Part 7 (1/2)
”Get over it,” Jeff growled, not even glancing back at her. ”Better for them to think we're rude than for you and the kid to get caught.”
He had a point there. But Andie had disliked deceiving the older couple. They'd been sonice, sitting with her while Jeff had gone shopping. It had been easy to pretend, just for a few minutes, that everything was fine.
They reached the Jeep without incident. Within minutes, they were speeding out of town, heading north along the coastal road.
”Maybe in a few weeks I can drop them a note and explain,” she said, half to herself.
Jeff shook his head in disgust. ”You exchanged addresses?”
”I gave them a false one.”
He mumbled something. She couldn't catch all the words, but had a feeling he wasn't praising her. ”I'm sorry I'm not like you,” she said, folding her arms over her chest. ”Lies and deception aren't that easy for me. I haven't made a career of studying thetao of James Bond.”
Jeff glared at her briefly before returning his attention to the road. ”You've spent the last five years living a lie, babe.”
She opened her mouth to protest her innocence,then closed it slowly. He was right. Everything about her life was pretend. She'd never told a soul about Kray, not even Bobby. She'd avoided friends and close relations.h.i.+ps because she couldn't afford the questions.
”It must get boring always being right,” she said.
He didn't answer.
Andie glanced at Bobby, but he was involved with his new toys, lost in a child's imaginary world. He didn't notice the tension in the Jeep or her own fragile hold on sanity. She felt that if one more thing went wrong, she was going to crack into a thousand pieces and never be whole again.
She s.h.i.+fted the bags in her arms. One of them held clothing andtoiletries, the others were filled with food. Bread, fish wrapped in paper, vegetables, mangoes, bananas and a p.r.i.c.kly yellow fruit she'd never seen before.
He'd thought of just about everything. She stared straight ahead, but could still see him out of the corner of her eye. He drove competently, turning on unmarked roads, keeping to the speed limit, constantly checking the mirrors. Had she made the right decision, or was this all an elaborate trick to hand her over to Kray?
Andie shook her head. She couldn't think like that. She didn't have the strength. She'd chosen to trust Jeff with-no-last-name, and by G.o.d, she would trust him. Second-guessing would only make her crazy.
”Where are we going?” she asked when the silence became unbearable.
”I've got a house. We'll stay there until I can make arrangements to get the two of you off the island.”
A house. That sounded nice. Maybe she would sleep tonight. She hadn't slept much since Kray had stolen her son. He'd come in the early evening, barely knocking before his men had broken in the door.
She stiffened at the memory. ”How do you know he won't find us? You said he owns the entire island.”
Jeff surprised her by grinning. ”We're safe there.”
”But how do you know?”
His grin broadened. ”Kray owns the house. He's given it to one of his trusted lieutenants whois currently living in the States.Mando , his a.s.sociate, uses the house to reward faithful workers. A recent run-in with the law has detainedMando in a high-security facility. The man who had earned a couple of months in the sun has also been detained. They were nice enough to give our men the key. So don't worry. There's no leasing agent, no contracts, no way to trace the house to me.”
”You must love the irony of the situation,” she said leaning back in the seat.
”It has a certain appeal.”
The road curved to the right, away from the ocean, then angled up hill. Jeff downs.h.i.+fted. The Jeep moved along the road. Through the tangle of trees and brush she could see the occasional narrow paths veering off. Without warning, he turned left and started down a narrow trail.
”We're here,” he said.
Andie could feel the perspiration on her back and her neck. The moment of truth. What would be waiting at the end of the dirt road? There was barely enough room for the vehicle. Trees and vines grew together, making their route a tunnel. The temperature dropped slightly, but it was still humid.
She glanced at the back seat and saw Bobby had dozed off. His limp body didn't budge as the vehicle bounced over the rutted road.
”We're at the north end of the island,” Jeff said. ”The jungle comes right down to the ocean. This house sits in a cove protected by rocks. You can't get in from the water. Even a rubber raft would get chewed up.There's trees on both sides of the property and no one around for about three miles. The house can't be seen from the water unless the boat is directly in front of it. The locals know to avoid any land that belongs to Kray. Unless you plan on setting off fireworks, no one will know we're here.”
”How comforting.”
He ignored her sarcasm. ”There's a pool. Don't let the kid swim in the ocean. The current is strong and the rocks are only about ten feet out. Stay near the house. The sandy areas are safe. The only variety of poisonous snake is pretty shy, but there are a couple of deadly lizards and spiders in the underbrush.”
”I'm not sure if you're trying to make me feel better or frighten me.”
”I'm telling you what you need to know to stay alive.”
At that moment they broke through the tunnel of trees and vines and drove into the sunlight and onto the beach. A one-story house sat in front of a large oval pool. Beyond the sandy yard,blue ocean stretched on forever. The rocks jutted out of the water like ancient sentries guarding the property. It was a place for lovers. A haven. When Jeff stopped the Jeep, Andie scrambled out. Once again, she was a fraud. The absence of motion woke Bobby. He sat up and stared at the pool. ”Golly, Mom, can we go swimming?”
Jeff got out more slowly and stretched. ”The pool's safe enough,” he said. ”Can you swim, partner?”
Bobby nodded vigorously. ”I've had lessons,” he said importantly.
”Good for you.” Jeff picked up the shopping bags. ”I bought him swimming trunks.”
”Thanks.” Being a good spy, he'd probably thought of everything. No doubt there was a shoe phone, as well.
Andie grabbed the bags he'd given her to carry,then reached for her purse. Together, the three of them walked toward the house.
The wood-and-stucco building was bigger than she'd first thought. There was a wide veranda all along the front with a swing half-hidden in the shade at the far end. Jeff unlocked the front door,then went inside. Andie followed more slowly.
Bobby ran around the porch, his arms held out from his sides. ”I'm an airplane,” he called loudly. ”I can fly us back home, Mommy. Look at me.”
”Fly yourself over here and let's go inside,” she said.
Bobby swerved in front of her, stopping long enough to smile up at her, then stepped into the house. Considering all he'd been through, her son was holding up very well. That was something.
She stepped into the house,then paused as her eyes adjusted to the dimness. The entire front section was one large room. The furnis.h.i.+ngs were practical wicker and wood, with cloth cus.h.i.+ons, but they were high quality. Several paintings filled the white walls. There was a bookshelf between the two side windows, and a view of the ocean. As Jeff moved around opening windows, she could hear the sound of the surf pounding on the sand.
”Groceries go in the kitchen,” he said, pointing to her left.
She walked through an informal dining area, then into a s.p.a.cious kitchen complete with a built-in grill and microwave. She set the bags on the counter.
”There's electricity,” Jeff said, following her and setting down two bags of his own. ”It's a little erratic, but there's also a generator out back.” He dug through one of the bags, pulled out a papaya,then handed the bag to her. ”I got a couple of things for you.”
Before she could look inside, or thank him, he was moving away. ”The bedrooms are down here,” he said.
She went after him. Bobby trailed behind her. ”The master suite,” Jeff said, jerking his head toward a half-open door. She caught a glimpse of a king-size bed and more windows.