Crossing the Line

by Cynthia Eden

  “Really? From where I’m standing, that’s all you’re about, Eddie.”

  “You’re trying to piss me off.” Edward’s breath heaved out. “Why? Want me to take a swing at you? Then what are you going to do? Charge me with assaulting a federal agent?”

  Now that was interesting. “What makes you think I’m a federal agent?”

  “But—”

  “I’m not. If that was the reason you were holding back, forget it.” He lifted his hand and gave a little come-and-get-me wiggle with his fingers. “Feel free to take your best shot. Though, be warned, I will shoot back.”

  Edward’s jaw clenched. “You are—”

  “Enough.” Blair’s voice. Blair’s beautiful—but super angry—voice. He didn’t care how angry she sounded, though, because Linc was incredibly glad to hear her at all. Glad she was with him. Glad she was alive.

  Even glad she’d snuck in during his interrogation.

  He looked over his shoulder. Blair’s hair was wet, too, and the jogging suit was sticking to her body a little too much. In the right places. Or, the wrong ones. Or—

  Blair marched forward. Marched like the fucking queen she was, and damn but she took his breath away.

  She strode right up to Edward. “Been a long time.”

  Edward’s gaze seemed to drink her in. “You’re alive.”

  “Did you think I wasn’t? Because, oh, I don’t know, after you missed with the bullet at the fountain, you used your money to hire some thug to plant a bomb on Georgia’s boat? Who was he, someone you’d paid off in Key West? You figured his bomb would take out both me and Georgia when she cranked the boat?”

  He blinked. “Um, who’s Georgia?” A pause. “Actually…who are you, really? Because I’d thought you were a Fed before, but your partner here just told me that you aren’t one.”

  Blair glanced at Linc.

  “I told him I wasn’t a Fed,” Linc clarified for her. “Never said a word about you. Guy is jumping to all kinds of conclusions.”

  Blair turned her attention back to Edward.

  And damn if the shady bastard wasn’t staring at her with a moony expression again. “I looked for you after you left me,” Edward mumbled. “Searched for months.”

  She snorted. Even that was sexy. “You were searching for your painting. Or actually, not your painting. You were looking for the painting you’d stolen.”

  “No. I was looking for you.”

  Linc stiffened.

  “I wanted you back. Screw the painting.” Edward’s hand lifted as if he’d touch—

  Linc caught his wrist. “Yes, about that…” He waited for Edward’s gaze to shift over to him. When Edward finally looked at him, Linc sent him a cold smile. “That’s going to be a big no. As in, no, don’t touch her. Keep your sweaty hands to yourself.”

  Edward sharpened his gaze on Linc before dipping his attention back to Blair. “Your partner is possessive. Might want to tell him to dial that down. He was just playing a pretend role. Not the real thing.”

  Linc ground his back teeth together.

  “Or is that the problem?” Edward wondered. He nodded before Linc could answer. “I did warn you, buddy. She gets under your skin, she—”

  “I’m not an infection,” Blair interrupted curtly. “And you’re not some lovesick ex who got his heart broken. Now, how about we cut through the crap because I’ve got to tell you…when Georgia—”

  “Who was that again?” Edward inquired as he tilted his head.

  “The nurse,” Linc snapped. “She worked as the nurse here on the island.”

  “When she told me,” Blair continued without missing a beat, “that another bidder wanted me so much because this bidder was angry and looking to kill me, well, I have to confess that my mind immediately turned to you.”

  Edward swallowed. Some of the swagger seemed to leave him.

  “No one else on the island knew that I was anything other than a happy newlywed. When I realized you were here, you’re the one who worried me. You’re the one with a grudge against me. And I must say, you are the one I left in an enraged state when I ever-so-easily took the painting away from you.”

  Edward glanced away from her. “I see what’s happening.”

  “Do you?” Blair looked at Linc. “Do you think he sees?”

  Linc shrugged. He wasn’t convinced Edward saw jackshit. Linc peered back at Edward. Found Edward’s gaze on him. Linc lifted a brow. “By all means, tell us what you see.”

