Beyond Fearless (28 page)

A half hour later, he had his answer.

“Someone's on board, and they just pulled out of port.”

Jim fought the urge to vent his anger and frustration. Instead, he carefully hung up the phone.

So he knew the freaks were alive.

Well, he'd keep looking for them, and sooner or later he'd find them.

 

ZACH
piloted the boat out of the harbor, then along the coast to a small cove he'd discovered the week before.

They seemed to be the only craft in the area, and Zach dropped anchor in the darkness. In the distance, frogs chirped. And when insects began buzzing around the boat, Zach lit a couple of repellent candles.

As the boat gently rocked in the waves, Anna handed Zach a drink, and he joined the others in one of the comfortable deck chairs.

“This life has a lot of appeal,” Jordan said in the darkness.

Zach slid his chair close to Anna and draped an arm over her shoulder. “I can't imagine myself not doing physical work,” he said.

“You got a chance for plenty of action in the past few days.” Jordan looked around the deck. “And you know, if you didn't want someone to find you, traveling from port to port on a nice comfortable boat would be a good way to go.”

“It's a great boat, but it would be a little cramped for four people,” Anna said.

“We could sell it. And add some of my trust fund money,” Lindsay said. “That way, we could get something a lot bigger.”

“You have a trust fund?” Zach asked.

“Yes. I mostly lived on my salary when I was a staffer on Capitol Hill. So I only dipped into my inheritance to buy my condo. Jordan and I both sold our places in D.C. and moved to a farm in West Virginia. But we're only renting. So we've got the real estate money, too.”

“What about when we find other Dariens?” Anna asked.

“We get a big enough yacht, and that won't be a problem for a while,” Jordan said. “And we'd all have to crew. So that should take care of the physical labor part. But we can also be on the lookout for several properties where we could live.”

Anna swallowed. “What if we run into some Dariens who don't fit in with us?”

“We have to be prepared for that,” Jordan answered, his voice turning gruff. Looking at Zach and Anna, he said, “The other couple we found tried to kill us.”

Anna sucked in a sharp breath. “Are you going to give us details?”

“They were a twin brother and sister who bonded as children, and they had plans to take over the world.”

“Bonded? You're not talking about like what happened with Zach and me.”

“No, I'm talking about a physical relationship.”

“They were in an orphanage, and they turned to each other for comfort. But they grew up warped, and they used their powers to establish a fake religious cult.”

“Like San Donato,” Anna whispered.

“But on a bigger scale, with richer patrons, in Florida. Where they could indulge the luxury lifestyle they craved. They'd gotten their hooks into a U.S. senator and were planning to maneuver him into the presidency when we encountered them.”

“Jesus!” Zach swore.

He was silent as he stroked his hand up and down Anna's arm, then cleared his throat. “I guess we'd better ask—what happens to our kids? Do they have psychic powers? Or does it end with us?”

“We don't know,” Lindsay answered. “And so far, we haven't been willing to take the responsibility of having children. Not when our lives are so…uncertain.” She cleared her throat and turned to Anna. “I went on birth control pills. You have to decide what you want to do.”

Zach knitted his fingers with Anna's. “Another important topic for discussion. But not tonight. It's been a long day.”

“Very long,” Jordan agreed.

“We can meet again in the morning. If it doesn't sound too mundane, I've got cereal for breakfast. And boxed milk. I hope you don't mind instant coffee.”

Jordan laughed. “I can deal with that—on a short-term basis.”

“If you get up before I do, maybe you can row the dinghy to shore and pick some bananas and breadfruit.”

“Aye-aye, sir,” Jordan answered.

It felt good to be joking around. And wonderful to have found these people who had so quickly become closer than family.

Anna rested her head on Zach's shoulder, and he wedged her against his side.

They stayed close together as they walked back to the master cabin. And as soon as they stepped inside, Zach closed the door and pulled her against the length of his body.

He was aroused, and when she tipped her head up, he brought his mouth down to hers for a hungry kiss.

“Did you ever picture this?” he murmured when they broke apart to drag in a breath.

“This? You mean love that reaches to the depth of your soul? Passion that burns you from the inside out?”

Uh-huh. And marriage. Don't forget we're getting married as soon as we can figure out how to do it safely.

Whether I have a piece of paper or not, I know I belong to you. Only you.

He kissed her again, and they swayed together, their passion building, and she wondered if they were going to get to sleep any time before dawn.

Well, maybe we can manage a couple of little naps,
he whispered in her mind.