Island Holiday (Brookwell Island #4)

Chapter 9

As Connor drove them to the airport, Sonya was impressed once again with him specifically and the Guardian Agency in general. They’d notified Jess and their bosses in Chicago. Jess had coordinated with the Charlotte police, sending a detective to the condo to take statements and confiscate the stash before Connor and Sonya vacated the premises. After that, they intended to hang around in case someone other than a guest showed up.

During Sonya’s short tenure, her view of how things worked at the agency had been purposely narrow. She hadn’t really wanted to know many details beyond her role with a case. Didn’t see the need. Until Zimmer, she happily stayed in her lane, limiting her connections to other employees.

People scared her. More accurately, she was afraid of what they might learn about her if she let anyone get too close. She feared rejection, being cast out when people discovered where she came from.

Seriously, it was a miracle she’d found such solid, loving family ties with Harper and Hannah. And now Connor.

She wasn’t afraid of him. Well, she was afraid of the inevitable heartache. She was too attached already, truly enjoying working with a partner. That hadn’t been part of her plan at all. And while the sex had been phenomenal, even before they’d taken that leap, she’d felt herself wishing for a friendship that couldn’t possibly stand the test of long distances.

Romance? Ha! Not a chance.

Although…

She let herself dream for a minute as she studied his handsome profile. He was so different from the men she’d grown up with. Those liars and thieves had always been looking out for themselves and what they could personally gain.

Connor was perpetually focused on others. Even while driving he was focused and attentive, monitoring his mirrors, minding the speed limit, and otherwise being smart and courteous. The man was special. If they parted ways in a day or two, he’d still managed to reset her standards. He made her feel special and valued. Anyone else in her future would be hard pressed to measure up.

Before she realized what she was doing, she reached over and covered his hand with hers where it rested on the console between them. Her body seemed to be choosing to make the most of every possible minute.

He glanced over. “You’re in deep thoughts.”

How did he do that? No one ever read her so easily, or got it right so often. “I am,” she admitted.

“Care to share?”

Not even a little bit. She chuckled, buying time to think of something pertaining to the case. “I’ve been wondering how in the world Zimmer figured out I caught on to his scheme. There’s nothing in his background to indicate he has the skills to recognize my electronic snooping.”

“And yet, he sent someone after you.”

She couldn’t deny it. “Obviously, I need more field training.”

“Or just someone watching your back.”

The grin he shot her implied he’d gladly accept the role. The awareness made her stomach flutter and she resisted the urge to get flirty. “Despite my clunky in-person efforts, I don’t think he would’ve done anything about that. I think someone hiding in the shell companies feeding that project account noticed me snooping around.”

“How would that work?” His gaze cycled through his mirrors once more and his brow furrowed.

“I’m careful about not leaving a trail when I dig into financial backgrounds, but I clearly made a mistake or didn’t see a tripwire.”

“Which you weren’t expecting Zimmer to have in place.”

She appreciated him siding with her, but her assumptions and overconfidence might well become a bigger problem. “That’s no excuse for being lazy about it.”

“You’re the opposite of lazy.”

“It’s okay. I’m not thrilled to discover my mistakes, but I’ll learn. I’ll get better.”

His hands tightened on the steering wheel and he changed lanes. His jaw was set in a hard line, not the least bit softened by the beard.

“You’re damn close to perfect right now.”

“Connor?”

He shifted in the seat, changing lanes once more and punching the gas. “I’ve seen people screw up, Sonya. Hell, I’ve been the screw up.”

She’d have to take his word on that, having only seen him work hard and solve problems. “Are we late?” she asked quietly. “Won’t the charter plane wait for us?”

“We’re being tailed,” he muttered. “But that’s not the point.”

She swiveled in her seat, looking for the vehicle he was concerned about. If being followed wasn’t the point, what was? She reached for her phone. “Which car is it? I’ll call someone.”

“We’re on our own.” He checked the rearview mirror again. “Trust me?”

“You really need to ask?”

“Yes,” he grumbled.

Another lane change. Was he trying to draw police attention? “Yes! I trust you.”

