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Authors: Dana Mentink
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irrational notion. She looked away from his intense gaze. “Because my brother is hurt, my father is missing and I can’t take anything else.” She hated the way her voice broke. Her words betrayed an emotion that she would not voluntarily bare to Tate Fuego at any price.
He looked at her for what seemed like forever, though it was probably only amoment. Then his gaze slid back to the gap, and she knew that he was going to jump. He turned to the edge.
He was a hopelessly stubborn man who would run to his own destruction. She closed her eyes and imagined what it would be like when he was gone, too. Pain drove the breath from her.
When she opened her eyes, he was still there, only now he was close. So close he reached out a handand eased the tears from her cheeks, tears she had not even known were falling. His face was tender, younger, the same face that she saw in her sweetest dreams before reality cruelly imposed itself. There was an odd questioning look there, too.
She let herself feel the gentle caress before she pulled away and angrily wiped her face. “I’m getting weak.”
He chuckled, the remnants of thequizzical look still playing about his lips. “No, ma’am. Still the strongest Gage I know. Let’s go see if your brother managed to accomplish anything.”
She climbed down first, which allowed her time to grab hold of her fraying emotions. Crazy—she was becoming crazy. The longer this horrendous treasure hunt ensued, the closer she edged to complete insanity.
Luca was there the instantshe touched ground. “I found his car at the other end of the alley. He took off.”
“You didn’t stop him?”
Luca smiled. “As a matter of fact, I let him go.”
Tate exploded, limping up to Luca as soon as he touched ground. “What? Why would you do that? What kind of game are you playing?”
Luca waved him off. “No game, just a tracking device I stuck to his car.”
Tate did notrelax. “We should have questioned him first, found out what the deal is with him and Bittman.”
“Could be he’s working for Bittman as some extra insurance in case we don’t complete the job, but that doesn’t explain why he went for Stephanie’s laptop.”
“Or he’s the one who killed Peter, and he’s going to try and get his hands on the violin and its current owner,” Stephanie mused.
“All we’ve got are guesses,” Tate snarled. “You’re taking risks with my sister’s life.”
“We’ve got a life involved in this, too, Fuego, in case you’ve forgotten,” Luca said.
Their loud exchange was drawing attention from the gas station attendant, who had emerged from his tiny office.
“Quiet, both of you,” Stephanie said. “Let’s get out of here before the police come around.” Thinkingof Bittman’s earlier message made her shiver. It also reminded her that time was ticking away. She pushed them both toward the car. “I’m riding with Tate. I want to know exactly what the guy said to him. We’ll follow after you get a GPS signal.”
Without waiting for his reply, she jumped into the passenger seat of Tate’s truck. All business. No need to talk about her strange reaction on theroof.
“Get this relic started before Luca takes off without us.” She felt eyes on her, Bittman’s eyes, watching as Tate related the encounter with Ricardo. He gave her a strange look but eased the truck out onto the road after Luca’s rental car.
“What happened that I don’t know about?”
With a sigh, she told him about the phone call in the restaurant. He stared at her. “He’s gottabs on you down here? What exactly is Bittman capable of?”
Stephanie wanted to close her eyes and avoid the question, but she could not. “Anything.” She saw the muscles work in his jaw. “I finally realized that, when he used me to steal that car. I would have left anyway because it was becoming clear to me how he made his money.”
Tate quirked an eyebrow. “I thought he was into communicationssystems.”
“He
He looked at her for what seemed like forever, though it was probably only amoment. Then his gaze slid back to the gap, and she knew that he was going to jump. He turned to the edge.
He was a hopelessly stubborn man who would run to his own destruction. She closed her eyes and imagined what it would be like when he was gone, too. Pain drove the breath from her.
When she opened her eyes, he was still there, only now he was close. So close he reached out a handand eased the tears from her cheeks, tears she had not even known were falling. His face was tender, younger, the same face that she saw in her sweetest dreams before reality cruelly imposed itself. There was an odd questioning look there, too.
She let herself feel the gentle caress before she pulled away and angrily wiped her face. “I’m getting weak.”
He chuckled, the remnants of thequizzical look still playing about his lips. “No, ma’am. Still the strongest Gage I know. Let’s go see if your brother managed to accomplish anything.”
She climbed down first, which allowed her time to grab hold of her fraying emotions. Crazy—she was becoming crazy. The longer this horrendous treasure hunt ensued, the closer she edged to complete insanity.
Luca was there the instantshe touched ground. “I found his car at the other end of the alley. He took off.”
“You didn’t stop him?”
Luca smiled. “As a matter of fact, I let him go.”
Tate exploded, limping up to Luca as soon as he touched ground. “What? Why would you do that? What kind of game are you playing?”
Luca waved him off. “No game, just a tracking device I stuck to his car.”
Tate did notrelax. “We should have questioned him first, found out what the deal is with him and Bittman.”
“Could be he’s working for Bittman as some extra insurance in case we don’t complete the job, but that doesn’t explain why he went for Stephanie’s laptop.”
“Or he’s the one who killed Peter, and he’s going to try and get his hands on the violin and its current owner,” Stephanie mused.
“All we’ve got are guesses,” Tate snarled. “You’re taking risks with my sister’s life.”
“We’ve got a life involved in this, too, Fuego, in case you’ve forgotten,” Luca said.
Their loud exchange was drawing attention from the gas station attendant, who had emerged from his tiny office.
“Quiet, both of you,” Stephanie said. “Let’s get out of here before the police come around.” Thinkingof Bittman’s earlier message made her shiver. It also reminded her that time was ticking away. She pushed them both toward the car. “I’m riding with Tate. I want to know exactly what the guy said to him. We’ll follow after you get a GPS signal.”
Without waiting for his reply, she jumped into the passenger seat of Tate’s truck. All business. No need to talk about her strange reaction on theroof.
“Get this relic started before Luca takes off without us.” She felt eyes on her, Bittman’s eyes, watching as Tate related the encounter with Ricardo. He gave her a strange look but eased the truck out onto the road after Luca’s rental car.
“What happened that I don’t know about?”
With a sigh, she told him about the phone call in the restaurant. He stared at her. “He’s gottabs on you down here? What exactly is Bittman capable of?”
Stephanie wanted to close her eyes and avoid the question, but she could not. “Anything.” She saw the muscles work in his jaw. “I finally realized that, when he used me to steal that car. I would have left anyway because it was becoming clear to me how he made his money.”
Tate quirked an eyebrow. “I thought he was into communicationssystems.”
“He
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