Rattled (9 page)

Drew looked over his shoulder. They could see Camie in the next room, dancing the two-step. Her partner was a smiling elderly man with a white beard and bushy eyebrows. He spun her out and back, then dropped her into a dip, and Camie’s face lit with laughter. “Quite the package,” Drew said.

Erin resolutely forced her own foolish fantasies aside. Camie deserved her chance at happiness and Erin would do everything she could to ensure it. “Camie is amazing. She’s my inspiration. She’ll do anything, try anything. She has no fear. She’s the bravest person I know.”

Drew looked deep into Erin’s eyes. She wondered how blue could be such a warm color. “Bravery isn’t a lack of fear,” he said. “It’s overcoming fear when you have to. I learned that in the military. Some of the guys really didn’t have fear, or tried to pretend they didn’t by acting crazy brave. They did stupid things and put us all at risk. There is nothing wrong with recognizing danger and avoiding it when you can.”

Erin nodded. She felt herself melting and warned herself not to get her hopes up again.

Drew leaned toward her. “Enough about Camie. I want to hear about you.”

Erin couldn’t help the flush of pleasure. Maybe he was just being kind. Maybe he thought the way to a woman’s heart was through her best friend. She didn’t have anything to offer a man like him. But for the moment, she could at least enjoy his company.

Movement near the door caught her eye. A figure so familiar that it jerked at her attention. She turned her head, already knowing what she would see.

Mitchell.

Drew watched Erin, waiting for her response. He wasn’t surprised that she took her time over it. He liked that she didn’t rush to fill every silence with chatter. He leaned his elbows on the table, which put his head within two feet of Erin’s. The better to see her eyes. She had great eyes, brown with hints of green—was that called hazel? They always seemed solemn and watchful. He wondered how those eyes would look lit with laughter or excitement.

Right now those eyes were not looking back at him. Her attention had shifted to something near the door. Drew resisted the urge to turn and look. Well, almost—he turned his head just enough to see a man coming toward them.

Drew frowned. “How long have you lived here?” He heard the edge in his voice.

“What?” Erin glanced at him. “Oh, almost two years.” Her gaze flicked back to the other man.

Drew felt his temperature rising. He wasn’t used to women ignoring him. Here he’d just turned down a very willing woman—although dumb as a brick and well on her way to severe alcoholism—so he could get to know Erin better. And she was busy looking at some other guy.

He frowned. Was it really worth getting so worked up about this? Was he jealous over this woman he barely knew? Or just so vain that he couldn’t stand the idea of a woman who wouldn’t hang all over him? Either option made him kind of an idiot.

Before he had a chance to figure it out, a man stepped behind Erin and put his hands on her shoulders. The guy from the hospital—Mitchell. Drew’s mood didn’t improve. Had she come here to meet him and merely been passing the time with Drew? Had he been a fool to be flattered by the way she looked at him?

Erin twisted her neck to look up at the man. He bent down to kiss her. She quickly turned her head away and his mouth landed on her cheek. Interesting.

Mitchell took the chair Camie had vacated. The men nodded coolly to each other. Mitchell flashed a smile at Erin. “I hope you haven’t been waiting long.” Drew gave an internal wince and shifted, preparing to rise.

Erin frowned at Mitchell, opened her mouth, hesitated. And then she said stiffly, “I haven’t been waiting at all. I didn’t know you would be here tonight.”

Even more interesting. Drew settled back in his chair as a look of rage touched Mitchell’s face.

Mitchell’s face smoothed out but he couldn’t quite get the smile back in place. “I guess you missed my message. You know I wanted to talk to you.”

“Yes.” Erin glanced at Drew and back at Mitchell. She picked up her glass, took a sip, and put it back down. “Camie wanted to celebrate the end of the semester.”

“And then she goes off and leaves you all alone.” Mitchell shook his head and sighed. “Typical Camie.”

