Page 85 of Nowhere to Hide

Her espresso eyes flashed. “Every client gets this same treatment?”

I straightened.

“Yeah, thought so.”

“There’s a reason I’ve been off duty, Priscilla. This is what I need to do right now to keep you safe.” I took her hand and walked to reception. We did whatever paperwork that was leftover and she paid her copay.

We were both quiet as we took the elevator down. We followed the maze back out to where the SUV was. Part of mewas pissed that it was so easy for me to get out, and the other was just glad I could get her to safety.

Was I being paranoid? Probably, but the fact that she’d been ambushed twice at the hospital still made me overly cautious. I got her settled in the seat and went around to my side.

I tucked my gun back into the holster and pulled out the rear entrance down a side street. When the hospital was in my rearview, I finally relaxed.

“Is this a bodyguard thing? How do you know all these side streets?”

“My best friend lived here.”

“Lived?”

“He’s dead.” I turned the radio up and hoped she caught the hint.

She turned it down. “I’m sorry. When did it happen?”

I tightened my hold on the steering wheel. “A year in a few weeks.”

“I’m assuming you don’t want to talk about it.”

“You assume correctly.” I turned the music back up again and Bad Omens drowned out thoughts of Milligan.

When we got back to the ferry, we didn’t talk. She was a bit slower walking, but the limp from before was less pronounced. She still had a lot of inner tears that needed to heal. I knew firsthand just how annoying a knife wound could be. It almost had to heal from the outside in, which didn’t make any sense until you experienced it.

I herded her to the edges of the ferry on the top deck.

Talking about Milligan made my skin feel tight. I needed to be able to look around and make sure she was safe.

Shuffling bodies were too damn close. The urge to drag her into me and surround her made no sense. I’d been carefully keeping my distance for weeks. One day and all that was wrecked.

Her navy dress fluttered around her tanned legs making her look like she’d been on vacation if you didn’t look too close at the lingering bruises around her neck and wrists. My fingers tightened into fists at my sides.

She was too exposed.

No matter what she wanted, I was getting her back on my boat. Leo would just have to update me on the SAT phone I kept in my kitchen drawer.

Someone jostled me and I whirled around. The guy gave me a startled glance and quickly melted into the crowd.

The scent of diesel dented the cloying sense of panic. She was fine. We were fine.

There was no one around us that was a danger.

Her fingers slipped around my hand. I glanced down at her and saw the wariness in her dark eyes. Instead of overthinking it, I drew her in front of me and caged her against the railing. Her coconut and citrus scent flooded my brain like a balm. The only other thing that had done the same was the scent of the sea and my boat.

I closed my eyes, trying to anchor myself in the now. She was fine.

I wasn’t fucking up.

The ferry lurched forward, and she stumbled back into me. “Sorry.”

“It’s fine.” I curled an arm around her to steady her, then she eased forward to lean on the railing.