officer, only as a man who professed to be a friend to my sister. I hope you won’t do anything else while you’re here to add to her hurt.”
Mark’s face burned from the scrutiny of Kate’s eyes. “We’re dealing with some desperate criminals, Mrs. Gentry, and I’m afraid Betsy has attracted their attention. I only want to make sure she remains safe.”
“I’m glad you’re concerned for her safety. I’ll feel better knowing an officer is at Treasury’s.”
“I’ll watch out for her,” he promised.
Kate nodded, bit down on her lip, and led Mark down the hallway of the health center to the parking lot where the others waited. He could see the flicker of concern in all their faces, and none of them spoke as he climbed into the car and cranked the engine.
During the last few minutes, his assignment had become more complicated. Brock and Scott were right when they said he should have passed up an assignment on the island where Betsy grew up. He’d never expected to be involved with her whole family, but now he was.
After getting directions from Betsy, he pulled into the street on his way to her house. She sat in the passenger seat and didn’t speak but gazed out the window as they passed through the village streets jammed with tourists. He darted a glance at her every so often, but she didn’t look at him.
He wondered what she was thinking. Did she regret agreeing to stay in the same bed-and-breakfast where he was a guest? If she did, he’d have to prove to her he didn’t mean to cause her any problems. After all, he was on Ocracoke to do a job, and he intended to close this assignment like he had so many others in the past.
Before that happened, though, he had to make sure the men he was after hadn’t decided Betsy had something they wanted. He’d dealt with their kind before. Human life held little meaning for them, and their enemies often found themselves facing quick retribution.
He was determined that wouldn’t happen to Betsy.
FOUR
A ll the way to her house, Betsy’s mind whirled with everything that had happened since she left home this morning. All she’d wanted when she went to Springer’s Point was to observe the white ibises and sooty terns that frequented the area. Seeing a man die hadn’t been part of the plan.
In fact her whole day had turned into something she might expect to see in an action flick. No matter how much she might protest, the incident with the speeding car troubled her, but it didn’t even compare with the distress she’d experienced at coming face-to-face with Mark Webber. She’d convinced herself she would never see him again, but she’d been wrong.
Now she was about to take refuge at Treasury’s bed-and-breakfast, where she would be reminded every day of how he’d deceived her in the past. She didn’t want to relive that time in her life, but with Mark’s presence at the inn, there didn’t seem to be a way around it. Not with her family insisting she wasn’t safe at home.
Mark turned the car onto the road leading to her house, and she glanced at him. He hadn’t said anything since they left the health center. Did he regret agreeing to watch out for her? She crossed her arms and frowned. Of course he did. He wouldn’t let anything interfere with his investigation. Not even her safety.
When he pulled the car to a stop, she jumped out and was already unlocking the front door before he caught up with her. “What’s the hurry?” he asked.
She shrugged and pushed the door open. “No reason.” She stepped into the living room and motioned toward the sofa. “You can have a seat there. I’ll pack some clothes and be back in a few minutes.”
“You need any help?”
She shook her head. “No, thanks.”
Betsy hurried into her bedroom, closed the door and leaned against it. She took a deep breath and tried to calm her racing heartbeat. Her skin prickled just as it had done when the speeding car had raced past her. Mark had saved her life, and
Mark’s face burned from the scrutiny of Kate’s eyes. “We’re dealing with some desperate criminals, Mrs. Gentry, and I’m afraid Betsy has attracted their attention. I only want to make sure she remains safe.”
“I’m glad you’re concerned for her safety. I’ll feel better knowing an officer is at Treasury’s.”
“I’ll watch out for her,” he promised.
Kate nodded, bit down on her lip, and led Mark down the hallway of the health center to the parking lot where the others waited. He could see the flicker of concern in all their faces, and none of them spoke as he climbed into the car and cranked the engine.
During the last few minutes, his assignment had become more complicated. Brock and Scott were right when they said he should have passed up an assignment on the island where Betsy grew up. He’d never expected to be involved with her whole family, but now he was.
After getting directions from Betsy, he pulled into the street on his way to her house. She sat in the passenger seat and didn’t speak but gazed out the window as they passed through the village streets jammed with tourists. He darted a glance at her every so often, but she didn’t look at him.
He wondered what she was thinking. Did she regret agreeing to stay in the same bed-and-breakfast where he was a guest? If she did, he’d have to prove to her he didn’t mean to cause her any problems. After all, he was on Ocracoke to do a job, and he intended to close this assignment like he had so many others in the past.
Before that happened, though, he had to make sure the men he was after hadn’t decided Betsy had something they wanted. He’d dealt with their kind before. Human life held little meaning for them, and their enemies often found themselves facing quick retribution.
He was determined that wouldn’t happen to Betsy.
FOUR
A ll the way to her house, Betsy’s mind whirled with everything that had happened since she left home this morning. All she’d wanted when she went to Springer’s Point was to observe the white ibises and sooty terns that frequented the area. Seeing a man die hadn’t been part of the plan.
In fact her whole day had turned into something she might expect to see in an action flick. No matter how much she might protest, the incident with the speeding car troubled her, but it didn’t even compare with the distress she’d experienced at coming face-to-face with Mark Webber. She’d convinced herself she would never see him again, but she’d been wrong.
Now she was about to take refuge at Treasury’s bed-and-breakfast, where she would be reminded every day of how he’d deceived her in the past. She didn’t want to relive that time in her life, but with Mark’s presence at the inn, there didn’t seem to be a way around it. Not with her family insisting she wasn’t safe at home.
Mark turned the car onto the road leading to her house, and she glanced at him. He hadn’t said anything since they left the health center. Did he regret agreeing to watch out for her? She crossed her arms and frowned. Of course he did. He wouldn’t let anything interfere with his investigation. Not even her safety.
When he pulled the car to a stop, she jumped out and was already unlocking the front door before he caught up with her. “What’s the hurry?” he asked.
She shrugged and pushed the door open. “No reason.” She stepped into the living room and motioned toward the sofa. “You can have a seat there. I’ll pack some clothes and be back in a few minutes.”
“You need any help?”
She shook her head. “No, thanks.”
Betsy hurried into her bedroom, closed the door and leaned against it. She took a deep breath and tried to calm her racing heartbeat. Her skin prickled just as it had done when the speeding car had raced past her. Mark had saved her life, and
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