sue me.”
They packed up quickly and headed toward the parking lot. Rowan had changed into jeans and tennis shoes, even tugging on the hoodie that Quinn insisted she needed even though it was already ninety-eight degrees and ridiculously humid. Fred was in the parking lot with the motorcycle when they arrived.
“I had it tuned up,” Fred announced, handing Rowan a helmet and shooting her a cheeky grin. “You look cute all bundled up the way you are. Sweating yet?”
“You have no idea,” Rowan groused, accepting the helmet. “This is going to make my hair look awful.”
Quinn shot her a quelling look. “Suck it up. I would rather you have helmet hair than have your pretty brains squashed on the side of the road.”
“That is a lovely thought.” Rowan was resigned as she tugged on the helmet. “I’ve never been on a motorcycle before. It’s safe, right?”
Quinn smiled as he watched her wrestle with the helmet. “I wouldn’t take you on a ride that’s not safe. You’re precious cargo. I have every intention of keeping you in one piece.”
“That’s good to know.”
Quinn found Fred staring at him with an exaggerated look when he turned to his former military buddy. “What?”
“You guys are ridiculous. Sadly, it’s kind of cute. That probably means I’m growing soft in my old age to think that.” He handed over a file. “This is all the information I’ve been able to track so far. It isn’t much. Those people have covered their tracks well, which only makes me want to dig further. I will get more.”
“Thanks for doing this.” Quinn rested his hand on Rowan’s back to still her when it looked as if she was going to climb on the bike. “Let me get on first.”
“He’ll balance things better,” Fred said, grinning when Quinn grabbed his own helmet from the handlebars. “It’s running well and fully gassed. I’ve arranged for you to have a private garage for it one block away. The address is here.” He handed him a slip of paper. “That way you’ll be able to use it when you need it and keep it away from thieves and looky-loos when it’s not in use.”
“I really appreciate all you’ve done.” Quinn was sincere. “You’ve gone above and beyond.”
“Not really. I owe you from back in the day. You saved my life.”
“You don’t owe me. If there ever was a debt, though, it’s long since paid. You’re doing me a favor here. Now I owe you.”
“Let’s not keep score,” Fred suggested as Quinn stowed the file in the storage bin under the seat. “I don’t like these people. I can tell you that. I don’t trust them. Be careful.”
“I plan to be careful.” Quinn tugged on his helmet. “Didn’t you hear the part where I have precious cargo?” He jerked his thumb toward Rowan, who looked unbelievably nervous. “I’ll keep her safe no matter what.”
“I think you will.” Fred took an exaggerated step back and saluted. “Be safe. I’ll be in touch.”
Quinn waved his goodbye and then turned his full attention to Rowan. “Okay. You can get on.”
Rowan was dubious. “Are you sure that thing can hold both of us?”
He chuckled. “Yeah. Come on. Get on the seat behind me, wrap your arms around my waist, and hold on. The ride is only going to take us about thirty minutes, but I plan to take a few detours just to make sure we’re not followed, so we’ll probably be driving longer than that.”
“That sounds smart.” Rowan carefully put her hand on his arm as she swung herself onto the bike. Quinn felt a slight tremor go through her as she tightly wound her arms around his waist. “Don’t let me die on this thing.”
“I’ll protect you with my life.” He patted her hands. “Don’t squeeze the life out of me, though. Ease up just a bit.”
“Oh, right.”
He turned the key and the engine fired to life. “Just hang on and enjoy the ride, Ro. We’ll be there before you know it.”
ROWAN COULDN’T STOP SMILING WHEN they parked in front of a remote beach house in Tierra Verde.
“That was ... awesome.” She excitedly pulled off her helmet as Quinn grinned at her. “I mean ... seriously awesome. I totally want to have sex with you right now that was so awesome.”
Quinn’s smile only widened. “I’m sure we’ll be able to figure out something later.”
“Awesome.” She slapped his shoulder and did an adorable hip-wiggling dance as she stretched her muscles. “I can’t believe I’ve never tried that before. It was so .... .” She trailed off, her eyes lit with fire.
“Awesome?” Quinn suggested.
“Definitely.”
“Well, I’m glad you liked it.” He kept his hand on her hip as he studied the house in front of them. The area was completely covered by trees on three sides and water on the other. The driveway to the property was so well hidden Quinn almost missed it when he was driving down the highway. Only a brief flash of road was available and you would have to be directly looking to see activity on the driveway. He wasn’t overly familiar with Tierra Verde — he usually stuck to St. Pete Beach and Treasure Island when docked
— but he had to admit it was an inspired choice. There were only two highways heading in and not a lot of places for enemies to hide in plain sight.
“This is nice, huh?” He focused on the house. “I can see us living in a place like this eventually.”
“Oh, yeah?” Rowan raised an eyebrow as she dusted her hands on her jeans. “I’m hot again. My hair is going to curl because of this humidity.”
“I guess it’s good I like your hair curly and straight, huh?”
“Yeah, I ... .” She forgot what she was going to say when she saw a hint of movement by the front door. There, her uncle Nick drifted through the door. Behind him, Paul Gray — who was going by the name of P.J. Landis as he hid his real identity — almost tripped over his own feet in his haste to join them.
“I see you found the place,” Nick said, smiling at Quinn as Rowan hurriedly moved in her father’s direction. “No difficulties, I hope.”
“It was fairly easy,” Quinn replied, his heart rolling when Rowan threw her arms around her father’s neck. Paul accepted the exuberant hug and looked to have tears in his eyes when he returned it. “We took our time getting here. I took a few detours and doubled back to make sure we weren’t being followed.”
“I’m assuming you weren’t.” Nick strode forward and shook Quinn’s hand. He’d spent a decent amount of time with the man when trying to get close to Rowan and genuinely liked him. He was also impressed by Quinn’s military background. If anyone could keep Rowan safe, it was him.
“I didn’t see anyone and I took extra precautions. If someone is watching Rowan, they’re doing it from afar.”
“That’s good.” Nick’s smile grew when Rowan tore herself away from Paul and moved to him. “Hello, Rowan. I can’t tell you how good it is to see you.”
“It’s good to see you, too.” She gave him an equally enthusiastic hug before pulling back and wiping her sweaty brow. “We rode a motorcycle and it was awesome.”
Farewell Seas Page 23