  “Someone wants me to be the fall guy. I was tricked into coming to this island. Sure, sure, Carthright acted like he was interested in selling the place to me, but I’ve got plenty of real estate. Don’t exactly need more.” He raked a hand over his disheveled hair. “To sweeten the pot, the old bastard told me that he had a Monet out here.”

  Blair’s brows climbed. “And you believed him?”

  “I doubted him, but several masterpieces are unaccounted for, as you well know. Folks often give the cover story that the works are being cleaned or preserved or any load of BS, when the truth is actually that they’re missing.” His lips thinned. “So I took the bait that Carthright offered to me. I flew all the way down here only to be told by Natasha that there was no painting. But there was…you.”

  Linc eased closer to Blair. “You’re saying you were deliberately lured down here?”

  “I’m saying I think I’m supposed to be the bad guy.” His attention was on Blair. “My presence on this island isn’t some coincidence. Someone wanted to use me. Someone who knew about our past.”

  But what the guy was saying didn’t make sense. No one would have known that Blair was coming down there unless—

  Linc’s gaze cut to Blair. He knew she’d be thinking and considering the same options that he was.

  Eric had told them that Carthright wanted Wilde agents to investigate the abductions. That he wanted his island safe. He’d supposedly sent them to the island without alerting any staff to their true identities. Hell, Carthright had been the one to okay Cole’s new employment. Carthright had known their every move from the very beginning.

  Carthright was the man who kept coming up right in the middle of this mess, but if it was Carthright who’d been behind the abductions—

  “Why?” Linc didn’t get it. The puzzle pieces weren’t sliding into place for him. “Why would someone want Blair taken out?”

  “Blair?” Edward seemed to taste the name. “Is that really your name? When I looked for you, I could never figure out who you were. I mean, were you a thief, like me? Or an agent? Or maybe even something in the middle?” His gaze slid to Linc. “Do you even know? The partner who looks at her so often from the corner of his eyes, as if he can’t bear to look anywhere else for too long…do you even know who she truly is?”

  Oh, he was one smart-ass sonofa—

  “Do you really know her?” Edward pressed. “Do you know who you think she is? Because, when you ask ‘Why would someone want Blair taken out?’ that tells me you don’t know anything about her or her secrets. She’s a world-class liar. A woman who can become anyone. You have no clue about the secrets that she carries.”

  This idiot was trying to lecture him on Blair? Not happening. “This is a fun game, but I’m not in the mood to play.” Linc offered a bored shrug. “Try your divide and conquer bullshit somewhere else, because when it comes to me and my partner, we’re rock solid.” They needed to leave. He inclined his head to Blair. “We’re done with him.”

  She nodded. Turned and headed for the door.

  Linc followed her, making sure to put his body between her and Edward because no way did he trust the other man.

  “I don’t want her hurt.”

  Edward’s voice stopped him. Blair had already slipped out of the door.

  Linc glanced back.

  “I was pissed. Don’t get me wrong. But I was also impressed. She stole from me. Me.” Edward let out a sigh. “Talk about a turn-on.”

  “Do you want me to rearrang
e your face?”

  “You’re jealous. I get it. You want her. You think you can have her. But she’s working an angle, and she’ll leave you just like she left me.” His expression hardened. “When she leaves, you’ll be like me. Looking everywhere. Seeing her every place you go.”

  “I’m not a damn thing like you. I’m not a thief.” His head turned toward—

  “That’s probably why you didn’t steal her heart.”

  Oh, seriously, he’d just said that dick shit?

  “But you gave her yours, and, trust me, it’s gonna hurt like hell when she takes it away.”

  Now Linc did spin to face the jackass. “I get it.” Linc deliberately threw the words back at the dick. “You think you’re pushing my buttons. That’s cool. Do your thing.” Linc nodded in an encouraging manner. “But here’s the deal. You don’t know me. You don’t know my partner. So you can try your little games, but they won’t work.”

  “Oh? Because you’re so ‘rock solid’ with her? Nothing anyone says can make you doubt her?”