Drew didn’t mind the insult. He was beginning to enjoy himself. Erin’s eyes narrowed and her jaw firmed. “I’m not alone.”

“Well, I’m here now.” Mitchell flicked a glance at Drew. “Your friend can get back to his usual business, and we can have our talk.”

“Mitchell, really....” Erin’s face flamed and she turned to Drew. “Don’t pay any attention to him.”

“It’s all right.” Drew stood. Mitchell smiled. Erin leaned toward Drew with an anxious, almost panicked expression that completely restored Drew’s confidence. “I’m going to get another beer. You ready for another drink?”

She glanced at her glass, still more than half full, and shook her head.

Drew picked up the empty glasses and glanced at Mitchell. “You want something?”

Mitchell just glared, a look that said, “Get out and stay away.”

Drew sauntered off. He dropped the empty glasses on the bar and shook his head at the bartender as she hurried toward him. He glanced back to see that Mitchell had moved into his empty chair, closer to Erin, and was leaning near her bowed head. Drew casually circled behind them. He had a feeling Erin was disappointed in him, which stung, but he wanted to know what Mitchell had to say. Hopefully they would be too distracted to notice him as he slipped into a vacant chair behind them. He smiled at the puzzled college students whose table he’d joined and leaned back to hear better

Erin could hardly process what Mitchell was saying. He’d been so rude. Why had Drew taken the insults and gone away so quickly? Had he been looking for an excuse to leave after all? Did he assume Erin was involved with Mitchell?

Mitchell took her hand. “I’ve missed you. It’s been too long.”

Erin wanted to pull away, but she hesitated. Camie had joked about pumping the men for information, but it wasn’t such a bad idea. She hated letting Drew think that she and Mitchell were together, but if she went along with Mitchell for a while, would he let something slip?

“Have I done something to offend you?” Mitchell asked. “I feel like you’ve been avoiding me.”

“I just....” How exactly did one pump somebody for information? She tried the truth. “Lately, I feel like you’ve been more interested in the treasure hunt than in me.”

His eyebrows went up, his mouth dropped open, he shook his head—the picture of hurt surprise. But his hand had jumped in hers. “I’m only interested because it’s so important to you. I worry about you. You have to admit, you’ve led a sheltered life. I don’t want to see Camie drag you into some crazy scheme that you can’t handle. You don’t know how dangerous things can be out there.”

“No, but I’m learning,” Erin muttered.

“I don’t know why you can’t trust me to help you.”

Erin pulled her hand out of his. “Mitchell, what’s your real interest in this?”

“Your safety, that’s all.”

She sighed. “This is a waste of time. I’m not going to tell you anything more about the treasure, so you might as well leave me alone.”

A look flashed in his eyes that made Erin’s skin chill. For the first time she wondered what he was besides a smooth businessman. She looked for Camie and spotted her dancing with one of the college kids. Apparently she hadn’t noticed Mitchell’s arrival.

“All right then,” Mitchell said. “You’re not interested in me romantically. I was beginning to suspect. I had hoped you might call me when you were in trouble, but—” He broke off, shaking his head. “Fine. You want to keep things strictly business, let’s talk business.”

Erin tried to look cool and detached. “I wasn’t aware that we had any business to discuss.”

Mitchell fiddled with his tie, not looking at her. “Word has reached my company that you may be getting close to finding the Victorio Peak treasure. I have been authorized to approach you on behalf of the company.”

Erin stifled a gasp and kept her eyes steady on him. “I see. I believe one of your representatives approached me earlier today. I already gave him my answer.”

Mitchell frowned. “What are you talking about?”

“The gentleman, and I use the word loosely, who came by my house this morning?”

Mitchell shook his head. “I assure you, I know nothing about that. My company wouldn’t have sent someone else. They chose me because I already knew you.”

