Dark Nights Dangerous Men

by Elisabeth Naughton, Cynthia Eden, Katie Reus, Alexandra Ivy, Laura Wright, Joan Swan

  “We just came from there,” Hailey said. “There was no blue hole.”

  “They covered it.” Lisa pushed shakily to her feet. “We need ropes and harnesses. It’s a steep drop.”

  Pete pulled a walkie-talkie from his belt as they started walking. “Billy, listen up.”

  Lisa darted a look at Hailey’s grim expression. “Billy’s here?”

  “Yeah. Long story.” And one she obviously wasn’t going to get into now. “Let’s hustle.”

  ***

  She’d been gone too long.

  With one hand over his mouth, Rafe paced the dark cavern and tried to keep the panic at bay. He refused to think about the fact she could have drowned down there. That the map might have been wrong, that she wasn’t strong enough to swim that far.

  Carajo. He never should have let her go.

  “She wouldn’t have stayed, even if you’d made her,” Shane said from across the darkness. His voice was weak and tired, but steady. “She doesn’t listen to anyone, in case you haven’t noticed.”

  Yeah, Rafe had noticed. But he’d thought they’d turned a corner.

  Shane shifted on the rocks, grimaced and pushed himself more upright. “She’s stubborn as a mule. Would have gone after Tisiphone with or without you. Odds are pretty good she’d have ended up here anyway. Except then she would have been alone.”

  Rafe’s eyes slid closed. “That doesn’t help.”

  “It’s not meant to,” Shane said. “But it’s starting to look like Swanson’s had it in for her for a long time. That she and Stone have been following her and waiting for the”—he cringed—“right moment. I’m just glad she wasn’t here by herself when it happened.”

  So was Rafe. But right now he’d give anything just to hear her voice.

  Scraping echoed from above. Rafe shifted and looked up. Muffled voices drifted down from the top of the sinkhole. The wood over the opening pushed to the side, and bright sunlight shone through the hole above, making him blink and cover his eyes.

  “Well, well, well. Looks like I’m savin’ your ass this time.”

  Rafe’s heart all but stopped as he squinted up toward the sky. A smile curled his mouth at the sound of his brother’s voice. A voice he’d never been so happy to hear in all his life. “Holy shit. I never thought I’d see the day.”

  Billy’s irritating mug grinned down at him.

  Hailey’s face popped over the ledge. “Rafe? Shane?”

  “Here.” Shane croaked. “Somebody send down a harness and get us the hell out of here.”

  “Pete’s coming down,” Hailey said with a hint of worry in her usually steady voice.

  Pete was here? And Billy? Rafe tried to wrap his mind around just how that had transpired as Pete rappelled into the cave.

  Pete’s feet hit the cave floor. He unhooked the harness, turned and grinned. “You got nine lives, man.”

  As much as he wanted to breathe easy, he couldn’t. Not yet. “Where’s Lisa?”

  “Relax, she’s fine. She’s above, waiting. Looks a little shell-shocked though. Kinda like you.”

  Pete had no idea. Rafe closed his eyes and said every prayer of thanks he knew. She’d done it. Awe, admiration, love for her rippled through him.

  He wanted to see her, to hold her, but he knew they had to get Shane out first. He quickly made introductions while he and Pete helped Shane strap on the harness. “Belay on,” Rafe called up to Billy who was at the top controlling the rope.

  “Yo. Ready up here,” Billy called back.

  Rafe shook his head at Billy’s word choice. Shane grimaced as he was lifted off the cave floor.

  “Gotta love that kid,” Pete said with a grin.

  Rafe watched as Shane was pulled to the top of the cave. When he disappeared over the ledge, he turned toward Pete. “Now tell me what the hell happened.”

  Pete perched his hands on his hips. “Got a call from Winters.”

  “You’re kidding me.”

  “Seems something or someone freaked him out. Said he wanted out of the game.”

  “Just like that?” Rafe knew Winters, and that didn’t sound like the hard-as-nails criminal he’d tangled with before.

  “I think he’s up to his eyeballs in deep shit.” Pete said. “Trying to cover his ass. Offered up info for a price and a guarantee we wouldn’t try to track him down.”

  “And you went along with it?”

