Page 54 of Landon

She smiled and started to turn away, but he reached out and snagged her hand. Gently pulling her closer, he leaned down to kiss her smiling lips.

When he finished his shower, he packed his bag and walked to the front door, placing his next to hers. He could hear her voice coming from upstairs. Pulling out his phone, he called Devil. “Do we have a departure ETA?”

“Frazier talked with Cole and said he can file a flight plan when you’re ready. He'll wait until we get there, but we won't have much of a wait before we can get into the air.”

“Anything new from Logan?”

“I talked to him late last night,” Devil said. “They had spent their time working on the connection between Roger, Pamela, and Horticia, uncovering the kidnapping plot. The information was sent to the Jamaican police commissioner. The police want to have all the facts before they arrest her. Sadie and Todd just started yesterday evening, taking a look at who might have sent Mike to kill Pamela.”

Landon dragged his tongue over his bottom lip as thoughts flooded his mind. "Any idea what he plans on doing with that information?”

“He didn't say, but if I had to guess, it's just to make sure no one is also after you all or the kids.”

It was the kind of information that would sometimes give Landon pause. When he was with special operations, he just took orders—never worrying about the results. However, in the years spent in the Bureau, he constantly looked to uncover clues leading to arrests and prosecution. That wasn't always his job as a Keeper, but he found it sometimes challenging to let go of that mindset.

“Noel is checking on the kids, making sure they'll be ready to go soon. Once we leave here, I know we all want to get to the airport, get on the plane, and get the fuck out of here. I haven’t seen Pamela this morning?—”

“She left in the middle of the night. Picked up by whom I assume is her new sugar daddy. They returned to his house in this resort in a golf cart.”

“She doesn’t waste any time.”

“You got that right,” Devil said before disconnecting.

His thoughts wandered to Noel as he disconnected, and a soft smile crept onto his face. Their night together lingered in his mind, and he couldn’t shake the warmth he felt. He had no idea what would happen between them once they were back in Montana, but he was ready to give it a chance. Whatever it took, he wanted to see if something real could be found with her.

A slight sound made him turn, and there she was, slipping quietly into the kitchen. Noel moved toward him, her steps light and sure. Without a word, she wrapped her arms around his waist, leaning into him. Her warmth spread through him as he instinctively pulled her closer.

“The kids are getting ready and packing up. I told them to bring down their suitcases and check their rooms to make sure nothing gets left behind,” she said softly, her voice warm in his ear. She leaned back, her eyes sparkling with a hint of mischief. “Didn’t see Pamela in her room. Guess she wasn't as drunk as we thought.”

“Don’t worry about her,” he replied, brushing a strand of hair from her cheek. “She spent the night with Roger’s replacement. Looks like this one’s got money.”

Noel’s brows lifted in mild surprise, but then she just shook her head with a small laugh, her gaze drifting over his shoulder toward the patio doors. She seemed lost in thought for a moment, the light in her eyes softening.

“Would you mind if I took a quick walk down the beach?” she asked, her voice barely above a whisper. “I just want to fill my lungs with that salty air and feel the sand under my toes one last time. This might be my only trip to Jamaica, and I’d like to see the beach up close at least once.”

He smiled, brushing a tender kiss across her lips, tasting her sweetness in that fleeting moment. Then he nodded, jerking his head toward the door. “Don’t be long.”

She made her way down the path, her fingers grazing the leaves and flowers on either side, her hair catching the golden morning light. As she reached the sand, she paused, letting the breeze tug at her clothes, her gaze cast out to the endless stretch of sea and sky.

He dragged his gaze away from her and moved to the refrigerator. Opening the door, he was glad to find eggs and bacon. Glancing toward the counter, he discovered there was also bread.Perfect… we can fucking eat before we leave.He soon had the bread toasted, the bacon sizzling, and the eggs scrambled.

Devil and Frazier entered the kitchen after dumping their bags by the front door. He quickly started breakfast, and then the sound of Penny screaming, “Landon!” He tossed the plate to the counter and whirled around just in time to see Penny racing down the stairs. He darted to her with Devil and Frazier on his heels.

Her eyes were wide with fright as she lifted her finger toward the back patio. “It's Noel! There's a man on the beach, and he's got a gun pointed at her!”

24

Noel wandered along the path that led through palm trees, flowering shrubs, and thick foliage. It wasn't a long walk to get to the sandy beach. Growing up in Montana, she rarely took any trips to the beach. And she'd never seen anything like this. When she finally stepped onto the sand, her breath caught—it was so brilliantly white, nearly dazzling in the early morning light. She squinted and laughed softly to herself, thinking she should have brought sunglasses.

Her gaze drifted out over the endless blue stretching before her. She tried to recall the shades of blue from her high school art classes—cerulean, azure, maybe cobalt? But none of those words seemed adequate to describe the color of the water here, vibrant yet somehow calming, shimmering under the golden sunlight. The rhythm of the waves entranced her.

What was meant to be a quick stroll became something else entirely as she slipped off her sandals and darted toward the surf, her laughter ringing out as the warm water lapped against her feet, a welcome surprise.

If only she could stay here longer, basking in the beauty and tranquility. "I’d never be able to afford a place like this on my salary," she murmured with a smile, but even a few stolenmoments felt like a gift. She continued to kick up the water playfully, savoring the way it sparkled around her ankles.

Eventually, she turned back toward the house, the reality of the day tugging at her. It was time to return Penny and Tad to their Montana home. And she needed to get back to hers. Her thoughts drifted to Landon, her heartbeat quickening at his name. What would Montana feel like now, with the memories of their time together lingering in her mind? Would he even want to see her again, or had last night been just a fleeting connection? The thought made her heart ache slightly. Two days with him and the idea of never seeing him again felt unbearable.

Unable to determine what she and Landon would be, if anything, once they landed in the States, she turned her thoughts to Penny and Tad. She didn’t know what custody arrangements awaited them once they returned, but from what she’d seen, Pamela needed close monitoring. Supervised visits seemed like the best option, allowing Penny and Tad to decide their relationship with their mother when they came of age.

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