Escaping Vegas (The Inheritance Book 1) (8 page)

A tainted dream, she admitted. It would have all been so much better if she wasn’t persistently looking over her shoulder. She had the idea to deny Cole’s offer to pay for her purchases. After all, she owned her own business and made her own money. Granted—with the economic downturn and people tightening their wallets, profits had been slim over the last six months, and she’d had to tighten her own spending to accommodate.

On the other hand, she argued with herself, when would this opportunity arise again? No man she’d ever been in a relationship with had offered to take her on a shopping spree. None of them would have been able to fend off her attackers, either.

With yet one more glance over her shoulder, scanning the interior of the store near the women’s department, she stepped up to the racks and started shopping. Cole didn’t hover, didn’t crowd her and point out things
he
thought she should wear. He lurked back at the edge of the section, keeping a constant eye on people coming and going. His vigilance charmed and reassured her. He meant business when in bodyguard mode.

Madalina chose clothing suitable for her sudden life change. High heels and beautiful dresses weren’t practical if she had to scale fences and dash down streets. She opted for a button-down shirt of baby blue, five tees of varying colors, a pair of jeans, and a pair of tan slacks. Because it was the middle of summer, she added two pairs of shorts. While she attacked the undergarments, she spotted Cole gesturing to the redhead. He did most of the talking and sent her off on some strange mission.

Stocking up on underwear, socks, and a few extra bras, she handed the purchases off to an employee. While those articles were taken to be held at the counter, Madalina picked out a pair of sandals and tennis shoes from the shoe department, which butted up smartly against the women’s.

Finally, she was done.

“I probably got more than I should have—” she started to say, but Cole interrupted.

“Don’t worry about it. I told you to get what you needed. I didn’t see a glittery dress in there anywhere, though,” he said, escorting her next to the checkout counter. He pulled a credit card from his wallet and handed it to the clerk.

“I didn’t think a cocktail dress would be fitting—or necessary—with us living like we are.” Madalina kept her voice low.

“I guess you forgot about the dinner you promised me tomorrow night.” He signed the slip of paper the clerk handed over, put his card back in his wallet, and slipped the wallet into his back pocket.

Madalina shot Cole a startled look. “You never said anything about dinner.”

He winked, then handed her a large bag of clothing. What he’d asked the redhead to do became apparent when two medium-size duffel bags were handed across with their purchases. Instead of suitcases, Cole had bought duffels. Easier to move quickly with.

“All right, I think we’re set for now. Let’s go.” Cole carried his own bag, a garment bag with the blazer in it, and both duffel bags.

“You should let me carry more,” Madalina said as they stepped out into the drizzling rain. The temperature remained an uncomfortable eighty degrees, adding an oppressive humidity to the air. “You might need your hands.”

“You’re starting to think like me. I’m not sure if that’s exciting or scary,” he muttered.

Madalina laughed. “Well, it makes sense.”

“It does. So does dropping everything if I have to fight. I’d hate to burden you with all this.” He led the way across the asphalt to the waiting Jaguar. The black paint gleamed; the fine layer of dust that had accumulated from the drive through the desert had been washed away by the rain.

“You should see the pallets of clothes we get. You’d be surprised how much I can carry when I want to.” Madalina preferred to stow her bags in the backseat, while he put his in the trunk.

Inside the Jaguar, Madalina buckled in, lamenting that her coffee was now cold.

“Where do you want to eat?” Cole asked as he started the car.

“Anywhere is fine. I’m good with grabbing something and eating in the car.” Madalina didn’t want to look over her shoulder every other second sitting in a restaurant filled with fifty other guests.

“Then that’s our plan.”

“I’ll call Lianne when we’re done and tell her we’ll be coming by later tonight.”

“Maybe from a pay phone.”

“Why? Do you think they’ll somehow tap into my cell phone? They’d be able to locate us then, wouldn’t they?” Madalina realized that with advances in technology came consequences she couldn’t have ever foreseen. The ability to hack into systems and track people or read their e-mails or listen to their phones was real. Now it didn’t just affect the governments of the world; it affected
her
, a peon who was barely staying one step ahead of the enemy. She lacked the skills to return the favor, which gave them a huge advantage in this game of hunt-and-escape.

