Chapter 5

Maxwell and Daphney weren't what Alexis had expected when they docked in front of their stunning home on Sunset Key, the private island a mere five hundred yards from Key West. She'd expected a meticulously decorated interior, with every detail carefully chosen by a designer. Stepping into the jovial couple's home reminded her of her parents' place. Photographs and trinkets filled every corner.

Daphney had immediately taken charge, insisting Alexis have a proper shower while Maxwell put steaks on the barbeque. Alexis's dad believed he was king of the barbeque. She'd learned to eat her steak very well done. Maxwell had the same interpretation of charring as her father. Daphney was as easygoing as her mother and had made sure there was a bottle of steak sauce on the table.

Duval Street wasn't what Alexis had expected, either. She knew it was Key West's popular party district, but the number of people crowding the streets was overwhelming.

Alexis had sailed the Florida Keys several times, but had avoided the tourist areas. Crowds triggered her claustrophobia.

Fortunately, she didn't need to deal with the crowds as she shopped for something to replace Seb's t-shirt she'd thrown over her bikini. Maxwell and Daphney's granddaughter lived with them when she wasn't attending college in Gainesville. Kaitlyn was the same size as her and Daphney had insisted she'd find something comfortable for Alexis to wear.

She'd laid out a pair of Chanel jeans and t-shirt, along with glitzy high heels, while Alexis showered.

Daphney had said the heels would make Alexis feel more like herself. Alexis didn't have the heart to tell her water shoes were more her style.

"Breathe," Seb said, tightening his grip around her waist and smoothly maneuvering them to the side to avoid colliding with a group hogging the sidewalk. "We'll find a coffee shop that isn't crowded."

That would be mission impossible. Every place they'd passed had been filled with people. Alexis's chest tightened. Would the restaurant be as packed? Her chest tightened more. She should have refused to meet with Special Agent Auclair.

"You never explained why we're arriving at the restaurant almost an hour early." As they sailed to Key West, Alexis had stretched out on the net at the front of the catamaran and had fallen asleep. The sunshade had kept her from burning, so Seb had waited until the last minute to wake her. He'd only outlined the plan Javier and the FBI agent had worked out.

"Javier texted me while you were in the shower. Auclair isn't meeting us." Seb slowed their pace and guided her to a storefront window. "I want to make sure the guy we are meeting wasn't followed."

"He's an FBI agent. Surely, he'd spot someone tailing him," Alexis said, surprised the tiny bookstore was still open despite the late hour. Although, she'd noticed many shops along the street were open. According to Seb, Duval Street was the place to party until the wee hours of the morning.

"We've never worked with Special Agent Lane before. I'd rather underestimate his skills," Seb said, looking at the books displayed in the window.

It took a minute for Alexis to realize he was using the window to watch the reflections of the people on the other side of the street.

"See anyone suspicious?" Alexis teased. They were meeting an FBI agent, for heaven's sake.

"A guy across the street," Seb replied, and Alexis's stomach plummeted to the sidewalk. He was serious. "Don't look."

He shouldn't have said that. Now all Alexis wanted to do was look and see if it was one of the men from the Dry Tortugas.

Seb tucked her body into his side. "You look, they'll know I've spotted them."

"Hey, I'm an adult capable of self-control," Alexis said, offended he needed to point out the obvious.

"Babe, we can discuss that when we're alone," Seb chuckled and kissed the top of her head, before rejoining the crowd on the sidewalk. "Right now, you need to focus on the people in front of us."

"That's not what I meant," she spluttered.

He chuckled again.

"I hope the food is good," Alexis said, deliberately changing the subject.

"You're not joining me," Seb said, as they crossed the street at a leisurely pace. "There's a coffeehouse facing the restaurant. It shouldn't be packed. If we're lucky, there'll be an empty table by the windows."

The restaurant was further up the block on the other side. Alexis had picked up a free map from a rack of tourist information on the ferry from Sunset Key to Key West. During the seven-minute ride, she'd memorized the layout of the major streets.

"There's a guy in a suit on the other side of the street. He's the agent we're supposed to meet." Seb slowed their pace even more and took out his cell phone. He swiped the screen and shot off a text message.

Alexis glanced across the street. "If you haven't met the guy, how do you know it's him?"

"Give it a minute," Seb said, and pulled her to the side. He looked down at his cell as if he was reading a text.

The guy across the street pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and put it up to his ear.

"He's our guy. I texted Javier and asked him to call the guy to let him know we may be late."

"But we're not late."

"I wanted to make sure I had the right guy," Seb said, turning her so she was facing him. He held up his cell phone. "Smile."

Alexis obliged, figuring it was more of the cloak and dagger thing that was as normal to Seb as swimming alongside a Great White was to her. He twirled his finger, and she spun so her back was facing the way they'd come. She smiled and Seb snapped another picture.

He placed his cell phone in his pocket and wrapped his arm around her waist once more. They continued down the street.

"There are two guys following him. The one across the street we spotted earlier and a guy mirroring his buddy's movement on this side of the street. There's no way to tell if Lane has spotted them. It's better to assume he hasn't," Seb said, opening the coffeehouse door. He pointed to a table beside a window. "Grab that table while I order coffee. Take the chair facing the door."

