Page 30

“Miss Tia. How can I help you?”
“I need to make a withdrawal from my account.”
He nodded and brought her to his office.
She’d started the account when she first arrived, just in case.
This wasjust in case.
Neville accessed her trust account, then sent the money to Mariposa Trust and Commerce.
An hour later, she had the cash, tucked into her fanny pack and secured to her body. As she drove back to Hope House, it occurred to her that she’d need a driver for the truck once she liberated it. Or she’d simply exchange it for the scooter.
It didn’t have to be complicated. Pay off Sebold, get her equipment back, and yes, she’d bargain for Jamal too. Doyle had filed a report with the local authorities, but they didn’t seem to share her sense of outrage.
Or maybe they just knew that the hope of getting Jamal back was slim. Besides, she’d seen Kemar. She knew what she’d do if the threat of losing her sibling grabbed hold of her heart. Frankly, she’d been there, done that, so yeah, she got it.
But the X-ray machine saved lives. And it would take months to redo the paperwork for a new one. Even if she did buy it herself.
Pulling up to the side gate outside the clinic, Tia took off her helmet, set it on the bike. The sun had crested the far horizon, casting Hope House into shadow under the rise of Cumbre de Luz. The ocean roared just over the cliffside, the waves thundering against the rocks. A gorgeous day in the Caribbean.
She could do this. She keyed in the gate’s code, opened it, and walked through the thick walled entrance.
“Seriously?”
She jerked, turned.
Doyle stood, his arms folded, wearing a denim shirt with the sleeves rolled up and a pair of faded jeans, hiking boots. As if he might be going for a trek through the rainforest. His hair hadn’t been combed, and the swath of whiskers on his jaw seemed darker.
Heseemed darker. No smile, just a tight purse of his lips as he cocked his head. Didn’t move.
“What?”
“For one, you’re not pregnant, so my guess is that’s a fanny pack full of cash.” He gestured to her midsection.
“What of it?”
He gave her a grim shake of his head. “Why, why,whyare you so intent on getting yourself killed?”
She stared at him, her mouth open.
He shook his head, his hand up in surrender. “Okay, fine. If that’s the way you want to play this, let’s go.”
“I can do this by myself. Or I can take Keon.”
“Keon is working for them.”
“What?”
“Yeah, he disappeared last night—left his post and probably let them into the clinic. Stein found his room emptied out. The guard who was injured was one of the temporaries I hired, recommended by the local magistrate, sonoton the take.”
“Keon betrayed us?” She pressed a hand to her mouth. “He was?—”
“Bought off? Maybe. Scared? Probably. I don’t know. But Stein is working on getting us a new security crew. Meanwhile... for the record, this is a bad idea.”
“It’s theonlyidea.”
“Tia!For the love of Pete—do you have no recollection of what happened last night?”