Page 53 of Seaside Strangers
Until now.
KC wasn’t playing this one lightly. Brian had seen it in the way his brother looked at Moriah, in how quickly he’d stepped in without hesitation. Whatever had started between them, it had taken hold fast.
If they could get through this, things might work out between them.
Better KC than him. He wanted no part of something like that.
Letting out a slow breath, he shifted his grip slightly on the wheel. He liked Moriah more than he’d expected. After everything she’d been through, she held herself together better than most would have. She’d given them what information she could about her sister’s boyfriend, asked the right questions, and didn’t back down when the answers weren’t easy to hear. There was strength there, even if she didn’t fully realize it yet.
He made a left turn, his gaze flickering to the rearview mirror out of habit.
Two cars back, a black SUV made the same turn.
His attention sharpened. It appeared to be the same vehicle that’d pulled away from the curb behind him when he’d left the SBI parking lot.
Coincidence, maybe.
Or not.
He kept his speed steady, watching without making it obvious.
Time to find out.
KC’s cell phone rang when his uncle arrived with breakfast, and he answered it without looking at the screen as he unlocked the porch door to let Dan and his canine companion in. “Malone.”
Brian’s voice came through, clipped and focused. “Picked up a tail leaving the office. Black Explorer with Illinois plates. Three men inside. I’ve been giving them a slow tour of Dare County. Tags come back to an Andrew Peters out of Chicago.”
Grabbing a pen and pad from the table, KC jotted down the name and plate.
“I’ll have Sean reach out to Agent Samson and verify the owner,” KC said, already shifting into planning mode. “Head this way. When you’re about five minutes out, give me a call. We’ll meet you in the driveway. I want them to get a clear look at Moriah and confirm who she is.”
There was a brief pause. “You have a plan?”
Pieces of one. It would have to be enough.
“I will, by the time you get here,” he replied.
“Okay. I’m about thirty minutes out. I’ll buzz you when I’m almost there.”
He ended the call and turned back to the room. Dan, Sean, and Moriah were all watching him, waiting.
“Brian picked up a tail. A black Explorer, Illinois plates, with three men.”
Moriah went still, her reaction immediate even if she tried to hide it. KC didn’t miss it.
“As soon as the guys in the Ford have a good view of Moriah, we’ll work on moving her without them noticing. Uncle Dan, can you hide her at your apartment until this is over?”
When the older man rolled his eyes at the stupid question, his nephew continued. “Good. In the meantime, we’ll make it seem like everyone else is leaving Moriah and me here alone. Three against one guy and a woman? They’ll be confident enough to try something. They need her alive long enough to get what they came for—the money and the gun—so they won’t rush it. They’re in unfamiliar territory, and there are too many people around to risk drawing attention during the day. They’ll wait until dark before making a move, but we’ll have a few surprises ready for them.”
Moriah’s voice was quiet when she spoke. “What kind of surprises do you have in mind?”
His eyes sparkled with mischief. “The fun and nasty kind.”
For the next fifteen minutes, whileMoriah and Dan set out a breakfast of bagels, muffins, and coffee, KC and Sean handled a few things by phone. KC stepped out onto the porch to reach T3, outlining the situation and what he needed from him. By the time he came back inside, Sean had finished up and was waiting for him.
“Samson didn’t recognize the name tied to the plates,” Sean said, setting his phone on the table and grabbing a muffin. “He’s having someone check it out. But that’s not all. They got word that a major shipment is coming into Chicago tonight. Hernandez is expected to be there, along with several of his key people. The DEA’s working on warrants now.”
He absorbed that, already adjusting the timeline in his head.
