Total pages in book: 56
Estimated words: 53081 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 265(@200wpm)___ 212(@250wpm)___ 177(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 53081 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 265(@200wpm)___ 212(@250wpm)___ 177(@300wpm)
Jack handed Caesar his cell phone from the glove compartment, and Caesar dialed Magnus.
His teammate picked up on the first ring. “Why do I think I’m not going to like the fact that you’re calling me when you should be mid-dive?”
Caesar sighed. “You’re not. Jack noticed a boat pass several times. It has a distinctive graphic of a treasure chest on the side. They were staring at him through binoculars. It could be nothing. Maybe they just enjoy this section of the shoreline, but we came back up anyway. We’re heading to the dock.”
“Good. I’ll see if we got them on any camera around the dock.”
Caesar glanced around. “We’re almost back now.”
“Perfect.”
Caesar ended the call and turned his attention back to Isla. Her eyes were wide with fear, and tears were trailing down her cheeks. She hiccupped as she tried to speak. “I swear I didn’t know this would happen, Daddy.” She was trembling all over, and she stared at him with pleading eyes.
He pulled her in close and kissed her forehead. “I know you didn’t, Little Fish.”
She swiped at her tears and sobbed harder. “You must think I set you up.”
“I don’t, Isla. I promise.” He hated that she was hurting and scared, and there was very little he could do to reassure her except love her to pieces and remind her often how important she was to him.
If he hadn’t ever told her about Mindy, Isla wouldn’t be in such a panic. He was sure the majority of her panic and fears had to do with knowing he couldn’t avoid comparing the last time a woman had led him on a treasure hunt to this time.
But Caesar wasn’t doing any such thing. He knew in his heart Isla was it for him. She was his girl. His everything. She would never deceive him. She wouldn’t deceive anyone. It wasn’t in her blood. Her profession was one that involved saving lives, not putting them in danger.
Jack angled them perfectly into their spot along the dock and tied the boat off. All business, he turned around and scanned the area, holding up his binoculars as he slowly turned in a half circle.
“See anything?” Caesar asked as he lifted Isla out onto the dock.
“No, boss. Nothing. I feel bad for probably overreacting, but you said if anything at all made my hackles rise…”
“And I meant it, Jack. You did good. Thank you for listening to your instincts. I’m going to take Isla back to the resort. Can you call Magnus and give him a more thorough description of what you saw so he can be on the lookout?”
“Yes, boss. I’ll do so right now.”
“Thank you, Jack.” After Caesar stepped off the boat, he turned back to look at his employee. “I mean it, Jack. You did the right thing.”
Jack nodded, but he still looked concerned.
Caesar took Isla’s hand and led her toward the meeting area where he’d met her the first day she’d arrived. He helped her get her wetsuit off, and as sexy as she was in the string bikini, he immediately wrapped her in a huge fluffy towel and rubbed her biceps to help with the trembling.
It wasn’t enough. His Little girl was spooked. She needed a hot bath and a nap, in that order. Caesar would tend to his Little girl first. As soon as he got her calmed down and asleep, he would get in touch with Magnus and see what, if anything, his teammate might have seen on the cameras.
Caesar removed his own wetsuit, draped both suits across the table for Jack to take care of, and bent to put Isla’s flip-flops on her feet.
After pulling a T-shirt over his head and putting on his own shoes, he grabbed her shoulders and tipped her head back. “You’re safe with me, Isla.”
She nodded but said nothing.
“Let’s get you back to the apartment and into the bath. A soak in warm water will help you stop shaking.”
He hoped.
When her breathing evened out, Caesar continued to hold her close on the large bed. She hadn’t wanted to nap in her playroom but needed to be beside him. He held his breath as she turned over on her tummy to nestle into the pillow with Nado tucked under her chin. After a few more minutes passed, he rolled slowly over to ease himself to standing.
Looking over his shoulder as he tiptoed out of the room, Caesar expected Isla to ask where he was going at every slight sound. The sight of her cute bare bottom peeking from under the T-shirt he had dressed her in after her bath made him smile. Forcing himself forward, he reached the door and stepped through it to shut it quietly without waking her.
Caesar pulled his phone from his pocket as he stalked to the far side of the apartment and called Kingsley.