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Jeff pulled off his hat and ran his hand through his hair. With the brim shading his eyes and covering his short, cropped hair, she hadn’t seen his coloring, but she’d expected him to be dark, like Kray. Instead, Jeff was blond with blue eyes and the clean-cut good looks of a California surfer. The image was so contrary to what she’d just experienced that she almost smiled. Almost.
Their gazes locked. She saw a flash of cold determination flicker in his gaze, the confidence and willingness to do anything to get the job done. He wasn’t some guy on holiday; he was a professional at this. She didn’t know why he was here, and she didn’t want to know. Better for both of them if she just got out of his way.
“I’m ready,” she said quietly.
He nodded, then dropped his gaze to her legs. “You don’t have any shorts, do you?”
“No. Why?”
“We obviously can’t pass as natives. The next best thing is to go as tourists.”
At that she did smile. “Yeah, right. No one’s going to notice your unusual outfit there, are they?”
Bobby, who’d been following their conversation, sidled over to her and peered at Jeff. “Why’s your shirt all funny like that?”
Jeff glanced down at the fatigues he was wearing. He winked at the boy. The friendly act, so incongruous when compared with who he was and what he’d done, made Andie feel as if she were trapped in a carnival fun house. Everything was distorted and nothing was as it seemed.
“I was playing hide-and-seek,” he said. “With this shirt and these pants, it’s harder for people to see me.”
“Mommy didn’t see you.”
“That’s right,” Andie said. If she’d seen him, she would have taken off in the opposite direction.
“There’s a baseball cap in the trunk,” Jeff said as he started unbuttoning his shirt. “Bobby can wear it.” He nodded his head toward the boy.
When he had unbuttoned the shirt to the waistband of his fatigues, he jerked it free. Andie didn’t know if she should turn her back or run like hell.
“What are you doing?” she asked.
“Trying to fit in. As you pointed out, I don’t look like a tourist. Yet.”
He pulled the shirt off, exposing a red tank top. He sat on the bumper and unlaced his military boots. After taking off the boots and his socks, he unbuckled the thick leather belt at his waist and laid it on the driver’s seat. He unzipped his pants and slipped them down. Underneath he wore wrinkled white shorts. He pulled the pistol from its holster. For a split second Andie thought she’d made a life-threatening mistake, but he tucked the weapon in the waistband of his shorts, against the small of his back, and pulled the tank top over the bulge.
From his backpack, he dug out a second baseball cap. This one advertised a local brand of rum. He slipped one on his head, then took the other from her hands and adjusted it to the smallest size, then gave it to Bobby. A pair of worn leather sandals completed his outfit. In less than two minutes he’d gone from trained military expert to beach bum.
He was tanned, with long legs and strong arms. She could see the ripple of muscles as he moved. The shorts fitted over his narrow hips, then hung loosely past his thighs. He was right—he did look like a tourist. She glanced at his face, but the brim of the hat hid it from view. It also covered most of his blond hair. Only a half inch or so stuck out the bottom. Conservative haircut, familiarity with weapons, knowledge of Kray and his line of work. If Jeff wasn’t military, he sure was government. She didn’t know if that piece of information made her feel better or worse. She shrugged. At this point, she couldn’t afford to be picky.
Working quickly, he put his fatigues in his backpack. He transferred money and a mean-looking knife to his shorts pocket, then dropped the backpack into the trunk and closed it.
“Let’s go,” he said.
Andie nodded and picked up Bobby. Instead of letting him climb into the back seat, she sat down and pulled him onto her lap. Just in case, she thought. She wanted to be able to run with him, if she had to. Despite the fact Jeff hadn’t taken her to Kray, she still didn’t trust him.
Jeff slipped in beside her and started the engine. He pulled the Jeep in a tight circle, then headed toward the road. As they drove out of the brush, she held her breath, afraid that Kray’s men would be waiting. There was no one on the side of the road. Just her rental sitting in the shade.
He stopped long enough for her to drive it back into his vehicle’s hiding place; then he glanced both ways and hit the gas. They took off toward town.
Andie fought the urge to glance behind them. With the Jeep’s open top and low doors, she felt as if they were completely exposed. That as soon as they were spotted, they would be gunned down.
