Heiress Under Fire

by Morey, Jennifer

  “Please. You’re my only hope of finding answers.”

  “I could lose everything if this gets out.”

  “It won’t come from me. I have nothing to gain from your demise. I only want my life back.” A life in Bar Harbor. Without Elam. She fought to keep the sting from piercing her heart too deeply.

  “I met her a long time ago. We had an affair. I was married then, too, and at the time I didn’t feel for Carolyn what I felt for Pauline. I ended it. It was years before I ran into her again. We struck up a friendship and it led to more. She confided in me about her husband. She was beginning to suspect he was lying to her. About business trips. About meetings he had at bars. At first she thought he was having an affair. But one night she followed him and saw him meet with a man.”

  “Who?”

  “She didn’t know, but she was afraid it wasn’t legitimate. When she told me this, I began my own investigation. I cared for her a great deal. It was different from when we were younger. We’d grown since then. I was falling in love with her all over again.”

  “You loved two women?”

  “I love Pauline in a different way. She’s my anchor. My best friend. My business partner. Carolyn was…We were…”

  “I think I get the idea,” Farren said, not wanting to hear him tell her about her mother’s sex life.

  “What I found about Jared surprised me,” he said.

  “He’s an arms dealer.”

  His brow crowded his nose. “How did you know that?”

  “Elam and…” She stopped herself in time. “Elam found out.”

  “He’s very resourceful. It’s good to know you’re in such good hands.”

  She didn’t know how to respond to that so she didn’t.

  “Did he find you or did you find him?”

  “We sort of found each other.” She didn’t see much point in lying. “He chased a man onto my chartered yacht and saved me from being kidnapped.”

  “He was after this man?”

  “Yes.”

  “Imaad?”

  “No, but Imaad is the one who sent him.”

  “Did Elam know about Imaad before he chased your kidnapper aboard your yacht?”

  “No.”

  Shay took his time before saying anything. “It would seem he and I have more in common than I originally thought.”

  “You both fight terrorism,” Farren guessed.

  “Yes.”

  She believed him. “What did you discover about Jared?”

  “Everything Elam did, I imagine. Jared used his shipping company as a front to broker arms deals his friend Betts didn’t want to get his hands dirty doing himself. I know he was working a deal with Imaad.”

  “What kind of deal?”

  “Small arms, but lots of them. He was planning to bring them across the Turkey border into Iraq, where a group of insurgents would receive them. But he was killed before the sale was complete. Imaad transferred the money as negotiated, but the goods were never delivered.”

  “Did Carolyn know about this deal?”

  “I made sure she did. We were seeing a lot of each other by then. I didn’t want her with Jared anymore. Especially after he found out about us.”

  “He found out? How?”

  “He had her followed. When she came home one night, he beat her. Badly. Her face was black-and-blue and it hurt her to breathe. She should have gone to the hospital. Instead, I put her up in a hotel room and stayed with her. She refused to go to the police because she was afraid of Jared.” Farren saw his fists clench.

  “I had plans to expose Jared with what I had on him, but I was too late. I did hand over what I knew to a friend in Homeland Security. That’s what got our government’s attention on him.”

  Handing over information to a friend was less public. It meant there was less of a chance his affair with Carolyn would be revealed. “Was Jared aware you knew about the arms deal with Imaad?” Farren asked.

  “It’s possible. Carolyn knew.”

  “Do you think that’s why he killed her?”

  “Yes. I think they argued about it and he panicked. He may have threatened to do something to stop me and Carolyn tried to protect me.”

  “Did you know Carolyn was going to go to Bodrum?”

  “No. I thought I had time to execute my plan to expose Jared.”

  “She knew you were coming to Marmaris.”

  “Yes. I told her.”

  “What if she learned something about Imaad? He might have known you were going to expose Jared. Maybe he intends to kill you for costing him so much money.”

  “Jared is dead. What threat am I to him now?”

