He thought about it.
“I want my name attached to this collar.”
Yeah, Quinn was right on that one.
“Okay, deal,” she stated. “We’ll make sure everyone knows your hands were all over this one. We’re not looking for the credit. We’re simply trying to get to the bottom of this Miller family mystery.”
He shook her hand. “Okay, who are you looking for?”
Quinn read the women’s names off his phone. “Lilian Kile said they were in school with Melissa Miller. We’re hoping they can give us something about the woman, and possibly Avalon Miller’s father.”
He started laughing. “Well, I can definitely tell you where to find them.”
Neither of them understood what was so damn funny. They were obviously missing something, or the sheriff was losing his mind.
“To find Philomena, you simply have to head over to her bar. She owns and runs it. It’s called ‘Duke’s’.”
Quinn made notes. “Okay, and?”
“I’ll be personally escorting you over to meet Polly Carmichael.”
“Why are you, Sheriff, giving us the four star treatment on this one?” Callie asked.
The man leaned forward, nearly coming eye to eye with both of them.
“I want to make sure you don’t disrespect her in any way, shape, or form.”
“Why’s that?” Quinn asked, tucking his pen and small notepad into his blazer jacket.
“Well, that’s easy. She’s important to me. Polly Carmichael married me right after high school. She’s my wife.”
Well hell!
CHAPTER Twenty-two
W hen they arrived at the coordinates, Nate seriously began to wonder if Maura Gaines was out of her damn mind. There was no way that anyone would ever look for them here because she’d found them some old abandoned mine.
She had to be freaking kidding.
When she said that the second location was going to be roughing it, she wasn’t kidding.
This was three days past an adventure and smack dab in the center of Crazyville—population two—him and Avalon.
The more he thought about it, the funnier it became. Maura wasn’t just insane; she was crazy like a fox. This place was ingenious. No one in their right mind would look for them here. Anyone seeing this on a map would graze right over it, and maybe that had been her plan.
“Are you okay?” Avalon finally asked when they weren’t moving.
“Yeah, I’m just a little shocked by our new home away from home.”
“Is it bad?” she asked, glancing up at him to read his aura.
“Well, how do you feel about dark, damp, and creepy?” he asked.
“I guess it’s probably a good thing I’m blind.”
He started laughing. “Avi, honey, you have no idea. Maura has found us our own personal bat cave, minus the fun gadgets.”
She didn't get it.
“What does that mean?”
He brushed it off. How did he explain that to a blind person who never saw a movie. “We’re going to be camping out in an old mine.”
“What?”
He was amused even more. It had to be the food and sleep deprivation finally getting to him. For some reason, he couldn’t stop laughing.
Maybe it was escaping mine gas.
“Well, at least we’ll have cover,” she said, squeezing his hand. “Besides, I don’t care where I am as long as it’s with you.”
He was grateful for that.
Nate had taken some women to sleazy places, but this hole in the ground took the cake. “I love you, Avalon. Any boring old woman would run screaming right about now.”
She rested her head on his shoulder. “I don’t scare easily,” she stated. “Maybe we should set up our happy home.”
Nate gave her a hug. “Yeah, we should.”
After releasing her, he carried their gear in, and knew he was going to be facing a serious conundrum. They were out of food, and he was going to have to hunt something up. That meant one thing…
Leaving her alone.
He couldn’t sneak up on an animal with her trailing behind him. They’d starve. For now, he had to weigh his priorities.
“I promise I’ll make this up to you after we survive this,” he stated.
She laughed. “How?”
“Our honeymoon is going to be spectacular.”
Avalon stopped laughing.
It made him grin.
“Nathaniel!”
“You can close your mouth,” he stated. “I’m not asking right now. This is definitely not how I want you to remember the day I propose.”
Her mouth opened again.
He laughed. “You’re beautiful when you’re horrified. A dank cave didn't faze you, but me wanting to spend the rest of my life with you did. Priceless.”
“Nathaniel.”
“One day, Avi, when we get you free from your cage, I’m going to propose and lock us into a whole different one. This time, you won’t be alone. We’ll be there together. I won’t be on the other side looking in. I’ll be right beside you.”
Her eyes filled with tears, and she couldn’t speak. His words were beautiful, and she only hoped that day would come. It was amazing that he wouldn’t falter, and that he was already planning ahead. She wanted to have that kind of faith in them.
She wanted it to be real.
Nate knew she was stirred up. Avalon was erratically pacing back and forth, and he didn't think it had anything to do with her safety.
It was a beautiful thing. If she was focused on their future, she wasn’t thinking about dying.
“I have good news and bad news,” he offered.
“What?”
She was almost afraid to ask. Who knew what was going to come out of his mouth? Here, he was talking marriage to a woman who told him she was going to die.
“I’ll hit you with the good first since you still look like you’re ready to run screaming from our new home. Because mines are vented, we can have a fire. All of the smoke will likely travel down into the mine, so we’ll be able to stay warm and cook our food.”
