“You want to know the truth?”
Gavin made an exaggerated face, practically rolling his eyes. “That would be a first.”
Lowering her eyes so he couldn’t see the hurt he just inflicted, she was aware she had no one to blame but herself. “I’ve never lied to you … I might had withheld certain facts, but I didn’t lie.”
He brought his hand to his ear to point at the black pearl. “How about this? You stole my earring, let me search around for it, and even waited in the car while I looked in the bar.”
“I didn’t tell you that you lost your earring; you assumed you had. That’s not my fault.”
A frown cut deep grooves across his forehead. “I could swear you used the word lost.”
“You must be mistaken.” She shrugged. “I’ve been nothing but truthful to you.” At least she hoped she had. Omitting certain facts wasn’t technically a lie, was it?
“Okay ….” Gavin sarcastically went on as if he didn’t believe her. “So, what truth were you about to tell me this time?”
Thinning her lips into a line, she showed him her irritation. “Never mind. If you’re going to be sarcastic, I’ll just keep it to myself.”
Gavin looked like he was a hairsbreadth from shaking her.
She decided to sit on her high horse another time—when she wasn’t already in fear for her life.
“I was just going to say, I’m usually nervous when I’m around you,” she admitted, embarrassed.
A soft bump as the plane landed forestalled any further conversation, bringing back the feeling of dread. Even with Gavin here, it was in full force as she uneasily began unbuckling her seat belt as the agents prepared to disembark.
Agent Collins made his way down the aisle toward them.
“Mrs. James, like I told you when we left Treepoint, we’ll all have to be isolated to make sure we don’t have the virus. Mr. Allerton has assured us that we will be given adjoining bungalows. The FBI doesn’t expect any complications and, hopefully, with your help, we will be able to get this charge against you resolved in an expediated manner.” Agent Collins then walked away from them to go outside.
Ginny rose to her feet to follow after him, but was halted when Gavin refused to budge.
“What charge?”
She sat back down. “Theft.”
“You’re shitting me?”
“I wish. Gavin, they are waiting for us. We can talk about this in our rooms.”
Reluctantly, Gavin stood up. “You don’t leave my side, you got me?”
“It’s pretty hard not to. You’re speaking loud enough they can hear you outside.”
Gavin moved out from the seats, taking her arm and holding onto her as they walked down the small aisle.
“It’s going to be okay, Gavin. The FBI has all of this planned out.” She didn’t know if she was trying to reassure him or herself as they stopped briefly before going outside.
“That’s what I’m afraid of.” Gripping her arm tightly, he then lowered his head to go through door.
Stepping out into the bright sunlight, Ginny saw the agents already waiting by two pastel-colored vehicles resembling Jeeps. “What are those? I’ve never seen those before,” Ginny asked.
“They’re Mokes.” Gavin paused, preventing her from going down the steps. “They’re military grade Jeeps. Don’t let their cute appearance fool you. They were made to go over any type of terrain.”
“I won’t.” Nodding her understanding that the Jeeps were wolves with sheep’s’ appearances, Gavin finally let them reach the ground.
Agent Collins escorted them to the first Moke. Taking the back seat while Collins took the front seat next to the driver, they waited for the other agents to get settled in the other Moke before the driver started moving away from the plane. The paved trail wound downward through the jungle, filled with towering palm trees swaying overhead in the salty air.
The overhead T-shaped bars weren’t wide enough to provide a shield from the sun, as the palm trees became sparser and the heart of the jungle gradually tamed. Small homes took the place of the dense foliage when the Mokes reached level ground.
The homes were small but designed to fit seamlessly into the landscape. So far, the island gave the impression of a vacation getaway rather than the headquarters of Allerton’s charity.
Ginny looked around with interest as they drove along at a slow speed. As they passed the market area, Ginny tried to remember if it was the same when she had been a child. Nothing seemed similar to her vague memories.
Deciding to stop pressuring herself, Ginny was unsure if her anxiety was the root of the problem or if the island had changed that much since she had been a child. But when they rounded a curve to drive along the ocean front, bringing her within sight of the building that she had once begged Manny to go inside of, it was just as she remembered.
The largest building on the island she had seen so far was surrounded by majestic palm trees. Three stories high, the palatial structure was big enough to be a hotel, with a balcony encompassing the top floor. On each side of the building, people were eating at tables underneath a colorful array of beach umbrellas. Waiters in black and white uniforms moved among the tables, serving the guests. It was weird that not one person glanced up to see the Mokes, the guests and waiters overlooking them as if they didn’t exist. Her sense of dread increased. Despite only being several feet away, Ginny found it their behavior disconcerting. Her group was being markedly ignored.
Turning her head, she met Gavin’s eyes and knew he was just as concerned.
Twisting herself forward in her seat, Ginny looked past Gavin to see the beach. The view before her was also one she remembered. Two rows of large boats were moored at the long dock, while the huge, more expensive yachts rocked on the sea farther out.
“It’s as beautiful as I remember.” Unaware of the soft sigh that escaped her, Ginny wanted to jump out of the Moke to walk along the pier and get a closer look at the stunning crafts.
Gavin reached out to take her hand, linking his fingers with hers, grabbing her attention. “Nuh-uh. You got in trouble the last time you did that.”
Ginny blushed. “I wasn’t going to jump out.”
“Seemed that way to me.”
“You’re mistaken,” she denied, turning redder as his eyebrows climbed caustically. He wasn’t buying her fib for a second. “Some habits are hard to deny,” she admitted, shamefaced.
“Nothing to be embarrassed about. I could get a hard-on for a few of those beauties myself.”
If she wasn’t embarrassed before, she was now.
“I think they’re pretty. I want to see what they look like inside, to see if they match the outside.” She tried to explain what she felt seeing the sleek, proud vessels.
“You want to get up close and personal.” His brow arched even higher.
She wasn’t dumb enough to respond to that. Giving him a cold shoulder, she pointedly ignored the boats and Gavin’s low laughter as they passed them.
“I bet you were a handful when you were a child.”
“I was an angel.”
“I think you still are.”
Unable to prevent herself, she turned back to him, expecting sarcasm. However, the sincerity she saw would have floored her if she’d been standing. Had he just said something nice to her twice in a row?