  Linc gave him a slow nod. “That’s it. Because I’m so fucking rock solid with her.” Another careless shrug. “By the way, a guard will be staying with you. Because you know whose ass I don’t trust for an instant? Yours.”

  Since he was done and knew how to make an effective exit, Linc spun and stormed away. Stormed out the open door. Of course, Blair had left it open and she’d heard everything he’d said. He would not have had it any other way.

  Linc jerked his thumb back toward the bungalow. “Hey, Harvey,” he said to the tall, muscled, and ever watchful African-American agent who waited near Blair. “Don’t let him out of your sight, okay? Not even for an instant.”

  Harvey Radcliff was an ex-SEAL, former DEA, and an all-around bad-ass. He gave his usual half-smile—the man never offered anyone a full smile—and nodded. “He won’t be going anywhere.”

  Linc clapped a hand on his shoulder. “God, I love working with you. In case I haven’t said it before, you’re my favorite agent.”

  Harvey’s brows climbed as he glanced over at a silent Blair.

  “After her, of course,” Linc amended. “Blair is first. Then you. Then…maybe Cole. If it’s one of his good days.”

  Harvey shook his head before he slipped inside the bungalow.

  Blair paused there, hunching her shoulders. For the moment, the rain had stopped. But lightning flashed overhead.

  Linc swore and moved closer to her. “The seaplane isn’t going to be taking off just yet.”

  She turned. Pressed her hands to his chest. “We need to talk. Alone.”

  They couldn’t go back to the honeymoon bungalow. For all intents and purposes, it was a crime scene. But while he’d been searching the island so desperately for her earlier, he’d seen Cole’s place and it wasn’t far away. Hell, nothing on the island was that far. He took her hand and led the way. They hopped on a golf cart, and he had her over at Cole’s temporary bungalow in moments. As they were rushing up the porch steps, the rain began to batter down on them again.

  He used the key he’d borrowed from Cole earlier. Hell, he had meant to give it back, but things had gotten crazy. Understatement. He unlocked the door and hurried inside.

  Blair followed. She stood at the edge of the bed, shivering.

  “We need to call Eric,” she said. Her voice was quiet. “He needs to know what Edward said about Carthright.” Her hands went to her hips. “I’m sure Cole hid his sat phone around here someplace—”

  Linc walked straight to the hiding place.

  Blair lifted her brows.

  “I was here with him earlier. Saw where Cole put it.” His hold tightened on the phone. “When you were gone, and I was losing my mind, I searched everywhere for you.”

  She looked around the perfectly tidy room. Cole always kept everything in place. Linc had teased him more than a few times about being a neat freak.

  “You thought Cole was hiding me?”

  “I thought I wasn’t going to stop until I’d searched every inch of this island for you. No spot could be overlooked.” He glanced down at the sat phone. “I went to bed with you in my arms, and I woke up with you gone.”

  “Linc—”

  “That’s the second time my arms haven’t been a safe place for you.” He couldn’t look at her. “Do you know how that shit makes me feel?” No, no, that was wrong. He squared his shoulders and glanced up. “It’s not about how I feel. It’s about me letting you down. I’m sorry, Blair.”

  She walked toward him. “Stop.”

  He wasn’t doing anything. He gave her a slight side-eye.

  “You were drugged, too. You ate the chocolates just like I did.”

  “I don’t even like chocolate,” he muttered.

  “Then why did you eat them?”

  “Because you asked me to.”

  Blair blinked.

  “Don’t you get it?” Linc knew his voice had gone gruff. “I’d do anything you asked, Blair. You say it, I do it.”

  A startled, nervous laugh slid from her. “You don’t mean that.”

  Yes, yes, I do. Try me. “You want me to help you steal a painting from your prick of an ex?”

  “He’s not really my ex—”

  “I’ll do it.”

  She sucked in a sharp breath.

  “I’ll help you steal. I’ll help you lie. I’ll help you hide a body.” No one would ever find a body he hid.

  “Hopefully, that won’t be necessary. And, um, should a former detective be talking this way?”