“Thanks.”

He handled the car like a pro, raising more questions in her mind about his past and his training. Traffic was always thick around the city, but it was comparatively light at the moment. She wasn’t sure if that worked to their advantage.

She jerked around at the sound of a car horn and watched a small pickup race right up on their bumper, cutting off the car between them. The pickup swerved into the adjacent lane and back when the driver misjudged the space.

“He’s too focused on us,” she said to Connor. “He’ll cause a wreck out here.”

“Get down!” Connor grabbed her shoulder, trying to force her forward. “He’s got a gun.”

“What?”

She believed him and ducked as low as she could go. The seatbelt grabbed her, making it hard to talk while Connor continued to evade their pursuers. “I’m calling 911.”

The car jerked and she dropped the phone to the floorboards. She’d have to unbuckle her seatbelt to reach it. The engine revved as Connor punched the gas and more horns blared.

“Talk to me,” she pleaded.

“Stay down.”

She’d hoped for more information. Real intel. “I can’t reach the phone.” She started to sit up, reaching for the seatbelt release.

“No!” His shout was drowned out by a loud pop, glass shattering, and the rush of wind. Connor was swearing under his breath.

“They shot at us?”

He didn’t answer, focused on keeping them alive. “Hang on.”

She did her best as the car swayed. Queasy, she focused on a spot on the floor, grateful she wasn’t watching him navigate the traffic. He took a couple more sharp turns then a smooth acceleration before the tire sounds changed again.

“You can sit up,” he said. “We’re clear for now.”

She wasn’t a big fan of the “for now” part, but she grabbed her phone and sat upright in the seat once more. It took her a second to get her bearings. They were a ways off the normal route to the airport.

“I’m turning around in a minute,” he said, as if reading her mind.

“Okay.”

“It’s a charter,” he added.

“Right.” She tried to laugh it off, break the tension. “It’s tough to drop the regular airline-flight stress.”

“Is that why you drive everywhere?”

“Pardon me?”

He checked his mirrors and seemed to relax. “Stress. Is that why you drive more than you fly?”

She reminded herself he hadn’t actually been creepy when he’d watched over her. Not like he used the intel to his advantage or anything. As far as she could tell, she’d simply had a guardian angel she hadn’t known about.

“No. That’s a combo of control and fear.” Before he could ask, she supplied, “Control over the route and the schedule. Fear of being followed. Except… I was being followed. In a good way.” She reached over and patted his shoulder. “Thank you for that.”

“Seriously?”

“Yes.” She checked the side mirror. “This situation has shown me the error of my ways. I love roaming. I don’t see that changing. I considered it the safest option, but that only holds true if someone knows where I am.” She hesitated for a few thudding heartbeats. “Will that still be you, even when the Zimmer case is done?”

He took a big breath, let it out slowly. “It can be.”

She suspected there were a lot of big thoughts rolling through his mind, but he was driving and the adrenaline was still dialed up so she didn’t ask more questions. Not until he maneuvered to an exit, leaving the interstate, and heading into a more undesirable part of town. One she knew too well. Her stomach cramped and her pulse pounded in her ears. He couldn’t possibly want to drive by her old neighborhood. “What are you doing?”

“Trust. Me.” He caught her hand and gave her a quick squeeze.

She swallowed, talking herself out of a panic attack. He wouldn’t hurt her—emotionally or physically. And he hadn’t once judged her. “I do.” Her voice cracked and she cleared her throat. “I do trust you, Connor.”

“Looks like we lost them. I’ll get us to the airport the back way.”

“If you say so.” She braced as he sped through an intersection before the yellow light turned red. “I guess there’s no point in calling 911 now. Want me to call the office?”

“Once we’re at the hangar. Don’t need the distractions. Not taking chances with you.”

“Me?” She couldn’t make that declaration fit. “I don’t matter.” Those girls mattered. Getting to the bottom of Zimmer’s weird scheme mattered.

“Wrong,” he snapped. “You matter. To me. You are the key to resolving this case.”

“I’m—”

“Don’t argue with the driver,” he said, with a little less heat in his voice. “You matter, Sonya. Most people ignore things, let others take action or make changes. You go in and do something about it.”

