Black Opal (4 page)

The whine of a car sounded close by. She glanced at the road and straightened like a spring. The white Jeep that had dogged them earlier was heading right for them. As it came abreast, the passenger window rolled down an inch and the barrel of a rifle slid out, pointed straight at them.

“Look out,” she screamed.

A horn blared and a red Corvette convertible came screaming around the curve and tapped the Jeep with its sleek bumper.

The gun disappeared and the Jeep flew down the mountain. The SUV’s shiny white paint glinting in the sun before it disappeared around a sharp curve.

The ’Vette screamed to a halt as the driver pulled onto the edge behind them. Adam Morelly jumped over the door. “Are you all right?” He ran forward and grabbed Sabina by her shoulders, his face stiff, his pupils dilated.

Sabina sagged against him feeling giddy with relief. Everything was all right. He’d come.

She tensed.

On the heels of her relief came a cold hard suspicion impossible to ignore. She pulled away and backed up, wary. “This is the second time you’ve appeared out of nowhere at the precise moment I’m about to die. I find that quite coincidental don’t you? The problem is I don’t believe in coincidences.” She jammed her hands into her jean pockets to hide their trembling, staring at him, her face expressionless, knowing suspicion lurked in her eyes.

“It wasn’t a coincidence,” he snapped out. “I got a phone call.”

“From whom?” Her voice laced with distrust, Sabina narrowed her eyes.

“Maybe you can tell me,” he said his tone soft, dangerously so. He took a step forward. Tension-filled electricity leaped between them.

“I have no idea what you are talking about.”

Bella glanced from one to the other. “May I suggest we take care of matters at hand and discuss this later in a civilized manner over coffee or perhaps dinner? Adam, would you be a dear and call a tow truck?”

Adam cast one last smoldering glance at Sabina. “Of course.” He turned his back and punched in numbers.

9-1-1 Sabina supposed. She could feel her eyes snap with temper. He got a phone call. Sure he did. What kind of idiot did he take her for? Then bit back a yelp as Bella pinched her.

Rubbing her arm, she looked at Bella who raised her eyebrows and jerked her head toward her car. “It’s a Lamborghini and cost me the sale of five paintings,” she whispered.

Sabina straightened her arm and concentrated, holding her hand out straight in the direction of the sports car.

The car rolled backward off the rail and stopped, its nose pressed against the dented guardrail.

She looked at Bella.

Bella nodded her thanks.

Adam finished his conversation, turned around, snapped the phone shut and shoved it in his pants pocket. He looked at the car and frowned, his eyes narrowing.

Bella raised an eyebrow, her expression inquiring.

He pointed at the car.

Bella shrugged.

In the distance, sirens sounded, drawing closer.

Sabina stepped toward him and raised her chin, her jaw tight, her lips a straight line. “What are you doing here?”
I sound like a parrot that only knows one phrase.
“It’s pretty damn convenient the way you keep showing up.”

“The convenience is all yours,” he snapped. “I told you I had a message on my phone inviting me to watch the show.” He took a long steadying breath as if the memory still unnerved him.

Before Sabina could respond, Bella asked, “Male or female?”

“Female.” He turned to Bella. “Does this have anything to do with your armband, Ms. Bella?”

Bella reached over and gave him a playful tap on the arm.

Sabina’s eyes widened as his already handsome features smoothed out and became even more defined.

“Ms. Bella? Sugar, aren’t you a caution. You make me feel old enough to be your mama. I truly don’t know about the armband but I do aim to find out.” Her voice was as honeyed as ever but her thin lips and narrowed eyes boded ill for someone.

A siren blared. A moment later a police car, followed by a tow truck, pulled up. A car door slammed as an officer wearing a tan uniform and aviator sunglasses got out of the vehicle.

He walked over and looked at the car then turned to the threesome. “Someone care to tell me what happened?” He took off his sunglasses and stuck them in his shirt pocket.

