Page 28 of Island Protector

“Tell me my gut isn’t the only one screaming this was a setup?” Miles couldn’t shake it. That’s where the facts were leading. First the custody paperwork, then the collision right as she sought some support.

“The police are handling the car accident. My priority is to help her through the custody issue.”

She’d pulled out the stern cop voice. Probably worked like a charm on most folks. “You don’t think the two events are related?”

“Miles, you are a sailing school instructor.”

True. And he was more. “We both know my skills are vast.”

Jess exhaled loudly, clearly exasperated with him. “Why are you testing me? I have other things to do. Personnel to oversee. You know, my regular job.”

“Hear me out.” Across the street, the dismissal bell sounded.

“As if I have a choice,” she grumbled.

“What if the collision was staged to make Molly look bad?” He refused to voice his fear that someone might’ve been trying to outright kill her to smooth the custody transition to the boy’s grandparents. “What if the escape was as deliberateas the accident because someone planned this carefully? Someone who’s been watching her.”

“Then you’d jump to the top of my suspect list,” Jess observed. “You watch Molly plenty.”

The car line started moving and Miles spotted Sharon’s spunky little crossover. Molly wasn’t with her. “Ha ha. I’d never do anything to jeopardize her.” He sent Molly a text, trying not to worry when she didn’t respond right away.

“Miles, I don’t disagree with you,” she admitted. “But until we can prove it, we’re in a holding pattern. They were hit at an intersection without any cameras nearby.”

All the more suspicious in his opinion. “There aren’t many cameras outside of Central,” he said. “Unless we’re looking at neighborhoods.” Of course, more cameras were in play around the marina because he’d installed them himself.

He waited until Bryce was buckled into the back seat and Sharon eased forward with the exiting traffic before he pulled away. He zipped along the back way to get to the marina ahead of them.

“With only two primary ways off the island, the collision has to be deliberate,” he insisted. “How else does the driver escape without a trace? She was targeted for a reason.”

“Have you told her how you feel?” Jess asked.

“What? Don’t change the subject.” He heard Jess snort, probably smothering a laugh. “This isn’t just because I like her.”

“Mm-hm. At least admit that it’s a factor.”

Miles curled his fingers around the steering wheel. “Fine. You’re right. I will keep protecting them.” And doing his own investigating.

“As long as she’s okay with that,” Jess warned.

“I told her I want to be more than friends.” Crap. He wanted to grab the words back. His personal life wasn’t her business, as long as he didn’t inadvertently get involved withsomeone who worked for the Vedras family. If he could be sure of anything, it was that Molly wasn’t part of that crew.

“Miles—”

“One more thing to consider,” he began. “Do you think the accident was a stunt to draw me out?” He couldn’t afford to dismiss any possibilities. “Should I call Knox?”

“I already did,” Jess said. “Everything that brushes up against you gets sent up the chain to headquarters.”

That couldn’t be true. He didn’t deserve that kind of attention or dedication. But she didn’t backpedal or downplay the statement. “Oh my God. You’re serious.”

“Yes, I am. Keeping you alive is serious business. I’ve explained that.”

Well, yeah. He assumed it was because someone might need him to testify. But he hadn’t believed he mattered. Not really. All his life, he’d been pretty much disposable. That basic opinion hadn’t changed until college when his professors discovered he was capable of creating code and apps that innovated and elevated remote security capabilities.

Hell, even during the Vedras operation, he’d felt disposable. Sure, the Guardian Agency had been thorough during his recruitment and training. They’d promised him layers of security protocols when he went undercover. But in the middle of it, the isolation was real. The loneliness had become his day-to-day truth, giving him too much time to dwell on his old fears of being overlooked and forgotten.

He’d lost faith that anyone was out there keeping tabs on him.

At the marina, he parked behind the office. “Should I mention it to Molly?”

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