Ruby had never been to the Verrettis’ house. “What?”
“She raises English Bulldogs. As it turns out, Milton and Roxanne used to own four bulldogs, but they got rid of their beloved pets shortly after hairs were found at the scene of the third jewelry heist, and the phrase ‘Bulldog Bandits’ was coined.”
Galen handed the binoculars back to Ruby. “So the Verrettis are the Bulldog Bandits—and they’re here for the Lydian crown jewels.”
“Do you think so?” Rocco’s tone was sarcastic. “I thought I was your top suspect.”
“I’m sorry about that.” Galen shifted next to her, and Ruby could feel his frustration with their situation. “We can stop them.”
“Two years,” Rocco reminded them. “I’ve been on their trail for two years, gathering evidence until I had something more solid than a few dog hairs and a hunch. If it weren’t for me, you wouldn’t know who was after your jewelry or your girlfriend.”
“We owe you,” Galen admitted openly, not reacting to the way the scarred man had referred to Ruby. “You’ll get full credit for everything you’ve done to help us.”
The moon cleared the rim of the clouds, and Ruby could see a smile spread across Rocco’s face. He wasn’t an entirely unpleasant man, once she got past fearing for her life in his presence.
But could they trust him, or was this a trap? Carlton had told her that Luciano Salvatore—aka Rocco—was after the Lydian jewels. Maybe the Verrettis had a noble reason for being in Lydia. Maybe they were there to help her, to save the Lydian jewels from Rocco. She’d known the Verrettis for her entire life. Her parents knew and trusted them.
“How do we know?” Ruby asked, interrupting the men.
“What?” Rocco turned to her as the clouds peeled back from the moon entirely.
This time the moonlight was brighter, the shadows under Rocco’s scar that much deeper. Creepy.
Ruby didn’t know who to trust. “Carlton Verretti told me you were in Lydia for the crown jewels.”
Rocco’s smile disappeared. “When did you talk to him?”
“We chatted online yesterday.” She realized when she said it that Carlton couldn’t have gotten to Lydia since then, not if he wasn’t already in the immediate area. But if he was near Lydia, why hadn’t he mentioned it during their chat?
“Tell me exactly what was said.” Rocco’s words were hushed, his voice intense, not threatening...almost afraid.
“I asked him if he’d seen you recently. I—I saw you near Stasi’s studio yesterday. I told him as much.”
“You told him I’m in Lydia?” The would-be bounty hunter sounded as though he’d been punched. His eyes closed, absorbing her words like the pain of a blow to the stomach.
“I said I thought I’d seen you.”
Rocco shook his head. “He knows I’m here. And he knew enough to point the finger of blame at me. He must have guessed I’m after him.”
Ruby wasn’t completely following all the wild leaps Rocco’s reasoning had taken. “He said you were here for the Lydian jewels,” she repeated.
“He’s here for the crown jewels of Lydia.” Rocco looked out over the marina and shook his head.
“He said you were.”
Rocco turned his face to her, anger snarling from his scar to his lips. “I’m not after the jewels, I’m after the thief. He told you I’m after the jewels so you’d catch me and pull me off his trail—so he could do the job without me catching him.”
Ruby stepped back into Galen, who clasped his arm around her protectively. Reassured by his strength behind her, Ruby tried to sort out the conflicting messages she’d gotten from Rocco and Carlton. One of them had to be the guilty party.
Which man should she trust? She closed her eyes and prayed for guidance and clarity as fear pounded through her, its loud hammering drowning out her thoughts.
“You told the Verrettis that I’m in Lydia.” Rocco reviewed the facts through his anger. “Carlton’s been suspicious of me ever since he saw me detain Nickel the day I turned him in.”
“Professor Nickel.” Ruby still didn’t understand the instructor’s role in the events. “You turned him in for a reward?”
“He was wanted for his role in a diamond smuggling operation. I tracked him all the way from Canada.”
