a little girl while she was begging for her life. Tell me how to get there.”
“You’re not going to hurt them once you get the diamonds, are you?”
“Hurt them? No. Once I have what I want, this will all be over.”
Mac proceeded to tell Smythe directions to the safe house.
* * * *
She woke to the sound of a car coming up the driveway. Grabbing the robe from the foot of the bed where Gabe had folded it during the night, Lea quickly slipped her arms into the flannel sleeves. She felt stiff and maybe just a little tired, but it was a small price to pay for last night. When had she fallen for Gabriel? When he’d first kissed her? Or in all the time since that first meeting in the cabin? She had known when her finger squeezed the trigger of his pistol, had broken the most hallowed commandment. And like everyone else she’d ever loved–mother, father, sister–she feared he would eventually leave her too. He had a dangerous job. Gabe could be killed at any moment, like her father and sister, in the line of duty.
Lea walked to the window and peered around the edge of the blinds. A new silver Dodge Charger pulled behind the house before it disappeared from view. Could it be Mac? Had they slept that late?
“Gabe. Wake up. Someone’s here.” She watched as he tossed the quilt aside and rose from the bed completely nude. He’s beautiful and he loves me . Gabe grabbed his jeans off the dresser, pulled them on and shoved his unloaded weapon into the back waistband. The clip went into his pocket, but he left the pistol for Lea on the nightstand. He walked over to her.
“Good morning.” And then he kissed her as if they were alone in the world and nothing else mattered.
“Mmm. Hi.”
“Hi. Feel okay?”
“I feel amazing. I wish we could go back to bed, but someone’s outside.”
“Let’s take a look.” Lea took his hand in hers while he peeked outside through the blinds. “It’s Mac.”
“Good. The sooner we are rid of those diamonds, the better. Come on and I’ll fix us some breakfast.”
Gabe went ahead of her to answer Mac’s knock.
* * * *
Gabe opened the door for his partner.
Lea watched the dark haired man take his hand to shake it.
“Hey, Mac. This is Leannan O’Neil. She prefers Lea.”
Lea watched a smile bloom across Gabe’s face and recalled just what he’d been doing the last time he’d spoken her given name. She blushed.
“Lea, then.”
“Hi. It’s nice to meet you. I’m sure we’d both rather it was under better circumstances.” She took Gabe’s hand and snuggled closer to him, hyperaware she was only wearing her flannel robe. “If you’ll excuse me, I need to go get dressed.”
Something’s wrong. Don’t trust him, Lea. Get Gabriel’s gun. Hurry .
But Mac was his partner, right? Lea went into the bedroom, got dressed and retrieved the pistol from his nightstand. Holding it steady behind her back with the safety on, she went down to the kitchen doorway to listen.
* * * *
“It would seem you two solved your communication problem. Sex is an amazing equalizer.”
Gabe glared at him. “None of your business, Mac. Butt out.”
“You made it my business. And speaking of it, where are the diamonds?”
“In my pocket.”
“So Serena hid them in a Madonna figurine and gave them to her sister. No one thought she’d go to the little mouse for help. Smart. So let’s see them.”
He pulled the small velvet pouch out of his pocket and set it on the table. Mac reached out to take the diamonds, but Gabe covered them with his palm.
“Why, Mac? We were sitting ducks all along. Weren’t we? You led us right into a trap.”
“Money is another great equalizer. Give me the diamonds, and I’ll be out of here. You and your lady can go back to your nice lives and I’ll hit the first flight to Mexico. End of story.” Mac pulled his pistol and pointed it at Gabe’s chest. “How did you know?”
“I never said what kind of figurine. Only myself, Gueraldi’s men,
“You’re not going to hurt them once you get the diamonds, are you?”
“Hurt them? No. Once I have what I want, this will all be over.”
Mac proceeded to tell Smythe directions to the safe house.
* * * *
She woke to the sound of a car coming up the driveway. Grabbing the robe from the foot of the bed where Gabe had folded it during the night, Lea quickly slipped her arms into the flannel sleeves. She felt stiff and maybe just a little tired, but it was a small price to pay for last night. When had she fallen for Gabriel? When he’d first kissed her? Or in all the time since that first meeting in the cabin? She had known when her finger squeezed the trigger of his pistol, had broken the most hallowed commandment. And like everyone else she’d ever loved–mother, father, sister–she feared he would eventually leave her too. He had a dangerous job. Gabe could be killed at any moment, like her father and sister, in the line of duty.
Lea walked to the window and peered around the edge of the blinds. A new silver Dodge Charger pulled behind the house before it disappeared from view. Could it be Mac? Had they slept that late?
“Gabe. Wake up. Someone’s here.” She watched as he tossed the quilt aside and rose from the bed completely nude. He’s beautiful and he loves me . Gabe grabbed his jeans off the dresser, pulled them on and shoved his unloaded weapon into the back waistband. The clip went into his pocket, but he left the pistol for Lea on the nightstand. He walked over to her.
“Good morning.” And then he kissed her as if they were alone in the world and nothing else mattered.
“Mmm. Hi.”
“Hi. Feel okay?”
“I feel amazing. I wish we could go back to bed, but someone’s outside.”
“Let’s take a look.” Lea took his hand in hers while he peeked outside through the blinds. “It’s Mac.”
“Good. The sooner we are rid of those diamonds, the better. Come on and I’ll fix us some breakfast.”
Gabe went ahead of her to answer Mac’s knock.
* * * *
Gabe opened the door for his partner.
Lea watched the dark haired man take his hand to shake it.
“Hey, Mac. This is Leannan O’Neil. She prefers Lea.”
Lea watched a smile bloom across Gabe’s face and recalled just what he’d been doing the last time he’d spoken her given name. She blushed.
“Lea, then.”
“Hi. It’s nice to meet you. I’m sure we’d both rather it was under better circumstances.” She took Gabe’s hand and snuggled closer to him, hyperaware she was only wearing her flannel robe. “If you’ll excuse me, I need to go get dressed.”
Something’s wrong. Don’t trust him, Lea. Get Gabriel’s gun. Hurry .
But Mac was his partner, right? Lea went into the bedroom, got dressed and retrieved the pistol from his nightstand. Holding it steady behind her back with the safety on, she went down to the kitchen doorway to listen.
* * * *
“It would seem you two solved your communication problem. Sex is an amazing equalizer.”
Gabe glared at him. “None of your business, Mac. Butt out.”
“You made it my business. And speaking of it, where are the diamonds?”
“In my pocket.”
“So Serena hid them in a Madonna figurine and gave them to her sister. No one thought she’d go to the little mouse for help. Smart. So let’s see them.”
He pulled the small velvet pouch out of his pocket and set it on the table. Mac reached out to take the diamonds, but Gabe covered them with his palm.
“Why, Mac? We were sitting ducks all along. Weren’t we? You led us right into a trap.”
“Money is another great equalizer. Give me the diamonds, and I’ll be out of here. You and your lady can go back to your nice lives and I’ll hit the first flight to Mexico. End of story.” Mac pulled his pistol and pointed it at Gabe’s chest. “How did you know?”
“I never said what kind of figurine. Only myself, Gueraldi’s men,
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