  “Imaad is still missing three million.”

  “But it’s you he’s after.”

  “Imaad is here, Congressman Shay. Did you know that?”

  “In Marmaris?”

  “He’s on a yacht called the Sea Minstrel. One of his men chartered it in Bodrum and he sailed here for the festival. He’s been watching your yacht.”

  Shay stared at her, alarm widening his eyes. No doubt he was concerned for the safety of his family.

  “I thought you knew,” Farren said.

  “No. How would I know Imaad would come after me?”

  “If he gets his way, he’ll have his money and you. Think of the publicity he’d gain, with your prominent background.” Imaad could make a loud statement by killing someone like Shay at something as public as an international yacht festival.

  “If he was going to do something, why hasn’t he yet?”

  “He knows he’s being watched.”

  “Who’s watching him?” Then he shook his head. “Never mind. Elam is, isn’t he?”

  Farren didn’t say anything, Haley’s warning to protect the team echoing in her head.

  “Who is he? Is he working alone or is someone helping him?”

  “You may want to get your wife and kids somewhere safe,” she said instead of answering.

  He nodded after a moment. “I’ll fly them home in the morning. You should go with them. I would hate to discover I lose a daughter to a terrorist.”

  “I’m safest right where I am.” But she smiled at his concern and noticed more about him. His graying hair had once been dark. His hazel eyes might show similarities to hers. And she may have gotten her height from him. She didn’t remember her mother being very tall. But then, she didn’t remember much about Carolyn.

  If Colin Shay was her father, why hadn’t Carolyn told him? Was it to protect him? His marriage? His career? Or had she only been protecting herself and a life with a man who didn’t want children? How sad that she’d never know.

  “What would you have done if you’d known about me?” she asked Shay.

  His brow gave a grim set to his eyes. “I wouldn’t have understood why she wanted to give you up.” He hesitated.

  “But…if she’d have told you. From the beginning.”

  The burden that would have been on him showed in his eyes and the time he took before responding. “I would have risked my career and even my marriage to make it right.”

  Farren fought the hope rising in her. “You would have gotten divorced and married her?”

  “I would have done what I had to do to have you in my life. Maybe Carolyn knew that, and that’s why she kept you a secret. She didn’t want me to lose my career. She knew what it meant to me.”

  What if he was lying about not knowing? What if he was saying all this to keep her from getting angry and going to his wife? Then again, he might not even be her father. Only a DNA test could determine the truth.

  “Well. It’s late. I should go.” She stood and so did he.

  “When this is over, we’ll get some tests.”

  He surprised her with the suggestion. “I don’t want to cause you a scandal.”

  “It would be a worse scandal if I turned my back on you now.”

  Farren smiled. “Thank you.”

  He smiled back and that was all, which made her gra
teful. She wasn’t ready for hugs and a see-you-soon. She needed proof first. That and time to get to know him if it turned out he was her father. Time to forgive her mother, too. Maybe she’d never be able to do that, though.

  She opened the office door. And froze.

  In the narrow hall, Elam leaned his back against the wall, turning only his head to fix the laser intensity of his blue eyes on her. His legs were crossed at the ankles and his hands were tucked under his arms, biceps bulging. His unbuttoned black shirt revealed a swath of bare skin. He wore no shoes. Outwardly he appeared calm. Cool. But she could see the fire in his eyes. And he was furious.

  He lowered his arms and pushed off the wall. Taking two strides toward her, he barely acknowledged Shay behind her. She had to force herself not to look away from the energy of that look.

  “I believe you have something of mine,” he said.

  He must have heard her leaving. Parting the opening of her purse, she lifted the gun and handed it to him.

  He took it, checking the mechanisms before shoving it in the front of his jeans. His angry gaze targeted her again.

  “Do you even know how to use it?”

  “Yeah. You just pull the trigger,” she retorted, not appreciating what sounded like condescension.

  “You could have hurt yourself.”