“The school never told us why he disappeared.”
“They didn’t want to admit they’d hired a wanted criminal, even if he’d hidden his real identity.”
“But Carlton knew who Nickel really was?”
“I don’t know. Carlton saw me talking to Nickel and saw the cops later. I tried to keep my name out of the news, but considering the Verrettis’ criminal connections, he could have heard about the capture and put the clues together. Both of the brothers gave me wide berth after that, but it didn’t matter. I was already on to them.”
The story made sense. The pieces fit.
Galen spoke from behind her. “What difference does it make if the Verrettis know who you are and that you’re after them?”
“They like to take their time planning a job, work out every possible detail with a contingency plan far ahead of time. That’s why they never get caught, never even set off an alarm.” Rocco’s face slid into darkness as the clouds slipped over the moon once again. “But if they know I’m on to them...”
Ruby raised the binoculars again and focused on the faces of the men inside the boat. They were discussing something, their expressions stern, their eyes narrowed, focused...
“They’ve got to be deciding whether the heist is worth the risk.” Rocco’s deep voice echoed off the cliffs in spite of his low volume. The wind caught the words and flung them back, chilling Ruby’s spine.
She shivered.
Galen’s arm tightened securely around her. “They’ve invested so much planning into this job. Would they really walk away from it?”
“It’s either that, or they get desperate and greedy.”
“Desperate.” Ruby caught the word and examined it for any hint of hope. “Desperate enough to make a mistake?”
“Desperate enough to act sooner than they’d intended. They know the heat is on. They’ve had since yesterday to turn and run, but they’re still here.”
“Then we need to make the first move.” Galen sounded determined.
Even as he spoke, Ruby watched through the binoculars as the Verretti men leaned back and laughed, their faces confident.
Something didn’t fit. Somebody was lying.
Ruby decided to find out who it was.
* * *
“We need to go after them.” Galen guided Ruby back down the trail toward Seaview Drive, moving slowly in the darkness. “Rocco has enough evidence to bring them in. We can’t wait for them to strike first.”
“But I thought the royal guard only has jurisdiction on royal property. You have to wait for them to come after the jewels before you can act.”
“Rocco said he can prove they’re the Bulldog Bandits.”
“Yes, but can he prove they were after the Lydian crown jewels?”
Galen felt his heart fall. He had to catch the jewel thieves to keep his job and help restore the honor of the royal guard. He couldn’t let the bandits get away with the crown jewels. His palms itched, eager to strike out before the bandits struck first.
“Something’s not right.”
“What do you mean?” Galen almost stumbled in the darkness on the uneven trail. The clouds had grown thicker, obscuring the moon’s light completely. He caught himself.
Ruby paused, turning back to him in the darkness. “Rocco’s story. This whole thing with the jewel thieves, with Isabelle’s jewelry. It’s all wrong.”
“Stealing is always wrong,” Galen agreed softly as Ruby remained silent.
“The Verrett
is own a chain of jewelry stores. They sell new jewelry, not historical artifacts. The Bulldog Bandits are just the opposite. And where do Stasi’s replicas fit in? Who stole the designs, and how did they get them?”
The darkness was too deep for Galen to see Ruby’s face, but he heard the confusion and regret in her words and pulled her closer, settling her against his chest. They still hadn’t had a chance to discuss their kiss, and knowing that the captain was waiting for them somewhere along the trail, Galen didn’t dare raise the issue now. But given the darkness, he figured he could safely hold her without getting caught.
Besides, she sounded so sorrowful he couldn’t stand it.
“How are the replica sales going? Have you talked to your father?”
Ruby shook her head, moving his shirt with the slight motion. “It was the middle of the night back home when I left for church this morning. I tried to catch him this afternoon, but he didn’t answer his phone. Probably busy filling orders—I hope.”
“I hope so, too.” Galen didn’t know enough about the jewelry business to offer her any more reassurance than that.