  “Had to. When I found out Landau’s gallery manager was Stone’s sister, I didn’t even barter with him. Just gave him what he wanted. She’s been pulling strings from all sides, right from the start.”

  “She hired Winters and Kimbel to follow us?” Something didn’t make sense. “Why? If Stone’s the buyer you lined up for me, then they could have had all three, if they’d just waited.”

  “Revenge is a sticky thing, my friend. Maybe they didn’t want to wait. Maybe something set them off. I don’t know their reasons, but when Winters told me Swanson was planning to corner you guys, I knew I had to find you first.”

  “And Hailey?”

  “Radioed the boat, had her move locations and remove the GPS Winters planted onboard.”

  Thank God for Pete.

  “Swanson has Tisiphone.”

  “So we get it back,” Pete said as if it were fact.

  Rafe studied his friend. Pete had been happy to finance his little treasure hunt, to get Rafe whatever he needed to make it a success because he knew he’d get a cut, but he hadn’t been personally involved. Something in his eyes now said he was. “You got a plan to do that?”

  One side of Pete’s mouth curled in a knowing smile. “Yeah. And I know the perfect woman to help us.”

  Chapter Twenty

  Maria smoothed her hair as she moved across the walk. Tall palms lined the front gardens. Bougainvillea ran along the edge of the building. Sweat slicked her skin under the blush-colored suit, but she ignored it, focusing instead on what she had to do next.

  Beside her, Billy shrugged in the sweltering afternoon heat.

  “Don’t fidget,” she said sharply. “And don’t speak. Do what I say and stay in the background. We don’t need you drawing any unnecessary attention.”

  He rolled his eyes but didn’t respond.

  Maria climbed the cement steps to the wide front porch of the stately Coral Gables mansion. She knew security cameras were watching their every move and that the guard at the estate’s front gate had alerted Stone they were here.

  The front door opened, and a Latino woman dressed in an apron greeted them.

  “Dr. Maria Gotsi and her assistant to see Mr. Stone.”

  The woman nodded and gestured them into the two-story entry. A sparkling chandelier hung from above. Marble tile flowed from the front door through the long hallway ahead. To the right, a curved staircase swept up to the second floor.

  “Wait here, please.”

  The woman disappeared through a door at their left. Maria gripped the soft-sided briefcase in front of her with both hands. Billy glanced around and let out a low whistle.

  She struggled to resist scolding him. She shouldn’t have brought him, but Peter had assured her he was necessary. Sure, she’d hired him to follow Lisa and Rafael in Chicago, but that was before she’d realized how incompetent he was. When he’d returned without the information she needed, she’d tried to scare him into getting it for her. It hadn’t worked. An odd twist of irony had her stuck with him here. Now.

  She forced back the irritation. If this went as planned, it would all be worth it. She didn’t care about the Furies anymore. All she wanted at this point was for Stone to pay for Alan’s death. She owed Alan that much.

  The maid reappeared, closing double doors at her back. “This way, please.”

  They were led into a large open room at the back of the house with windows on every side. At the moment it was barren but for a long table in the middle of the tile floor.

  Maria set her briefcase on the shiny surface and turned at the sound of sh
oes clicking behind them.

  “Dr. Gotsi. Thank you for coming on such short notice.”

  Maria nodded and held out her hand in greeting. “Ms. Swanson.” She gestured to Billy. “This is my assistant, Mr. Ramos. Will Mr. Stone be joining us?”

  “No. He had a previous engagement.”

  Maria’s brow lifted. What kind of previous engagement could a crippled recluse in dwindling health have? But she didn’t ask.

  Christy’s gaze swept over the table. “You were brought here to verify the piece, Dr. Gotsi. I don’t see any equipment.”

  “It’s impossible to bring the necessary equipment for the in-depth analysis you’re after, Ms. Swanson. My assistant and I can give you a cursory examination and take scrapings from the back to compare the chemical structure of the stone with the other pieces. That will tell us if the artifact was created in the same time frame as the other two. However, for a more thorough analysis, you’re going to need to bring the relief to Athens.”

  Christy’s brow lowered, considering. “When I have all three, we’ll discuss our options.”

  Maria nodded at Billy. He extracted the small scale from the case, a digital camera, a leather folder with Maria’s tools, a notepad and pencil.

