They made their way down the hall and into his cluttered study. Hailey walked around behind his dusty desk and pulled open the top drawer. “He keeps it locked in his liquor cabinet.” She fished around until she found the keys, then turned to the mahogany cabinet against the far wall. The key slipped in the lock and turned with a click. She pulled open the double doors and stared inside.
“What’s wrong?” Shane asked, coming to stand behind her.
Hailey could hardly believe it. “It’s gone.”
CHAPTER ELEVEN
He was good at puzzles. After all, that’s what he did every day of his damn life. Pieced together clues, looked for hidden meanings, motives and possibilities. Put them all together until he had a complete picture. But, this one…Shane had to admit, this one stumped him.
Sure, he had a laundry list of possible suspects running through his head, but those sculptures? They were a mystery.
“Is it possible Graham gave his sculpture to someone and forgot?”
“No,” Hailey said, staring out the window as they bounced down the same dirt road they’d come in on.
“Then someone took it. But who?”
“That’s the sixty-four-thousand-dollar question, isn’t it?”
Hailey sighed. “I can think of a couple of people who might be interested.”
Shane frowned. Yeah, he could, too. But after Hailey had told him about the numbers on the other sculptures, he didn’t have a clue how they all fit together or what the hell they meant. Maybe her father really had been wacko there at the end like everyone was insinuating.
“I guess it doesn’t much matter,” Hailey said. “Graham gave us his number and that’s all we really need.” She chewed on her lip for a second. “It could be a phone number.”
“Maybe.” Shane rolled the numbers around in his head again. “Thirty-eight, twenty-five, zero five. What about a combination? Didn’t you say he left you a safety-deposit-box key? Have you looked at what’s in the box yet?”
“No. I didn’t have time before I went up to Chicago. That’s definitely a possibility. I should check it out when I get back.”
“We,” he said flatly.
Her gaze flicked his way. And out of the corner of his eye he saw the hesitation as she struggled not to tell him she could do it on her own.
Her eyes shifted forward again to gaze out at the setting sun. “You know, Maxwell, I really appreciate your help so far—”
“If you’re considering telling me to take a hike, save your breath.”
“It’d be easy for you to go back to Chicago and tell them you tried to stop me but couldn’t and don’t know where I went. You’re not past the point of no return.”
Wasn’t he? He felt like it. “Your uncle wasn’t what I expected.”
She frowned at the change of subject. “What did you expect?”
“I don’t know. Not that. Not…normal.”
She glanced his way. “Am I that bad?”
One side of his mouth curled. “You have your moments. But no, that’s not what I meant. I was thinking more about your sister. And your cousin. And the wealthy in general.”
“Part of his charm. Money doesn’t mean anything to him.”
He glanced sideways at her. Dusk was starting to settle over the Everglades, and a warm glow on the horizon reflected off her face, making her blonde hair look darker, her skin softer, her eyes somehow bluer. “Did you miss it? The money. Now that you’re back, it’s gotta be nice. That jet alone costs more than I’ll make in my lifetime.”
“I never missed it. It all came with conditions.”
“Still—”
“Look, Maxwell, what you don’t understand is that it was never mine. The money, the houses, the education. My father controlled all of it. He still does with my sister. It’s his money paying for her condo, her vacations, her fun. Up until his death, he’d say jump and she’d ask ‘how high?’ All her crazy antics and gallivanting around? That’s just her way of rebelling. I couldn’t live that way. Even before I graduated I knew I couldn’t let him control me like that.”
They drove in silence a bit, bouncing on the dirt road. And though he kept trying to put her in a nice, neat box-sexy cop, spoiled heiress, reluctant CEO, damn irritating suspect—she kept changing things on him. There were layers to Hailey Roarke he hadn’t known existed, and every one of them intrigued and excited him in a way that left his blood warm and his head jumbled.
“What’s wrong with your uncle’s heart?” he asked.
“It’s weak. Heart disease runs in the family. He’s been on medication for years. I just hope this doesn’t push him over the edge.”
He nodded. “So what now?”
She glanced at her watch as they approached the same slough they’d crossed earlier. “It’s probably too late to hit my father’s bank and check that safety-deposit box. I need to see Billy anyway.”
“Sullivan? What for?”
“He has something I need.”
“Don’t tell me you—”
A popping sound cut off his words a split second before the tire blew.
“Fuck.” Shane gripped the wheel tight and tried to keep the rental on a straight path over the creaky old bridge.
“What the—”
The second tire blew before Hailey got the words out, and suddenly they were sliding sideways, heading for the edge of the bridge, which lacked any kind of modern safety railings.
“Hold on!” Shane tried to correct, but it was too late. The tires went over, the car went nose down before either could reach for the door. They hit the murky slough ten feet below with a whoosh and rush of water that began filling the interior of the car the instant metal met water.
Hailey’s head hit the window with a crack. Shane’s neck snapped forward and back. Even as he was shaking the haze from his mind, Hailey was unstrapping her seat belt and working his free. “We have to get out of this water. Now.”
He smelled the stench of stagnant water. Didn’t waste time arguing, not when she was so obviously making perfect sense. He tried the door, but it wouldn’t open.