“Great. No raw squirrel.”
He snickered. “Well, unless that’s your thing—in which case…ewww.”
“Yeah, it’s not.” Avalon unwove her braid and ran her fingers through her hair. She could feel him staring at her, and it made her nervous. “What?”
His heart was thumping in his chest. This woman undid him on so many levels.
“You’re the most beautiful woman in the world.”
“You’re out of your mind. I’m a wreck.”
He crossed to her and lifted her chin. Yes, they were a mess, but she still radiated. All that long blonde hair and mysteriously blue eyes twisted him into knots. She might not be able to see him, but Nathaniel Carter saw her, and his vision was crystal clear.
She did it for him.
Nate couldn’t help himself. Lowering his mouth to hers, he shared one hell of a kiss. It was heated and full of everything he had inside for her. When he slowly pulled away, she was breathing heavy.
“That was pretty amazing.”
Nate dropped his chin to the top of her head. “Well, since that made you happy, now’s a good time to drop the bad news.”
“Okay.” Avalon waited for it.
“We’re out of food. I have to go hunt something down. We might actually be having squirrel.”
“Oh.”
“I’m sorry, but I…”
“You have to leave me alone, and you’re worried that while you’re gone someone will come after me.”
Yeah, he really was. It came down to eating or taking the chance that she’d be fine.
“I’ll be good. I can tell when I’m in danger, and we’re safe here. Well, at least for now.”
Nate set her free and pulled one of his guns out of the back of his pants. “I want you to hold on to this. If you have to take a shot, all you have to do is point and pull the trigger over and over again.”
She
laughed.
Wait! Was he serious?
“When you see an aura, is it in the shape of a person?” he asked, hoping he understood the principle of it all.
“Well, it’s more like a giant blob, but you’re on the right track,” she stated. “Why?”
“Aim for the center. Trust me. If someone’s coming at you, they’ll change their minds if a gun is repeatedly going off. Shoot to kill, Avi. Well, unless it’s me.”
She took the gun and held it in her hand. Nate put his fingers over hers.
“Do you feel this?” he asked, running the pad of her thumb over the safety.
“Yes.”
“Flick it.”
She did what he asked.
“It’s ready to go. Flick it again, and it’s locked. Can you handle this?”
She nodded.
“I swear I won’t be gone long. I’ll get us dinner and get back here.”
He escorted her to the sleeping bag and sat her down. “You’re facing the entrance. There was old wood blocking the door, and once I leave, I’ll put it back up. No one is going to think you’re here.”
“Okay.”
He kissed her fast. “I’ll be right back.”
She listened to him leaving the old mine. It was funny. Normally, she didn't mind being alone or stuck in silence. Avalon spent most of her life like that, but now…
It scared her.
The second he was gone, the demons started clawing away at her. Her mind wandered, and the visions of what was to come began their vicious assault.
She saw fire.
She saw death.
Avalon saw the beginning of the end.
“Please,” she whispered, trying to focus on Nate. Then she began doing battle in her mind against the horrible images. One thing comforted her—Nathaniel Carter.
He would save her. She had to believe.
Tears came and went as Avalon faced the horrors alone. She barely made a sound as she cried for a future she might never see, and a man who would suffer at her demise.
* * * C a r t e r - G a i n e s * * *
Friday Afternoon
He never did like a stakeout. Even though he was with Maura, the waiting irritated him. Staring at one object for a long period of time was getting on his last nerve—especially since it wasn’t bothering his fiancée.
She was as cool as a cucumber.
“I told you not to eat all that candy,” she stated. “The sugar is making you edgy.”
He glanced over at her, knowing how to amuse himself. “So, let’s talk wedding.”
She stared at him. “Okay, what do you want to discuss?”
Maura honestly didn't think he’d bring their wedding up. Sometimes, it felt like it was so far away. While they were sitting there watching a house, she didn't think of being a blushing bride. She was in Marine mode.
“Are you wearing a dress or fatigues?” he teased.
Maura laughed. “If you’re talking wedding to get me irritated like you are, it won’t work. For your information, I already bought my dress. It’s safely tucked away in a secret location where you can’t peek.”
He was surprised. “Really?”
“You tried to hack my account to find out your birthday present. You’re shameless, Lucas Mars. I’m not letting you see the dress or taking any chances.”
He touched her arm. “No, I meant about having it already.”
Maura focused on his handsome face. The blonde beach bum hair was a mess, and there were streaks of dirt on his neck. “I believe I proposed, you said yes, and I went out and bought the dress. I’m new at this, but I really think that’s the process.”
Her hand automatically went to her dog tags. The chain held her engagement ring. It was still there, and she relaxed. She somehow didn't thing the insurance company would believe that her ring was lost in some fistfight on a secret op.
“I didn't think you were taking it that serious.”
She looked at him like he was crazy. “What does that mean?”
He shrugged. “We’ve been busy.”
