Sea Haven 01 - Water Bound

situation. They want to make my decisions for me.”
    “That’s not me,” he countered, then wiped his hand over his face.
    “Okay. Maybe it is me, but not because I think you aren’t smart enough to see a situation. I don’t like you in danger. When a man finds the only person of worth to him, that one person who matters more than anything and makes everything he’s ever seen or done or gone through worthwhile, believe me, Rikki, the urge to protect her is overwhelming. If that bothers you, then I’m sorry, because it’s going to be happening over and over throughout our years together.”
    She touched his face gently. “I can accept that. Just don’t ever treat me like I’m not intelligent”
    He caught her hand and kissed the tips of her fingers. “I’m not that stupid, Rikki. So if you’re really going to do this, I’m going into the house 284

    and remove any evidence that I’ve been there. Your man, Levi Hammond, comes around when he isn’t running up and down the coast diving. He crashes here sometimes. Be vague.”
    “I’m not letting him into the house.”
    “You’ll have to if this is going to work. He’s going to find a way to get into the house. Don’t make it easy, but let him in. It’s the only way he’ll be satisfied. While he’s on the porch, I can cover him, but once he’s inside, it will be more difficult. Don’t go in with him.” When she looked at him, he sighed. “For me. Stay out where I can see you.”
    “You stay away, Lev,” she dictated. “Leave this one to me.” She sent him a mysterious, mischievous smirk. “I’m actually a good actress. And I have a lot of experience to draw on. That state facility I was in provided all kinds of wonderful practice for me.”
    He tasted fear in his mouth. “Listen to me, lubov moya, hear what I’m saying. This man is the most dangerous man you will ever run across. He kills without feeling. He’s like a robot. He cares nothing for anyone. He doesn’t work with a purpose to save governments or to try to stop gun running or human trafficking. He cares nothing about drugs. He kills. That is his only purpose in life. Once set on a target, he never stops until he has completed the assignment. That is his one joy, the victory of winning. His win is the kill.”
    She frowned. “And this man is after you?”
    Lev nodded. “It is his job to make certain I am dead. If I kill him and he doesn’t return to those who sent him, they will know I’m alive and they’ll send another and then another until one day I make a mistake. If this one goes home, he will tell them I’m dead and they’ll believe him.”
    “Then that’s what he has to do,” Rikki said.
    Lev shook his head. “It isn’t that easy. He’s interrogated hundreds of people. He can sense a lie. He knows body language. He knows the little things that give people away when they’re lying.”
    Rikki smiled at him. “He should come here when I’m alone then.”
    His gut reacted, protesting. The thought of Rikki alone with the cleaner was absolutely terrifying. “No way. That isn’t going to happen. He can bring the sheriff with him. That’s the only way he gets close to you. If you make a mistake, he’ll come back alone without Harrington and I’ll kill him. We’ll decide what to do after that.”
    Rikki sighed. “You know, Levi, you have to get over the whole, ‘I’ll just kill him’ thing. That might work for Lev, but not Levi. People don’t solve their problems that way.”
    He clenched his teeth. “This might have to be an exception.”
    285

    He turned his back on her and went into the house, carefully cleaning up all the dishes and putting them away. Only Rikki’s coffee cup remained.
    There wasn’t much food in the house. Blythe had already taken away the remains of their dinner from the previous night. He examined the contents of the refrigerator. Very sparse, it definitely looked as if only one person was living there.
    Quickly and efficiently he stripped the bed, remade it with fresh sheets and placed the others in the washing machine. The bathrooms were next.
    Rikki was very particular about the bathrooms so there wasn’t much evidence of him there either. He erased all proof of his existence in her home. It wasn’t hard. He had a habit of making certain he touched few things wherever he was living. And he wiped every surface fast. His briefcase was packed and went with him, along with the weapons, when he left the house.
    He