  She folded her arms and scowled at him. “I’m not that helpless.”

  “Don’t ever do that again.” The force of his tone revealed how much she’d scared him. “I would have come with you.”

  “I didn’t want you to come with me.”

  Ignoring her, he gave a nod to Shay. Taking her arm in a firm but gentle grip, he guided her toward the stairs. She climbed ahead of him. In the upper salon, she spotted Travis sitting at the table on the aft deck, talking to Edward. His arms were folded and the barrel of his pistol was resting on his arm.

  He saw them and stood, saying something to Edward, who didn’t look happy at all. Edward didn’t get up. Travis put his gun in the back waist of his jeans. Farren walked between him and Elam as they made their way down the dock. She could feel Elam’s anger the entire way. At the end of this dock, she saw Keenan leaning against the side of a closed kiosk, looking to his left and right as they approached. He fell into step behind them. They reached Rapture and Haley came down the stairs from the flybridge.

  “Everything’s clear,” she announced, her tennis shoes silent on the deck, dark ponytail swinging.

  “Good. Let’s meet in the galley,” Travis said.

  She followed Travis there, Elam and the others behind her. Travis pulled a chair out for her and she sat, bracing herself for an interrogation.

  Elam leaned against the refrigerator. Haley sat across from her and Keenan sat to her right. Travis stood behind her.

  “Imaad was going to buy arms from Jared.” She told them about the plan to supply insurgents with small arms.

  “Without his money, he’ll have a hard time pulling that off,” Travis said, “especially now that we’re onto him.”

  “He also may want revenge,” Farren said, and all eyes moved to look at her. “Shay exposed Imaad and ruined his plan.” She explained everything she and Shay discussed.

  “Why not just kill him if revenge is what brought him to Marmaris?” Travis asked.

  “Wouldn’t it behoove him to have his money first?” Elam asked. “A congressman’s murder will draw a lot of press.”

  “Which he’d love,” Keenan said.

  “Yeah, but would he want the press before he gets his money?” Haley asked.

  Elam shook his head. “No. Farren coming here forced him to change his plans. If she’d have given him his money like he wanted and not come to Turkey, he would have killed Shay by now. But she’s here and he’s having trouble getting what he wants.”

  Travis nodded. “He didn’t anticipate having to deal with Elam.”

  “Okay,” Haley said. “What are we going to do?”

  “I say we take him out,” Elam said.

  “I agree. It’s time to end this,” Keenan said. “The three of us could board the Sea Minstrel tonight and finish them all off at the same time. Imaad and all his men. There are only five of them.”

  “It’s too public,” Travis said. “We need to draw them away from the marina. Otherwise, innocent people could get hurt.”

  “I agree,” Haley said. “But how are we doing to do that?”

  Gazes met as each of them considered possibilities.

  Farren lifted her index finger. “I have an idea.”

  Chapter 11

  “No.” Elam pushed off the refrigerator to stride over to her. “No way.”

  She looked up at him towering over her. “It’s a good idea.”

  “I won’t let you do it.”

  “Elam—”

  “You’re not posing as bait for a terrorist like Imaad.” He glanced at everyone else. “I won’t allow it.”

  She looked around, too. “Imaad and his men were watching when I got ahead of Elam at the bazaar. We can do it again, only this time choose the location to our advantage.”

  “I have to admit, it does sound good,” Haley said.

  “I can’t believe this. I won’t let you do it.”

  “Elam, you’re being paranoid,” Haley said. “She won’t be out of our sight for one second. It won’t be the same as last time.”

  “Besides, she’d have a tracking device on her like she did at the bazaar,” Travis said.

  “We’ll be in control at all times,” Keenan said.

  Keenan’s comment left no doubt that everyone but Elam supported the plan.

  Looking down into her eyes, Elam backed away from the table. Farren stood from her chair and went to him, putting her hand on his biceps.

  “I’ll be all right, Elam.”