She pulled out her phone and handed it to him. “Pull up the calendar.”
Luke did what she asked.
“Go to the wedding date.”
He flipped through and he saw there were all kinds of appointments.
“I have my hair and nail appointment booked with Meg and Callie. We’re going to get girly for our men. Then we have the place booked for the rehearsal dinner, of which you’re footing the bill. That’s totally the responsibility of the groom’s side of the family. Be ready. My brothers can eat.”
He stared at her. She was taking this seriously.
“Then if you look at the time frame after our wedding, you’ll see that I have blocked off two weeks. I planned the wedding, and your only input was ‘chocolate cake’, so you’re going to have to handle where we go to get naked and jump each other.”
“I love you.”
She smiled at him. “You should. This was a lot of work.”
Leaning over, Luke kissed her. “Can we play twenty questions?”
She lifted a brow.
“This dress of yours…is it white or camo? I’m asking because I need a tux.”
“It’s actually blush pink. I didn't think white was appropriate since I’m not a virgin, we’re shacked up, and I’ve been married before.”
His mouth dropped open. “What? Wait! Repeat that last part.”
She started laughing. “I was married to the military.”
Immediately, he relaxed. “You’re trying to get me stirred up.”
Maura winked at him. “Funny how your plan to bug me backfired on you.”
“Har har.”
“I should give you a heads up, but if I can figure out how to swing it, I’m going to ask Avalon to be my maid of honor. I think she’d get a kick out of it.”
“Oh.”
“I know what you’re thinking, but she deserves it. I look at her and my heart breaks. She’s never had any of the things we have, Lucas. She had family, and they tossed her. Over the last two years, I’ve come to love her. I want to keep her safe because she’s like family.”
He totally got it.
“Well, Callie’s brother is pretty attached to her. You can tell by looking at him. It’s probably a good idea that I have Nate set as my best man. I can shuffle it up anyway you want. You have all those brothers to fill in as groomsmen.”
“You’re sweet,” she said, giving him a kiss.
As she turned her head, she saw it.
“We have company.”
Luke followed her gaze and saw them. This time, the two men weren’t getting out of an Escalade, but instead a rental car.
“Curious,” he stated from their place in the trees.
Maura used the mini binoculars to check them out. “They’re carrying themselves like soldiers, and you can see the body armor under their clothes.”
She passed them to her partner.
“You can also see that they’re carrying guns underneath those jackets.”
“So why the soft approach?” she asked herself, trying to desperately figure out what was up. This was some new strategy, and she was weighing it against what she knew.
Luke glanced over at her. “You’re not the least bit surprised that they’re here? I’m more shocked that we were absolutely betrayed and less that they’re sneaking up in civilian attire.”
“No. I fully expected the FBI to rat us out. Now we have to figure out what they’re going to do about it. They didn't come in like gangbusters, so what’s their plan?”
He didn't have an answer for that.
They stayed motionless in the trees not far from the abandoned house. For now, they’d watch them. The men were walking around the house, pretending to check out the gas meter.
“They’re playing make-believe,” she stated, pointing out their ruse. “I’ll bet that they have name tags.”
When they turned around, Luke confirmed it. “We have w
orkers from the local utility company. If they get caught here, that would be the best cover.”
“They must not know they have company.”
Honestly, Luke was glad. His arm hurt, and his patience was wearing thin. How much more could he take? He was sick of seeing Maura playing killer, and the idea of being shot at didn't exactly make his day.
“I still can’t believe there really is a leak in Gabriel Rothschild’s office,” stated Luke. “I’m sick that he might be it.”
“Well, we have our proof,” she stated. “The trap was set and some rat went for the cheese, unless Elizabeth is the one screwing us over.”
Luke came to her defense. “She wouldn’t do that. The boss lady is many things, but she’s a straight shooter. You never have to doubt what’s going on in her mind. She just says it. There is no way in hell she’d throw us, or Oracle to the wolves. It won’t be her that’s doing the betraying.”
Maura would take his word for it. Her fiancé knew the woman far better than she did.
The men peeked into the windows, taking pictures as they cased the place.
“What do we do?”
“We watch for a while, and then I have to make a phone call. Elizabeth Blackhawk is not going to like this—one bit.”
Luke was kind of glad that Maura would be the one who was having that conversation with her. This was not the thing he wanted to be passing along. His bosses were going to be very, very unhappy to learn this little experiment had gone wrong.
Elizabeth Blackhawk was more than likely going to want to kill the messenger.
It was a damn good thing that Maura was a Marine and could handle it.
* * * C a r t e r - G a i n e s * * *
They followed the sheriff to his place. It was a really nice house, and not far from the outskirts of town. Honestly, it reminded Quinn of the place he had before he met Callie.
There were days he missed that house.
While they still owned it, they never got to go back there. Life had become crazy, and they seemed to be always stuck cleaning up some mess.
Like now…
As they got out of their vehicle, the sheriff was waiting for them in the driveway.
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