Page 57 of Landon

The scene inside the villa felt surreal. Everyone bustled around, grabbing last-minute items, checking bags, and clearing rooms. Even the idea of breakfast had been abandoned. Her exhaustion weighed on her, slowing her movements, and her feet felt as if they were sinking into quicksand with every step.

The front door opened, and there was Pamela, sweeping into the foyer with a flourish, a silver-haired gentleman at her side—her sugar daddy who, for once, might be more age-appropriate. Pamela hurried over to embrace Tad and Penny, introducing Henry and promising to see them in Montana soon. The kids nodded awkwardly, stepping back from her grand declarations, embarrassment evident on their faces.

Landon pulled Pamela to the side. “You always manage to be just outside all the shit that swirls around you!”

Pamela’s joyous demeanor fled as her eyes narrowed into a glare. “What are you talking about?”

Henry stepped forward, taking a stand just to the side of her. “How dare you talk to her this way. I’ll have you know that I’m?—”

“Don’t give a fuck, man,” Landon growled before turning his attention back to Pamela. “Your boy toy was banging your housekeeper, and the two of them decided you shouldn’t get all the money.”

Pamela blinked as her mouth opened and closed several times like a fish out of water. “What?”

“Seems they cooked up the idea to pay someone to snatch the kids off the beach. Horticia called her cousins to take them and hold them until you paid. And they were too stupid to ask for a different amount than what you had coming, which led us to know it was an inside job.”

Her face reddened as her gaze darted from Landon’s hard-set expression to her children and then to the side to see Henry’s brow furrowed in concern. And she couldn’t have missed Henry taking a slight step back.

Her loud protestations came—“I had no idea! How dare he try to extort the money from me! This wasn’t my fault!”

Landon sneered, apparently done with her. “Horticia is in jail along with her compadres. Roger has left but the police will keep looking for him. And if he contacts you, the FBI will be very interested and will probably consider you an accomplice?—”

“I didn’t know!” she continued as she looked at Tad and Penny. “Babies, I would never do anything to hurt you.”

The kids remained quiet as Henry shushed Pamela, then wrapped his arm around her to usher her back. Landon turned to walk back to Noel, disgust written on his face.

Noel watched it all, numb to the scene around her. She felt like a ghost in her own life, hovering on the edges, detached from the chaos. In the back of her mind, she knew she should check on the kids and make sure they were holding up, but her thoughts were scattered, and her focus slipped.

“Noel?” Landon’s voice cut through the haze, his eyes filled with concern as he turned her gently to face him.

The world slowed as he lifted a hand to cup her cheek, his thumb brushing softly across her skin. “Sweetheart, talk to me. What’s going on in that head of yours?”

She took a shuddering breath, the weight of everything pressing down on her. “I don’t know,” she whispered, her voice fragile. “I shot someone, Landon… I can’t even process that. I don’t know what to think.” Her eyes closed as his arms wrapped around her, pulling her close, the solid beat of his heart steadying her.

“Take me home,” she begged, her cheek pressed against his chest. “I just… I just need to go home. Away from all this.”

25

“I just need to get away from all of this.”

Those words echoed relentlessly in Landon’s mind, circling like a recording on replay. Over and over, he heard them but wasn’t sure of her meaning.Get away from the island? Get away from the assignment? Get away from discovering she’d actually shot a man? Get away from me?The last question had his gut in a knot. Glancing over at her, he was afraid to ask.

She had moved through the motions of leaving the resort with numb efficiency, her expressions a mask as they made their way to the airport. The plane Cole was flying was not nearly as plush as the charted flight they took to Jamaica. The seats were side by side with no tables. There was also no attendant, but there was a bathroom and a stocked refrigerator with food and drinks for self-serve.

Now, on the plane, she’d finally settled with the kids, color slowly returning to her cheeks as she encouraged them to eat. Despite everything, a soft smile played on her lips as she leaned close, giving them her undivided attention. But to him, there was a distance in her gaze, a subtle emptiness that unnerved him.

“She’s pretty amazing.” Devil’s rumbling voice broke Landon’s reverie. He looked over to see his friend seated across from him, his dark eyes softened in unexpected reflection.

Landon nodded, his voice rough. “Yes, she is.”

“Things seemed to be intense between the two of you,” Devil commented, the edge of his mouth twitching with amusement.

Landon managed a short laugh, glancing over. The large man with a dark beard could change between the devil and a teddy bear with just a glance. “Are you here to offer me relationship advice?”

Now, it was Devil's time to snort. “Do you need it?” Then his grin faded slightly. “If you do, I'm not sure I'm the right person to offer any.”

Landon remembered overhearing another Keeper mentioning that Devil had once had someone serious in his life, but Devil fucked it up. But then, as Landon glanced over toward Noel, he wondered if he had also fucked things up.

“She seems okay now,” Devil said.

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