Violent pictures filled her mind. Not just her wild images about what Kray would do to her if he caught her, but ugly memories from six years ago. From the moment when the pieces had clicked into place and she’d realized her husband wasn’t the man she’d thought him to be.
“Just a couple more hours and you’ll be safe,” Jeff said. “Once you get off the island, you’ll be okay. When you get back to the States, you’re going to have to lay low.”
She nodded. She already knew that much. She had money stashed in a couple of safety deposit boxes in different cities. After Kray had stolen Bobby, it had taken her three weeks to figure out parental kidnapping wasn’t high on anyone’s list of crimes to be solved. Especially when the father in question had taken his son out of the country. Once she’d realized no one was going to help her, she’d come up with her own plan and had quickly put it into action. Ironically, the generous settlement Kray had given her at the time of the divorce would pay for her escape from him.
Bobby leaned back against her and closed his eyes. “You tired, honey?” she asked.
“Nope.”
But his eyelids fluttered shut. She couldn’t blame him. After the morning they’d had, she was exhausted, as well. She wished she could trust someone enough to watch Bobby so she could curl up and sleep for a week, but she couldn’t. She only had herself to depend on.
“There’s a private airstrip north of town,” Jeff said quietly, a few minutes later. “Is that the one you’re going to use?”
Andie glanced at him. He slowed the Jeep and met her gaze. Dark blue eyes, almost the color of her own, stared back at her. His lashes were thick and only a couple of shades darker than his hair, although the tips were lighter, as if they’d been bleached by the sun. He squinted slightly and lines fanned out to his temples.
He was good-looking enough to be the poster boy for the local tourist commission. Come to St. Lucas and find romance. Only, she wasn’t looking for romance, and from what she’d seen of Jeff, he wasn’t too fond of her. She wondered how much of that was because she was obviously in over her head and how much was because she was Kray’s ex-wife. Did it matter? As long as he helped her get away, he could think what he liked.
“Yes,” she said, after a moment. “I’m supposed to meet a pilot there named Michael.”
“How will you know him?”
She wrinkled her nose. “He has a tattoo of a snake on his left wrist.”
“That should inspire confidence.”
She smiled. “I’ll admit I would feel better if it had been of a flying creature rather than one that slithers. But he didn’t ask any questions.”
Jeff returned his attention to the narrow dirt road. “That doesn’t mean he won’t.”
“I know.”
“Do you have a story prepared?”
“Yes.”
“You want to try it out on me?”
“Not really.”
He chuckled. “Good.”
She stared at him. He was smiling. Honest to God smiling. “What’s so funny?” she asked.
“Nothing. It’s good that you’ve already learned not to trust anyone unless you have to. At least you’re not as dumb—” His lips straightened.
“As I look,” she finished for him. “Thanks for the compliment.”
She was twenty-seven years old. She should be used to it by now. The average male assumed pretty equaled stupid. No doubt from Jeff’s perspective, her coming to Kray’s island and kidnapping Kray’s only son by herself did seem pretty stupid. So what? Kray hadn’t caught her yet.
Andie stared out the passenger side, watching the tropical trees and vines give way to flatter plowed fields. Her eyes burned. She told herself it was fatigue and the wind, nothing else.
“Look, I’m sorry,” Jeff said abruptly.
“Forget it.”
“It was just a knee-jerk reaction.”
“I’ll accept the ‘jerk’ part of the apology.”
“I guess I am, huh?” The Jeep slowed to a stop.
She turned and looked at him. He angled himself toward her, resting his left forearm over the steering wheel. Bobby murmured softly in his sleep. Andie shifted him so her legs wouldn’t go numb.
She studied Jeff’s short haircut, the lines of weariness around his eyes, the firm set of his jaw. She wanted to look lower, but she was suddenly aware of the fact that his loose tank top and shorts left very little of his lean, tanned body to the imagination.
Something flickered in her belly. Horror filled her as she realized it was attraction. Unnecessary, unwelcome, ill-timed attraction. Oh, God, not now.
“Who are you?” she asked.
“Nobody you want to know.”
She was willing to believe that.
“There’s a road to the airport that goes around the town. We can avoid most of the city. We’ll take that.”
“Fine with me.”
