Covert Cargo. Elisabeth Rees
like him being smuggled over the border out at sea?”
She was right about one thing. He couldn’t discuss the matter in detail with her. “The coast guard has seen a small rise in people trafficking activity lately.” The word small didn’t even come close to describing the unprecedented levels of smuggling over the last two months. “We’re hoping to make a breakthrough soon.”
“What kind of people would put a child in a boat and transport him through a raging storm?” she asked. “Do you know much about the gang responsible?”
Dillon wished she would drop the subject. She was already in grave danger, and the less she knew the better. He needed to keep his focus firmly on the trafficking cartel and not protecting her. He was already concerned enough about her safety to sleep in her unsecured house overnight. That was as far as he wanted to go.
“Don’t start asking too many questions,” he said. “The coast guard is tracking the movements of these smugglers and we hope to make some arrests soon.” He drained his cup. “You already know too much, so it’s best to leave the investigation to the professionals.”
She looked a little hurt and he wished he hadn’t spoken so severely. But it was in her best interest. Driving Aziza to safety in Kabul had prevented him from helping others who needed him, and had resulted in their probable deaths. If Beth learned more information, then she would be even more at risk and would demand even more of his time. He felt as if he were walking a tightrope—one wrong move and someone would die. But who would it be?
“Okay,” she said. “I get it. I’ll butt out from now on. You’re the expert, after all.”
He looked at her gray eyes, startling in their clarity, and saw intelligence within. She was perceptive.
“So what’s your background?” she asked. He suspected she was fishing for more details on the case. “Carl said you came here from Maryland. I’m guessing Washington, DC.”
He had learned his cover story down pat. “Yeah,” he said. “I was working a boring desk job in the Office of Strategic Analysis, and I wanted to get back on the front line.” The act of lying to her again didn’t sit well with him, so he mixed in some truth. “For a long time, I couldn’t move away because I was taking care of my father, who was suffering with Alzheimer’s disease. After he died, I decided to make a change and take a new post.” He smiled. “I figured that moving over two thousand miles away was enough of a change.”
In reality, he had been based in Little Creek, Virginia, taking care of his father in Pittsburgh on weekends, while his sisters picked up the slack during the week. It had been hard work, but he was glad he did it. His father had spent the last few months of his life being looked after by those who loved him.
“That’s an honorable thing to do,” she said, clearly surprised. “Not many men have such a strong sense of family commitment these days.”
He noticed the way she flinched when she said these words, no doubt remembering the man who had so spectacularly dishonored her by abandoning her on their wedding day.
“There are plenty of honorable men around,” he said, thinking of the five men he had served with in Afghanistan during the Dark Skies Mission. “You just need to know where to look.”
She folded her arms across her chest. “I’m not looking.”
“I guessed that,” he said, placing his mug on the coffee table. He couldn’t blame her for deciding never to trust a man again. Any woman would probably do the same in her position.
“I’ll arrange the delivery of a new door from the hardware store tomorrow,” he said, inspecting the frame. “I’ll buy one as similar to the old one as possible, and once you put a new coat of paint on the walls, you’ll be almost as good as new.”
“Let me know how much everything costs,” she said, not looking him in the eye. “I’ll pay you back in full.”
He guessed that she was already concerned about the vet’s bill, and this was another expense that she just didn’t need. “We don’t need to talk money now,” he said. “You should go pack a bag. I’ll drive you to Helen’s house and stay with you until the protection team arrives.”
“Okay,” she said, turning to go through the door that led up a small flight of stairs to her bedroom. She looked back. “I appreciate everything you’re doing for me,” she said awkwardly. “It’s really kind of you to help me like this.”
He was surprised at her sudden and uncomfortable show of gratitude. He guessed that social interactions didn’t come naturally to her. “You’re welcome,” he said. “I’m glad to be able to do it.”
She smiled and disappeared through the door. He sat down on one of the chairs and let out a long, slow breath. He felt like a fraud for lying to her, especially considering she had commended his honor in taking care of his father. Being with her unsettled him. Just like the town of Bracelet Bay, Beth was beginning to creep into his affections, and he needed to put an immediate halt to it. He had no intention of getting too involved with her, and he couldn’t let her safety override the safety of the vulnerable people being trafficked into a life of misery. All he needed to do was keep an emotional distance, maintain a level head and stay resolute. How hard could it be?
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