The engine was now waterlogged, and as the car sank, water spilled in until it was waist deep. He kicked at the automatic window that wouldn’t open, then pulled his gun from his shoulder holster. “Watch your eyes.”
Water gurgled around them as he turned away and fired once, breaking the glass and kicking out the rest with his foot. Warm liquid rushed in on a gush. He managed one deep breath and grabbed Hailey’s hand before the water was over their heads.
They swam up—at least he hoped it was up. The slough was deeper than he’d thought, and so damn cloudy from silt and debris he couldn’t see two inches in front of his face. Just when he was sure they were going the wrong way, they broke the surface.
He gasped in a breath as Hailey let go of his hand and moved toward the shore. And that’s when he felt something brush his leg.
“Get out of the water!” Hailey yelled.
But it was already too late. Whatever had touched his leg clamped on tight and pulled.
“Shane!”
He was under the water before the pain in his lower left leg even registered. But when it did—shot up his leg like a firestorm—and he realized what had a hold of him, he let instinct rule. He kicked with his free leg, and when that didn’t do shit to free him, he aimed the gun still in his hand at the SOB he couldn’t see. Then said one quick prayer he wasn’t about to shoot his own foot off and fired.
His lungs burned. He felt pressure and release on his leg. The instant he was free he swam with everything he had left as he fought the panic rising in his chest.
Hailey was running back into the water as he reached the shore. “Shane!”
Water splashed around him as she skidded to a halt. “Oh God, Shane.” She wrapped her arms under his and pulled him far enough onto the shore so they were out of reach of any lazy gators hiding in the tall reeds. A feeding frenzy erupted in the center of the slough, splashing
and snapping and the sounds of jaws clamping shut tight.
He fell back against the ground and worked to get air into his blazing lungs. Hailey tore the denim on his left leg up to his knee. “You’re bleeding.”
He still had a death grip on his gun, and he lifted his head just enough to get a good look at the damage. His shoe was gone. His jeans were ripped and frayed. Crimson blood ran down his calf all the way to his toes, which he couldn’t feel. But at least they were still there.
Okay, no way that shit just happened.
Hailey whipped off the light sweater she’d changed into on the plane and dabbed at his leg until they both saw the four evenly spaced puncture wounds where the fucker’s teeth had sunk in.
“Oh, my God,” she whispered. Then louder, “Okay. The skin’s not torn badly. That’s good. It’s not that bad. You’re okay. See? You’re okay,” she said again as if saying it enough would help convince her of that fact.
His leg hurt like a son of a bitch, but to keep from freaking out about the fact he’d just been attacked by a frickin’ gator, he pushed the pain aside and focused on her. Wet hair hung around her face. Water slid down her cheek to drip over her shoulders and the white cami she’d worn beneath her sweater. A small cut oozed blood where she’d cracked her head against the glass of the car.
He gripped her hand to stop her frantic search for more wounds. Then held on tight until she looked up at him. “Hailey. I’m fine. Stop.”
Fear reflected deeply in her blue eyes. Fear for him, he realized.
“I’m okay,” he said again.
She stared at him just long enough to make his heart rate kick up, and not from nearly being the evening snack.
“Jesus, Shane.” Her eyes slid closed.
Oh, man, but he really loved how she said his name. Wanted to hear her say it again. In his bed. Naked beneath him. Over and over again.
“I never liked those shoes much anyway.”
Her eyes popped open, and she stared at him like he’d lost his ever-lovin’ mind. Then she laughed. A nervous, relieved sound that vibrated through every cell in his body.
Addendum. He wanted her screaming his name.
He was seriously screwed if after very nearly being eaten alive, all he could think about was how sexy she looked and how badly he wanted to touch her.
To keep from doing just that, he refocused on what had just happened. “Hailey, somebody shot—”
“Do you see it?” They both froze at the voice yelling from across the slough.
Hailey hit him in the chest with the full force of her weight before he saw her move. One minute he was sitting on the ground, the next they were rolling down a slight embankment into tall reeds and bushes that scraped against this legs and arms.
He hit the dirt with a thud. Rocks and twigs stabbed into his back and shoulders. Hailey landed flat on top of him, then whispered, “Shh” in his ear.
He didn’t dare move. One, because he could barely think, let alone breathe, and two, because as soon as his head stopped spinning he had a sudden flash of being very nearly eaten alive moments before and realized he had no idea what else was hiding in these reeds besides them.
He’d lost his gun as they’d rolled, not that it would be much use now after being thoroughly waterlogged. While a Glock could be fired underwater, a whole host of bad things could have happened, like the damn thing exploding in his hand or the blast leaving him deaf as a door since underwater firings were four times louder than those on land. He’d seriously lucked out, but he wasn’t testing fate one more time. As it was, his ears were slightly ringing, making it hard to hear the voices yelling around them, but one thing got through: there were two people out there looking for them, most likely the same ones who’d shot out their tires and now hoped he and Hailey were gator bait.
“I don’t see anything,” one voice yelled from across the slough. Male. Deep. “It went in here, didn’t it?”
