He was waiting for someone.

I crouched behind a stack of lobster traps, my heart racing.

“Daniel,” I whispered into my earpiece. “I’m at the pier. I see him.”

“Be careful,” Daniel’s voice came through. “I’m near the entrance. I’ll call you if I see Brooke.”

I watched Gavin.

He set the briefcase down on a deck chair and pulled out his phone.

He began typing frantically.

I needed that briefcase.

I took a deep breath, stepping out from behind the traps.

The wind caught my hair, whipping it across my face.

I walked toward the ramp, my boots making soft thudding sounds on the wet wood.

Gavin didn’t hear me until I was ten feet away.

He looked up, his eyes widening in surprise.

“Emily,” he said.

His voice was barely audible over the sound of the yacht’s engine.

“Going somewhere, Gavin?” I asked.

He tried to smile, but it looked like a grimace.

“I was just taking the boat out to clear my head,” he said.

“With a silver briefcase?” I asked, pointing to the deck. “And the company laptop?”