I was starting to think you were going to be a no-show,” Sean teased.
“Bullshit, you know better--where and when?” Royce asked.
“Since they are meeting us here, I ran out and grabbed some doughnuts this morning. Kurt just called though and said he and Landon were running late. They wanted to stop somewhere to pick up some old maps of Charleston Harbor. We are going to compare the paper copies with the digital copies I have. From what they were telling me last night, we suspect the digital copies have been altered. Uh, how was Becki this morning?” Sean bravely asked.
“None of your damn business,” Royce said effectively shutting down the conversation before it began.
“Got it,” Sean backed off immediately but a grin covered his face.
“Have you heard from Joanna?” Royce asked. “She is supposed to be in this afternoon, right?”
His sister was going to have to remove the spell currently cloaking the coin if they wanted to get this mission wrapped up anytime soon. If what Sean said was true, the digital maps they had been using might have been previously altered. That could indicate someone had gone to great lengths to hide something. Sean’s computers and other techno gadgetry were vital to their mission, but sometimes you just couldn’t beat plain old paper and pencil.
Entering the condo a few minutes later, Royce announced, “I’m gonna hit the shower before Kurt and Landon get here. I need you to find that sister of mine,” he called to Sean as he crossed the living room, moving toward his bedroom.
“I’ll see what I can do, Boss. Kurt and London should be here in forty-five minutes,” Sean reminded Royce as he reached for his laptop.
With a few keystrokes, Sean activated Joanna’s microchip. Each team member had agreed to the implant for their safety as well as that of their team members. Sean could monitor their individual locations and route help quickly if a mission became compromised, or one of them needed assistance. The system had proved invaluable when coordinating the movement of team members during critical situations. He was always careful not to impose in personal space, so the chips were deactivated unless they were on a mission. The chip hadn’t seemed to work well if the host, or team member, was submerged underwater. Who would have thought? The tracking system obviously needed some modifications. However, Sean didn’t have time to work on that right now. The first item on his agenda was finding that coin!
Sean found himself thinking about Natie and her poor-excuse-for-aboy-friend. Jonah didn’t deserve her. Natie was the kind of girl most guys would kill for. Sean certainly would. He had instinctively pulled her close when she began crying on the way home, and she hadn’t pulled away. Natie had stayed right where she landed: at his side, their thighs touching and hands linked together like teenagers on their first date. He had been in Heaven.
They had discovered a quaint coffee shop where they enjoyed lattes and laughed about Royce and Becki, the cousins, Natie’s job, and her idiot boyfriend. Who would mess around on someone like Natie? If she belonged to Sean, he would appreciate her and spoil her as she deserved to be spoiled.
Sean was certain that Jonah had not been in their hotel room last night when he deposited Natie. He had escorted her to the door of her hotel room. With every step he took, he hated the fact that he had to walk away and leave her. He wanted nothing more than to wrap her in his arms and--, but he couldn’t. So he had settled for brushing a silky strand of blond hair from her face and gently tucking it behind her ear.
Letting his fingers glide across her face as he withdrew, he whispered, “Take care of yourself, Natie Stephens. Don’t settle for less than you deserve.”
Natie nodded and then whispered, “I’d better go. I still have to pack tonight and try not to wake Jonah in the process. Thank you. Thank you for the latte and the conversation and for cheering me up.”
Looking deeply into her beautiful blue eyes he said, “You have my number. I’m just a phone call away if you ever want to talk.”
She sighed heavily then leaned forward to brush her lips across his cheek. “It was nice to meet you, Sean Jones.”
Natie placed her hand flat on his chest over his heart for a brief moment. Heaving another sigh, she turned and slipped into the room closing the