Eleven
“Great work finding out about that ink, Lieutenant Holloway. I knew there was no way Swan would have betrayed her country.”
“Yes, sir. Those are my thoughts as well,” Flipper said. He had placed his CO on speakerphone so his SEAL teammates could listen to the call. “There’s no doubt in my mind the persons naval intelligence should be concentrating on are Rafe Duggers and Horacio Jacinto.”
“I agree. I met with Admiral Martin and Director Levart this morning and they concur there’s a mole within the organization.”
“By meeting with them, sir, does that mean you feel certain they can be totally trusted as well?” Flipper felt he had to ask.
“Yes, Lieutenant Holloway. I do. I know that because of what you discovered and what went down with Lieutenant Westmoreland a few years ago involving those moles at Homeland Security, you’re not sure who you can trust. I understand that. However, I assure you that you can trust the three of us to protect Swan with our lives if we have to. We knew she was innocent, which was why we sent you there to prove we were right. You have. Now it’s up to us to find out who’s behind this and bring them to justice.”
“And in the meantime?”
“In the meantime, Lieutenant, you are free to consider this assignment completed. Go home to Texas and enjoy the remainder of your leave.”
There was no way he could consider this assignment completed, although under normal circumstances it would be once the CO said so. “I think I’ll hang around Key West for a while.”
“Why?” Commanding Officer Shields asked. “Do you think Swan’s life might be in immediate danger?”
“As long as Duggers and Jacinta don’t know they’re suspected of anything, then no. However...”
“However what, Lieutenant Holloway?”
Flipper had no problem being truthful to his CO. “However, Swan has come to mean a lot to me, sir.”
“Oh, I see.”
Flipper figured since his CO knew him so well, he did see. “In that case, Lieutenant Holloway, how you choose to spend the rest of your leave is your decision. But keep in mind, since this is an ongoing investigation, you cannot tell Swan anything, including your reason for being in the Keys in the first place. That in itself will place you in what might be perceived by her as a dishonorable situation.”
“I’m aware of that, sir, but I refuse to leave her until I have to. How long do you think it will take to wrap up the investigation?”
“Not sure. We will not only be investigating the original investigators but we’ll have to restart the entire case, making Duggers and Jacinta the primary suspects. If you remain in the Keys and notice anything I need to know, don’t hesitate to bring it to my attention.”
In other words, Commanding Officer Shields was pretty much giving Flipper the green light to do his own thing, unofficially. “Yes, sir.”
When Flipper clicked off the phone, he glanced up at his friends. “So what do you guys think?”
“Personally, I think you’re doing the right thing not leaving here until you’re certain Miss Jamison’s life is not in any danger,” Bane said.
“And since we don’t plan to leave until you do, it’s time we figure out just who is behind this,” Coop added.
“I agree with all the above,” Viper tacked on.
They all looked at Mac, who rubbed his chin as if contemplating something. Then he said, “Someone needs to play devil’s advocate, so I guess it has to be me.”
“No surprise there,” Bane said.
Mac shot Bane a glare and then glanced back at Flipper. “Think about what the CO said. You can’t tell Miss Jamison anything. Once she finds out the truth, that she was nothing more than an assignment to you, she’s not going to like it, no matter how noble or honorable your intentions might have been.”
Flipper drew in a deep breath. He knew Mac’s words to be true. Although Swan had yet to tell him anything about her affair with William Connors, it had been in the report. The man had betrayed her and there was a chance she would probably see Flipper as doing the same. “So, Mr. Know-It-All, what do you suggest I do?” he asked.
“Start drawing a line in your relationship and don’t cross it. In other words, stop seducing her,” Mac said.
Too late for that, Flipper thought. All he had to do was remember what they’d done yesterday in Swan’s office and again when he’d taken her home after dinner. Especially when he’d sat in one of her kitchen chairs and she’d straddled his body. The memories of what had started out in that chair and ended up in her bedroom made him feel hot. He hadn’t left her place until dawn this morning. There was no way he could put a freeze on his relationship with Swan like Mac was suggesting.
“That’s not an option, Mac. I’m going to do what I have to do now and worry about the consequences later.”
* * *
“What’s this about you having a boyfriend? I can’t leave you alone for one minute.”
Swan smiled when she glanced up at Rosie McCall, one of her frequent customers. Rosie, an older woman in her midforties who’d been away for the past three months visiting her family in Nevada, had returned to the Keys just yesterday. “I see Jamila has been talking again.”
“Doesn’t matter. So tell me, who is he?”
Swan closed the jewelry case. “First of all, he’s not my boyfriend. He’s just someone I’m seeing while he’s here on the island working, which won’t be much longer.”
“Um, short meaningless flings are the best kind. What’s his name?”
“David. David Holloway.”
“Where he is from?”
“Texas.”
“You said he’s here working. What does he do for a living?”
“Whoa, time-out,” Swan said, using her hand for the signal. “You don’t need to know all that. David’s a nice guy and that’s all you really need to know.”
She knew how Rosie liked to play matchmaker. She’d been the one who’d introduced Jamila to Horacio. Rosie had met him at one of the nightclubs and thought he was cute, too young for her but just the right age for Swan or Jamila. Swan hadn’t been interested in a blind date but Jamila had. Horacio and Jamila met, hit it off and had been an item ever since.
