Eye of the Storm by Mark Robson Read Free Book Online

Being a local, Tony would have known them all, but for some reason Sloppy Joe’s was the first name that had sprung to mind.
    In the heat of the afternoon sun, the stinging from the scrapes and bruises Niamh had sustained from her earlier leap out of the moving bus began to increase, as she forced herself to keep up
her brisk pace. It seemed that the further she walked along Duval Street, the more her tension eased and the more painfully aware of her injuries she became. It was with no small amount of relief
that she finally saw the black and white frontage of Sloppy Joe’s ahead. On the central awning was written Pina Coladas. Just the thought of any drink made Niamh realise how thirsty
she was; at this point she would have willingly killed for a tall glass of chilled orange juice.
    Limping right up and underneath the awning, Niamh was relieved to stop. She leaned against the wall right at the corner of the street. The urge to sink down to the pavement to rest was strong,
but the danger that this would draw attention kept her on her feet.
    Her tongue felt swollen and her lips were dry.
    ‘Hiya!’
    It was Niamh’s turn to jump.
    ‘Tony! You scared me!’
    ‘Sorry about that, but what’re you doin’ here? I thought you were headin’ out of the Keys.’
    ‘I was,’ Niamh explained. ‘But it’s been a bit of a crazy afternoon.’
    ‘Before I ditched Tessa, a cop passed us. From the way he was scannin’ Duval Street, I’d say he was looking for someone. Was he after you by any chance?’
    ‘I’m not sure,’ she replied. ‘But I was trying not to take any chances. How did you get ahead of me?’ she asked as Tony stepped fully into the open from round the
corner to her right.
    ‘I left Tessa with a lame excuse, left Duval and paralleled along Simonton in case she tried to follow me,’ he explained. ‘You don’t look so good . . . Jeez, what have
you been doin’? Those are some scrapes! Have you been fightin’? Are you OK?’
    ‘I’ve felt better.’
    ‘Let’s get inside. You need to clean those cuts and grazes up, and I’m bettin’ you could do with a drink.’
    ‘We can’t,’ she protested, looking towards the entrance to the bar. ‘I’ll never pass as old enough.’
    ‘Not in here,’ Tony laughed. ‘My aunt Jo-Ann lives about two blocks from here on Eaton. She’s friendly and she always has plenty of cool juice in the fridge. Come on. I
don’t know what you’re doin’ in Key West, especially as Carrie sent me a text sayin’ you were on a bus to Miami, but from the look of them scrapes I’m guessin’
you’ve got another good story to tell.’
    Niamh pushed away from the wall and took a sharp intake of breath as her ankle threatened to buckle under her weight. Tony was there instantly. He put an arm round her waist, his body positioned
to prop her up.
    ‘Thanks,’ she gasped, her face hot with embarrassment at the intimacy she felt in his touch.
    ‘You’re welcome,’ he grinned. ‘Or perhaps I should say “My pleasure”. That is what you Brits say, isn’t it?’
    ‘Yeah,’ she said weakly.
    They crossed the road and had begun to head back along Duval Street when Tony stopped suddenly and dragged Niamh around to look at the adjacent shop window.
    ‘That policeman is comin’.’
    ‘The same one?’
    He glanced across her. ‘Yep,’ he confirmed, sounding nervous.
    ‘He could be on a regular patrol, I guess, but something tells me that’s unlikely. Quick! Let’s get off Duval. Which is the quickest way to your aunt’s place?’
    ‘The quickest way is back past the cop. Come this way. It’s a little further, but we’ll be out of his sight more quickly. If we don’t move quick, he’ll see
us.’
    ‘Don’t worry,’ Niamh said softly. ‘If he’s looking for me, then he’ll be looking for a girl on her own. I doubt he’ll look twice at a couple.’
    ‘Where did you learn to be so devious?’
    ‘I read a lot.’ She grinned.
    Trying to relax and act