He reached his right hand toward her face. He was going to touch her. She didn’t know whether or not to bolt or lean forward. Bobby prevented her from doing the former and panic from acting on the latter. So she simply stayed still as he touched a loose strand of hair.
“People are going to remember this,” he said, then frowned and turned back to the road.
“Am I expected to cut it off?” she asked.
“We don’t have to be that extreme. There’ll be several carts selling things for the tourists just outside the city. I’ll get something there to help disguise you.”
“But I’m going to be getting on a plane in a couple of hours. No one’s going to see me but you and the pilot.”
“Exactly,” Jeff said, pausing to read signs at a crossroads, then turning left. “Better for all of us if the pilot can’t describe you in detail.”
“Oh.” She hadn’t thought of that.
Jeff drove through the narrow streets, careful to keep within the speed limit. As they neared the city, three-and four-story buildings rose up on either side. Wide wrought-iron balconies jutted out several feet above the ground. The architecture dated back to the first Spanish explorers, but its beauty was lost on Andie. She tried to look straight ahead and not draw attention to herself. At the same time, she wanted to look around and see if anyone had noticed them. It was hard to tell who was watching whom. Shoppers crowded together on the almost nonexistent sidewalks. Drivers blasted horns as they fought for small parking spaces on the busy road.
From open-windowed restaurants and bakeries, Andie could smell food and exotic spices. Her stomach gurgled.
“Sounds like Bobby isn’t the only one who’s hungry,” Jeff said.
“I’m fine.”
Being near town made her nervous. She didn’t want to stop and eat. They could do that once they got to San Juan. There it would be easy to get lost in the large tourist areas. Several cruise ships docked every day and unloaded thousands of passengers who crawled over the old city. From there, it was only a short hop to Florida and safety.
Jeff took a right turn, leaving the busy street behind them, then turned right again and came out on a paved two-lane road.
“We can circle around the rest of the city from here,” he said.
“Great.”
Up ahead was a freestanding stall manned by an old woman in native dress. Hats, printed T-shirts and locally made dresses hung from the rickety sides of her place of business. Jeff slowed the Jeep and pulled onto the red clay shoulder. He angled the nose of the vehicle in slightly, so that the passenger side was blocked from the woman’s view by a large tree.
“I’ll get you a hat,” he said, stepping out and moving toward the stall.
Andie stared after him, watching his long, bare legs cover the distance in a matter of seconds. She could see the power in his stride. His blond good looks and clothing tagged him as an American tourist. The old woman could see there were other people in the Jeep with him, but she wouldn’t be able to identify the occupants and she hadn’t seen a woman and young boy traveling alone together. Jeff had thought of everything.
Andie glanced down at the driver’s side and the key dangling from the ignition. Except he’d left her with a means of escape.
She could simply drive off and leave him stranded. By the time he could arrange other transportation, she would be away from St. Lucas.
She shifted slightly, ready to lift Bobby off of her. Her gaze drifted to the stand where Jeff was buying her a hat. He could have left her on her own, or even turned her in to Kray but he hadn’t. Obviously he wasn’t overwhelmed by her feminine charms. If anything, he seemed to alternate between disgust and ambivalence. She trusted those feelings more than she would have trusted an unreserved effort of assistance. She didn’t know why he was on the island and she didn’t want to know. Was he part of some agency’s plan to capture Kray? She wouldn’t want to interfere with that. The sooner Kray was locked up for his crimes, the sooner she and Bobby would be safe from him.
Her indecision cost precious time, and before she could make up her mind, Jeff had paid the old woman and was starting back toward them.
She glanced from the dangling key to him, and saw the exact moment he figured out what she was thinking. His pace didn’t increase or his stride lengthen, but his shoulders straightened slightly and his gaze narrowed.
“You made the right decision,” he said, tossing her a paper bag and sliding into the driver’s seat.
“What would you have done if I’d gone?” she asked, then told herself she was a fool for wanting to know. The way her luck was running, Jeff would tell her the truth.
“Either fired a shot and blown out one of the tires, or told Kray where you were going.”
“Whatever happened to chivalry?”
“Put on your hat so we can get out of here.” He waited until she’d set the large-brimmed straw hat on her head before starting the engine and pulling out onto the road.
