Romancing the Alpha: An Action-Adventure Romance Boxed Set

by Zoe York

  Dex pushed himself up and out of the tub, giving Katy an excellent view of his bare backside. He unzipped his shower kit and reached inside.

  “I gave you this once before,” he said quietly. “You’d always said you didn’t care for traditional diamond engagement rings. When I found this on a dive off Bali, I thought of you. It’s old and not particularly valuable, but when I slipped it on your finger, I truly saw it as a symbol for our relationship.”

  He held out his palm and showed her the little silver and jade ring she’d thrown back in his face eight months ago.

  “Oh, Dex. It’s beautiful. I loved it then and I love it now. Are you sure you want me to have it?”

  “The ring is yours, Katy. It can be a friendship ring, a friends-with-benefits ring, or an engagement ring. Whatever works for you will work for me.”

  She allowed him to slip the ring on to her finger. The jewel glinted in the bathroom light. “What if the purpose of the ring should change over time?”

  He slid back into the tub and cupped her chin. “Then I’ll roll with that. I love you, Katy. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. If that’s not what you want, I’ll cope, but please give our relationship a chance.”

  Hot tears burned her eyes. “I love you, too, Dex. Yes, I want to give it another go.”

  His face lit up and his beam was infectious. “Seriously? I swear you won’t regret this.”

  “I’d better not, Fitzgerald.” She smiled down at the ring and rubbed his arm. “But before we settle down to domestic bliss, we have treasure to find.”

  “Deal. Like I said before, my share goes to your mother’s medical fund.”

  Katy blinked back tears. “For heaven’s sake, man. You’re making me mushy.”

  “I’d rather make you hot.” His grin widened. “We have a few hours before we need to get to the boat. Why don’t we make the most of them?”

  She laughed. “It’s a deal.”

  — FIFTEEN —

  In stark contrast to the nervous energy that usually permeated the boat on the way out to a dive, the mood today was subdued. Katy checked her rebreather for the tenth time and took a sip of water from her bottle.

  “The pack’s fine, Katy,” Dex said, coming to put an arm around her shoulders. “I checked it this morning before we boarded.”

  Rick eyed the sea through binoculars. “Conditions aren’t great today, but it might be the last chance we’ll get. There’s no time to search the entire boat. What’s it to be? Stern area or bow?”

  Katy shared a glance with Dex. While she’d agreed to join forces with them on the search, she didn’t trust Rick. And she’d be damned if either of the men beat her to the case after she’d been the one to locate it in the first place. She pointed to an area on the map that wasn’t far from where she’d dropped the case. “Let’s try here.”

  Rick’s steely gaze bore into her. “Then that’s where we’ll go.”

  Con slowed the boat when they neared their dive point. “See you later,” he yelled over the roar of the engine.

  Katy waved to him and hit the water. Dex and Rick followed close behind.

  Rick hadn’t exaggerated when he said conditions weren’t ideal. It took all of Katy’s strength not to veer off course. Despite their best efforts, they all landed on the seabed at different points. “Dex?” Katy said into her microphone.

  “Rick here.” Hearing the static in her ears was a relief, even if he sounded oddly distant. “I can see you. Hang on.”

  “Any sign of Dex?” she asked when he joined her.

  “He was right behind me.”

  A moment later, she spotted the red stripes on Dex’s diving suit. He landed near them and gave them a thumbs-up. Together, they swam past the mine to the voluminous old fishing net. It looked hideous in the dim light of her headlamp, like floating, malevolent tentacles.

  “Do you know where to look for the case?” Dex asked. His voice was barely recognizable through the static.

  “Yes,” she replied. “I’m pretty sure I know where it landed. Follow me.”

  They swam toward the spot in the fishing net where’d she’d gotten caught during the last dive. It took several attempts before she managed to get a grip on the case. Adrenalin pumped through her veins, the almost forgotten rush of discovery. This was the part she missed from her old life. She’d have to find a new hobby, preferably one that didn’t involve a legal gray zone. Maybe she should take up paragliding…

  “Bag it, and let’s move,” Dex said, his headlamp roaming over the terrain. “I’m getting a bad vibe from the currents.”

