Page 82 of Collateral Claim

“Except Cass,” Connor says.

“Cass is alive.” I’m a believer in brotherly connection. When I was shot and left to die by the people who betrayed us before I hired Marquis as my head of security, Cass found me purely by following his gut. He said he felt I was in trouble, and he found me by following his brotherly compass.

I wish I could do the same for him.

But going on a yacht and sailing the world in search of my brother while relying on an internal compass to show me the way sounds far too woo-woo for me. Kidnapping a powerful man’s daughter was a better idea, and I’m sticking with it.

When I check back on Scarlett, she’s gone.

I drum my fingers on the table. “She went for a swim?” I can’t see the river from here.

“Mmhm,” Con says. “I watched her go down.”

“Want me to check her out?” Declan asks.

“Check her out?” Motherfucker.

He throws back his head and laughs. “You’re making this too easy.”

I snag an apple and bite into it as I get up and walk to the riverbank, where I can check her out myself. Thank you all very much.

Scarlett swims with the current, toward the harbor. There are boats there. I would be put out if she sank under a boat.

I stick two fingers into my mouth and whistle.

Scarlett swims faster.

Hm. I return to the table and speak into a communication unit. “Eleven, come in.”

“Eleven here.”

“You have a swimmer coming your way. Intercept and bring her back.”

“Yes, sir.”

I clear my throat. “I want her handled with care.”

“Yes, sir.”

Chapter 33

River scouting

Scarlett

Scouting was a good idea. Just not a particularly pleasant one. The water might freeze me in place. Since we’re at summer’s doorstep, I thought the temperatures would be higher, but the river proved just as freezing as the ocean.

The current sweeping me toward the harbor doesn’t help with warmth, but it does propel me forward much faster than swimming alone. My teeth chatter, my muscles will cramp soon from the cold, but I want to see this through.

If I make it to the harbor, I might actually have a chance at escape. Trouble is, I have no idea how I’d make it out of Endo’s territory on a boat. I can’t operate one. Maybe if I found a simple vessel, but then I couldn’t get far or fast enough.

If I had no help sailing away, I’d have to hide inside one of the merchant or tourist yachts. I could board one of the merchant or tourist vessels and see where it takes me.

My calf muscles spasm, and I pause to rub them and move my foot around, but I see a jet boat coming toward me. Aman wearing a white T-shirt and military cargo pants drives the vessel.

He positions his vessel perpendicular to the passage that I presume leads into the harbor, effectively blocking my exit.

“Scarlett?” the man asks as I near him. He has dark eyes, and dark hair that falls over his forehead.