Bella touched her amulet for a glam then sidled up to the officer. “Brakes went out.” She batted her eyelashes at him.

He looked dazed for a moment then pulled his fascinated gaze away from the sultry beauty and once again eyed the car. “Ma’am, I’d say you were real lucky.”

Adam cut in. “Officer I’d like this car checked over by a competent mechanic.”

The officer straightened. “You suspect foul play?”

Adam shrugged, his black silk shirt clinging to his sleek frame. “I’d rather be safe than sorry. Here’s my card. Have him call me.”

Sabina stepped in front of Adam. “Have him call me.”

He looked from one to the other. “Who does the car belong to?”

Bella tapped him playfully on the arm. His face became subtly smoother. “Maybe you’d better call me, sugar. The car is mine.”

If the smile on his face was anything to go by, Sabina thought, the officer most definitely preferred that suggestion.

“I will, ma’am.” His glance went to her left hand and his face fell.

Sabina bit back a grin. You could always count on Bella to work a crowd. Or a lone male as the case might be.

“I’ll be sure and call you, ma’am.”

“I’d appreciate that. I know absolutely nothing about those ole cars, except how to punch the gas and turn the steering wheel. It’ll be a relief to know I’ll be getting the details from a true professional.” She batted her lashes and looked deep into his eyes. If possible her accent thickened.

Sabina expected honey to dribble from the corner of her mouth at any moment. She elbowed Bella in the ribs, afraid the man would have a meltdown in the middle of the road.

Bella threw her a saucy grin. She gave the officer her number, showed him her license, registration and insurance card then waved at him as he left, the tow truck behind him pulling her prized red toy.

As the tow truck disappeared around a curve, Sabina glanced at her watch. “Oh my God, I’ve got to get back. The show starts in just a few hours.”

“You surely don’t plan on doing a show tonight?” Adam demanded.

“Of course, I do.” She blinked, shocked at the suggestion that she wouldn’t perform.

“Your call. Get in, I’ll drive you.”

Sabina and Bella looked at the two-seater.

Adam shrugged. “Sorry.”

“Not to worry, sugar, we’ll manage,” Bella said. She turned to Sabina and winked.

Sabina sighed. This was turning into a farce. She had never used her amulet in the past for anything frivolous. Not that keeping a car from going over a cliff was frivolous.

Her existence in the small village in Italy where she had grown up had been fairly sheltered. She’d handled any crisis with discretion but she’d certainly never widened a car seat for comfort before. Safety, she mentally corrected herself. It wouldn’t do for her to go flying over the nose of the car halfway down the mountainside.

She got in after Bella and crouched on the edge of the seat, most of her hips resting on air. She grabbed the seat and concentrated. The seat expanded enough for her to ease back against the door.

Adam got in, stretched out his legs and frowned as he shifted in the seat.

“Something wrong, sugar?” Bella asked, all innocence.

“If I didn’t know better I’d say my seat shrank. How silly is that.”

“Pretty silly,” Bella responded, grinning.

He twisted the ignition key. As the car roared to life, he glanced over at them. “I never realized you two were so tiny.” He turned his attention back to the road. “Hang on.” He glanced in the rearview mirror then threw it in first. Gravel spattered as he screamed onto the road.

“You said you got a phone call,” Sabina began.

“That’s right. I’ll give you details over dinner.”

Her brows shot up. “Excuse me?”

“You’ve got a show tonight. I know how draining that can be. We’ll talk about this later. I have a few questions of my own.”

“And exactly how would you know how draining a performance is? Have you been hiding your light under a basket?” Sabina inquired an edge to her voice.

“I used to date,” he said, and named a famous singer that made Sabina and Bella lean forward, hopeful of details. “She told me about it on a regular basis.”

“Well, Mr. Morelly, I can’t have dinner with you tonight. I’ve made other plans.” Sabina clutched the dashboard. The man drove as fast as Bella.

“With whom?”

