Page 86 of Nowhere to Hide
I should have dropped my arm, but I didn’t want to.
Dangerous precedent, but her warmth and scent eased some of the anxiety brewing in my chest. After Milligan, I’d had a hard time being around people. It was why I’d left on my boat to start, but then it just kept getting easier to stay away.
The Kendrick Group paid me well, and I’d saved most of my earnings by living simply.
I didn’t need to return for years if I didn’t want to—if ever.
A pair of rambunctious boys started acting up beside us. The tired mother was losing her cool.
I was about to move us farther down the railing when Priscilla turned in my arms. “Will I be meeting some of your friends?”
I narrowed my eyes at her. “We’re not going to the tower.”
“Mr. Kendrick said he had details we should know. Don’t you think that’s a mistake?”
“I don’t like you out in the open.”
The older boy stumbled into me, and I caught him before he crashed into Cilla. “Careful.”
The kid stared up at me, his eyes wide. “What’s on your face?”
Cilla snickered.
My arm tightened around her. “What’s so funny?”
“You do have a wild animal on your face.”
I rubbed my cheek. “You try shaving on a boat. Not worth the cuts.”
“If you have clippers, I can do it for you.”
I just grunted.
The kid looked up at me. “Mom, he looks like?—”
The mother came up behind the boy and covered his mouth. “It’s impolite to point at people, Sam.” She gave me an uneasy smile. “I’m sorry about that. They had too much sugar.”
“No problem.”
They hurried off and I glanced down at Cilla. “Don’t give me that look.”
“No looks.” She turned around, but I could see the curve of her cheek as she stared out at the harbor growing closer.
It had only been me on the damn boat for months. I could shave or at least cut down my beard. It was getting hotter by the day, but it was easier to ignore everything. Just to coast on theday to day. Fish when I wanted to, swim when I wanted, sleep when I wanted—hell, drink the day away most of the time.
She could deal with my woolly face for fuck’s sake.
My annoyance surged as we slid into port and the screech of children and laughter of tourists ratcheted up my anger.
I took her hand, leading her off the ferry as my gaze took in all the strangers around us. When we got to the stairs, I hitched her up on my hip like last time and practically steamrolled the people around us.
I needed to get away from all the people and smells.
“Locke.” She gripped my shoulders as her feet skimmed the deck.
Ignoring her, I finally got to the ramp and let her down. She gripped my hand and stumbled along until we were safely on the dock.
“Locke, what’s wrong?”
