“Sweetheart, I promise we’ll talk.” Nick was firm. “This has turned into something of an international incident, though. Our bid on the site is being restructured. We might lose it completely. I have no choice but to focus on what happened here. I promise I’ll be in touch on the other stuff as soon as I can swing it.”
“What’s going to happen with that?” Quinn rubbed his hand over Rowan’s back, hating how tense she was.
“Andrea, Anthony, and Selena are all facing numerous charges and will spend time in jail,” Nick replied without hesitation. “Selena will be offered a deal if she turns on the other two. She was the minor player in this so it only seems fair. If Andrea and Anthony ever see freedom again, I will be stunned.”
“That’s what I figured.”
“I want to know why you said what you said,” Rowan pressed. “I need to know. I … you can’t just leave.”
Nick licked his lips as he regarded his niece. “I don’t know what you want me to say.”
Rowan refused to let it go. Now that she was out of immediate danger – now that everyone was safe – she could focus on nothing but what Nick said to her. She didn’t sleep at all the previous night, instead tossing and turning as she struggled with the endless possibilities that flooded her mind. “Where is he? Is he alive? You referred to him in the present tense.”
“I can’t talk about this here.” Nick cast a glance over his shoulder and nodded to the local constable when the man gestured for him to approach. “I really have to go. You do, too.”
“But … .”
“I’m sorry.” Nick meant it. He stepped forward and grabbed Rowan’s shoulders, tugging her in for a tight hug before she could mount further argument. “I swear I’ll be in touch just as soon as I can. We’ll make arrangements to meet in Florida.”
“Just tell me,” Rowan implored, her eyes filling with tears. “You have to tell me something.”
Nick opened his mouth, conflict evident on his face. Finally, he leaned as close as he could and whispered. “He’s alive. I can’t tell you more than that. I will when I can … but now is not the time. You don’t understand what’s happening.
“I am so sorry for putting this added strain on you,” he continued. “You can never know how sorry I am. I hope to be able to alleviate it soon, but I can’t do it now. It’s simply impossible.”
Nick pulled away, his eyes glassy. He stared at Rowan long and hard, but she didn’t utter a single word. She couldn’t. She was too stunned.
Because he knew they were short on time, Nick turned his full attention to Quinn. “Take care of my niece. She’s going to need you now more than ever.”
Quinn pursed his lips. “What you’ve done here is cruel.”
“It wasn’t my intention.”
“That seems to be your mantra.” Quinn slipped his arm around Rowan’s waist. She didn’t fight the effort, but she didn’t melt into him either. “I’m completely pissed off that you’ve done this to her.”
“And I don’t blame you.” Nick held up a finger to still the constable. The man was getting antsy, and with good reason. American authorities were due to land within the hour and Nick was spending the bulk of his time trying to placate his niece. “I am sorry. There are a multitude of reasons for my secrecy, and I can’t go into them here.”
“Then you never should have said it,” Quinn snapped.
“It wasn’t my intention to say it. The words slipped out. I thought we would have a chance to discuss things … but that’s clearly not the case.”
“Clearly,” Quinn said dryly, gripping Rowan tighter to his side. “If you don’t get in contact with her, I swear to you, I will hunt you down. You won’t like what I do when it happens either.”
“I believe you mean that.” Nick stroked his hand over the top of Rowan’s head. “I really have to go.” He brushed a kiss against Rowan’s forehead. “You’ll be okay. I’ll be in touch. That’s the best I can offer you right now.”
Rowan was stiff when she stepped back, her eyes dark and furious. “You have a job to do. You’d better do it.”
Nick’s stomach twisted at her lost expression. “I will be in touch as soon as I can. Believe me, I’m sorry.”
“Whatever.” Rowan turned on her heel and stepped on the gangway. It took everything she had to put one foot in front of the other and leave behind the answers she’d been seeking for a decade. Her anger was overwhelming, but there was nothing she could do about it so she merely kept walking.
Quinn waited until they were on deck to speak again, worry practically overwhelming him. “I’m sorry this happened, Ro, but he was very obviously in a spot. He couldn’t tell you what you needed to hear. It was a confluence of things that no one could’ve seen coming.”
“That seems like a convenient excuse,” Rowan argued. “He could’ve told me before all this happened. He had plenty of time then.”
Quinn swallowed hard. “The last thing I want to do is take Nick’s side.”
“Then don’t.”
