Zander quickly shut down all the engines. The vessel slowed, then drifted toward the fishing boat that waited for them, white against the blue sea.
The larger boat rocked calmly, floating on gentle seas in the summer sun, and the world was quiet.
* * *
Zander wanted nothing more than to take Rae belowdecks and made fast and furious love to her in one of the empty cabins. Hell, he’d even do it on the deck itself, in the sunshine, no matter how many people were on this damned boat.
But they weren’t quite free yet. Carson tried to arrest Zander on the spot but his flunkies had gone on strike. The one who’d been sick gave Carson a hollow-eyed stare and said bluntly, “I quit.” His fellow guard nodded in fervent agreement.
“Piotr!” Zander, up on deck in the stern, bellowed through his cupped hands at his friend on the other vessel. “Take these guys back to shore with you.” He pointed at the guards, who’d come outside to hang on the deck’s rail, breathing heavily. “And look after my boat, will you? Don’t let anyone abscond with it.”
Piotr gave him a salute. “I will if I don’t get arrested, you crazy s.o.b.”
Zander waved this away. “You know everyone in Homer. You’ll talk them out of it.”
Piotr shrugged. “Probably. What about Rae? I’ll take her home with me too, nice and safe.”
Rae, who’d come out beside Zander, shook her head. “I’ll stay here,” she called.
She looked regretful, as though she’d rather sit in a warm house and eat Russian pastries than follow Zander on whatever loony thing he decided to do next. But they had a sword to fix, training to resume.
Miles came back on board as Piotr drew the fishing boat close. Ezra came too, carrying the packs that Zander had asked him to bring. Miles charged past Zander and Rae as soon as he made it to the deck, heading into the pilot house to see whether Zander had left his boat in one piece.
Ezra said to Zander as he handed him the packs and Zander’s samurai swords, “You were right. There’s nothing for me at home now. Piotr said he’d look after the house for me. I’m going to go find some other Shifters and figure out my life.”
Zander only gave him a nod. “There are plenty of bunks below.” Ezra said nothing, only gave him a grateful look and disappeared to the cabins.
Piotr was waving both arms and yelling a parting good-bye at the top of his voice. He gave a final wave then turned away, already talking good-naturedly with Carson’s guards. Zander suspected that by the time they reached port, the two men and Piotr would be best friends. Piotr would no doubt take them for a drink before heading home to his wife and kids.
Zander felt a pang of regret as he watched the boat recede. Piotr was a good guy and Zander always hated saying good-bye to him. But when this was all over, he’d take Rae to Nikolaevsk for a visit. Piotr and his wife were gracious hosts.
That left Miles and Carson to deal with. “Miles,” Zander said, leaning in the door of the pilot house. “Head for the mainland. Anywhere is fine.”
Miles nodded in acknowledgment as he continued checking over readouts and switches, like a hen fussing over his chicks. Zander left him to it and went below, down to the storage rooms where Carson had first locked up Zander.
Zander had put Carson into a room there, which could be locked from the outside. The door had a small round window through which Zander could see that Carson was sitting on the cot they’d dragged in for him.
Carter frowned at Zander when he noticed him looking in. “If you take over my boat,” Carson called to him, “the charge will be piracy.”
“Don’t worry,” Zander said. “I’ll give it back.” Carson snarled something under his breath but Zander, after making sure the door was securely locked, left him to go look for Rae.
He found her in one of the larger cabins on the main deck, sitting cross-legged on the bunk and gazing morosely at her broken sword. The sun coming through the cabin’s window glistened in her dark hair and on the sword’s silver blade. She’d shucked her jacket, which lay on the floor, and wore a sweater beneath that hugged her breasts.
Zander sat on the edge of the bed. “Hell of a day,” he said.
Rae looked up at him, her eyes widening. “Shouldn’t you be watching Miles?”
“He’s fine. More worried about the boat than us.” Zander rested his fingers, which were cracked from the sun and wind, on his thighs. “He won’t call the Coast Guard or Shifter Bureau—he doesn’t want us blabbing that he’s really a Shifter.”
“Would you turn in Miles to Shifter Bureau?” Rae asked in worry.
Zander looked at her in surprise. “You think I’d do something like that? His secret is safe with me, Little Wolf. He just doesn’t need to know that yet.”
“I don’t know what you’d do, Zander.” Rae’s gray eyes were full of anger, confusion, and fear. “Just when I think I have you figured out, you go and do something even more lunatic than before.” She gave him a fierce glare, though Zander sensed that behind it, all she wanted to do was scream at him or laugh. Laughter was better, so he’d try to coax it from her.
Zander put his fist on his chest. “What can I say? I’m a madman.”
“No, you’re not. You pretend to be, but you’re not.”
Rae’s gaze was too perceptive. “Hey, don’t go giving away my secrets,” Zander said. “And I really am crazy. It’s the only way to keep myself sane.”
Rae shook her head but the corner of her lip twitched. “See what I mean? When we’re someplace safe and I stop being scared, I am seriously going to yell at you.”
“We’re never going to be safe, you and me.” The words weren’t the ones Zander meant to say but they came out anyway. “Trouble will always find Shifters like us. It’s how we deal with it that makes us strong.”
Rae rested her chin on her balled fist. “If you’re trying to make me feel better, you know you really suck at it.”
“No, what I want is . . .”
Zander broke off. To hell with this. He rose, reached down, and dragged Rae off the bed and into his arms.
CHAPTER TWENTY
Zander didn’t hold back with the kiss. Rae came off her feet, Zander’s arms hard around her while he opened her mouth with his.