“Ashley’s been spying on me for over a year.” She clenched her jaw and lifted her gaze. “I’m the reason she was at the Bonaventure the night you helped John rescue Harmony from the underground chapel.”
“What?” Drake frowned. “How?”
She swallowed the lump in her throat. “Queenie.” Her mouth went dry. “Ashley is Queenie on Skull & Crossbones. We were playing online the night I went with David to the Bonaventure.” Her voice wavered as she forced the words out. “I confided in her. She knows everything.”
Chapter Twenty-Two
Drake tucked his cell back into his jeans. Agent Bale was getting a warrant for Ashley, so Drake was going to keep Heather far from her sister’s reach until Ashley was safely behind bars. Colton and the crew were on board to set sail. No big surprise. They usually jumped at any chance to get back out on the water.
Sailing the Sea Dog took a lot of work, so he appreciated his crew jumping into action to help him with his double-edged plan. Drake wasn’t sure it would cheer Heather up, but he had to try, and at least she’d be safe out on the open sea.
Heather sat across the room on the sofa. She’d been staring at her laptop for the past half hour. Discovering her twin sister had deceived her, pretending to be her closest friend Queenie, had left her withdrawn and quiet. Strangely, it made him nervous.
This wasn’t about him. He knew that. It didn’t stop his heart from clenching at the distance growing between them. The last time he’d been in love, he’d lost. Losing Heather wasn’t something he even wanted to contemplate.
He’d been trying to give her space to sort everything out. Hell, until today she’d been defending Ashley. Still, he couldn’t sit back and watch her withdraw even more. He wanted to help, hence the plan.
Drake wandered over and settled beside her. “I think we need to get out of this house, love.”
“It’s still light out.” She glanced at the window and back to his face. “I’d have to cover up from the sun.”
“Cover all you like.” He shrugged and grinned, hoping to persuade her. “Let’s get some fresh air and watch the sunset.”
She rested her hand on his thigh. “Maybe we should wait until the sun is already set.”
He placed his hand over hers. “There’s no better way to watch the sun go down than on the open ocean.”
Her eyes widened. “You want to go sailing? Now?”
“Aye.” He searched her eyes. “Your sister won’t be able to find us in the middle of the sea. Bale told me he’s getting a warrant to arrest her. We’ll be far from here while he does. We can relax.” He kissed her forehead, praying she’d say yes. “Colton’s getting our skeleton crew together, and One-Eyed Bob is already loading up the galley to make us dinner at sea.” He squeezed her hands. “Say yes.”
The corners of her beautiful mouth started to curve up into a smile that banished some of the worry festering in his gut. “Yes.” She leaned in to kiss his cheek. “I’ll go get dressed.”
When she came back downstairs, a sleek black leather glove covered her hand as it slid along the banister, and her long purple skirt dragged on each step behind her. She wore black lace-up boots, a long-sleeved rose-colored shirt, and her silver hair was braided down over her shoulder. And on her head, a large brimmed black straw hat kept her face under its shadow.
Even with every inch of her body covered, she was still the sexiest woman he’d ever seen. There was no one else on earth like her, and she wanted to spend time with him. When had he gotten so damned lucky?
She held up a pair of dark glasses. “I’m ready.”
He stood and took her other gloved hand. “Let’s get to the Sea Dog.”
She nodded and followed him to the truck. He helped her inside and studied her face, wishing he could see her eyes behind the dark glasses. “Everything is going to be all right, love. We’ll stop Ashley.”
Heather set her jaw. “I know.”
“Then what’s bothering you?”
“It’s just a lot to process.” She pressed her lips together and then forced a smile. “I’ll be fine. I just need some time.”
His gut twisted as he shut the door and moved to the driver’s side. She was building a wall between them. He couldn’t see it with his eyes; his heart sensed it. And he had no idea why.
Grinding his teeth, he started the engine. Once they got out on the water, he’d make things right again. Walls could be torn down.
…
Drake’s truck vibrated, rattling her teeth as they drove along the Savannah River toward the dock. She glanced at his hands gripping the steering wheel, remembering the way he’d held her the night before. The way he’d looked at her like she was the only woman in the world. She rolled her eyes at herself and stared out the passenger window.
This was a mistake. She shouldn’t have agreed to go sailing with him. Every moment she spent with Drake made the thought of leaving him more unbearable. Even during the silence of the drive, his scent intoxicated her.
She couldn’t ignore the fact that if they stayed on this course, he’d have another death to mourn. She could save him from that. Maybe he’d find someone else more willing to drink from that cup. Okay, imagining those hands holding another woman made her want to scream.
She closed her eyes and took a slow breath. Right now she needed to focus on stopping her sister. Once they had the figurehead, and Ashley couldn’t attack anyone else, she’d muster her will and explain to Drake that because she loved him, she couldn’t stomach the thought of him watching her
