I’ll stay. And I’ll get someone to come and stay with me.’
‘Who?’
‘Trig, if he’s around. Another one of Jared’s friends if he’s not. They’re very reliable. Ready for anything. Pirates would not get past them.’
‘No.’
‘Or Lena, my sister.’ Probably not a good time to mention Lena’s injuries. ‘She’s at Damon’s beach house at the moment. She could be here tomorrow.’ Probably.
‘Just do your work, Poppy,’ he said gruffly. ‘Give me an update at the end of each day on how close you are to finishing and I’ll plan around it.’
‘It’s really not that kind of project,’ she said awkwardly. ‘It’ll either come together in an instant or it won’t come together at all. There’s no halfway.’
‘Story of your life,’ he muttered, and Poppy blushed on account of last night and because he was right.
‘I can be quite singular in my thinking at times, it’s true. Sometimes I need reminding about the bigger picture but I am seeing it. I heard what you said last night about not giving me any more lessons, Sebastian. I’m good with that. I understand that having youmentor me was not a good idea. I’d even go so far as to say it was a really bad idea. Still, I’ve learned a lot and I do thank you for it. Most instructive.’ She nodded vigorously. ‘Plenty to be going on with.’
‘Going on with?’
‘Elsewhere,’ she said.
He stared at her for what seemed like for ever, his mouth set and his eyes guarded. ‘Tom says that if I want to know what you’re doing here that’s so important, I should ask.’
‘Oh.’ What to reveal? ‘Well, it’s, ah…a little convoluted, but the short answer is that I’m trying to find my missing brother.’
‘Well, you won’t find him here.’ Seb’s eyes narrowed on her suspiciously. ‘Who did you say your brother works for?’
‘ASIS.’
‘So he’s a spook.’
‘He really doesn’t say.’
‘ So what do your brother’s employers have to say about his disappearance?’
‘They say they’re looking into it,’ said Poppy quietly. ‘And so am I.’
Seb sighed heavily. ‘The only reassuring thing about that mild-mannered little statement is that you currently don’t have internet access. Or do you?’
‘No. Internet access is the last thing I want. That’s why I’m here.’
‘For the privacy,’ he murmured. ‘Tom says you’re one of the best cryptologists in the world.’
‘He said that?’ asked Poppy. ‘That’s really sweet. Now if you’ll excuse me, I really should get back to the cave. I think one of the cooling fans is glitchy—at least, that’s what I hope it is.’
‘You’re not going to tell me, are you?’ He didn’t like that. She could see it in the hard glitter of his eyes. ‘Trust me with your body but not with your secrets. How does that convoluted brain of yours justify that?’
‘Easily,’ she said quietly. ‘They’re not my secrets.’
She wasn’t online hacking government systems, decided Seb grimly as he watched her head along the corridor back towards the bat cave. That was a plus. Chances were she’d done that
before
coming to the island. So what was she
doing
here? Reading files? Trying to read files? Government-encrypted files full of classified information and dangerous little secrets that might lead her to her brother? That was Seb’s best guess, given the information to hand.
Don’t tell her it was illegal or impossible, just give her the tools she needed and stand back.
Seb vacillated between horror at the kind of trouble that would rain down on her if she was caught and admiration that she would dare to attempt such a thing.
The hell with meek and mousy.
Ophelia West had nerves of steel.
He shouldn’t be impressed.
So what if he had a few more words to describe her now? Words like
bold. Courageous. Loyal.
And
utterly captivating.
She’d turned his world upside down in a matter of days. Made him ache for her and fear for her and want her more than
‘Who?’
‘Trig, if he’s around. Another one of Jared’s friends if he’s not. They’re very reliable. Ready for anything. Pirates would not get past them.’
‘No.’
‘Or Lena, my sister.’ Probably not a good time to mention Lena’s injuries. ‘She’s at Damon’s beach house at the moment. She could be here tomorrow.’ Probably.
‘Just do your work, Poppy,’ he said gruffly. ‘Give me an update at the end of each day on how close you are to finishing and I’ll plan around it.’
‘It’s really not that kind of project,’ she said awkwardly. ‘It’ll either come together in an instant or it won’t come together at all. There’s no halfway.’
‘Story of your life,’ he muttered, and Poppy blushed on account of last night and because he was right.
‘I can be quite singular in my thinking at times, it’s true. Sometimes I need reminding about the bigger picture but I am seeing it. I heard what you said last night about not giving me any more lessons, Sebastian. I’m good with that. I understand that having youmentor me was not a good idea. I’d even go so far as to say it was a really bad idea. Still, I’ve learned a lot and I do thank you for it. Most instructive.’ She nodded vigorously. ‘Plenty to be going on with.’
‘Going on with?’
‘Elsewhere,’ she said.
He stared at her for what seemed like for ever, his mouth set and his eyes guarded. ‘Tom says that if I want to know what you’re doing here that’s so important, I should ask.’
‘Oh.’ What to reveal? ‘Well, it’s, ah…a little convoluted, but the short answer is that I’m trying to find my missing brother.’
‘Well, you won’t find him here.’ Seb’s eyes narrowed on her suspiciously. ‘Who did you say your brother works for?’
‘ASIS.’
‘So he’s a spook.’
‘He really doesn’t say.’
‘ So what do your brother’s employers have to say about his disappearance?’
‘They say they’re looking into it,’ said Poppy quietly. ‘And so am I.’
Seb sighed heavily. ‘The only reassuring thing about that mild-mannered little statement is that you currently don’t have internet access. Or do you?’
‘No. Internet access is the last thing I want. That’s why I’m here.’
‘For the privacy,’ he murmured. ‘Tom says you’re one of the best cryptologists in the world.’
‘He said that?’ asked Poppy. ‘That’s really sweet. Now if you’ll excuse me, I really should get back to the cave. I think one of the cooling fans is glitchy—at least, that’s what I hope it is.’
‘You’re not going to tell me, are you?’ He didn’t like that. She could see it in the hard glitter of his eyes. ‘Trust me with your body but not with your secrets. How does that convoluted brain of yours justify that?’
‘Easily,’ she said quietly. ‘They’re not my secrets.’
She wasn’t online hacking government systems, decided Seb grimly as he watched her head along the corridor back towards the bat cave. That was a plus. Chances were she’d done that
before
coming to the island. So what was she
doing
here? Reading files? Trying to read files? Government-encrypted files full of classified information and dangerous little secrets that might lead her to her brother? That was Seb’s best guess, given the information to hand.
Don’t tell her it was illegal or impossible, just give her the tools she needed and stand back.
Seb vacillated between horror at the kind of trouble that would rain down on her if she was caught and admiration that she would dare to attempt such a thing.
The hell with meek and mousy.
Ophelia West had nerves of steel.
He shouldn’t be impressed.
So what if he had a few more words to describe her now? Words like
bold. Courageous. Loyal.
And
utterly captivating.
She’d turned his world upside down in a matter of days. Made him ache for her and fear for her and want her more than
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