  His anger didn’t abate, but he didn’t argue. He turned and left the galley.

  Late the next morning, Farren sat in the motorized dinghy while Elam maneuvered through the marina. He’d barely spoken five words to her. “Let’s go” and “Get in” were pretty much it. His brooding reached past her defenses. It meant he cared, more than he wanted to care. He didn’t like the plan, but he’d go along with it because his team outnumbered him.

  They floated past the Sea Minstrel. A man standing on the flybridge saw them. He didn’t move as they headed out of the marina, only watched.

  The “crew” of Rapture had left for the shore before sunrise. Imaad and his men wouldn’t know where they’d gone.

  Farren kept looking behind them but no one followed. Elam steered the dinghy to shore when they came to a stretch of secluded beach. She searched the woods for signs of the others on Elam’s team, but saw none. Not that she expected to. She knew they were lurking in the shadows.

  Elam hopped out into the shallow water and before she could do the same, he swooped her into his arms. He carried her to a soft, dry spot on the beach and set her feet down. The mesh yellow sundress that covered her swimsuit and the pretty straw hat must have gotten to him.

  She looked at him with a raised brow. “I could have gotten to the beach on my own.”

  He ignored her and returned to the dinghy for their basket. There was no sign of the Sea Minstrel or any dinghy carrying the enemy. They hadn’t wandered far up the beach and would be easily spotted if Imaad and his men decided to follow.

  Farren spread out a blanket and then sat down with Elam. They ate strawberries and sandwiches and drank Perrier in silence. A sailboat passed their staged paradise, but no one appeared.

  Elam lay back on his elbow, watching the sea and the length of the beach. He wore only swim trunks. So far she’d managed to keep her mind off his bare chest and legs. But her gaze wandered there now, soaking up the light covering of hair over smooth skin.

  “Did you ever see the movie Casino Royale?”

  “Yes.”

  “You did?”

  He looked at her from behind his sunglasses.

  “I’m shocked you
watched a movie I watched,” she said.

  “It was a good movie. A little long. And the romance was a little too drawn out, but it wasn’t bad overall.”

  “The romance was the best part.”

  He smiled. “You would think that.”

  She smiled back. “It was refreshing that they showed the guy’s body. You know the part where he comes out of the water?”

  “You liked that part, huh?”

  “The older Bond movies always showed the girl in parts like that. Bond never took off his clothes. It was always the girl who was exploited.”

  “They didn’t exploit Bond in that movie.”

  “They showed a lot of his body.”

  “Not all of it.”

  “They showed enough.”

  “Why are we talking about this?”

  She shrugged, not wanting to tell him what made her think of it.

  He chuckled. “Do you want me to walk out of the water for you?”

  “No.” She lay down on the blanket and looked up at the sky, folding her arms under her head.

  He climbed to his feet anyway. She propped herself up and watched him walk toward the water. He walked in up to his chest before he turned and started back.

  She laughed at his grin and the way he moved so lazily and slow. She wasn’t sure if he was trying to walk like Daniel Craig, but it didn’t matter. Elam looked way better.

  Water dripped off him as he reached the beach. Smiling, he came down onto his knees and straddled her on the blanket. Saltwater dropped on her. She laughed.

  “How was that?” he asked huskily.

  “You’re getting me wet.”

  His grin turned licentious.

  “Oh, stop it.” She put her hands on his chest.

  He lowered himself all the way down on her, chilling her and heating her at the same time. He pressed his mouth to hers. She tasted salt and man. A sound came up her throat, a moan of pleasure. He deepened the kiss before lifting his head.

  “Your teammates are watching.”

  He rolled onto his side, putting his head on his hand and smiling down at her. “There’s a boat in the water.”

  She looked out to sea and saw a small motorboat just offshore. “Is it Imaad?”

  “I don’t know.”

  The plan was for her to wander off alone on the beach. But once Imaad and his men came ashore, Elam and his team would be ready.