Erin studied him, trying to decide if he was lying. Surely there couldn’t be two different groups after the treasure. On the other hand, why not? Mitchell worked for a mining company, but the other man had mentioned “investors.” She didn’t want to believe that Mitchell could have sent a man to attack her or been behind her accident. Surely he wasn’t that nasty. Wouldn’t she have seen some sign of it earlier? “You don’t know anything about the man who came to my house and attacked me this morning?”

Mitchell’s shock looked genuine enough. “Good Lord, no. I hope you don’t believe I’d agree to anything that would hurt you.” He leaned forward. “But Erin, this just shows the importance of getting help. There are unscrupulous people out there. My company can provide protection.”

“Sounds like asking the fox to guard the henhouse.”

“We can pay you a flat fee, for all the information you have to date. Then you can go off to visit your mother, get back to your regular life, and forget all about the treasure.”

Erin smiled. “The other guy offered me fifty percent.”

“Well, of course, if you’d prefer we can work out a similar arrangement. Either way, it’s really in your best interest to have a backer. This is getting too dangerous.”

Erin looked again for Camie, but her friend was out of sight in the next room. She glanced toward the bar, but Drew had vanished. He’d probably joined the pool players or been dragged off by some slut. Erin was on her own. Much as she wanted to make a flat-out refusal, it might be safer to lead him on a bit. “I’ll think about your offer and get back to you in a few days.”

“Erin, you have apparently already been attracting some dangerous attention. I’d advise you not to wait.”

“I’ll take that into consideration.” Erin sighed. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to find Camie. I’ve had about all the fun I can take for one evening.”

Mitchell grabbed Erin’s wrist. She winced at the pressure. He had to have noticed, but he didn’t let go. “I’m tired of you playing games,” he said. “We’re going somewhere where we can talk in private.”

“I’m not going anywhere with you.” Erin pulled against him as her broken finger screamed in pain.

“You don’t want to make a scene.”

She didn’t, but she told herself she had to. If she had to scream and get every person in the bar looking at them, she would. A little part of her whispered that she could get rid of him outside and not draw so much attention. But her heart hammered, drowning out that other voice. She’d take the embarrassment over the fear.

Mitchell stood, scowling down at her and pulling on her arm. “Come on, I just want to talk to you.” Erin started to slide out of her chair. He couldn’t simply drag her out in front of everyone—could he?

Drew had heard enough. Since they were so wrapped up in each other, he’d turned to watch them. He’d seen how Erin had looked toward Camie for help. Had she even thought of him, wondered where he’d gone? Or did she think so little of him that he never entered her mind when she needed help?

It didn’t matter. He’d rescue her whether she wanted him to or not.

Mitchell pulled Erin to her feet. Drew rose and stepped between them. “Want to dance?”

She gaped at him. Drew didn’t have to glance at Mitchell to feel the hatred in his scowl, so he ignored him and smiled at Erin.

“She’s coming with me,” Mitchell growled.

Erin’s mouth snapped shut. She twisted her arm and broke Mitchell’s grip on her wrist. Drew was downright proud of her when she said, “I’m not leaving with you, and don’t you ever touch me again.”

Drew grinned at Mitchell, put his arm around Erin, and led her to the dance floor. He held one of her hands up to the side and slid his other hand around her back. She fit well in his arms. She was taller than he’d realized. Her slim build and fine bone structure must be what made her look small. That and the shy innocence which, he was discovering, hid some steel.

“See,” he said, “overcoming fear. Now that’s bravery.”

Erin blinked at him, then glanced around the dance floor where a half-dozen couples circled. “What are we doing?”

“The two-step.”

“But I don’t know how!”

He grinned. “Just follow my lead.”

She held herself stiffly, looking down at their feet and jerking against him when she misjudged what he was going to do. “I’m sorry,” she muttered.

“Stop.” He backed her up a step, away from the crush of dancers. “First of all, no apologies. Don’t you know the rule of couples dancing? I’m leading, so every mistake you make is my fault.”