  Katy laughed and dragged the case into her pack. “Yes, boss.” For the first time since Mark’s death, she felt a glimmer of good cheer, of hope and joy for the days to come. Days—and hopefully months and years—that she’d spend with Dex.

  In an instant that glimmer was extinguished. How he moved as fast as he did, Katy could never tell. One second, they were all swimming in unison, kicking their way upward. The next, Dex was attacking Rick, pulling at his rebreather violently. Rick, taken by surprise, attempted to move out of the way, but it was too late. Dex tugged Rick’s rebreather off his back and with her heartbeat ringing in her ears, Katy watched in horror as it floated away. She dove for it, dodging Dex and getting in a kick for good measure.

  This could not be happening. That Dex was a treasure hunter came as no surprise. That he was a ruthless killer was quite another matter. This was the man she loved with all her heart. A voice in her head screamed that he wouldn’t hurt anyone, let alone her. Yet her fight-or-flight instinct had kicked in.

  Think, Katy. Focus. Breath. Do you have a weapon? Yes. In anticipation of another fishing net experience, Dex had provided them all with small saws and sharp knives. Even as she swam toward Ricks’s rebreather, Katy pushed a hand into her pack and retrieved the knife.

  Swimming with all her might, she made a grab for the rebreather and missed. A second grab and…score.

  And then Dex was upon her again, furious this time, pulling at her pack and trying to knock Rick’s out of her hand.

  Calm, Katy. You can do this. But could she? Could she kill the man she loved? She had one chance to get the knife into him. The instant he made another grab for her rebreather, she pushed the knife through the water and plunged it through his suit as deep as it would go. Inside the helmet, his eyes widened in shock…Eyes that didn’t belong to Dex. Why the hell was Con wearing Dex’s diving suit? Fuck.

  Hurt, but not hurt enough, Con yanked at her helmet, unhooking her rebreather and grabbing the jewel case out of her salvage bag. A movement caused her to look up. Con kicked upward, starting his ascent to the surface. She was already starting to feel dizzy, a pressure building in her chest.

  With each breath, the air grew thinner, making her lungs burn with need.

  And then…nothing.

  ***

  The light from Dex’s helmet swished from side to side, illuminating the murky water. His heart was pounding in his chest and he struggled to maintain the even breaths that his underwater kit required. “Katy? Can you hear me? Katy?”

  His head ached from the spot where Con had hit him seconds before he’d been about to follow Katy and Rick into the water. Please God let her be okay. Five years shadowing Rick hadn’t given him the impression the man was a killer, but he’d hired Con. He had to be in cahoots with him. If they’d hurt Katy…Dex’s gut twisted and he tasted bile. He couldn’t bear the thought of losing her.

  Jack’s voice crackled through the speakers. “We’re on our way down. I see you.”

  His light picked up the other man’s form, swimming toward him. “I can’t find Katy.”

  “Don’t panic. I’ll help you search.”

  Dex’s thoughts were scrambled. “I think my brain is mush after that blow. I didn’t even ask you what you were doing on the Neptune. How did you get there?”

  “We asked a couple of local guys to bring us out,” Jack said. “Long story short, Moi
ra got wind of you sneaking off on the Neptune this morning. She knows Rick’s reputation as a treasure hunter and figured you’d found something in the wreck of the Lusitania. She didn’t want to miss out on the fun.”

  “Fun? It’s been a barrel of laughs,” he muttered. “I didn’t know I’d be so grateful to have Moira bust us.”

  “By the way,” the other man added, “Bill and Mickey caught Con swimming back up. Bill says he’s bleeding badly.”

  “I hope the fucker bleeds out,” Dex snarled, turning his headlamp too and fro. Still no sign of Katy. A surge of panic sent his heart rate soaring and he felt lightheaded. He had to keep calm. If he passed out, he’d never find Katy.

  “Let’s split up. I’ll head this way—” Jack indicated the stern of the wreck, “—and you check the seabed.”

  “Deal.”

  Trying to stem the tide of his rising terror, Dex did a thorough sweep of the seabed. Still no sign of Katy. The lightheaded feeling increased and he sucked in more air. He ascended another couple of meters, turning his light left and right. And then his breath caught.