“That’s really none of your business.” The haughty tone was ruined as she lost her grip and nearly landed on the floor. At least Bella had a seat belt on, Sabina thought sourly. She didn’t have to worry about splattering head first on the road. Sabina could always use her powers to extend the belt to fit them both but she was too damn tired. It wasn’t worth the effort.

“I don’t think you have plans,” he said bluntly. “I think you’re afraid to have dinner with me.”

“And why should I be afraid of you?” Sabina tossed her head.

“No reason that I can think of. Unless, you’re afraid of yourself.”

Sabina gasped, outraged. “Not that’s its any of your business but Bella and I are having dinner together,” she ground out.

“Bella was, of course, invited,” he responded smoothly.

Before Sabina could reply in the negative, Bella spoke up. “I’d love to.” She yelped as Sabina gave her a sharp elbow in the ribs. “Thought I saw a bug,” Bella improvised, rubbing her side.

His left arm resting on the doorframe of the car, Adam raised a black-winged eyebrow and gave Sabina a quick glance before turning his attention back to the road. But all he said was, “It’s settled then. Have one of the waiters show you to the private dining room after the show.”

Sabina seethed at being outmaneuvered by Adam and outflanked by Bella. She’d just about sell her soul for Maureen’s healing amulet and the calming powers of the amethyst at its center right now. Instead, she concentrated on the breathtaking view of the valley below. She snuggled against Bella’s warm body. Her comforting heat chased away the nip in the wind whipping around them.

She let the conversation between Bella and Adam flow around her.

“We’re back. Come on, honey, wake up. My arm’s gone to sleep,” Bella said.

She felt herself lifted into strong arms and pressed against a hard warm chest. She came awake with a vengeance. “What are you doing? Put me down this instant.”

Adam ignored her and walked toward the hotel.

“Put. Me. Down,” she bit out each word. “Or I’m going to do something we’ll both regret.” She stiffened her arm with every intention of knocking him on his butt with a lightning bolt as they stared at each other, his look speculative, hers—she was certain—determined.

After a long moment, he shrugged and set her down. “You are the prickliest woman I know.” He rotated his shoulders.

Bella smiled and chimed in, “While this is more entertaining than my soaps, I really would like to get to my room and call darling Hank. You coming, sugar?” she asked Sabina as she opened the glass door of the hotel.

“I’ll see you both after the show,” Adam said, stepping forward and holding the door.

“It’s a date,” Bella replied, wiggling her fingers at him.

“The hell it is.” Sabina forced the words through her clenched jaws..

“Come on, shug.” Bella tugged at her as they walked into the lobby heading for the elevator. “Take deep breaths and think of a peaceful place,” she advised. “All that frustrated energy is bad for you.”

“Frustrated?” Sabina whirled on her.

“Did I say frustrated, I meant to say negative,” Bella responded calmly, walking into the gleaming silver box and punching the button for the fifth floor.

“How can you stand that overbearing, arrogant man?” Sabina stormed.

“Eye candy, sugar.”

Sabina frowned at her.

“From a strictly aesthetic point of view,” Bella hastened to add. “Being an artist I notice that sort of thing.”

“Being a woman with a sex drive that could kill a man you notice that sort of thing,” Sabina snapped, her lower lip protruding. She was perilously close to sulking.

“That too,” Bella grinned. “Men like to be appreciated.”

Sabina snorted. “Well you certainly appreciate them more than most.” She took a breath from deep in her belly, fighting to get her emotions back on an even keel. “I’m sorry, Bella. I’m in a foul mood and I’m taking it out on you.”

The elevator door glided open and they stepped out.

“Nearly going over a cliff in a convertible does upset one’s equilibrium.” Bella touched her arm in a commiserating gesture. “Besides, I was missing Maureen and for a moment it was just like having her here. Lord that woman has a tongue of pure acid. It’s a good balance. It offsets all my sugar-coated quips.”