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Authors: Marguerite Labbe
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away.
“I thought not.” Nick straightened and grabbed the remainder of his coffee. He had to get out before he lost his temper. He never should’ve even tried. He could’ve sent a notice through his lawyer and never had to deal with Galen at all. “You know how to reach me if you change your mind.”
“Wait.”
Screw that, Nick thought. He was done with waiting.
“Come on, talk to me,” Galen said in a softer voice.
“That’s the fucking point. You aren’t talking.” Nick paused and stabbed his finger toward Galen. “How am I supposed to trust you? Tell me that. This is important to me, and if you’re going to dick around, we can do it through lawyers.”
Galen jumped up as well, all trace of entreaty vanishing as his eyes flashed hot. “You can’t just walk in here and take them. We’re the ones who found them.”
“And I’m the one that owns them.”
They stared each other down, the tension crackling in the air. Nick had never seen Galen pissed off before, and if there hadn’t been so much riding on the line, he might find it kind of hot. There had to be some legal way of getting the Collection back without screwing with the museum and its reputation. He didn’t want that, no matter how much this whole situation tied him in knots.
“Look,” Nick said, striving for a calm that seemed to stay just out of reach. “Let’s just both separate and cool down before we say anything else we regret.”
Galen motioned toward the stairwell with a jerky nod, his jaw clenched, and his hand shoved into his pocket. “I’ll give you a call.”
Nick bit back a hot retort and headed down. Yeah, right, he wasn’t going to hold his breath on that one.
CHAPTER FIVE
“ W HY won’t you talk to me?” Galen stood in front of the unmoving statue and strained to listen for any whisper of sound. The heating system sighed as it cut back on, but no other noise broke the silence. The museum had been locked down for the night, and it hadn’t seemed to make a damn bit of difference. His mystery man hadn’t shown himself.
“Dexios, please, talk to me. Tell me what’s going on.” Galen went from statue to statue, and they all remained silent. Whatever he had unlocked the night before, both with the statues and within himself, seemed to have retreated, leaving him with too many questions and no way of getting the answers. At least he wasn’t delusional. Nick had seen the change too, and Galen clung to that knowledge.
Everybody else looked at Galen like he was crazy if he mentioned that something had changed about the statues, everybody but Nick. Well, Suzane believed him, but she had no memory of how it looked originally. And he had asked Nick point-blank if the Collection consisted of four unfinished statues, and Nick had confirmed it. So, why were they the only ones who remembered something different? It made no sense.
Galen had to remind himself that just because Nick saw it and had a dream that mirrored last night’s events didn’t mean he would believe Galen. How could he when Galen, who had lived it, didn’t even believe it himself? He couldn’t even tell Suzane, though he’d tried, because he couldn’t think of how to say it without sounding delusional.
Pacing, he tried to decide if Nick was bluffing about having papers that proved his ownership. His thoughts jumped around as he tried to remember all the legalities of the situation and whether or not he could claim salvage rights. He could give in and tell Nick what he wanted, but he didn’t want the threat of having the statues removed hanging over his head on one of Nick’s whims.
Galen couldn’t say why he was reluctant to share what had happened. It embarrassed him, yes; still, that wasn’t the real reason. It was intensely personal, in a way that Galen couldn’t explain. And if he couldn’t tell Suzane, who had become his friend and whom he trusted and loved, then he couldn’t tell Nick, who threw his weight around
“I thought not.” Nick straightened and grabbed the remainder of his coffee. He had to get out before he lost his temper. He never should’ve even tried. He could’ve sent a notice through his lawyer and never had to deal with Galen at all. “You know how to reach me if you change your mind.”
“Wait.”
Screw that, Nick thought. He was done with waiting.
“Come on, talk to me,” Galen said in a softer voice.
“That’s the fucking point. You aren’t talking.” Nick paused and stabbed his finger toward Galen. “How am I supposed to trust you? Tell me that. This is important to me, and if you’re going to dick around, we can do it through lawyers.”
Galen jumped up as well, all trace of entreaty vanishing as his eyes flashed hot. “You can’t just walk in here and take them. We’re the ones who found them.”
“And I’m the one that owns them.”
They stared each other down, the tension crackling in the air. Nick had never seen Galen pissed off before, and if there hadn’t been so much riding on the line, he might find it kind of hot. There had to be some legal way of getting the Collection back without screwing with the museum and its reputation. He didn’t want that, no matter how much this whole situation tied him in knots.
“Look,” Nick said, striving for a calm that seemed to stay just out of reach. “Let’s just both separate and cool down before we say anything else we regret.”
Galen motioned toward the stairwell with a jerky nod, his jaw clenched, and his hand shoved into his pocket. “I’ll give you a call.”
Nick bit back a hot retort and headed down. Yeah, right, he wasn’t going to hold his breath on that one.
CHAPTER FIVE
“ W HY won’t you talk to me?” Galen stood in front of the unmoving statue and strained to listen for any whisper of sound. The heating system sighed as it cut back on, but no other noise broke the silence. The museum had been locked down for the night, and it hadn’t seemed to make a damn bit of difference. His mystery man hadn’t shown himself.
“Dexios, please, talk to me. Tell me what’s going on.” Galen went from statue to statue, and they all remained silent. Whatever he had unlocked the night before, both with the statues and within himself, seemed to have retreated, leaving him with too many questions and no way of getting the answers. At least he wasn’t delusional. Nick had seen the change too, and Galen clung to that knowledge.
Everybody else looked at Galen like he was crazy if he mentioned that something had changed about the statues, everybody but Nick. Well, Suzane believed him, but she had no memory of how it looked originally. And he had asked Nick point-blank if the Collection consisted of four unfinished statues, and Nick had confirmed it. So, why were they the only ones who remembered something different? It made no sense.
Galen had to remind himself that just because Nick saw it and had a dream that mirrored last night’s events didn’t mean he would believe Galen. How could he when Galen, who had lived it, didn’t even believe it himself? He couldn’t even tell Suzane, though he’d tried, because he couldn’t think of how to say it without sounding delusional.
Pacing, he tried to decide if Nick was bluffing about having papers that proved his ownership. His thoughts jumped around as he tried to remember all the legalities of the situation and whether or not he could claim salvage rights. He could give in and tell Nick what he wanted, but he didn’t want the threat of having the statues removed hanging over his head on one of Nick’s whims.
Galen couldn’t say why he was reluctant to share what had happened. It embarrassed him, yes; still, that wasn’t the real reason. It was intensely personal, in a way that Galen couldn’t explain. And if he couldn’t tell Suzane, who had become his friend and whom he trusted and loved, then he couldn’t tell Nick, who threw his weight around
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