“I don’t know. I’m starting to wonder if they’ve got even more sophisticated connections than I thought. The men who showed up at your house weren’t the same ones who chased us out of Vegas—unless they got an airlift across the desert. That means this little operation is more spread out than we first realized.”

“Great. That’s what I wanted to hear,” she said, unnerved by the news.

Four turns later, as Cole cruised up to a red light, Madalina saw him frown into the rearview mirror. She twisted a look out the back window. A plethora of vehicles were also stopped, although she didn’t recognize any as the sedan that had been sitting in front of her house. The incessant rain didn’t help visibility. Streaks ran down the glass, blurring her view.

“What’s wrong? Why are you frowning?” she asked, sitting forward in her seat again. The wipers
swish-swish-swished
in tandem.

Cole said, “I’m not positive, but we might have picked up a tail.”

C
HAPTER
N
INE

L
unch consisted of salad and grilled chicken, which Madalina ate nervously while constantly glancing out the window. Cole had done his best to lose the suspected tail, one he’d never identified as absolute; and pulled into a fast-food joint long enough for them to order food, park with the engine idling, and eat. She hated to shove the food down in such a rush, but she didn’t want to sit there any longer than they had to. Her knee bounced and jittered, a telltale reaction to the stress. “This is ridiculous. Just when I think I have a chance to breathe, to figure out what to do, this happens. The agents show up or we have a close call, and we have to engage in evasive maneuvers. I have to be honest, Cole. I don’t know how much more I can take.”

Between bites, Cole said, “If it makes a difference, I think you’re holding up exceptionally well. You haven’t devolved into a meltdown, and you’re able to function, which is impressive considering our circumstances.” He paused, then added, “We’ve eluded the agents so far, but we’ve been lucky. Either that, or they’re holding back.” Cole took a huge bite of his grilled chicken sandwich.

“Why? Why would they hold back?” Suffused with a warm flush at Cole’s unexpected praise, Madalina nevertheless focused on the topic at hand.

“If they
are
after the dragon and didn’t find it in your house, then maybe they’re waiting until you go somewhere they think you’ll pick it up. Like the bank with the safe deposit box. We haven’t gone there yet, so they might be biding their time. You also haven’t been to work, to your parents’ house, or anywhere else that seems to them like it might be a hiding place. You know how it goes. They can’t find it, and you’ve been hard to grab every time they’ve tried, so now they wait until they
know
you have it—then make another attempt.” Cole swiped a napkin across his mouth and checked the mirrors, a habitual exercise he’d been doing since they left Vegas.

Madalina chewed through her next bite, dismayed that Cole’s reasoning sounded entirely plausible. “It’s never going to end. And if those bastards think I’ll give up the only serious collectible my grandfather left me—they’re wrong. That’s all I’ve got left besides pictures and the money and my memories.”

“They might not take no for an answer, honey,” he said in a very quiet voice.

“Then I’ll have to figure something out. They can’t do this to me. It’s
mine
, and it was my grandpa’s, and I’m not giving it up.” She finished only half the salad before capping the plastic bowl and setting it into the fast-food bag. Her appetite had vanished with the talk of the dragon.

“Something tells me that those men feel the same way. Whatever they’re after, whatever they want, they think it belongs to them and won’t stop until they get it.” Cole wadded up the foil wrapper and tossed it into the bag with the rest of the trash. “You should have finished your salad. You’ll probably need the energy.”

“I can’t, Cole. I’m just . . . you know? Upset. I’ve been trying to forget that my house is in shambles, that my landlord is probably going to charge
me
for the damage, that I don’t know why someone is after me, that I don’t have anywhere to live—”

He draped an arm across the back of her seat and leaned across the console. Madalina cut a look at his face, at the concern that made the fool’s gold flecks shine and flicker.

“I know it’s a lot. You’ve been dealing admirably with the stress, but no one can fault you for being upset. Anyone would be. I wouldn’t be happy to come home to that mess, either. We’ll figure it out, all right? We’ll figure it out.” He studied her face, looking between her eyes, her mouth, and back again.