“I want to call them.”
Ruby’s words came out of nowhere.
“Call who? Your parents?”
“The Verrettis. Somebody’s lying, either Rocco or Carlton. Their stories don’t match.”
“What good will it do to call Carlton? If he’s guilty, he’ll only lie to you again, and if he suspects you—” Galen tightened his arms protectively around her.
“He didn’t say where he was when we chatted yesterday. I didn’t think to ask.”
“So, you think—”
“I’ll ask him where he is. If he denies being in Lydia, I’ll know he’s been lying to me.”
“What if he admits it? What then?”
Ruby hesitated.
Galen couldn’t let her put herself in harm’s way. “Don’t let him know you’re on to him. He’s already attacked you.”
“Are you sure that was him?”
“Does he smoke?”
“A lot of people smoke—something like a quarter of the earth’s population. They can’t all be suspects.”
“So he smokes?” Galen wasn’t sure why he wanted the Verrettis to be guilty. Because he wanted answers? Or because he felt jealous of them for sharing Ruby’s world? Ever since she’d first mentioned them, Galen had caught a distinct vibe, a note in her voice that struck him wrong. Was there something more between her and the Verrettis, a deeper history that justified his jealousy? Or was he being paranoid?
“Yes, their whole family smokes.”
“You can’t call them.” Galen made up his mind firmly.
“We need answers.”
“At what cost? They’ve already come after you. If they know you suspect them, what will they do? The Bulldog Bandits shoot guards in the back of the head before they can sound an alarm. If these guys think you’re going to sound an alarm—”
“They won’t hurt me.” Ruby took half a step back, out of his arms.
“How do you know that?”
“Remember my first summer in Lydia? I had a boyfriend back home?”
Galen felt as though he’d been slapped. His face stung, panicked, painful. So he hadn’t been paranoid. There was something there. He guessed her words before she spoke them, wished he could deny them and make them untrue. “No.”
Ruby’s voice sounded from far away. She’d continued down the trail without him in the darkness. “Vincent Verretti was my boyfriend. Even when I broke up with him, he said he’d always love me. He won’t hurt me. He’ll tell me the truth.”
FIFTEEN
“I didn’t realize how time-consuming being a bridesmaid was going to be,” Stasi confessed as she stacked thick files on Ruby’s outstretched arms. “I’m not going to have any time for design work this week, but it works out perfectly since we need to move everything from the studio to the safety of the palace.” The princess looked at her over the rising stack of files. Ruby could see how overwhelmed her friend felt. “You’re sure you don’t mind overseeing the move?”
“I’ll be fine.” Ruby told herself it wasn’t a lie. Anyway, Stasi had plenty on her mind already. She needed to feel confident that her studio was in safe hands. Ruby owed her friend that much, at least.
“Is that too much?” Stasi asked, settling another file on the stack, which had grown to cover Ruby’s eyes.
“I’ve got it.” Ruby lowered her arms far enough so she could see. Now to walk without dropping anything. At least she only had to make it to the other end of the palace. She took a few unsteady steps toward the door. “No problem. Enjoy yourself this week—it’s your sister’s wedding. Don’t think about the designs or the studio. Everything will be fine.”
“Thank you so much, Ruby,” the princess called after her.
“No problem,” Ruby repeated, trying to convince herself she believed the words.
Galen had been waiting in the hall. He stepped forward silently and reached for the stack of files.
“I’ve got it,” Ruby protested. But even as she spoke, the toe of her shoe caught on the edge of the thick rug that ran the length of the hallway. She careened forward.
Galen caught her and the files, somehow kept the contents from slipping from their folders, and stood her back upright. He kept the files in his arms, carrying her burden for her, but wouldn’t meet her eyes.
Didn’t speak.
