As they drove to the resort, he added more mental notes of the surrounding island. The driver pulled up in front of Allerton’s place, and the hair of the back of his neck rose in warning as he got out of the Moke and waited for Ginny to follow him. Keeping her on the inside next to the vehicle, they walked to where Agent Collins was waiting at the front.
“Where are the rest of your men?” Reaper asked harshly.
“At their quarters. Mr. James, I don’t know what you’re expecting, but I can assure you that Mrs. James is not in any danger. I will be the administering the polygraph alone. It will be just the two of us alone in the room.”
“Ginny’s not fucking leaving my sight!”
“She won’t be. You will be in the next room that has two-way glass.”
“Let me make myself clearer. Ginny’s not going into any room without me,” Reaper clarified. “There will be no doors between us.”
“I will make your decision clear to Mr. Allerton when we reach his office.”
Ginny looked between both men and gave him a concerned look. “I don’t want to do this if you don’t want me to, Gavin.”
Having the ball put in his court didn’t lessen the dread he was experiencing. There was no guarantee they would be any safer at their bungalow, or that Allerton would allow them to leave the island once his wishes had been met. They could either put the ball in play or stay put. He wanted the fucking game over. If taking the polygraph gave them the possibility of leaving without a violent confrontation—and Ginny getting hurt—he had to take that chance.
“Let’s get it done.”
Ginny inhaled a deep breath when Reaper gave her the go-ahead. He couldn’t decide if the reaction was caused by relief or fear.
“We’re ready,” she assured Agent Collins.
The agent gave a curt nod, then gave Ginny an indecipherable look that Reaper couldn’t read. Traversing the corridors of the resort took a matter of minutes, and they were soon stepping into the elevator.
Allerton’s assistant was waiting for them on the other side of the door when the doors slid open. “Agent Collins, the room is ready for you.”
As they filed out of the elevator, Agent Collins approached Allerton’s assistant who’d come over to escort them down the hall. “Mr. James wants to talk to Mr. Allerton before the test.”
“Have a seat, then, and I’ll inform him.”
Reaper remained standing as the assistant went behind his desk to buzz Allerton. “Yes, sir.” Placing the receiver back down, the assistant gave them a reserved smile. “Agent Collins, Mr. Allerton wishes to speak with you first.”
Ginny and he watched as the agent made his way into Allerton’s office.
“Do you think he’ll give you permission to stay with me during the test?”
“Don’t care.” Reaper shrugged. “You’re staying with me.”
Ginny kept her gaze glued to the door of Allerton’s office, while Reaper kept his eyes glued on the assistant. About a minute after the agent entered Allerton’s office, Reaper saw the assistant look their way as his hand slid under the edge of the desk. Reaper’s heart started pumping faster. A frightening scenario of the man drawing a gun on them had him tensing, then relaxing when he heard the rustling of papers. The sign that his instincts were heightened had him reconsidering letting Ginny take the test. He was getting her the hell out of there.
“Mr. Allerton would like you both to join him in his office.”
The fucker hadn’t lifted the receiver, so how did he know his boss was ready for him?
The answer came to him in a flash. This scenario had been prearranged if Ginny refused to take the polygraph test.
When Ginny rose from her seat, he took her arm. “Can you inform Mr. Allerton that my wife isn’t feeling well and I’m taking her back to our bungalow?” Reaper began propelling Ginny toward the elevator. “We’ll wait by the Moke for Agent Collins. Thank-you.”
Pressing the elevator button, he shuffled Ginny in front of him so she could get on the elevator first.
“Wait! Just give me a minute to let Mr—”
The electronic door slid open, and Reaper didn’t spare a second to explain before pushing her inside.
“Oof,” Ginny exclaimed, looking over her shoulder as he rushed in and pushed the down arrow. “What’s wrong?” she asked as the doors closed.
Inwardly cursing that the elevator wouldn’t stop between floors, Reaper kept Ginny at his back, bracing for the doors to open. “Didn’t like the vibe I was getting. When the door opens, if anyone is there, press the button to close the door and don’t come out until I say it’s clear.”
She began moving to stand next to the control panel. “But—”
“We’ll talk about it when we get to the Moke.”
“Okay.”
The door opened to an empty hallway. Raising his forearms up to cover each side of his head, he stepped out, glancing quickly to each side. “Clear,” he said from over his shoulder.