Madalina considered herself strong-willed, resilient, and totally self-sufficient—under
normal
circumstances. Sometimes even in emergencies she’d kept her cool and had done what needed to be done. In just this moment, she felt totally out of her league. Defenseless, helpless. And she loathed the latter most of all. Helplessness wasn’t a condition she was used to. What made it worse was that she wanted to lean into Cole’s strength, to sink against his heat, to feel his pulse and let him provide a shield for her to hide behind. That desire was not one that went with her ideals of being self-sufficient and strong, yet she told herself that everyone was human and, sometimes, a hug could make everything better. Maybe he recognized the desire in her eyes or understood her need. His arm dropped from the back of the seat to her shoulder and pulled her in.

Cole West felt just as solid and strong as she had imagined. Tucking her face into his throat, she breathed in his masculine scent. Against his skin, she whispered, “I just want it to be over. It’s terrible that I feel guilty for leaning on you, for needing you to help me.”

“People call the police for help all the time. This isn’t all that different, not really. I’m just a private cop, so to speak, without all the bells and whistles. It doesn’t say anything about your ability to deal with this kind of trouble because you’ve got me to help you. Not everyone in this world is trained to handle these situations.” He stroked his fingers through the strands of her hair, a gentle sift and rub like he was testing for softness.

Any other time, Madalina might have wilted under such a tender assault. She’d seen what those hands could do, had witnessed their skill at defense and protection. Today, her nerves wouldn’t let her do more than enjoy the contact on a surface level. His reassurances made her feel marginally better.

“Thanks, Cole. I don’t know what kind of dumb luck it was that I ran into you, but I’m glad it
was
you and not someone else.”

“You mean you don’t batter men with your purse all the time for attention?” His breath rustled against her hair.

She shook with a small, silent laugh. “Surprisingly, no. I guess I should slip and lose my balance more often.”

“Maybe you should.”

Outside, the rain intensified. The sprinkle turned into a deluge, hammering the windshield in blinding sheets. Madalina tilted her head back only far enough to see Cole’s face. She was close enough to feel his breath on her lips. He scanned the lot over her head, although what he thought he could see in the downpour was beyond her. Meeting her eyes again, he cupped the back of her skull like he might ease her in for a kiss.

Madalina knew that giving in to her attraction to Cole would probably cause more problems than it solved, but she couldn’t make herself look away from him for anything. She couldn’t make herself draw back or ignore what she thought was desire flickering through his gaze.

A sharp
bang
startled a yelp out of her. She whipped a look to her right, where the sound originated from. Cole had his gun in his hand in a heartbeat, the moment of an almost-kiss shattered by someone getting into the car parked next to the Jaguar. When Madalina realized it was just the sound of a car door and that the customer driving away had nothing to do with the Chinese agents, she slumped against the seat and struggled to steady her breathing.

Cole tucked the gun into the holster strapped to the front of the seat under his legs and put the Jaguar in gear. “Right. Okay. Oh, and you know what else? I think we shouldn’t call Lianne first. I think we should show up later, try and find a way to arrive at her house unseen.”

“That’s a good idea. She’ll probably be in her pajamas—”

“I don’t care about that. She might, but everyone’s safety is more important. Do you know of any way to get inside her house without driving up in the driveway and announcing our presence?”

“Yes. There’s a golf course and stands of trees behind her back fence. A walking trail goes through the trees that we use a few times a week. We can park in the golf course lot, then go through the trees to her back fence. She keeps it locked, but I know how to get in.” Madalina watched buildings flash by out the window, everything a watery shade of gray. Her heart rate finally returned to a more normal rhythm.

“Excellent. We’ll do that, then.”

After a moment’s thought, Madalina said, “Cole?”

“Yes?”

She saw him glance her way from the corner of her eye. “I want to go to Chino. I can’t stop thinking about Mom and Dad’s house.”

“They might be watching it, like they were watching yours. Then we’ll have to lose them all over again.”

