Her Very Strict Captain by Carpenter, Maggie (best book club books of all time TXT) 📗

imagine him in his underwear sniveling in a prison cell. How sinister and indomitable is he then?”

“Wow, that’s such a powerful image.”

“That’s how I see him. Weak, frightened, and utterly at my mercy. Does that make you feel better?”

“So much better,” she said gratefully. “I can breathe again.”

“Good, now get yourself together. I need to have breakfast and take off.”

As he strode from the room, she quickly straightened the bed and took a shower. Hurriedly toweling off and running her wide-tooth comb through her tousled, tangled tresses, she dressed in shorts and a T-shirt and headed to the kitchen. As she approached, she could hear Scott and Jack deep in conversation. Pausing at the door, she poked her head in.

“Do you two need to be alone?”

“No, in fact your timing is perfect,” Scott replied. “Come and join us.”

“Hi, Jack,” she said as she sat down. “How are you?”

“Great, really great,” he said with a grin. “There’s scrambled eggs with cheese and tomatoes in the blue bowl, and hash browns in the green one.”

“Fantastic, thanks, you should’ve been a chef.”

“So I’ve been told,” he said, rising to his feet. “I’m going to make more toast. Do you want a slice?”

“Yes, please.”

“We’ve been talking,” Scott began as she dished out her breakfast. “There’s a chance Jack may be bringing some people back here after he commandeers Conchello’s camp.”

“Really? You mean like prisoners?”

“I’d call them people of interest,” Jack declared, returning to his chair.

“This house is as secure as it gets,” Scott continued, “but if a few of Conchello’s men slip through the net, they could come up the hill and find this place, or lay low in the forest. I don’t want you anywhere near a group of ruthless drug dealers armed to the teeth.”

“Hey, I was in and out of Sonny’s mansion for over a year and that place was full of them.”

“And you had to dive off a second-story patio into a swimming pool to survive,” Scott declared. “Here it would be from a cliff into the ocean. Not a scenario I care to think about.”

“You dove off a second-story patio?” Jack exclaimed, staring at her.

“I was a college platform diver,” she muttered with a wave of her hand. “It was no big deal.”

“Ruthless drug dealers aside,” Scott continued, “if Jack does bring anyone back here for questioning, which is likely, it won’t be just overnight.”

“Stop! You’re totally confusing me. I’ll be in a surveillance van outside Conchello’s estate.”

“For the operation, yes, but you can’t come back.”

“Oh, I see,” she said with a relieved sigh. “You had me worried here for a minute.”

“Sorry, the point is, you need to pack up all your stuff. We’ll be staying at St. John.”

“Sure, no problem.”

“I have to get over there now, but pack all your stuff. I’ll send someone over to collect you around midday. The cove has to be kept clear, so you’ll be leaving from the marina. Emily will pick up and drive you there.”

“What if a civilian happens by and drops anchor?”

“One of my team will tell them there’s a biohazard in the area and they have to leave,” Jack answered, pushing back from the table and heading for the door. “Scott, it’s time to call Frank. I’ll meet you in the security room.”

“Good luck, Jack,” Elizabeth called after him.

“Thanks,” he said with a nod, then disappeared into the hall.

“I really like him,” she added, turning her eyes back to Scott.

“He’s a good guy, one of the best,” Scott murmured, “but I have to go. Finish your breakfast, then get your things together. I’ll be in the security room if you need me.”

Leaning in and kissing her on the cheek, he rose to his feet and walked briskly away.

She suddenly felt a knot in her stomach.

But it wasn’t related to Conchello’s party.

Or Jack’s attack on the camp.

Something imminent was in the air.

She just didn’t know what it was.

* * *

When the taxi had dropped Dan at the marina, his sharp eyes had noticed two men sitting in a car drinking coffee. It had been blatantly obvious they were on a stakeout. If they worked for Conchello, they’d be on the lookout for both him and Elizabeth. If they were cops, he’d be their target.

His pulse had ticked up, but reminding himself they were looking for an unkempt man with long dark hair, a thick mustache, and wearing crappy clothes, he walked confidently past them without incident.

Now carefully guiding the boat from the dock, he cruised through the bay, and into the open waters. The motorboat carried him swiftly toward his destination.

Initially he thought about Roxy, and what a stroke of luck it had been to connect with her, then his mind wandered to his short-term plans. He’d have to find a suitable rental, which wouldn’t be easy. Though he’d managed to rescue his wallet when he’d made his escape from the van, he couldn’t risk showing his badge or using his name.

But as the isolated island came into view, an idea popped into his head, and the more he thought about it, the more he believed he’d found the ideal solution. The plan consumed him, and he barely noticed the navy speedboat zipping by a short distance away.

Cruising into the cove, he was surprised to find it completely empty. He knew how to safely beach a boat close to the sand, but it had been a while, and he’d never done it alone. If anything went wrong he’d be in trouble. Nearing the beach, he ran through the steps in his mind, then went into action.

His long legs swiftly carrying him from the wheel to the transom to lower the anchor, he hurried back to the wheel, then returned to the anchor again. Quickly finding a rhythm, in just a few minutes, the boat was secure and he was climbing down into knee-high water.

Jogging across the beach, he saw the track up the hill. If Scott’s home was a twenty-minute walk, his long stride would put him in