In this instance, her actions could’ve caused more problems. An uncomfortable pinch caught her breath. “How are you so sure that’s a good thing?” And why did his opinion mean so much to her after such a short acquaintance?

“You were a victim once, but you took steps and changed things. You made decisions that put you in a position to help. From my research and what you’ve said, you never had the easy road and you didn’t let that stop you. You made your life better. And here you are, ready to dive in and do whatever is necessary to help others.”

“To be fair, helping you helps me.”

“Stop it. Accept the compliment and the admiration.”

Admiration. She couldn’t deny the sweet ego boost his words gave her. “All right.”

It helped to see the airport coming into view. He’d found the back way without getting lost in the warren of her old neighborhood after all.

He remained on high alert, as if he expected whoever was tailing them to pop out of the shadows near the hangar, but they managed to get on the chartered plane without any further incident.

While the pilots prepped for take-off, the two of them called the office to give an update. Swann took the call, explaining that Gamble was out of the office for the holiday.

“You’re safe?” It was Swann’s first question after Connor rattled off their status.

“We are,” Sonya replied immediately. Connor was still stiff, jaw locked. “We’ll be happier once we’re in the air,” she admitted. Connor nodded in agreement, although Swann couldn’t see the gesture.

“Good. We’re coordinating with the Charlotte PD. Excellent find, Sonya.”

“Team effort,” she replied. It was scary to think how long it might’ve taken her to attempt a physical search without Connor’s partnership. “Has anyone found any signs of exchanges in other rentals?”

“Not yet,” Swann admitted. “We’re creating a list and we’ll work it thoroughly.”

Because Gamble, Swann, and the security agency they managed never did anything halfway. She appreciated that more than she could express right now. “Thank you.”

“Any status update on the three women?” Connor asked.

“Afraid not. By the time we had someone in the area, they were gone. The gym didn’t have any contact information beyond a single phone number. Currently, calls are unanswered, texts are unread, and the voicemail box isn’t set up.”

Connor swore under his breath, a perfect echo of her feelings.

“I’ll track down Zimmer as soon as possible,” Sonya volunteered. “Maybe his credit card will lead us to wherever they are.”

“We’re monitoring all public transit,” Swann assured them. “Harder to pinpoint if they’re using private transportation, but we won’t give up.”

“Focus the search on Brookwell Island and expand as needed,” Sonya suggested. “Zimmer wasn’t visiting solely as a tourist.” She made a mental note to investigate the private boat tours and fishing charter companies operating out of Brookwell.

“Good idea,” Swann agreed. “Jess confirmed that Zimmer left the B&B. I’ve asked her to go back and search the room for any similar stashes.”

“I’ll send an update as soon as possible,” Sonya promised.

“Thank you both for your dedication,” Swann said. “I’m sure this isn’t the holiday season either of you anticipated.”

Sonya definitely hadn’t anticipated Connor or any of the events that followed—good and bad. She’d planned on a relatively quiet Christmas with her chosen sisters and family. Getting partnered with Connor wasn’t only an advantage for the missing young women. His presence had become an important development for her, both personally and professionally. She wasn’t great at reading people, but she could see he needed help breaking the stress cycle.

“Nothing wrong with a little adventure with co-workers,” she said, trying to bring that light back into Connor’s eyes. His body was still practically vibrating after the chase and being shot at. “We’re safe, thanks to Connor’s quick thinking. And soon we’ll be back tracking Zimmer and those women. We are making progress.” She gave him a nudge.

“She’s right,” Connor agreed. “Adventures and traditions both keep the holidays interesting.” His mouth twitched when he looked at her. “And progress.”

“It’s a short flight, but try and get some rest,” Swann suggested. “Don’t worry about the car. I’ve got someone on the way. You two can get back to it once you reach the hotel. Whatever you need from our end, just ask.”

“Thank you,” Sonya said. Connor echoed the gratitude a beat later.

The call ended and they were left staring at each other over the device. She had no idea what to say. Or do.

“We need to go.”