  Christy disappeared through the arched doorway and returned moments later with Tisiphone cradled carefully in her hands. She set the stone on a velvet drape of fabric, stepped back and watched as they worked.

  Maria photographed the relief from every angle, made notes and sketches. Billy weighed and recorded information she dictated to him. Like a pro, he kept his mouth shut and his eyes focused, but Maria knew he was scanning the environs.

  Maria turned the relief over. Using a small tool, she took a careful scraping from the back of the stone and placed the result in a small vial. After capping it, she labeled the scraping and replaced it in her bag.

  She turned toward Christy. “That’s pretty much all we need for now.”

  Christy dropped her crossed arms and straightened. “When will you have the results?”

  Maria waited while Billy stowed the tools. “I have an old friend at the University of Miami. If I can procure some lab time there, I should have the initial results within a matter of days.”

  “Wonderful.” Christy didn’t smile, but her voice quivered just a touch. She pressed a button on the intercom near the archway. Within seconds, the maid reappeared. Christy lifted the relief, wrapped it again in the velvet drape and handed it to the lithe woman. She then turned back to Maria. “Now. About Alecto and Magaera.”

  Maria watched the maid step quickly out of the room.

  “Ah,” Billy cut in. “I’m sorry to interrupt. Do you happen to have a restroom?”

  Christy’s lips thinned in annoyance. She waved a hand behind her. “Fourth door on the right.” Her voice hardened. “Stay to the right, Mr. Ramos.”

  Billy nodded and followed the maid.

  Swanson refocused when Billy disappeared. “The other two, Dr. Gotsi.”

  Maria snapped her briefcase. “I want your word the information I pass on to you is strictly confidential.”

  “Of course.”

  “And your guarantee you’ll bring the Furies to Athens for my staff to examine. No one else.”

  Christy pursed her lips, thinking. “Fine. You have my word. The Institute will handle the authentication. You’ll get the credit and media attention. Now, the other two reliefs. Please.”

  Maria studied the woman in front of her a long moment. Sweat beaded Christy’s brow. Her jaw clenched and unclenched as she waited for the information she so obviously sought. Something about the line of her shoulders set Maria on edge. Would Doug have gone all the way to Chicago? Not in his poor health. As far as Maria knew, he hadn’t traveled out of Florida in several years. If Christy Swanson had killed Alan, losing the Furies was a small price to pay for justice.

  “Kauffman has them in the second-floor safe at Odyssey.” Maria pulled a slip of paper from the front pouch of her case and dropped it on the table. “Security access code to the building. Safe combination.”

  Swanson’s brow shot up. “My, that’s convenient. How, exactly, did you obtain these?”

  Maria lifted the case from the table. “Kauffman talks in his sleep.”

  A smile slid across Swanson’s thin face. “Men are all the same, aren’t they? Only after one thing in life.”

  Not all men.

  “If you have this information, Dr. Gotsi, why not take them yourself?”

  The thought had crossed Maria’s mind for all of two seconds before she’d dismissed it. “As much as I’d like to have the Furies, stealing them would do me no good. I have a reputation to think about. The Institute would suffer, and I’ve worked too hard to let it be tarnished now. The media coverage from our authentication will be enough for me.”

  She stepped away from the table. “Peter and I have dinner plans tomorrow night. Odyssey will be empty after nine o’clock. If you’ll excuse me, Ms. Swanson. I need to collect my assistant and be on my way.”

  A feral grin crossed Swanson’s face. “Of course. We’ll be in touch, Dr. Gotsi.”

  ***

  Lisa stood at the open patio door in Lauren’s kitchen, looking out at the waves gently lapping the sandy shore. Twilight was just settling in. A seagull swooped low over the sand and landed without a sound.

  They’d been back in Key Biscayne for about four hours. After Pete’s arrival in the Bahamas, they’d flown Shane to a Nassau hospital where he’d been pumped with antibiotics, given a tetanus shot and patched back together. He hadn’t spent the night in the hospital, much to Lisa’s dismay, and Pete’s money had greased the wheels so there were no questions about the shooting. According to the doctor, the bullet had gone clean through and caused only minimal muscle damage. Shane had gotten off with a few stitches and a sling.

