Free Emerald Fire by Monica McCabe Page A

many of the boats along the way as we can. Less available for them to chase us with.”
    “Good,” Finn said. “Just don’t take too long to get to the Fire . And whatever you do, don’t get caught.”
    “What about you?” Chloe sounded worried. “What happens if you get caught?”
    “I’ll handle it.” He turned toward Jonathan. “Do not, under any circumstances, let her do anything rash. That includes coming after me if the unthinkable happens. Just get her out of here. Got it?”
    Jonathan frowned, but then his expression hardened. Like one soldier to another, he nodded his agreement. “I’ll get her to safety. But do me a favor and stay under the radar. She won’t be easy to persuade.”
    “Why do you two talk like I’m not standing right here and can’t hear every word?” Chloe whispered harshly.
    “Because,” Finn said quietly, “I can’t leave you without knowing someone has your back. It’s not negotiable, and we don’t have time to argue.” Hopefully that little revelation would slow her down enough to see her safely through this insane plan.
    The trio fell silent. Distant shouts and the mechanical clang of equipment drifted through the trees, and Finn used the sound to center himself, to prepare for a small dose of guerilla warfare.
    He handed his duffle bag to Jonathan, then hit the back glow on his watch. “Ten o’clock.” He glanced back at the compound before continuing. “Your best bet is to stick with the tree line all the way to the water. Move fast, but quiet, and stay alert.”
    “We’ll do our part,” Jonathan said. “You just focus on what you have to do, and do it big. We’ll meet you at the ship.”
    Chloe stepped up in front of him and stared him straight in the eyes. He waited for her to say something, but instead she shocked him near senseless as she lifted onto her toes and kissed him square on the lips.
    “Please be careful,” she whispered.
    * * * *
    Chloe regretted it instantly. What was she thinking? Kissing him was impulsive, and she should’ve known better than to distract him right before he had to ignite a Fourth of July fireworks show. But he was so somber and serious. The thought of throwing him for a loop was strangely appealing. Too bad her timing sucked lemons. That man had the unnerving power to crush her better sense. She stared until he disappeared from sight.
    “You’ve got a thing for the bounty hunter?”
    Even at a whisper, her Uncle Jonathan’s voice sounded surprised. She didn’t blame him. Her quest for the emeralds consumed her every waking hour, and that focus rarely strayed. Needless to say, she didn’t date much. Now and then she’d meet a guy she liked enough to stick with for a time, but it never lasted long before they’d start complaining about her lack of attention.
    Finnegan Kane, she couldn’t explain. It was an attraction that made no sense. She just met the guy, he rarely smiled, and his old-school alpha male attitude was annoying. She’d be better off ignoring his allure instead of kissing him.
    “He’s…interesting.”
    “Is that so?”
    She didn’t want to talk about Finn right now. They needed to focus on not being discovered by pirates.
    “Where did you meet him?”
    “Port Authority’s office in St. Lucia.”
    Her uncle used the binoculars Finn had left and scanned the grounds. He pointed to the left, and they started moving, keeping inside the tree line as Finn suggested. It made the going a little slower, but lessened the likelihood of being spotted as they made their way around toward the water. She refused to think of all the things that could go wrong because failure wasn’t an option. They simply had to succeed.
    Chloe dodged a palm leaf and came to a sudden halt right behind her uncle. He quickly crouched down, and she followed suit.
    A lone man stood fifty or so feet away. He was smoking, the red tip of the cigarette glowing in the dark as he puffed. He hadn’t heard them as he stared intently