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

But as he’d asked the question, a phone rang.

“If you need to take that, it’s fine with me,” Danny offered. “I could use a quick break.”

“Yeah, I do,” Scott replied, lifting his phone from his pocket and glancing at the screen. “I’ll only be a minute.”

As Scott stepped from the room, Danny rose to his feet, stretched his limbs, and ambled across to the kitchen window to stare out at the bay.

Scott intrigued him.

The security room in his house on the small island appeared to be some kind of command center, and Scott’s bearing and physique suggested a military background. Combined with his commanding presence, Danny didn’t doubt he was a leader, but was he FBI? DEA? CIA?

Glimpsing a yacht gliding through the water, Danny’s mind switched gears. Though his future was uncertain, and his stomach still churned from the dark memories, he was beginning to feel a sense of freedom. The thundercloud under which he’d lived for what seemed like a lifetime was breaking up, and shafts of sunlight were appearing through the gloom.

Hearing Scott return, he readied himself to give more information, but as he turned around he found Scott standing at the kitchen table wearing an odd expression.

“You’re not going to believe this,” Scott said dramatically. “That was one of my captains at the sailing school. A lawyer just called. He has a client who wants to meet me tonight to talk about chartering three of my boats. The lawyer’s name is Richard Hammond. I know Hammond works for Conchello. Danny, I’ve just been invited to Conchello’s party—as a VIP guest.”

Chapter 31

Scott would have to attend Conchello’s party unarmed, but Brad could equip him with glasses fitted with an earpiece, a transmitter, and a micro camera. After calling Frank to give him the update and introduce him to Danny, the chief decided he wanted Danny in the surveillance vehicle monitoring Scott to point out anything of note.

“Elizabeth said she’d be in that van,” Danny remarked. “It will be good to have another pair of eyes familiar with Conchello’s wild boys, especially with all those people in the house.”

“Yeah,” Scott muttered thoughtfully, realizing his anger had passed and Danny was right. Two pairs of eyes were better than one.

“But let’s talk about disabling that trap door,” Danny continued. “From the plans you showed me, the concrete room the victims fall into is next to the wine cellar, just as it was in the mansion back in Los Angeles. I’ll stay in the surveillance van if you want me to, but I can pick those locks, no problem. Climbing up that shaft to sabotage the trap door, though, I don’t know how that will be possible.”

“Then we just have to get into that room before Conchello can use it,” Scott said grimly.

“He sends the VIP guests on their way at midnight then bolts the door, and two guards stay in place at the top of the staircase,” Danny said. “I don’t know how you’ll get in or out once he’s done that.”

“Well, gentlemen, keep me posted,” Frank declared. “Danny, I’m very glad to have you on board. The information you’ve provided is invaluable, especially the password for Conchello’s security system. I’m still amazed it’s Rosemary’s Baby. I’m old enough to remember that horror film, but I’m surprised Conchello even knows about it.”

“It’s frighteningly fitting considering the evil in that film,” Scott remarked. “Irony is not lost on that man. I’ll check back soon.”

“We’ll keep working on ideas for that trap door on this end, but assume it’s not doable. You have to get the bastard and stop him.”

* * *

Danny needed to return Roxy’s boat to St. Thomas, so arrangements were made for Pete to pick him up at the Shady Shack early evening, take him back to St. John, and deliver him to the surveillance van.

“Where’s Elizabeth?” Danny asked as Scott walked him to the door. “I’d like to say goodbye.”

“I’ll tell her for you. She can’t come down at the moment.”

“Scott, I know she can be impetuous at times, and you’re probably not very happy that she took me into that room, but—”

“What makes you say that?”

“It was locked with a code box.”

“Ah,” Scott said with a nod.

“If you knew our history, and understood her state of mind at the time, I think you’d find her lapse in judgment understandable. Finding me at the front door was startling enough, then she heard I’d been posing as Dan Miller.”

“Don’t worry, I’m not an ogre and I’ll bear that in mind,” Scott promised. “I’ll also let her know you came to her defense.”

“I’ll always have her back,” Danny said with the hint of a smile. “I’ll see you later.”

But watching Danny stride to the car, another question suddenly flashed through Scott’s mind.

“Hey, Danny, how did you break into the Jeep?”

“I didn’t,” Danny replied. “I was curled up under the custom cover in the back. I climbed in when you parked at that small house where you held Jim.”

“But—you couldn’t possibly fit in there.”

“At some point I’ll show you how I did it,” Danny promised with a laugh, “assuming we both survive.”

As the car drove off, Scott tried to picture Danny hiding in the small space, but finding it completely ridiculous, and anxious to see Elizabeth, he hurried inside and ran up the stairs. Walking swiftly down the hall to the double doors, he entered the bedroom to find her sitting on her haunches. As she turned her head and lifted her sad eyes, his heart melted.

“I’m really sorry, Scott. Please forgive me.”

Quickly moving across the room, he helped her to her feet and wrapped her into his arms.

“I tried, but I couldn’t stay on my knees. They were killing me.”

“I’m sorry, I didn’t expect to be so long,” he apologized, an unexpected wave of guilt moving through him. “I have some good news. Danny is now officially part of the operation. He had a lot to offer.”

“I’m sure