“You can’t blame me for being curious, Swan. You seldom date.”
“My choice, remember? Besides, you do it enough for the both of us.” And that was the truth. After her second divorce, Rosie had made it known she would never marry again but intended to date any man who asked her out as long as they were the right age. Not too old and not too young.
Rosie smiled. “Yes, I do, don’t I? But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t go out and have fun every once in a while. There’s more to life than this shop, Swan. I hope you’re finally finding that out.”
“Whatever.” Swan had heard it before and all from Rosie. She liked the older woman and thought she was a fun person who had a zeal for life. There was never a dull moment around her.
At that moment, the shop’s door chimed and Swan knew without looking in that direction that David had walked in. She also knew when he saw her with a customer that he would wait until she finished before approaching her.
Rosie leaned in. “Looks like you have a customer. Let’s hope he buys something since he came in a minute before closing.”
Swan inwardly smiled. “We can only hope, right?”
“But then he’s such a cutie. Look at him.”
Swan didn’t have to look at David to know what a cutie he was, but she did so anyway. He was browsing around the store wearing a pair of shorts and a sleeveless T-shirt with flip-flops on his feet. He looked laid-back and sexy as sin. “You’re right, he is a cutie.”
“I love those tattoos on his upper arms. Nice.”
“Yes, they are.” She knew Rosie was into tattoos and was one of Rafe’s frequent customers. The woman had them everywhere, visible and non-visible.
“You need to go wait on him. See what he wants. If he’s not sure, offer him a few things.”
Swan smiled. Little did Rosie know, but she intended to offer David a lot. “I will. Come on, I’ll walk you to the door. I’m officially closed now,” Swan said, coming from around the counter.
“You honestly want me to leave you here with him?” Rosie whispered. “For all you know he’s not safe.”
Swan chuckled and decided it was time for her to come clean. “He’s safe, Rosie. That’s David and he’s here to walk me home. I’ll introduce you on your way out the door.”
“You mean that gorgeous hunk is your guy?”
Swan glanced over at David again. He was definitely a gorgeous hunk but she couldn’t claim him as her guy. “Yes, he’s the guy I’ve been seeing a lot of lately.”
“Smart girl.”
David glanced up when they approached and gave her a huge smile. “Hi,” he greeted.
“Hi, David. I’d like you to meet Rosie McCall. A friend who has been away for the past few months and just returned back to the island. Rosie, this is David Holloway.”
David extended his hand. “Nice meeting you, Rosie.”
“Same here, David. I like your tattoos.”
“Thanks and I like yours,” he responded.
“Thanks. Well, I’ll be going. I hope you guys enjoy yourselves.”
“We will,” Swan said, smiling up at David. “I’ll be back after seeing Rosie out,” she told him.
He nodded. “Nice meeting you, Rosie.”
“Same here.”
Swan returned to David a few moments later, after putting up the Closed sign, locking the door and pulling down the shades. She turned and studied him as he stood across the room, looking so amazingly sexy. She felt a lump in her throat. She loved everything about him, especially the muscles beneath his shirt, the masculine thighs and his tanned skin.
“Got more sun today, I see.”
“Yes, I had to go out on the boat today.”
“One day you’re going to have to explain to me in detail just what your ocean duties entail.”
“I will. But for now, come here. I missed you today.”
She crossed the room to walk into his arms. “I missed you, too.”
“That’s good to know. Rosie seems like a nice person.”
“She is.”
“She has a lot of tattoos.”
Swan chuckled. “Yes, she does. She’s one of Rafe’s best customers.”
“Is that right?” David asked, still smiling. “He did an awesome job.”
She checked her watch. “We can leave as soon as I grab my purse.” They would be having dinner at Nathan Waterway and afterward would attend an art show. “I’ll be back in a second.”
* * *
Flipper watched Swan walk off toward her office while thinking of what she’d told him about Rosie McCall. He recalled what he’d overheard Rafe and Horacio arguing about that night behind this building. Ink and roses. Or had they said Rosie? Was she a part of the group? If she was, that meant she had an ulterior motive for befriending Swan.
Pulling his phone from his pocket he texted Nick. Check out Rosie McCall.
He received an immediate reply. Will do.
He then texted Bane. Excursion tonight.
The reply was quick. On it.
Most of today he and Viper had pretended to go fishing after Mac, who’d been tailing Rafe for the past two days, reported that Rafe had rented a boat and headed in the direction of another island close by. Today Flipper and Viper had also rented a boat, making sure they stayed a good distance behind Duggers.
The man had docked in Fleming Key. Bane and Cooper, who’d arrived ahead of them, picked up the tail on Rafe. It seemed the man had gone into a sports shop where he’d stayed for three hours.
Pretending to be two guys enjoying their time out on their boat, Flipper and Viper had waited at the pier and knew when Rafe had left the island to return to Key West. Mac had been there to pick up the tail and reported that the man had been carrying a package when he went inside his tattoo shop. A package Rafe had gotten from the sports shop, according to Bane and Coop.
“I’m ready.”
He looked up and when Swan met his gaze, she quickly clarified, “I’m ready for dinner.”
He placed his phone back into his pocket and smiled. “That’s all?”
The smile she returned made his insides quiver in anticipation. “For now, Mr. Holloway.”