“No, it’s true. If you weren’t in the middle of training, I’d take you in a heartbeat.”
“Of course you would, but that’s not the point. You’re not telling me everything.”
“You know I can’t do that now that I work for the government.”
“We both know I’ll get it out of you sooner or later. I’m very good at that.” Angel’s gentle voice sent a wave of tingling heat coursing through him, and he wanted nothing more than to be lying on a beach with her somewhere far away. “Spill it. I’ll thank you properly the next time I see you.”
“You might want to wait until you hear what it is before you make that offer.” Before he could reconsider, he told her about Jade.
The line went silent for so long he thought they’d lost the connection.
“Are you there?”
“You have got to be kidding me. Tell Tam you won’t go.”
“It’s not that simple.”
“Only because you make everything complicated. Most things in life are simple: I love you and you love me, but how long did it take you to figure that out? You always have to look at every little angle so you can make the decision that you think will piss off the fewest people.”
“If you’d let me explain. Tam has…”
“You’re not hearing me, Maddock. This isn’t one of those things that requires an explanation. It’s the wrong thing to do, so you shouldn’t do it.”
Dane flung his bottle of beer, still full, against the wall, where it shattered with a satisfying crash. The shower of beer that now soaked the front of his shirt, however, was not so satisfying. “Why don’t you trust me? I’d never cheat on you, and you know it.”
“That’s not it at all, and the fact that you don’t get that is a real problem.” Angel sighed. “Loving you is tiring, you know that?”
Dane managed a grin. “Just trying to make things interesting. I’m always hearing that women love a challenge.”
“You know what they say — don’t believe everything you hear, especially if my brother says it.” She paused. “I’ve got to go. Call me when you can.”
As if on cue, Bones stuck his head through the sliding glass door as Dane hung up.
“I heard the crash and figured you needed another beer.” His eyes fell to Dane’s sodden shirt. “And a poncho.”
“I didn’t hear you come in.”
“You think Indians are only quiet in the forest?” He handed a beer to Dane. They clinked bottles and drank deeply, Bones punctuating his swig with a loud belch.
“Nice.” Dane finished his drink in silence, savoring the smooth, malty flavor. “I guess we should get packing.” He glanced down at his shirt. “After I shower.”
“After you, bro.”
Dane had decorated his condo to reflect his love of the sea. The walls were painted a rich, Mediterranean blue, and trimmed in white. Paintings of old sailing ships hung in the living area, while his first-floor study was adorned with anchors, a ship’s wheel, and antique compass, and an old cutlass. Nets hung from the ceiling, giving the room a comfortable, yet cocoon-like feeling. The upstairs was done in the same fashion.
“You probably ought to get your own place now that we’re headquartered here,” Dane said over his shoulder as they mounted the stairs.
“You need me here,” Bones said. “You’re too reclusive when I’m not around. It’s unhealthy.”
“True, but it’s going to be awkward when Angel comes to visit.”
“Not awkward at all. You two can get a room somewhere.” Bones hesitated. “Was that Angel on the phone?”
“Yep.” Dane really wasn’t in the mood to talk about it.
“And you told her about Jade?”
“Yep.”
“Maddock,” Bones groaned. “You really don’t know anything about women.”
Chapter 20
“Permission to come aboard?” Matt asked Brother Bill, who waited aboard a sleek Wellcraft Sportsman fishing boat. The craft, a roomy twenty-footer with the most powerful engine one could get with that model, looked brand new. He hoped Bill would give him some time at the wheel.
Bill pursed his lips and his forehead crinkled. “I thought you were an Army man.”
“I am, or was. Why?”
“The way you talk. That, and you’re looking at my boat like you want to marry her.” His face split into a gap-toothed grin.
“Can you blame me? She’s a fine craft.”
“That she is. Can’t properly call her mine, though. The men’s club bought her for our fishing trips and the like.” He scratched his belly and his unfocused gaze ran from bow to stern. He seemed to remember himself, jerked back to full wakefulness, and invited the two men on board.
“Does she have a name?” Matt asked.
“We call her Domino.”
“Somebody must love pizza,” Joel said.
Bill grinned. “It was a compromise. Some of us wanted to call her Dominion, you know, for the dominion of the Lord, but others thought that wasn’t a fitting name for anything short of an aircraft carrier.”
A chill ran down Matt’s spine. It wasn’t confirmation of the connection between the church and the shadow organization, but it was close.
“I’ll say this much,” Joel began as Bill steered Domino toward deep water, “so far, this seems like my kind of men’s group. Most church groups are nothing but coffee and conversation. No offense.”
Bill waved the apology away with one beefy hand. “I’ve been in my share of those.”
To the west, the last rays of the setting sun colored the sky a blood red that faded to purple overhead and indigo to the east. Matt breathed the cool salt air and thought this would be a perfect night to wet a line and relax under the stars. If only they weren’t on duty.
When the scattered lights on shore were but a memory, Bill cut the engine and let Domino drift. “Time to fish.” He rubbed his hands together. “Should be a good night for it. Clear skies and calm water.” Three fishing rods sat in holders at the stern, and he picked one up, freed the hook, and cast the line into the water.
“Don’t you need bait?” Joel asked.
Bill paused. “That would look better, wouldn’t it?” He opened a cooler, shifted the cans of beer aside, and pulled out a container of frozen jumbo shrimp. “You two want to bait your hooks, or do you need daddy to do it for you?”
Matt forced a laugh, and he and Joel each picked up a rod, baited the hook, and cast it into the water.
“That’ll do for appearances in case the Coast Guard shows up.” Bill returned the bait to the cooler and handed each of them a beer. “Drink slow, fellows. We need to stay sharp.”
“What are we fishing for?” Matt asked.
“I’ll give you two guesses.” Bill took out a key, unlocked a large locker, and raised the lid. Inside lay three Colt AR-15 semi-automatic rifles.
“Sharks?” Joel guessed.
“Nope. Something much nastier. At least, some of them are.”
Matt felt another chill as Bill passed him a rifle. It felt like dead weight in his hands as he contemplated the implications.
“Now, you fellows know anything about marine radar?” He tapped a screen next to the wheel.
Matt nodded.
“Good. We’re going to cruise nice and slow-like. You keep an eye on the radar, especially for small targets. And I do mean targets.”
Joel glanced at the radar. “I expected something that would find schools of fish.”
“That’s what this does,” Bill said. “Only, the fish we want swim on the surface.” With that cryptic comment, he returned to the wheel and took the craft into deeper water.