  Something floated in the distance, too indistinct to be positively identified as a diving suit but the correct size. Pulse pounding, he swam at full power toward the form. Please, please don’t let her be dead.

  When he reached Katy’s unconscious form, he saw at once what the problem was. Her helmet was loose and her breathing tube had detached from her mouth. That miserable motherfucker.

  Dex unhooked Katy’s entire breathing apparatus and attached her to the spare he’d brought down with him. Once he made sure it was functioning properly, he’d signal Jack and start the swim toward the surface.

  How long had she been without oxygen? A minute? Five? Fifteen?

  Her eyes fluttered and opened inside the helmet. Through the speakers, her wheezy breaths were audible. Waves of relief flooded through him and his pounding pulse slackened. Thank God. He’d been terrified he’d lost her.

  “I’m going to get you back to the boat, cupcake,” he whispered, his voice breaking with emotion. She started to speak, but he held up a warning finger. “Save your strength for breathing. We’re a long way from the boat.”

  Cradling the woman he loved in his arms, Dex kicked upward and began the journey back to the surface.

  — SIXTEEN —

  By the time Katy was discharged from hospital, dusk was falling. The sky over Ballybeg bay was a gorgeous red-orange shade, speckled with splashes of pink.

  She pressed her nose against the passenger window of the car and admired the view. Funny how a brush with death made one appreciate the simple pleasures of life.

  After Dex pulled into the parking space outside the apartment, he hopped out of the van and held open the passenger door. A frown creased his forehead. “Are you sure you’re all right? Shouldn’t they have kept you overnight at the hospital?”

  “I’m fine, Dex. Really.” She put her arms around his broad chest and inhaled his spicy scent. “All I want right now is to be with you and put this horrible day behind me.”

  He cupped her chin and dropped a warm kiss on her nose. “I’m afraid it’s not going to be that straight forward, cupcake. Seán wants to talk to us. A debriefing he called it. Apparently, he’s bringing someone higher up the chain of command.”

  She sighed. “Please don’t say we’re meeting them at the police station. I don’t feel like going out again.”

  “That’s what I thought you’d say. I told Seán to meet us at the apartment. He’s probably already there.”

  Taking her hand, Dex led her into the building and up the stairs. As he’d predicted, Seán was waiting to greet them on the landing. “I let myself in. I hope that was okay.”

  Katy gave him a warm smile. “Of course. You live here. I’ll bet you can get past your security system faster than we can.”

  The policeman examined her closely, his expression such a mirror of his brother’s that Katy almost laughed. “How are you feeling? Are you up to answering a few questions?”

  “I’m fine,” she said firmly, catching Dex’s concerned gaze. “Really.”

  “In that case, there are some people I’d like you to meet.” Seán held open the apartment door and gestured for them to enter.

  They stepped into the hallway. Voices floated from the open plan living room—one male, one female, both British. Frowning, Katy stole a glance at Dex. She’d been expecting an interrogation by the Irish police. What were the Brits doing here?

  He shrugged, clearly as puzzled as she was. “I guess we’re about to find out,” he murmured under his breath, correctly interpreting the question she hadn’t voiced.

  “Come on through.”

  Seán strode toward the open plan and she and Dex followed.

  When Katy caught sight of the two people sitting on the sofa, she gasped. “What the—?”

  The dark-haired woman stood and extended a perfectly manicured hand. Her subtle make-up complemented her tailored pantsuit. “Hello, Katy,” she said in a clipped English accent. “I’m relieved to see you looking so well. We were worried.”

  Slack-jawed, Katy stared into the face of the woman she’d hated for the past year. “Moira?”

  “I apologize for the Facebook photos,” the woman continued in an accent that bore no resemblance to Moira’s Galway lilt. “A cheap trick, but necessary. At the time, I assumed Dex was the person I was looking for. It was easier to keep an eye on him with you out of the way.”

  “You’re a spy,” Katy said flatly. It was a statement, not a question. “Did you put the note in my backpack?”

