Her Last Line of Defense by Marie Donovan Read Free Book Online

sounded confused.
    Claire turned to Luc. “Um, not exactly.”
    “Oh, Olie’s back. Olie, your boy Boudreaux picked up Claire tonight and they’re heading to some training center that may or may not be Parris Island.”
    Claire heard a deep male voice rumble.
    “Oh. Olie says he doesn’t want to know a thing about what you and Boudreaux are up to. He says he wants plausible deniability.”
    “Plausible deniability?” Claire repeated.
    Boudreaux guffawed. “Have your friend tell Olie we’re eloping.”
    Claire covered the mouthpiece on the phone. “No, I will not have Janey tell him that!”
    “Good psy ops, Claire. Psychological warfare. Your father will be so grateful we’re not running off to get married that he won’t care about his plans for Parris Island being ruined.”
    “No, Luc!”
    Janey’s voice sounded from the phone. “Claire, Claire, is he giving you trouble? Do you want me to come get you?”
    For a second, Claire wanted to tell Janey yes, tell her to come rescue poor little Claire from the yucky bugs and slimy snakes and squishy things that were waiting to crawl up her leg and bite her. But she didn’t. “No, Janey, I’ll be fine. You and Olie have a good time, and please apologize on my behalf for everyone’s inconvenience.”
    Janey grumbled. “You apologize too much. Now go kick some swamp butt and don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.”
    “Maybe I’ll do exactly what you’re going to do.”
    “What? Oh, Claire. In the swamp? You make sure to check your bedding before you crawl in, okay?”
    “Okay.” They said their goodbyes and Claire hung up. Janey was right to remind her. The only body Claire wanted to crawl into her bedding was Luc’s.

4
    “C LAIRE? W AKE UP , C LAIRE.”
    She bolted upright from the reclining truck seat. When had she fallen asleep? The sun peeped over the trees lining the bumpy country road. She wiped her mouth discreetly. No drool. Good. “Where are we?”
    “Almost to our destination.”
    “Which is?” She levered the seat to an upright position and stared out the window. The terrain was flat, covered in tall pines common in sandy soil. They could have been almost anywhere in the Southeast.
    He turned the truck into a nearly hidden driveway overgrown with thick shrubs. “My buddy’s place. I made arrangements to use a corner of his land. He has so much, he’ll never miss it.”
    “But where are we?” she persisted.
    “Georgia or South Carolina, depending on what side of the Savannah River you cross.”
    “Oh.” That wasn’t really helpful. “Near the city of Savannah?” she asked hopefully. Savannah was a super-nice town, full of great restaurants and beautiful Southern antebellum mansions.
    “No, not near Savannah, so don’t get your hopes up.” He obviously knew her line of thinking. “If you wanted comfort, you should have stayed home.”
    “Right.” She forced a cheerful grin onto her face and grimaced as her stomach rumbled. “I’m going to eat breakfast real quick here.” She reached into her bag for the box of granola bars she’d stashed away. “Want one?”
    He looked at the box. “Honey s’mores with choco-chunks and minimarshmallows?” He sounded more astonished than appalled. “Is that supposed to be healthy?”
    “No.” She ripped open a wrapper and sunk her teeth into the gooey goodness, her speech muffled as she talked with her mouth full. Her father would be horrified. “Ish shupposed to be tashty.”
    “Ah, what the hell.” He accepted one and grimaced as the bar stuck to his fingers. “It’s the last snack you’ll have until we’re done.”
    The treat soured on her tongue. “Then I guess I better have another.”

    C LAIRE HAD ACTUALLY EATEN two more granola bars, and was beginning to heartily regret her decision as Luc gunned the small fishing boat’s outboard motor. She didn’t think it was possible to be seasick on a lake, but it was a rather large lake.
    She concentrated on breathing deeply