The bag also contained sunglasses and a gauzy cotton shirt in bright blue. “What’s this for?” she asked.
“When you get to San Juan, dump the jeans. Buy some shorts. You’ll look more like a tourist. The shirt is something for you to wear until you can stock up on supplies. If the pilot describes you to Kray, you don’t want to make it easy for his men to find you.”
Even as he gave her instructions, his voice was edged with contempt. “Why do you hate me?” she blurted out.
Jeff was silent so long, she decided he wasn’t going to answer. Just as well. It didn’t matter what he thought of her. She needed to concentrate on Bobby and how to keep him safe.
The road narrowed and a small plane flew overhead. The thick island air seemed to press down upon her. Six and a half years ago, she’d thought St. Lucas was paradise. Now it was a prison.
They rounded a bend in the road. Up ahead was a collection of wooden buildings, all small and in need of paint. Tin roofs rusted from the elements. An assortment of planes stretched out next to a long single runway. The plane she’d seen in the air came down slowly, drifting like a leaf on a breeze. Its engine got louder as it descended; then the plane touched down and rolled to a stop.
“We made it,” she said, shaking Bobby gently. “Come on, honey, wake up.”
Bobby stirred on her lap. “I’m hungry.”
“I know. There’s some bread.”
He shook his head. “I wanna hot dog.”
“In a couple of hours we’ll be in San Juan and I’ll buy you three hot dogs.”
Hazel eyes stared sleepily up at her. “With ‘tato chips?”
“Sure, and a soda, too. But not yet, okay?”
Bobby nodded.
Jeff pulled up in front of the large building and turned off the engine. Andie gave him a tight smile. “Thanks for the lift and the lesson in survival.” She touched her wide-brimmed hat. “We’ll be fine from here.”
He nodded. “I’ll stay to see that you get off all right.”
“It’s not necessary.”
“It is to me.”
“Yeah, right. That’s why you’ve been so friendly to me.”
Blue eyes met and held her own. Something ugly and painful flashed across his expression. Something that made her want to touch him and ease the suffering. Then it was gone and she was looking at the cool expression of a handsome, but deadly stranger.
“It’s not you. It’s your lousy taste in men.”
If he was talking about Kray, she had no rebuttal. She understood why he made his judgment, but she didn’t have to like it. “Everybody gets one mistake. He’s mine,” she said flippantly, so he wouldn’t know how his words had stung. “Come on, Bobby. Let’s go find our pilot.”
She collected her small cloth suitcase and filled it with the remaining water bottles. Bobby refused any bread or fruit, stubbornly insisting he wanted a hot dog. Andie prayed for patience.
When she’d settled her purse strap over her shoulder, she looked at the buildings, then started out toward the largest. It wasn’t much bigger than a two-car garage, but she could hear voices from inside. Before she entered the building, Jeff touched her arm.
“Let me keep the boy,” he said.
She stared up at him as her heart began to pound against her ribs. Oh, no. Not that. She’d trusted him and now he was going to steal her child? It wasn’t fair. She glanced around wildly for a weapon or something to hold him off.
He grabbed her arm. “Dammit, that’s not what I meant.” His fingers bit into her. “Stop it, Andie. I’m not going to hurt you or Bobby.”
She swallowed the fear and struggled for control. “Then what are you saying?”
“I don’t like this.” He jerked his head toward the building. “It’s been too easy and I have a bad feeling. What I’m saying is that I’ll stay here with Bobby while you go make your deal with the pilot. If something happens—I’m not saying it will—but if something happens, he won’t know about Bobby.”
“What could happen?”
From Jeff’s shuttered expression, he could probably name her a hundred things, but he didn’t detail them. Instead, he shrugged as if to say it was up to her.
He made sense. She hated that. He didn’t like her because of Kray and he expected her to leave her son with him? She couldn’t.
She didn’t have another choice.
“Stand just outside the door so I can see you,” she said, then looked at Bobby and tried to smile. “Stay here with Jeff. I’ll be right back.”
“But I’m hungry.”
“I know.” Andie left her suitcase beside Bobby, then straightened her back and marched into the building. When she crossed the threshold, she looked back to make sure Jeff was right where she’d left him. He was.