  Moira—or whatever she was called when she wasn’t playing the role of a man-eating underwater archaeologist—smiled. “Yes, I’m an intelligence agent. I specialize in tracking down treasure hunters who deal in more than stolen artifacts. As for the note, it was kindly meant. You had no idea what you’d walked into.”

  “Was sleeping with me, Rick, and whoever else you hooked up part of your secret mission?” Dex’s tone was drier than sawdust.

  The woman’s calm didn’t falter. “I was undercover for a long time. Things happen. Besides, would you question it if I were a man?”

  Katy gave a reluctant laugh. “She has a point, Dex.”

  “Where does Rick Nulty come into the story?” Seán demanded. “I’m guessing he turned out to be the person you were looking for.”

  “Correct. Please take a seat and I’ll explain.” An ironic smile twisted Moira’s lips. “I believe Katy has already met my colleague.”

  Taking his cue, the large man on the sofa rose. “We meet again, Dr. Ryan.”

  Katy placed her hands on her hips. “Mr. Devon. So you are a spook after all.”

  The plump man chortled. “Yes and no. Sort of a double agent, actually. When you met me, I was there on behalf of a private investor named James Taylor. What Taylor did not know is that I work for the British intelligence.”

  Seán leaned against the breakfast counter while Moira folded herself elegantly into the armchair across from them. Her expression gave little away. “As I’ve mentioned,” she said, “I assumed that Dex was our man. It wasn’t until the Jakarta job that I realized it was Rick. Unfortunately, I couldn’t act on suspicion alone. I had to catch him in the act of acquiring or trading sensitive information.”

  “What about Con?” Dex asked. “Where does he come into the story?”

  “Con Driscoll was also on our radar. He’d worked with Rick on a few previous jobs of a dubious nature, but he was a sailor and a hobby diver, not a treasure hunter. That’s why Con and Rick recruited you for this expedition. They needed another experienced diver and treasure hunter to help look for the box, but they had no intention of giving you a share of the proceeds from its sale. And as it happened, Con had no intention of splitting the profits with Rick.”

  “And Con decided to wear a diving suit similar to Dex’s so that Rick and I would assume he was Dex.” Katy rubbed her forehead. “Okay, I know I’m tired
tonight but I don’t follow. What does all this have to do with state secrets? The rumors of the Lusitania carrying munitions for the British war effort aren’t new and ours wasn’t the first exploratory dive to the wreck.”

  Moira and Mr. Devon exchanged glances. “The box,” Moira said finally. “We need it.”

  Katy raised an innocent eyebrow. “What box?”

  “We know Con took it from your bag when he attacked you,” Seán said. “He told us so when he confessed to murdering Rick and Mark. I’ve been ordered by my superiors to make sure the box is found and handed over to British intelligence.”

  The suspicion that had been forming in her mind the moment they began to talk of “intelligence” and “state secrets” crystallized. Why would British intelligence go to such lengths to acquire Alfred Vanderbilt’s’ necklaces? In short, they wouldn’t. Whatever the box contained, it wasn’t jewelry. Her heart pounded against her ribs. Hell, no. She was not putting up with this bullshit.

  Katy crossed her arms over her chest and adopted the truculent expression that had gotten her ass kicked more than once in the Navy. “I didn’t risk my neck to find that jewel case to relinquish it to you.”

  “We’re paying you, remember?” Mr. Devon said smoothly. “A substantial sum, I might add.”

  “Your ‘private investor’ pal is paying me,” Katy shot back. “Either way, Con tried to kill me and all you can think about is that stupid box. What do you want with a bunch of necklaces, anyway?”

  Moira’s fake smile froze. “I’m afraid that information is above my pay grade. Mr. Devon and I are merely here to collect the box and pass it on to our superiors.”

  “Well tough shit because I don’t have it.”

  Mr. Devon choked on a cough. “But you found the box, didn’t you? Con Driscoll said he’d removed it from your salvage bag.”

  Dex shifted on the sofa beside her and took Katy’s hand. “Con must have dropped the box during the swim to the surface, maybe when Bill and Mickey caught up with him in the water. He was injured, remember?”

  Moira’s flinty eyes pinned Dex in place. “You don’t recall seeing the box on the boat?”