The Devil In Disguise (Bad Things #1)(65)

Luke’s gaze jerked to the ocean. Mina was out there and she was being…hunted? No. No.

“The boss you’re after—the man in charge of all the agents—he was the one bringing the boat.” Timothy’s shoulders sagged. “Now I know why they were saying all that stuff in front of me. They were sure I’d be dead and you’d never learn about any of this…”

But he knew everything now. Garrick and the mysterious boss are together. Time to end them both.

He flew into the air and the shift swept over him again. Soon it wasn’t a man’s hand holding tightly to Julian. Instead, a dragon’s talons curled around his friend. Fast, faster he flew and the ocean blurred beneath him.

If Garrick hurt Mina again…if that bastard dared to touch her…

I will pry the flesh from his body.





Chapter Eighteen


A boat was approaching her, moving so fast and leaving a giant wake in its trail. She stared at it, her eyes narrowing. So strange…she could recognize a boat but she couldn’t remember her own name. When she tried to see her past, her head ached. A fog seemed to settle around her mind, and the ocean would pull her in deeper as if saying…Don’t worry about that. It doesn’t matter. Only the moment matters.

But when she’d heard the growl of that boat’s engine, curiosity had pulled her up. She almost felt as if she were looking for…

Something.

Someone?

Now her eyes raked over the boat. A large vessel but…

Not the one.

The name of this boat was Seaman’s Journey. That…didn’t seem right to her. It’s not the boat I was looking for. It’s the wrong one. Not a prize at all.

But…why would she be looking for a boat?

She started to ease beneath the water.

“Mina!”

The cry carried easily over the water.

“Mina, I know you’re here! Mina!” There was so much desperation in the man’s voice and…

That’s my name. My name is Mina. Certainty filled her. It should have made her feel good to at least have that—a name—but she was suddenly very afraid.

That big boat was closer to her now. She didn’t want the man calling out to find her. Every instinct she possessed screamed at her that he wasn’t the right man.

Then who is?

Mina turned away and her tail splashed the water as she headed beneath the sea.

***

“There is no way Mina James is out here.” Madeline stood with her hands on her hips, glaring at the water. “We’re sixty miles from shore. Yeah, I get that the woman is a good swimmer and all…” She lifted a brow as she turned to Garrick. “But no one is this good.”

“The signal is tracking right here.” Frustration seethed through his blood. He was staring at his control panel and the damn thing showed Mina. She was— “Moving,” he snapped out. “Fast.” Exceptionally fast. Too fast. “Turn this boat around!” Garrick bellowed, but then…

No, I have a better idea.

“Stop!” His voice thundered out.

“Turn the boat around, stop—why don’t you try making up your mind?” Madeline muttered.

His gaze raked over her. She was increasingly getting on his nerves. Maybe she wouldn’t be making it back to the mainland. If the boss weren’t on board, he would go ahead and just shoot the woman. But since the fellow was there, Garrick had to play things a bit more carefully.

Later, he’d kill her.

The captain stopped the boat.

“Shut off the engine,” Garrick ordered. He rubbed his throat. That damn panther had bit him, but luckily, the freak had been stopped before he did any permanent damage. Excitement had Garrick’s heart drumming in his chest. He could still see Mina’s signal, moving fast away from them. But soon enough, she’d be turning around. She’d be coming straight to him. “And bring up the coffin.”

Two men on his right—newer agents—turned and hurried to obey.

Madeline tilted her head. “What are you planning?”

He smiled at her. “I know Mina’s weakness.” And he’d use it against her. “She didn’t have the heart for killing.” That was why she’d run from him. She hadn’t liked doing what needed to be done. She’d been too soft on the inside. “She can’t watch others suffer.”

Understanding lit Madeline’s eyes. “Bait.”

“I do enjoy using it.” His chest puffed out a bit. He was ninety-nine percent sure that his last baited plan had gone off without a hitch. He’d seen Luke Thorne in the security feeds right before that Naval Air Station had been blown to bits. Try to come back from that one, you bastard. His boss was on the radio right then, talking down below as he got his contacts to spread the word that there had just been a training accident at the station. No terrorist attack or anything like that. Nothing for the public to fear. His boss was very good at PR cover-ups.

And I’m good at making traps. This time, he’d use the perfect bait to lure Mina to him.

“Aren’t you a bit curious about how she can swim so fast?” Madeline asked.

He was. He’d learn that secret, once he had her on the boat. But first, he had to get sweet Mina to turn around and swim toward him.