“Good. Go as soon as you can. Don’t pack much; don’t tell anyone where you’re going.”
“We’ve been staying with friends. But I came over today to get the computer.” She closed it, held it to her chest, her eyes filling. “He went quickly?”
Skeet swallowed. “Yes.”
Elena nodded, then surprised Chloe by reaching out and taking her hand. “Stop him. Whatever it takes, stop him. Marko believed that good people could make a difference if they were brave enough to try.”
“We’ll stop him,” Chloe said.
As she and Skeet walked back to the car. “You okay?”
“No.” Apparently, she’d stopped any pretense with him. “What are we into here, Skeet?”
“Hey.” He stopped walking, turned to face her. “Look at me for a second.”
She looked up, found those green eyes studying her face with concern.
“We’re going to stop him. You know why I’m so confident?”
“Because you’re delusional?”
“Because I’ve got the smartest, most determined woman I’ve ever met on my side. And she’s also pretty easy on the eyes, which makes this whole saving-the-world thing a lot more enjoyable than usual.”
Despite everything, she almost smiled. “You’re flirting with me while we’re trying to save the world?”
“Feels right. And if we’re about to walk into mortal danger, I figured I should mention that I find your dedication to justice incredibly attractive.”
“You’re ridiculous.”
“I prefer charming, but I’ll take ridiculous.” He grinned, then his expression grew serious. “We’ve got this, Chloe. Together, remember?”
He held up his fist. She laughed and bumped it. “What are we—bros now?”
He opened up his driver’s door. “Oh, sweetheart, far, far from it.”
The sun was climbing higher as they pulled out of Elena’s driveway, the morning already growing warm.
The road stretched ahead. Chloe found herself sinking into silence, the flash drive in her bag a stone.
“Chloe.” Skeet’s voice was gentler now. “Talk to me.”
She stared out at the landscape. “I have no words. I just... this kind of evil has me undone.”
He nodded and put his hand on hers. “We need to stop and get a hotel.”
She blinked. “What? No, we need to drive to the resort?—”
“It’s a nineteen-hour drive from Mae Sot to Phuket, where the resort is. We can’t make it in time. We’ll get back to Bangkok and catch a flight from there.”
She nodded, sighed.
“Grab a nap.”
She glanced at him, steady at the wheel, and his words simmered through her:Far from it.
He met her gaze, frowned. “What’s going on, Chloe?” She closed her eyes even as he reached over and touched her hand, squeezed. “I got this.”
Maybe, but as she drifted off to sleep, all she could think was... what was she getting them into?