Inside the building, several large airplane engines lay in pieces. Four men were bent over different workbenches. The room smelled of sweat, beer and machine oil. Andie walked to a cleared section in the center and waited for someone to notice her. Finally, the dark-haired man closest to her looked up.
“Can I help you, lady?” he asked, getting to his feet and smiling at her.
She smiled tightly back and was grateful Jeff’s hat hid her hair color. The way this man’s gaze was roving over her body, he would have every detail memorized.
She glanced at his wrist, but didn’t see a snake tattoo. “I’m here to meet a pilot. His name is Michael.”
The dark-haired man frowned. “Michael no here.”
“We were supposed to meet at one.”
“Michael no coming in.”
She didn’t like this one bit. Andie glanced over her shoulder. Jeff and Bobby weren’t in the doorway. She was about to panic, when she saw a flash of red from Jeff’s tank top. They were just outside the door, keeping out of sight. She hadn’t completely agreed with the precaution before, but the bad feeling growing in her stomach told her it was for the best.
“Why won’t he be in?”
Dark brown eyes met hers. “None of the pilots are coming in today. All flights out have been canceled.”
“Canceled? Why? The weather’s perfect.”
“Not weather, lady.” The man pulled a rag out of his pocket and started cleaning his hands. “Orders. No flights leave today. Maybe not tomorrow, either.”
Kray. He’d ordered the airport closed. Damn.
“You tell me what you want,” the man said, moving closer. “I can help.”
“I don’t need anything,” she said, backing up slowly. “Really. Michael was just going to…ah, he was going to give me a tour of the island from the air. He was recommended by my boss back in New Jersey.”
“Michael no give tours,” the man said. “Who are you? What’s your name?”
From behind her came a sharp cry. “Let me go! Mommy, make him let me go. I’m hungry. I want a hot dog.”
The man whirled toward the sound. “Who’s that? Your boy?”
He said something in a language she’d never heard before. The other three men rose from their benches.
“Dammit, run,” Jeff called to her.
She turned and ran. The mechanic raced after her.
By the time she reached the open door, Jeff already had the Jeep started and was circling around toward her. She heard the man behind her gaining. She dug deep for her fading last reserves and lunged for the vehicle. Jeff leaned across and opened the passenger’s door. Bobby was in the back seat, clinging to the sides, crying.
“Mommy, he’s right behind you. Mommy!”
The man reached for her. She felt the brush of his fingers against her back. She shrieked and dove for the seat. The man grabbed again, this time tugging off her wide-brimmed hat.
As the Jeep sped off, she glanced back and saw him staring after them. His expression hardened as he took in her features. A blond woman with a boy. He would be able to identify her to Kray.
She was trapped on Kray’s island, trying to kidnap Kray’s only son. She was alone with no way to escape. She looked at Jeff. He didn’t spare her a glance as he drove expertly over the winding roads, turning again and again, as if he feared they were being followed.
“You all right?” he asked at last.
“Yes,” she whispered, knowing she had to lie for Bobby’s sake at least.
“You can kiss your plane ride goodbye,” he said.
“I figured that.”
“Now what?” he asked.
Now what? she echoed silently, then bit down on her lower lip to stifle the sob that threatened. Now she looked until she found another way out.
Chapter 4
Jeff continued driving north, away from the city and away from Kray’s villa. He circled around small villages, turned onto one-lane roads, always keeping the ocean in sight and on his left.
The woman trembled. Every few seconds a tremor swept through her. She clasped her hands tightly together, her fingers squeezing so hard, the skin around her knuckles turned white. Even Bobby was quiet, as if he somehow understood the danger.
At the top of a rise, Jeff pulled into a dirt turnout. There weren’t any other cars or people around. With a quick jerk of the key, he shut off the engine. Instantly the silence swallowed them.
Straight ahead was the blue Caribbean sea. Below, waves slowly slipped ashore, aimlessly flowing onto the beach before retreating. Lush plants surrounded them. Large palm trees provided shade. After a few moments, the birds and insects scared off by the Jeep’s presence returned. The low hum of wings and sharp calls of separated mates filled the air.
He should have been able to smell the flowers, perhaps even the salty sea. Instead, there was only the scent of a woman’s fear. Andie Cochran had run out of options.