“Yeah,” the other answered. This one female. “Look. The gators have something down there.”
Shane thought he heard water splashing but couldn’t be sure. But when he looked up, he couldn’t have cared less. Hailey was frozen above him, head tipped slightly to the side so she could hear better, eyes intent on peering through the reeds. She was beautiful, even soaking wet and dripping things he didn’t want to think about. Calm and collected. Thinking when his brain seemed to be shorting out.
His blood warmed as he stared up at her, and suddenly he was keenly aware of the way she was lying full on top of him, locked tight from knee to shoulder. How full and lush her breasts were, pushing into his chest with just the right pressure. How flat her stomach was, how her hips seemed the perfect size to fit with his. And every time she breathed, his pulse quickened, his skin tingled and blood shot straight to his groin.
Do you really think she needs you to save her? Look at her.
Okay, he’d obviously lost some serious blood in that gator attack. That or he was in shock. Because no matter what he did, he couldn’t get his brain to focus on anything besides her. Not the pain in his leg or the two dipshits out in the brush searching for them or the fact he was growing hard beneath her and really should think about something else to kill his erection before she realized what was happening and freaked a little herself.
Footsteps came closer to their hiding place. Hailey sucked in a breath and held it. He tried like hell not to move, even though—shit, she had to feel that thing now.
“What do you think you’re doing?” the male voice asked.
“I thought I heard something.”
Silence.
Against him, Hailey’s heartbeat picked up and pounded like wildfire in her chest.
He looked to the side without moving his head, and saw female boots not five feet from where they lay hidden. Screw the whole gun-possibly-exploding-in-your-hand scenario. He’d give his left nut for his Glock right now.
“Well?” the man asked.
“I don’t know. Must have been gators. Or a snake.”
Lovely. Snakes. If that didn’t kill the mood, nothing did.
“There’s no way she survived that crash. Those gators are going nuts over there.”
The woman pivoted around and began walking away. “I told you not to shoot out the tires. If the bronze was in that car—”
“It wasn’t,” the man snapped. “Just relax.”
“Relax? How do you expect me to relax? If she’s dead we won’t ever get that damn statue.”
“I already have it.”
“What?” the woman asked. “How?”
“Did you really think I was going to leave it there?”
Silence. Then, “Okay, but don’t you think three dead Roarkes in the same month are going to draw suspicion?”
“Not for us.” Irritation coated the man’s words. “The fewer Roarkes around to get in our way, the better. Now quit stressing. As far as I’m concerned, the dumb bitch got what she deserved.”
Shane’s chest grew cold. Just that fast.
He grasped Hailey’s arms and pushed. Startled, her gaze shot to his, and as if she could read his mind, her hand clamped over his mouth with stunning force and she locked her legs around his hips to keep him still. His blood was a roar in his head, his only thought the need to extract some long-awaited vengeance on the POS mere feet from them. But then he focused on her wide, cobalt blue eyes, and like an antidote to his rage, the pleading he saw there got through. Brought him down. Made him remember where he was and with whom.
She held on to him as the footsteps disappeared. An engine turned over somewhere in the trees, roared to life, then faded in the Everglades.
When nothing but the sounds of splashing water and cicadas chirping nearby met their ears, she finally pushed off him and moved back to sit on her feet. “Are you okay? Did I hurt you? How’s your leg?”
He pushed up slowly, his emotions a tumble of things he didn’t want to think about or remember or, shit, even acknowledge. “Fine. Who the hell
was that?”
She recoiled at his harsh tone, but he didn’t flinch. Dammit, this was why he shouldn’t be here. The past and the present were intermixing for him.
“I’m not sure,” she said.
He pushed aside his fucked-up emotions and focused on her. On the fact she’d gone still as stone when that woman had nearly been on top of them. And the fact right this minute she was staring straight into his eyes.
She was lying. In Wisconsin, anytime she’d evaded his questions she’d looked at him head-on, but when she’d finally told him the truth on the flight down here, she hadn’t been able to make eye contact. Which meant one thing: she’d recognized one of those two voices. Or maybe both. And she wasn’t about to tell him because she’d known he was ready to tear the guy’s throat out with his bare hands.
She didn’t trust him. Not to protect her. And that royally pissed him off.
“We can’t go back to Graham’s,” she said. “I don’t want him in the middle of this.”
“And what if he’s already in the middle of it?”
“He wasn’t,” she responded as if it were fact. “He cares less about RR than I do.”
Shane wasn’t so sure of that. And it was just a little too coincidental that they’d been ambushed right after leaving her uncle’s place.
“Either way,” she went on, “we need to get out of here so you can have that bite looked at.”
“No hospitals.” He refused to let those sexy blue eyes pull him under when she looked up. His brain was working now, and he wasn’t about to get distracted again. Couldn’t protect her? Like hell he couldn’t. “An animal bite will get reported. Last thing we want is my name in the system because it’ll lead CPD right back to you.”
“Right. Yeah. I hadn’t thought of that.” She glanced down at her knees as if contemplating her options. “I think I know someone who can help us. It’ll be a bit of a drive, though.”
“How long?”
“An hour and a half?”
“I can make it.”
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