The table he'd chosen had an unobstructed view of the FBI agent, who'd already taken a seat on the restaurant's patio across the street. Alexis watched as a server took his order and then she checked out the coffeehouse.

Seb had been right. There were only a handful of people in the place. It seemed odd given the number of people in the bars and lounges they'd passed on their way.

"This place will fill up later on as people decide they need a cup of coffee to sober up." Seb grinned as he placed a to-go cup in front of her. "This isn't my first time here or the first time I've chosen this place for the same reason."

Finlay had warned Alexis that Seb was a party guy. From what she'd seen, Key West would be a great place to let loose and have a good time, but it wasn't her thing. Alexis preferred the outdoors or quieter places, with lots of space.

"Something's off or Special Agent Lane is green," Seb said, taking a sip of his coffee as he watched the man replacing Auclair. "It's the third time he's looked at his cell phone. I don't like it."

Seb had received a couple of text messages on the ferry that seemed to have disturbed him. Alexis had assumed they were from Javier. Seb didn't trust the FBI agent. There was something he wasn't telling her. "Why is Special Agent Auclair unable to meet us?"

"Something blew up. Literally," Seb said, scrubbing his face. "The order for Auclair's team to assist the local police came from higher up. It's… unusual. Auclair doesn't like the timing."

"A leak in the department makes more sense than someone scouring satellite images for my boat," Alexis said, understanding why Seb wanted to check Special Agent Lane out before meeting with him. "So does sending an inexperienced agent. It would increase the odds of someone nabbing me."

If they knew Seb was with her, then they knew snatching her off the street wouldn't be easy.

Seb didn't answer. Instead, he handed her his cell phone. "This is the guy across the street."

Alexis enlarged the picture Seb had taken of her to get a good look at the man. She swiped the screen and looked at the next shot. "The guy standing beside the lamppost is the other guy?"

"If either of them enters the coffeehouse while I'm meeting with Auclair's stand-in, I want you to leave and head back to Sunset Key. Lose yourself in the crowds." His brows furrowed, and he looked at her with a troubled gaze. The firm tone in his voice disappeared. "I know what I'm asking you to do, but it's the only way to make sure they don't follow you."

He was referring to her claustrophobia. He knew how difficult stepping into that crowd would be for her. She was already frazzled by the number of people on the street. She didn't know how far she would get moving through the mass of people before panic set in. It would be her last resort.

Alexis handed him back his cell phone. He wanted her to run while he took on the men trying to find her. Maybe she should have turned her discovery over to the local police.

It wasn't the first time Alexis wondered if she was doing the right thing. She had lied to Seb about her reason for seeing Dr. Butler.

A colleague had told her he'd partnered with an aqua farming company to develop a food source to enhance shrimp size. He would have likely given genetically engineered algae serious consideration.

Alexis had worked long enough with Dr. Butler to recognize his research method. The research on the USB drive was his.

She couldn't change the past, but she wouldn't involve the authorities before confronting him herself and giving him a chance to explain. She owed him that.

"Lane isn't expecting us for another half-hour," Seb said, taking a gulp of coffee. "I'd prefer to keep him off-balance until I size him up."

Alexis nodded again as he stood up. He left his coffee cup on the table, as though he intended to return, and left. The bell over the door tinkled as it opened and then shut.

A minute later, she watched Seb take a seat at Special Agent Lane's table and introduce himself. The man looked up and down the street. Alexis assumed he was looking for her.

She sipped her coffee as the men spoke. The guy across the street who'd been following the FBI agent leaned against the building next to the restaurant. He was using the same trick Seb had, pretending to be engrossed with something on his cell phone. The second guy strolled past the coffeehouse. Alexis assumed he'd find a place further up the block to watch the two men.

The guy across the street looked up. He tilted his head toward the coffeehouse. Alexis's heart pounded. Was he signaling to his partner across the street?

She slipped her hand into the trendy crossbody pouch Daphney had given her and pulled out her cell phone in case she needed to warn Seb.

The bell over the door tinkled, and she looked up. A man in his late twenties entered the coffeehouse. He joked with the barista as she made his coffee and then sat at a table close to Alexis.

She returned her attention to the restaurant's patio. The server brought three plates to the table. She set them down and Seb said something. The woman laughed in response. The FBI agent had ordered for the three of them. He'd assumed Alexis would show up with Seb.

She patiently watched Seb and Special Agent Lane while watching the guy across the street. When Seb started on the piece of pie meant for her, she chuckled. The man ate pie, the way he ate pancakes. He was a bottomless pit.

The man at the table close to her shifted in his seat. An eclectic mix of decorations, ranging from vintage posters to quirky artwork, filled the coffeehouse's wall. She used Seb's trick, except caught the guy's reflection in an antique mirror.

He looked down at his cell phone and then at her. Alexis watched him repeat the process. If she was paranoid, she'd think he was glancing at a photo on his cell phone, double-checking if it was her.

He repeated the process before sending a text. The guy across the street pulled out his cell phone from his pocket and glanced across the street at the coffeehouse.

Shit.She wasn't being paranoid. There'd been three guys following Special Agent Lane, and they'd just found her.