“Maybe we’ll find a clue there. Something that will lead us in the right direction. Plus—well, I grew up in that house. It’s bothering me to think it’s now in the same shape as my own.”

Cole went quiet, apparently thinking over their options.

She looked across the car instead of at the blurry scenery. “Or we can go to the library and use the computer there to see if we find any new information on that dragon. If we find a duplicate on a site for cheap collectibles at two dollars and ninety-nine cents, then that should give us a good indication that the Chinese agents want something else, right?”

He met her eyes across the car, then looked back to the road. “We’ll go to your parents’ house first. If we don’t find anything there, then we’ll find a Wi-Fi spot and park. I’ve got a laptop in the trunk.”

Relieved, Madalina said, “Thank you. Besides, we can’t go back to the hotel unless we rent another room, and we’ve got hours until it gets dark to go to Lianne’s. This gives us something to do and might answer some questions.”

“And it might get us killed.”

“Thanks a lot, Mr. Pessimist. That’s a step down from the Grouch,” she announced, then added, “I should lend you the book I just read a few weeks ago. It’s not helping me right now, but you might need it more than I did. It’s called
Positive Thinking: The Power of Optimism
.”

He laughed, but sobered moments later. “I have no idea what you just said. Give me directions and remember, if you
do
wind up in Chinese hands, don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

Get hold of yourself, Cole. You almost kissed her.
He chided himself on the drive to Chino for the near miss in the car after lunch. Before he’d known what he was doing, his hand had been in her hair, their lips an inch apart. He could still smell the inviting sweetness of her, still see the glimpse of desire in her that he’d felt himself.
Would it be such a bad thing? She’s beginning to trust me, to confide in me.

Dismissing the thoughts before they distracted him from the current task—namely, keeping her out of danger—Cole pulled into a tract of houses he gauged to have been built somewhere during the late seventies. These were ranch-style homes, some with porches, some with peaked roofs over the doorway. The majority of the houses looked well maintained, if on the small side, with double-car garages facing the street. Low-hanging clouds and nonstop rain cast a dreary pall over the entire neighborhood.

Ninety percent confident that he’d ditched any tail, he pulled into the driveway of the last house on the right. It was a bold choice to park in the open. Cole didn’t want to be too far from the car in case they needed to leave in a hurry, and the residential area as a whole left few places to hide. At the end of the street, perhaps fifty feet from the driveway, a glowing orange and white neon sign declared the road a dead end.

Cole cut the engine and climbed out. He scanned several cars parked along the curb, looking for shadowy figures behind the wheel, for telltale markers that the agents were already here. The incessant downpour made it difficult to see. His gut instinct demanded that he whisk Madalina away, get her far from familiar things. He’d made a promise, however, and there
was
a chance they might discover information here they couldn’t get anywhere else. The trip was worth the danger, in his opinion. Against his spine, the metal of the gun warmed to the temperature of his skin.

He herded Madalina toward the front of a beige stucco home with a rock facade halfway up the outer walls and an arch instead of a peak over the door. Birds of paradise lined the L-shaped sidewalk, with smaller bursts of colorful flowers filling the ground space. Under the porch overhang, he hovered close while Madalina fished keys from her purse. Once they were both inside, he engaged the dead bolt. It wouldn’t stop anyone desperate to get in, but at least an adversary would have to make a hell of a lot of noise to get inside with them.

“No one’s been here. Everything looks like it’s supposed to,” Madalina said with a wealth of relief in her voice.

“I have no idea where to look in here, so I’ll keep watch while you search for clues. Hurry!” The privacy of the home afforded him the luxury of liberating the gun. Cole held it down at his side, finger pressed straight along the weapon above the trigger. The layout—living room in the front, dining area off to the side, kitchen beyond that, and bedrooms down a long hallway—gave him plenty of windows to conduct his watch. He made sure not to be seen from the street while he surveyed, on the lookout for any unusual activity. The dead end concerned him. It gave them one less route out in case of emergency. Part of his success ditching the agents last evening had been the myriad roads available leading out of the area. It was impossible to cover
every
single entrance and exit. He’d managed to slip through, although he probably wouldn’t be so lucky the next time.