  He’d slept a good chunk of the trip back to Florida. Now Rafe, Shane and Pete were in the living room discussing their options. Lisa had listened to their arguing as long as she could, then slipped out for some fresh air.

  She couldn’t handle more male posturing. Shane was in rare form, gunshot wound and all. He’d tried to convince them to take what they had to the authorities in Miami, but was outvoted all around. He wasn’t thrilled with their plan to steal Tisiphone back, and he was adamant Lisa not be involved.

  For her part, Lisa didn’t care how they got it back, only that they did. Her mind was a mass of thoughts and memories. She still couldn’t fathom the knowledge Doug was alive. All those years, he’d been alive as she’d mourned his death. Everything she’d believed for so long was a lie. How could he could think she would kill their baby, that she’d cared at all about the Furies? That hurt more than anything else.

  “Hey. You okay?”

  Lisa glanced toward the archway leading to the living room where Hailey stood leaning against the doorjamb in shorts and a blue T-shirt. “Fine.”

  “You don’t look so fine.”

  She’d already had this conversation with Rafe. And Shane. She didn’t need to have it again with Hailey. “What’s going on in there?” she asked, hoping Hailey would get the hint she wasn’t interested in chatting.

  Hailey pushed away from the wall. “Thought you’d want to know they’re back.”

  Lisa dropped her arms. Without another word, she turned for the living room.

  Billy sat at the dining room table, pointing to the blueprints Rafe had laid across the surface. “Safe’s here. Third-floor master suite. Back closet. Cameras here and here.”

  “You’re sure?” Rafe asked, leaning over his brother’s shoulder for a closer look. With a pen, he marked where Billy indicated. “Looks like there’s an exterior door here.”

  “Yeah. To a balcony. Had plenty of time to look around while Maria was with Swanson. Nice place.” Billy glanced up. “Tritech Securities.”

  Pete’s gaze lifted from Billy, settled on Rafe. “Zack Tanner works there. Owes me a favor.” He pulled hi
s cell from his pocket.

  Maria Gotsi stood across the room wearing a fitted blazer and knee-length skirt. Dark hair cascaded around her shoulders. Her arms were crossed over her chest as she listened to the men near the table.

  Pete’s gaze narrowed on Maria’s somber expression as he started to dial. “What?”

  Maria dropped her arms and stepped forward. “Stone wasn’t there.”

  All eyes turned her direction. Pete hesitated, then flipped his phone closed, suddenly interested in Maria’s words.

  “I saw an empty hospital bed in a downstairs bedroom when the maid let us in,” she went on. “It looked like they were cleaning out the room. There was no indication a crippled man lived in that house.”

  “What are you saying?” Rafe asked.

  “Doug’s health has been steadily failing over the past year. Alan and I talked about it after you brought me the first Fury.”

  There was a familiarity between Rafe and this woman. Lisa sensed it in Maria’s words, in the way she looked at Rafe. Ignoring it and the pang of jealousy it brought, Lisa instead focused in on Maria. “Landau knew Doug was alive?”

  Rafe’s surprised gaze darted her direction as if he hadn’t heard her step into the room.

  Maria looked toward her for the first time. “Yes. They’ve worked together over the years.”

  “Worked together?” Lisa asked. “In what way?” When Maria didn’t answer, she added, “From what I remember, they didn’t get along.”

  “Alan was Doug’s connection in the States. Do you know why he left for the Caribbean?”

  “To go after the Furies,” Lisa answered plainly.

  Maria shook her head. “That was only a side benefit. No, Doug was fed up with his academic posting. He wanted more—more money, more prestige. He wanted what Alan had. He never planned to come back to the States. He was going to stay in the islands, use that as his home base. He and Alan disagreed about the logistics, but together they planned to hunt for unique artifacts for the gallery.”

  “What kind of artifacts?” Lisa asked with narrowed eyes.

  “Originally, rare antiquities, pieces Doug couldn’t in good faith confiscate while working for his university. Things that might have been stolen or come from questionable countries, but were worth more than what he could make teaching. The Furies were part of that, only they were a personal interest. Alan never really believed they existed. He did, however, see an opportunity in Doug’s idea, his overseas connections and professional credentials, and he took it.