Page 21 of Keeping Collette

Fear wasn’t an emotion that Deal acknowledged. He’d been in too many situations where letting it in could get him killed. He didn’t fear Mal, because even with the gun, Deal could disarm him and have a bullet between his eyes in seconds. But the thought of Mal getting his hands on Collette had fear binding around his spine in a way it never had before.

Chapter Eleven

“I want a shower.” Another shudder rippled through Collette, unable to forget the look Mal had given her as they’d walked out.

It had been calculating, as though he saw her as a prize. Which was ridiculous. She was nothing special, and she definitely wasn’t a prize. She was probably reading too much into it. Seeing things that weren’t there.

If she never saw him again, that would be too soon.

They’d been in the car for about twenty minutes. Deal was driving sedately, as if he didn’t want to draw attention to them. He was making turns and taking roads that he hadn’t used on their way to the store. Nothing looked familiar. She trusted he wasn’t lost and had a reason for the meandering journey they were on, but she wanted out. She wanted to wash away the stench of that store and that man.

“I know.” Deal checked the mirrors again, something he’d been doing all the time as well.

“Do you think he was telling the truth about Courtney? Saying he remembered her?” Collette had no idea if the man could be trusted or not. Likely not. She also didn’t like what he’d said about her sister.

“Honestly? I don’t know. I couldn’t get a good read on him.”

The frustration was clear in Deal’s voice. “Do you normally get one?”

“In most cases, yes. With the missions I went on when I was a SEAL, it was imperative that we were able to get a feel from the people we were associating with.” Deal indicated to turn, and finally something looked familiar.

A freeway entrance was close by, which meant that they would be back to Alliez’s office soon. Her shower would have to wait a little longer, because there was no way she was going to miss out on the debrief. She wanted to hear what the others had to say about Mal.

Had Deal caught that final look Mal had given her on camera?

She’d seen him touch his shirt, but she’d been so thrown by the whole situation, she couldn’t remember now if it was before or after the creep had leered at her.

Leered!

That was the word she’d been searching for to describe what she’d seen. He’d been doing that from the moment they’d walked in.

Another shudder of revulsion shimmered through her body.

“Are you okay?” Deal asked, as they entered the freeway.

“Yeah, I can’t forget the look Mal kept giving me. It was awful. I never want to see that man again.”

“You won’t have to. If we need anything else from him, we’ll work out another way to get the information.”

“I don’t think he’ll give us any.”

“We’ll see.”

They made the rest of the journey to the Alliez office in silence, and the moment they got there, she headed for the restroom where she thoroughly washed her hands, and face. It wasn’t the same as the shower, but it helped a little.

Once she got home, she was going to spend twenty minutes under the hottest water she could stand and scrub any trace of this trip away.

Collette made her way to the conference room where she’d met everyone that first day. It wasn’t as crowded; only Deal’s friends were in there. She smiled at them, not recognizing one of the men who was seated at the table.

Who was he?

He looked like he hadn’t slept in days. He had a scruffy beard, and there was an aura of sadness around him.

“Hi, I’m Collette Harper.” She walked over to him and held out her hand. He took it and gave it a firm shake.

“Fox. Good to meet you.” His words were clipped.

“He’s our team leader,” Deal added.