Captain's Paradise by Kay Hooper Page B

was he prepared to circle around to the north, leaving his enemy with a clear escape route to the south. He and the women agreed that if Sutton moved at all, he would most likely head south since that presented his best chances of leaving U.S. territory quickly and safely.
    All of them knew they were battling the clock.Their best guess was that Sutton had initially planned to have only Lisa on his yacht by the time Michael came hunting him; the crackdown on boats around the coast had forced him to keep the other girls aboard days longer than was safe or practical. He would soon be forced to decide which was his priority: revenge against Michael or the valuable cargo of the girls.
    Both Michael and Dane felt strongly that revenge would come out on top; therefore, they had to move against Sutton before he decided to cut his losses. He was a man who took few chances, and the girls would never be freed alive.
    Michael knew only too well that the plan he’d agreed to with the others was one that depended on a number of opinions and instincts. And the linchpin of their entire plan was that Sutton would return to Miami once he heard of the danger to his investments. Only then could they hope to lessen the odds against them by attempting to “divide and conquer” the security force on the yacht.
    And since both Michael and Robin were the“red flag” and too likely to be recognized by either Sutton or his crew, they were more or less forced to remain several miles from the islands—and wait.
    “What about Sutton?” Robin asked suddenly. They were both on deck, shaded from the ten o’clock sun by an awning, and neither was handling the waiting very well.
    Michael didn’t need the question clarified. Gazing off toward the islands with restless eyes, he said, “If Sutton isn’t on the yacht physically, there isn’t much chance of building a case against him in court. We couldn’t prove ownership of the yacht, and unless the girls identify him as being in charge …”
    “Do you think they will?”
    “I don’t think Sutton’s given them the chance to see him.”
    “What about Lisa?”
    “Maybe. But I doubt it. He’s too cautious for that.”
    “Then he’ll get away with it?” Robin regrettedthe question the instant she saw Michael’s jaw tighten.
    “No.”
    In the steadiest voice she could manage, she said, “You’ll go after him yourself. Once Lisa and the others are safe?”
    “One way or another,” Michael said softly, “Sutton’s going to pay for what he’s done.”
    Shying away from what that might mean, Robin changed the subject. “You were very surprised Dane involved himself. Raven seemed to be as well.”
    Michael shrugged slightly. “From what I know of him—and what Raven obviously knows—it’s a bit out of character. I’ve seen him turn in performances worthy of awards, but he tends to avoid other people’s problems.”
    “He’s certainly not avoiding this problem. Maybe he’s more of a friend than you thought.”
    “Or maybe he has his own reasons.”
    Robin felt a pang. “You don’t trust easily.”
    He was silent.
    “Do you trust me?” she asked.
    After a long moment he said roughly, “Yes.”
    “Why does that disturb you so much? That you trust me? Because trust leaves you vulnerable?”
    “I don’t think we want to get into this,” Michael said.
    It had been a mistake, Robin realized, for her to have remained with him. Teddy had suggested that she might want to head back toward the Maze with them, remaining in the cabin of the larger cruiser. But Robin had refused with a slight shake of her head, and Michael had said nothing.
    She should have gone with them. The tension of waiting, added to the tension already present between her and Michael, left them both with precarious control. And they were too alone, too conscious of each other. That he had the self-awareness to warn her off from unstable emotional ground was remarkable; Robin felt herself lacking in that