Hadn’t spoken to her since they’d returned to the safety of the palace walls the night before, except for one word, spoken with an eyebrow lifted in accusation. They’d relayed all they’d learned to the captain, who’d seemed so frustrated and upset that Ruby hadn’t told him about her idea to call the Verrettis. Nor did she share her long-ago relationship status. It didn’t seem any more relevant now than it ever had. She’d put Vince Verretti behind her years ago and expected him to stay in the past.
But the past had caught up with her.
It was all her fault. She was the weak link. The Bulldog Bandits might never have known about the Lydian crown jewels if she hadn’t traveled to Lydia and drawn their eyes to the tiny kingdom.
Ruby led the way to the empty third-floor suite that was soon to be transformed into Stasi’s studio. Galen met her eyes for the briefest second as she unlocked the door.
Betrayal.
She could see it in the pain in his eyes, could hear it in his silence. The word her father had used to accuse her years before echoed forward in time, haunting her. But this time it was so much worse. Had she drawn the bandits to Lydia? She’d known them the longest. She was their only link to the tiny country, besides the time they’d shared in the classroom with Stasi. If she’d told Galen about Vincent years before, would it have made any difference?
Familiar.
The word replayed in her thoughts as it had since Galen had left it lingering in the air between them the night before, sharply edged like a many-faceted diamond, able to cut through anything, severing all that had held them together.
Familiar. She’d said herself, her attacker seemed familiar.
Should she have recognized him? It wasn’t Rocco, she was sure of that. Nor was it Vincent. She’d have recognized him, remembered him sooner. And anyway, he wouldn’t be stupid enough to come after her himself, not after the time she’d spent in his arms, albeit years before.
No, but it could have been Carlton or Milton, their father. Just familiar enough to remind her of a long-ago something, but not memorable enough for her to recognize them. It could have been, but it could just as likely have been an associate of Rocco’s, or someone else entirely.
Determined to find the answer, she made the same request Galen had denied the night before. “I want to call the Verrettis. Maybe they have a perfectly innocent reason for being
near Lydia. Maybe they can explain.”
“And maybe they’ll hurt you. I won’t risk that.” Galen set the files on the empty table that occupied the center of the room.
Ruby hurried to the stack and began transferring them folder by folder into the cabinet where they belonged. She mulled over her thoughts, no longer so certain that Vincent wouldn’t hurt her, as she’d claimed. She didn’t want to think that he was one of the bandits, but she’d had time to mull over her memories. One thing was certain. “I’m sorry I ever dated Vincent.”
Galen sagged, deflated, like a pierced balloon falling from the sky, as though her mention of the man had stabbed him between the lungs. If she hadn’t been dating Vincent when she’d first met Galen, their lives might be very different. “It’s okay that you dated him. He belongs in your world, your country. The jewelry stores, money—”
“I don’t care about his stores or his money. My father had always said we’d make a good match, always talked about merging the chains if we married. I admit, the only reason I agreed to date Vincent was because I wanted to win back my father’s approval after he accused me of betraying his business.”
“Then why did you break up with him?” Galen had his face turned toward the ceiling, away from her, but his voice held more compassion than accusation, and his Adam’s apple bobbed anxiously.
“I didn’t like him,” she confessed in a whisper. “I didn’t like who I was when I was with him, and I—” Her breath caught as she realized the truth. “I’d met you by then.”
Galen dipped his head and met her eyes.
Ruby knew she shouldn’t let on how much he meant to her—how much he’d always meant to her. The man had the power to make her want to stay in Lydia. But she’d deal with the pain of leaving later. Right now she needed to regain the trust of her friend.
“When I was with you,” Ruby mustered up a whisper, but her throat felt too tight to manage more, “I felt more protected and cared for than I did when I was with my boyfriend. For the first time I realized that jewelry and gifts don’t equal love. I didn’t want to be with him. I wanted—” Ruby’s throat tightened, cutting off her words. She wished Galen would move toward her, open his arms to her, pull her close and tell her everything was going to be okay.
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