Page 36 of Pirates in Calusa Cove

“I don’t know,” Keaton answered honestly. “But I don’t think it’s a good idea for you to stay alone in your house. I suspect whoever is after Trinity, and what they think she may have found, won’t think twice about coming after you to get to her. Considering what happened, I wouldn’t put it past whoever came after her to do that.”

“Why not announce that Dawson has theFlying Victoriajewels?” Monty asked. “Wouldn’t that stop them from coming after my little girl?”

“Now that she’s awake, and we know what happened, Dawson may want to do that.” Keaton nodded. “Lord knows I want to do whatever will ensure hers and your safety. But that doesn’t mean they won’t stop trying to kill her for what they think she knows.”

“But I don’t know anything,” she said with a tremble in her voice.

God, he hated that her normally confident self had taken a back seat to this scared person. He understoodtrauma. He’d had his own battles with PTSD over the years. Those demons didn’t vanish. They didn’t disappear. They lurked in the shadows of his mind and occasionally reared their ugly heads. It would take time for her to work through what had happened. To feel safe again. To regain that confidence she’d carried around like a badge of honor.

But he had no doubt she’d get there. She was strong. Stronger than most.

“I didn’t see them. They both wore masks. I can’t even remember what they sounded like. It all happened so fast.” Tears sprang from her eyes like a raging river.

Her father wiped them away, holding her tight.

“That’s just it.” Keaton rolled his neck. A million things raced through his brain, and he resented where they went. He knew Dawson was thinking the same thing. “They have no idea what you know or don’t know.”

“They know Mallary and I found the jewels,” Trinity said.

“But they don’t know for sure you have them.” Keaton arched a brow. “Knowing Dawson the way I do, he might want to keep a lid on things to draw the bad guys out.”

“You mean use my little girl as bait?” Monty stood. He inched closer.

Keaton wasn’t afraid of most men, but Monty scared the shit out of him. “Not her, the jewels.”

“That’s semantics, son. And you know it.” Monty glared.

He sure did, and just saying it left a bitter taste in hismouth. “That may be true. However, it’s also not my call.”

“But you’ll stand by your friend, even though you claim to care about my daughter.” Monty folded his arms. His eyes turned into narrow slits that shot spiked daggers right at Keaton’s heart.

“I do care about her, and I will protect her.” He held up a hand, hoping it didn’t tremble. “Based on everything I know so far about what happened, and the fact they sent some asshole in here to kill her, I wouldn’t be surprised if they have Mallary and?—”

“You think Mallary is still alive?” Trinity bolted to a sitting position. She groaned, clutching her shoulder.

Her father rushed to her side.

Keaton raced to the other side of the bed, leaning his hip on the mattress. Gently, he rested his hand on her thigh and held her gaze. “I don’t know. But it’s possible. Again, she could be used as leverage to get to you and the jewels. Our first order of business needs to be to get you to a safe place. Then, Dawson and the rest of us will devise the best plan to catch the bad guys. It’s not our first rodeo.”

“No offense, but you’re not a cop,” Monty said. “I respect the hell out of your previous profession, and I will gladly take your help protecting my child, but going after these guys? Seriously?”

Ripping his gaze from Trinity, he shifted it to her father. “We helped Dawson take down Paul Massey and his special band of idiots. I don’t say this to be cocky, but that operation wouldn’t have gone down the way it did without us. Besides, Dawson won’t do anythingwithout careful consideration. He has not only Trinity and Mallary to think about but also all of Calusa Cove. If it makes sense to act as if the jewels of theFlying Victoriawere once again lost to the sea, then that’s what we will do.”

“Daddy,” Trinity said softly.

“Yeah, princess?” Monty brushed her cheek much like he used to when she’d been a little girl.

“While sometimes Keaton’s delivery is god-awful, and he acts like a chest-pounding gorilla, Dawson’s an excellent chief of police. We need to do whatever he and his friends think is best.”

Keaton ran his fingers through his hair. “I’m not that bad,” he muttered.

“Yes, you are,” both father and daughter said simultaneously.

“I wouldn’t want to get in the way of police business.” Monty crooked his finger. “But I’m going to be in your face every step of the way.”

“I would expect nothing less.” Keaton swallowed. When he became a parent… no, if… no… What the hell? He couldn’t think straight when he was around Trinity. There was no if—or when—but he could appreciate how much Monty wanted to protect his daughter.

Keaton would die before he let anything happen to her…again.

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