Shanal and Raif got off the boat and, arms linked and laughing, headed toward town. She hadn’t felt this carefree in forever, she thought, or cared less about how well she was groomed. She was dressed today in one of Raif’s long-sleeved T-shirts, topped by a voluminous checkered bushman’s shirt, which she’d tied in a clumsy knot at the waist of his sister’s jeans. No designer fashion underneath a prim white lab coat for her today, and she’d never felt happier.
As they walked under the bridge, a movement caught her eye, drawing it to a familiar BMW parked near the massive struts that supported the structure. Suddenly she understood that odd sensation she’d experienced yesterday back at the pub where they’d stopped for lunch. That sensation of being watched. Somehow, Burton had tracked them down. He must have had his spies out all along the river, on the lookout for them. After all, it wouldn’t have been too hard to have found Raif’s Jeep parked back at the marina in Mannum, and worked out the rest from there. Finding her location today had simply been a matter of continuing on the route from yesterday. A sick feeling of dread filled Shanal and she tightened her fingers on Raif’s arm.
“What—?” he started to say, then stopped as he realized where she was looking.
She felt him stiffen, and didn’t object when he broadened his stance and pulled her behind him. Despite knowing he wanted to protect her, she found the nerves in the pit of her stomach knotting as the driver’s door of the car opened. For the briefest second she wondered if she was wrong, if she’d mistaken the make and model of car for someone else’s, but then the driver unfolded from inside the vehicle.
Tall, with dark blond hair and a slim build, Burton was impeccably polished as usual. She saw his eyebrows rise slightly as he walked toward them and took in her appearance.
“Slumming it, Shanal?” he said silkily. “That’s not like you.”
“What are you doing here, Burton?” Raif demanded, before she could respond.
“Why, I’m here for my bride, of course.”
“She’s not your bride and she’s not your possession.”
“Well, we’ll see about that, won’t we,” Burton replied, with a smile that held all the warmth of a glacier. “Shanal, could we talk? In private please.”
Shanal suppressed a shudder at the saccharine tone in his voice. She wanted nothing more than to grab Raif’s hand and run away—get on the boat and out on the river and never look back. And she could still do that. She knew without a doubt that if she asked him, that’s exactly what Raif would do. But realistically, she knew she couldn’t run away forever. She didn’t just have herself to consider. The weight of her father’s problems returned to lie across her shoulders like a cape of lead.
“You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do,” Raif said to her as she started to move out from behind him.
“It’s okay. I knew I’d have to talk to him sometime. It may as well be now.”
Raif hooked one arm around her and pulled her to him, kissing her fiercely before letting her go. “I’ll be waiting right here for you.”
She lifted one hand to stroke his cheek with her fingertips. “I know,” she breathed softly. “That means everything to me.”
“How touching,” Burton commented. “I suppose you think you’re one up on me now, Masters?”
“I’m always up on you, Burton.”
Shanal could hear the loathing in Raif’s voice as he answered his old nemesis.
“Funny, I don’t believe Laurel felt the same way. As I recall, she chose me over you.”
“Don’t you dare bring her into this.” Raif started to move forward, his hands clenched into fists, but stopped when Shanal put a hand on his chest to halt him.
“Don’t, Raif. He’s just baiting you,” she pleaded.
“Don’t dare? Or what?” Burton jeered. “You’ll take my fiancée from me again? I don’t think so. You’ll remember that Laurel left you for me. I don’t suppose you told many people that, did you? That she was with me because you weren’t enough for her anymore. While you secreted Shanal away in your love nest on the water over there, did you share that piece of information with her? Does she realize that these past few days have probably been little more than a childish tit for tat? You attempting to get back at me for Laurel choosing me over you.”
“Laurel would never have been happy with you. Don’t kid yourself into believing differently,” Raif growled.