Page 93 of An Epic Voyage

Jackson disconnecteda call and turned to Evangeline.He hated delivering more bad news, almost as much as he hated hearing it.

“The Coast Guard boarded Van Houten’s yacht on the way back to Miami.Benedict Van Houten wasn’t on board.”

“Where did he go?”

“No one knows.He took a speedboat from the tender garage without telling anyone where he was going.”

“He came back here to get the nuke and found Indigo inside the safe.”Scared eyes met his.“What did he do with her, Jackson?”

He pulled Evie into his arms.She rarely showed any emotion and hated for anyone to see her vulnerabilities.That she was doing so in front of him, of all people, meant she was genuinely terrified.“I don’t know.”

Evie allowed herself only a few minutes of distress before she steeled her spine and stepped out of his arms.He mourned the loss.

“We need to find out if the speedboat has GPS.Maybe we can track it.”

“If not, I’ll try to get a lead on where Jabari Abdullahi is headed.My gut tells me the exchange is a go.”

#

Griffin held Indigoin his arms.They’d made love again.Earlier, when they had first seen each other, it had been hard and fast because he’d needed her too much.This time was slower, intense, and shattering.

Neither knew what would happen in the next few hours.The situation was precarious, dealing with not one but two killers and a stolen nuclear weapon, not to mention the bomb below, waiting to blow everything up.

Griffin had almost begged Indigo to jump in the speedboat with him and motor away.She would be safe, and that was all that mattered to him.But he couldn’t do it.Her job was to recover the nuke.He didn’t want to give her any reason to think he doubted her or that the mission would fail.He had complete faith in her.

She patted his arm, which was encircling her.“I need to shower and get dressed.”

“I’ll help.”

She twisted her head to look at him with a cocked brow.“You think that’s a good idea?”

“The best.”

“Me too, but I won’t get anything done.The quicker this is over, the faster we can do this again.”

There was an incentive if he’d ever heard one.

Despite her earlier objection, she took his hand and guided him to the shower.They lathered each other almost reverently.When he slid into her, he wanted to make it last forever, but his body had other plans.

While she fixed her hair and makeup, Griffin dressed in the same shirt and pants since he didn’t have a change of clothing.Indigo selected a dress that was both functional and fashionable.She looked incredible.It was easy to see why Van Houten had become obsessed with her.Griffin had too.

When a knock sounded on the door, Griffin pulled Indigo in for one last kiss.

“You’re smearing my lipstick,” she chastised as she eagerly participated.He didn’t want to let her go, but, as she’d said, the quicker they got this over with, the better.

He cupped his hands around her head.“Be safe.”

“I will.”

Letting her go was the hardest thing he’d ever done.She’d be in a room with two cold-blooded killers.

Griffin ducked into the bathroom and watched as she opened the door.Garcia was waiting for her.With a look back at him, she left the room.

Griffin checked his gun.Though he’d wanted her to carry it, they determined it was better if he did—well, Indigo had decided, and he’d reluctantly gone along with her wishes.He would provide cover for her.

While Indigo was getting ready, he’d snuck down to the storage locker where the handcuffs were kept.He’d found zip ties and duct tape, along with more cuffs.He’d loaded his pockets.

The sound of a helicopter approaching prompted him to hurry to the door.Abdullahi was arriving.Griffin checked the hallway.Empty.He crept to the stairway on the opposite end of the boat from Van Houten’s suite, hoping they would use the one closer.