“Good. Then, let’s eat,” Lara said.
She saw Brett lower his head to hide a smile. She grabbed her bag, and he smiled openly at her as he swept out his arm toward the door and said, “As you say, let’s go.”
As she started past him, he bent down and whispered, “And here I thought you’d be in a hurry to get back to your house.”
His whisper alone sent heat shooting through her veins.
Matt and Meg were right behind her, and she wondered if they’d heard, not that it really mattered. If they hadn’t figured things out this morning, they were bound to when Brett stayed over tonight and—she hoped—every night from now on.
They had three cars for the four of them, so Matt and Brett took their own vehicles, and Meg drove with Lara. To Lara’s surprise, her friend said nothing about Brett. Finally she looked at Meg and asked, “Warnings? Anything?”
“About life? It’s brutal out there,” Meg said.
“About Brett.”
“Well, I knew how you felt about him.”
“What? I didn’t know how I felt about him!”
“You forget how well I know you. Better than you know yourself, sometimes. And I can’t think of anyone better for you.”
“You just met him,” Lara said.
Meg nodded. “Yes, but Matt’s known him for years and says he’s one of the best. And if Matt said it, it’s true.”
Lara loved her friend’s confidence, but still she hesitated before asking, “Do you think...do you think it’s just that I’m afraid, and because I’m afraid, I’m looking for a protector and mistaking that for something else?”
“You have Matt and me here. You’d be protected without him. Look, for the moment you’re both getting something you need. And I’m not just referring to sex. It’s just a bonus that you’re sleeping with a guy who has a Glock by his side and knows how to use it. I don’t like that doll. I really don’t like that doll.”
Lara didn’t like it, either, but she decided to focus on anger, not fear. “My best friend and her significant other are FBI agents, and—as you pointed out—I’m sleeping with another. Let the bastards try something. If they do, you’ll get them.”
“We always get them in the end,” Meg said.
They chose a restaurant, and Lara suggested that they eat outside, by the water. They agreed, and she noticed that Brett hurried to claim the seat nearest the water. She realized it was actually the most vulnerable side, the easiest route for someone to slip up and surprise them. She noticed, too, even as they discussed the menu, that the others were studying the water. It was a beautiful night, with lights glistening on the water, boats off in the distance, music playing softly and a benign moon smiling down. But even in such a perfect setting, there was an elephant in the room that couldn’t be ignored.
Brett seemed bothered by something more than the overall situation, Lara thought. She looked at him, a question in her eyes. “What are you thinking?”
He sighed. “It still bothers me that anyone can get to Sea Life by boat.”
“I don’t think anyone is after the dolphins,” Lara said.
“Someone threatened you because of your role in finding those body parts, so why wouldn’t they threaten Cocoa for the same reason?” Meg said.
That thought disturbed Lara. “Do you really think someone would try to hurt Cocoa?”
“Maybe,” Brett said.
“We need security there, then,” Lara said determinedly.
“How would just anyone know which dolphin is Cocoa? I know that everyone who works with them can tell them apart. They have scars, they’re different sizes, whatever,” Meg said. “But how would a stranger know which dolphin was Cocoa?”
“They could show up during the day and find out what she looks like and which enclosure she’s in,” Brett pointed out.
“I wonder if we need to move Cocoa to another facility, just for a while,” Lara said. She bit her lip. “From what I’ve heard, it’s a tricky thing to do, moving a dolphin. But Grady must know somewhere she could be taken until this is over.” She hesitated, looking at the three of them. “I’m going to stay at the facility tonight.”
She knew, of course, that they wouldn’t let her stay there alone.
In fact, she was counting on it, since she didn’t have a gun or the faintest idea how to use one. Point and shoot, of course, but beyond that...
“You know I’ll stay wherever you stay,” Brett said quietly.
Meg laughed softly at that. “Yes, and we know you’ll keep a very close eye on Lara, too.”
“I’m wondering if we should all stay there,” Matt said thoughtfully. “Until now I didn’t really see the facility as being in danger, but the threat to Lara puts a new spin on things. We’ll all stay.”
“Slumber party?” Meg said drily.