“I don’t see where I have a lot of choice.” Quinn offered up a sheepish smile. “He wanted to get to know you before he dropped that bomb. He wanted to see how you would take it. He thought he had more time.”
“I can’t believe you’re standing up for him.” Rowan was flummoxed. “That’s the last thing I expected.”
“I’m not standing up for him,” Quinn clarified. “I’m standing with you. There’s a difference.”
“I don’t see how.”
“Whatever he has to tell you, it’s big.” Quinn kept his voice low as he glanced around to make sure no one was listening. “He doesn’t want to do it in front of other people. He also doesn’t want to do it when he doesn’t have enough time. He said he’ll be in touch.”
“Do you believe him?”
Quinn tilted his head to the side, considering. “Yes,” he replied after a beat. “He wouldn’t have come here if he didn’t want to fix this. I believe that’s exactly what he wants to do.”
“He lied, though,” Rowan pressed. “He said at first that he had no idea what happened to my father. That’s clearly not true.”
“And I also think it’s clear that whatever he’s hiding is something that can’t simply be spread around with little thought to how it’s going to hurt everyone involved,” Quinn said. “He’ll tell us more when he can. I have faith in that. You should, too.”
“But … .” Rowan looked so helpless Quinn could do nothing but tug her to him.
“It’s going to be okay,” Quinn whispered, swaying back and forth as he tried to offer comfort. “I think you’re going to get the answers you need. It’s not going to happen today – and that’s what you want – but it is going to happen.”
“So I’m just supposed to wait?”
Quinn nodded. “I know it’s hard but there’s nothing else I can do.”
“Well, this sucks.”
Her lament caused Quinn to smirk. “It definitely sucks.”
“What am I supposed to do until I get my answers? I’m going to drive myself mad while I’m waiting.”
“It’s funny you should mention that.” Quinn offered up a mischievous grin as he pulled his head back and stared into Rowan’s soulful eyes. “I believe there’s a Jacuzzi I’ve been dying to show you and I can guarantee no one will be in it for the ride back to Florida. It’s ours for the taking … for the next two days.”
Rowan didn’t want to encourage him – it seemed somehow wrong, after all – but she couldn’t stop herself. She brightened considerably. “That’s the best offer I’ve had all week.”
“I was hoping you would say that.” Quinn pressed a kiss to her lips. “We’ll figure it all out. We can’t do anything right now, though, so we might as well take some time for ourselves.”
Rowan heaved out a sigh. “Okay, but I’m going to expect a massage when we’re in this magical Jacuzzi.”
This time Quinn’s grin was so wide it practically took over his entire face. “F
inally something I want to do.”
“Yeah … that goes for both of us.”
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Acknowledgments
I’m a romantic at heart. A true romantic. I love the idea of a happy ending, so much so I have trouble writing a sad one. The world is sad enough. I like escaping in fiction. That’s just me. I like sarcasm and snark – but I’m not sure a sad ending is in me. If you’re looking for an edge like that, you’re probably looking in the wrong place. Just FYI.
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This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
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Books by Lily Harper Hart
Hardy Brothers Security
Deadly Intentions
Deadly Intuition
Deadly Illusions
Deadly Proposal
Deadly Prospects
Deadly Ever After
Deadly Honeymoon
Deadly Questions
Deadly Addition
Deadly Vacation
Deadly Secrets
Deadly Storm
Deadly Dealings
Deadly Christmas
Deadly Desperados
Deadly Arrival
Deadly Rivalry
Deadly Memories
Deadly Adventure
Deadly Reunion
Deadly Conflicts
Deadly Payback
Deadly Waves
Deadly Forever
A Maddie Graves Mystery
Grave Homecoming
Grave Insight
Grave Delight
Grave Misgivings
Grave Concerns
Grave Discovery
Grave Decisions
Grave Seasons
Grave Holiday
Grave Haunting
Grave Paths
An Ivy Morgan Mystery
Wicked Days
Wicked Dreams
Wicked Times
Wicked Places
Wicked Warning
Wicked Fog
Wicked Season
Wicked Winter
Wicked Hearts
A Harper Harlow Mystery
Ghostly Interests
Ghostly Issues
Ghostly Deceits
Ghostly Worries
Ghostly Images
Ghostly Wrecks
Ghostly Asylum
A Rowan Gray Mystery
Welcoming Seas
Murky Seas
Stormy Seas
Sunken Seas (A Rowan Gray Mystery Book 4) Page 20