Page 33 of Renegade
“Come on,” he says, grabbing my hand.
We explore the beach, marveling over the unique purple sand and the giant rock with a hole in it, like a doorway to the sea. There’s another big rock in the cove, and Walker convinces me to climb it with him, holding my hand and pulling me up so I don’t slip. There are more stunning views of the coastline and the beach from the top, and we sit together companionably on the rocks.
“This has been amazing, but do you think it has anything to do with Liam or where the guns are hidden?” I ask.
Walker shrugs. “Sometimes I wonder if everyone is wrong, and Liam’s bucket list is just that—a bucket list.”
I’m quiet for a minute, considering the possibility. “You’re sure Liam sold guns to the Mexican cartel?” I ask.
Walker nods. “I told you before, Noah met with Liam himself to broker the deal. There’s no doubt.”
“Okay, so we know he definitely sold the cartel the guns. But did he actually get them? Has anyone seen them? Even if he did procure them, maybe Liam never actually smuggled them out of, what was it, Afghanistan, before he was killed?”
“Iraq. And he did. Noah said Liam sent him a picture to confirm he had the weapons before El Gato paid him. There was a huge collection, mostly handguns and AK-47s. Noah said he could see the Iraqi Army stamps on a few of them. Liam told Noah they were in a safe location.”
“How do you know they aren’t still in Middle East?” I ask, pressing the issue.
“Gemma, no SEAL would ever call Iraq or Afghanistan a ‘safe place.’ And Noah said he couldn’t tell much from the background where the picture was taken, but it was very green.”
“Like the Philippines?”
“Exactly. Except Noah and McKenzie didn’t find anything while they were there. At least not that I know of.”
“Where are they now?”
“Diving in Malaysia.” He glances at his watch. “It’s early in the morning there now. I’ll check in with Noah when we get to Carmel. Maybe they’ve found something.”
“California is green,” I offer.
“Parts of it,” he agrees. “But so are a million other places in the world.”
“But maybe not all the places that Liam has traveled to. Has anyone checked his passport? Seen where he went in the last few months before he died? There has to be some sort of paper trail.”
“That’s a good idea. I’ll follow up on that. And his military orders, too. Maybe we could at least narrow it down. You always were the brains.” He tugs my hair affectionately. “Come on. We should get back to Carmel before it gets dark.”
Getting down the rock is much harder than climbing up it, and I’m grateful Walker’s there to help me. He climbs down like it’s effortless, and when I slip on the rock, he catches me and then holds on to me tightly the rest of the way. His touch is incendiary.
We make the two-hour trip back to Carmel in relative silence, both of us lost in our own thoughts. Mine are centered on the upcoming night, mostly wondering how I’m supposed to lie in bed next to Walker and not beg him to do all the things he did to me last night. But I can’t. Somehow, I’ve got to forget that last night ever happened.
The sun is just starting to set when we arrive back in Carmel. Walker turns off the main road into the parking lot of a cute little collection of cottages called the Lamplighter Inn, which looks like it was plucked out of a fairy tale and plopped down in the middle of California.
“Is this where we’re staying?” I ask as I take my helmet off, unable to keep the excitement out of my voice.
Walker has already taken his off and fastened it to the bike. He winks at me. “It came highly recommended by Kevin.”
I laugh. And make a mental note to thank Kevin.
We’re shown to the Treetop Room, a charming little upstairs room with a fireplace, a king-size bed, and a gorgeous view of the gardens, a gazebo, and the Pacific Ocean in the distance. We even have our own private deck.
“I’m going to give Noah a call,” he says as I inspect every inch of the quaint little room. “Then we can go grab dinner.”
“Okay. I’m going to shower.”
When I come out of the bathroom, Walker’s still on the phone. He looks up as I walk out, and his eyes light up when he sees me. Suddenly I wish I’d brought something nicer to wear to dinner than distressed denim shorts with a coral top and sandals. I glance down at the pad of paper he’s been writing on. As soon as he is off the phone with Noah, I ask, “What’s Phoenix Rising?”
Walker flashes me a sheepish grin. “SEAL habits die hard. We had to give our mission a name. The mission Liam and I were on when he was killed was called Operation Phoenix. Phoenix Rising seemed appropriate for what Noah and I are doing, especially since solving the mystery of where the guns are means that Noah will get a chance at a new life. And with luck, we’ll clear Liam’s name.” He frowns. “Somehow.”
We eat dinner at a beautiful restaurant perched on a cliff overlooking the Pacific. Walker and I order a dish to share, and he carefully serves me, putting more food than I can possibly eat on a plate and setting it in front of me before he takes a bite himself.