  “A former homicide detective knows exactly how to get rid of bodies.”

  “Yes. I bet you do.”

  Did she think he was kidding? “There is nothing I wouldn’t do for you. Nothing.”

  Blair squared her shoulders. “Because we’re partners.”

  Partners? “Is that what you think this is about?”

  The rain was falling harder as it pounded down in a wild, fierce rhythm. Uncontrolled.

  The way he was with her. “I need to make the fucking phone call.” He blew out a long breath. Got Eric on the phone, and when his boss answered, Linc snapped out, “Carthright.”

  “Well, hello to you, too, Linc.”

  He was so far past the point of pleasantries. His gaze tracked over Blair. He was mostly just in the mood to pounce.

  Hold that shit in check, Linc.

  “Blair and I just grilled Edward Sharpe. He said that Carthright invited him out here, spun a story about the guy luring him to the island with a promise of some Monet. Blair and I happen to find that suspicious as hell.”

  Silence.

  “Boss?” Linc prompted.

  After a too-tense moment, Eric revealed, “I’ve been trying to get Carthright on the phone for the last seven hours, but he won’t answer me. I have agents en route to his Miami home now.”

  Linc’s gut clenched. “So you think Carthright could be involved?”

  “I’ve learned that you can’t really trust many people in this business. Radio silence from him now looks suspicious as hell.”

  Blair was close. Close enough that Linc knew she could hear what Eric was saying. He saw the shadow of worry slip across her face.

  “This all feels like a fucking setup,” Linc growled.

  “The agents I sent should be arriving at Carthright’s home any moment. They’ll search there. They’ll search his businesses. They will find him, and I’ll find out what’s happening.” Anger tightened Eric’s words. “I’ve known that man for years. He said he needed my help. I trusted my agents to him. If he has screwed me over, it will be the last mistake he makes.”

  “You’re all scary cool when you’re angry,” Linc told him.

  “Yeah, and when you drop your act and you’re really angry, we both know that you’re scary as fuck.”

  Blair’s lashes flickered.

  “Stay close to Blair. Don’t let her out of your sight. And damn well don’t eat any more chocolates. I’ll call you back at this
number as soon as I can.”

  The connection ended. Linc tossed the phone onto the bed.

  “I…I don’t think I’ve ever seen you really angry before.”

  His head lifted. His gaze met hers. “Not like I turn into some big, green monster. No matter what Eric might want you to believe.”

  She crossed her arms over her chest. Shivered.

  “You’re wet again. We should get you out of those clothes. I’m sure Cole has something that you can—”

  “I was afraid I wouldn’t see you again.”

  Her low voice broke something in him.

  “When I woke up on the boat and I was tied up, I was afraid. I’ve been in bad situations before.” Her lips pressed together for a moment, then she revealed, “Some that still give me nightmares, but this felt different.”

  “Blair…”

  “I think I had something to lose this time.” Her long lashes swept up so that he was staring straight into her eyes. Staring at them, getting lost in them. Giving her his soul. The usual. “I could lose you.”

  “No.” Linc shook his head. Eliminated the bit of distance between them. His hands rose and curled around her shoulders. “You won’t lose me. Not now. Not ever. I will always stand by you.”

  “There are things about me that you don’t know.”

  “Apparently, you’re an incredible thief.” He wanted to tease a smile from her. Wanted to lighten the darkness that had settled in her blue eyes.

  But she didn’t smile at him. “I was the one who told you no secrets, and then I kept my past quiet. I tried to pretend it didn’t matter. But I think it’s come back for me.”

  “You don’t have to keep anything quiet from me.”

  “Sometimes, we want to protect the people close to us. We want to protect them from everything bad out in the world.” She swallowed. “You wanted to protect your sister.”

  His step-sister. Shanna. Hell, yes, he’d wanted to protect her. She’d gone to New York. Wanted to be famous. Instead, she’d been killed. Thrown away. But he’d finally caught her killer. While he and Blair had worked a case in Point Hope, Alabama, he’d given his step-sister the justice she deserved.