Hidden Away (KGI #3)(39)

He unzipped the pack and put a hand down to make sure Patches didn’t bolt at the first sign of freedom. But the cat just licked him and began purring loud enough for the store owner to hear.

The woman peered over the edge of the bag and her eyes lit up. “Oh, she’s adorable!”

“So you’ll take her?” Garrett asked hopefully.

The woman looked startled and very much like she would refuse.

“I’d hate for her to starve. She’s a sweet cat. Probably a good mouser.”

He hated the cajoling, whiny way his words came out. If his brothers could see him now, he’d never hear the end of their torment.

The woman looked at the cat and then back up at Garrett. She set her lips together as her eyes narrowed and then finally she said, “Okay, I’ll take her. It’s obvious she isn’t going to do okay in your bag.”

Garrett didn’t even flinch over the disapproval in her voice. He’d saved the animal from starvation, hadn’t he? He peeled Patches from the bag and unhooked her claws from his shirt then thrust her toward the woman.

“Thanks, I appreciate this.”

He turned and left before the woman could say anything further. He’d done as Sarah had asked and made sure the cat had a decent home. At least it wouldn’t starve to death now.

His next stop was at the dock where there were three charter services. He asked benign questions like whether it was possible to hire a boat to take him to the neighboring island. The first two were more than happy to accommodate his request and could arrange it immediately. The third, however, the woman informed him that her husband was already on a trip to the next island and wouldn’t return for some time. When he pressed her, she clammed up and all but shoved him out the door.

Oookay. So it seemed that Sarah had arranged for a charter to make her escape and that she’d likely done it well in advance of her actual departure. He needed to get there a hell of a lot faster than the couple hours it would take by boat.

He hopped one of the two taxis on the island and got dropped off at the airfield on the east end. The guy at the counter eyed him with a speculative gleam when Garrett told him he wanted to charter a helicopter to the next island. Immediately. It was a look that told Garrett this was going to cost him a f**kload of money.

“Sure, I can take you over. I had a client supposed to come in for an aerial tour of the island chain, but I can cancel if the price is right.”

Yeah like Garrett didn’t know that was coming. “You take plastic?”

The guy grinned broadly at Garrett. “Of course.”

Garrett pulled out his wallet and ripped out his credit card. On KGI’s dime, of course. Sam would have a kitten, but oh well. He could always bill Resnick.

“How soon can we leave?”

The guy picked up Garrett’s credit card and smiled. “Just as soon as I run your card.”

CHAPTER 14

PEOPLE just don’t goddamn disappear. Did they? Garrett was tired. He was hungry. And he was one pissed-off motherf*cker. He’d been over every inch of this island and there was no sign of Sarah. No one in the harbor had seen her—or so they said. There wasn’t a flight with her on it—as near as he could tell.

The woman had simply vanished into thin air.

He wanted nothing more than to say f**k it all, go home and let Resnick deal with Sarah Daniels. It was what he should do. His sister-in-law was about to deliver. Sam’s hands were tied if they got another job because Garrett was off f**king around in paradise. And quite frankly, he’d have a hell of a lot better time blowing some shit up over playing junior detective. Hell, that was Donovan’s job.

He should just go home and call it good.

But he’d kissed her.

It was a pansy-ass excuse. But if he hadn’t kissed her. If he hadn’t gotten close to her. Hadn’t seen her fear. Hadn’t felt her tremble beneath his fingers. If she hadn’t tasted so damn good. If he hadn’t kissed her, he could go home and forget she ever existed. He could leave her to Resnick and company.

But he couldn’t. Somehow in the course of a few days she’d become his. His responsibility. His to protect.

It was a f**ked-up scenario no matter how he looked at it. He couldn’t make it go away no matter how hard he wanted it to. All he knew was that somehow, some way, he and Sarah Daniels were connected.

No, he didn’t like it. But there it was. All laid out, sort of like he felt right now. Balls flapping in the wind.

No man should ever get so damn tied up in a woman. Especially one he barely knew.

Yeah, go home. It’s precisely what he should do.

Then he could better prepare himself for the job of protecting her. While Donovan ran her to ground, he could haul out his arsenal and start planning for the eventualities. Hell, he never went anywhere without at least four rifles and a few handguns. And yet here he was with only a Glock and his winning personality to get himself out of a scrape on this shit hole of an island. And he’d have to leave the Glock behind.

He stalked into the tiny-ass terminal that served as ticketing desk, luggage check and security all in one and tossed his bag onto the stuttering conveyor belt.

“I want to get the hell out of here,” he announced to the startled agent. “What’s your next flight out?”

“Miami,” she said nervously.

“Done. When does it leave?”