Angel on Fire (27 page)

“I’m telling the truth,” Angela interrupted, her blue eyes flashing with anger.  “Maddie has an excellent lawyer, and he guaranteed her that no one could trace the cottage to her.  The title is buried under multiple layers of holding companies and such.  Even though it may be unusual, Maddie, Cat and I don’t see each other often so few people are aware of how close we are.  Yes, we occasionally call or email each other but not often enough to raise red flags about our relationship.  For all anyone could tell, we only have a business relationship.  That puts our connection at the bottom of the FBI’s list.”  Her voice remained calm and firm.  She knew she was right.  When Sean remained silent, she pushed once more.  “Look, I am, or rather I was, an analyst for the FBI.  I know all the protocols, and no one at the agency will look twice at my contact with either Maddie or Cat.  Cat’s a domestic relations counselor, so they’ll assume she’s related to a case.  As for Maddie, she’s an heiress for heaven’s sake.  A lowly public servant without any breeding couldn’t possibly be friends with a wealthy socialite.  The FBI won’t even consider contacting her, even if they could find her, which they won’t.”

“I still think going to the cottage is risky,” Sean stated, “but it’s not my call.  Chase?” 

Chase’s eyes met Angela’s and he gave her an affectionate smile.  “Right now, it’s as good an idea as any,” he acknowledged.  “I understand your concerns, Sean, but, assuming no one has connected Maddie and Angela, the cottage is out of the way which is what we need right now.  Besides, we think Maddie and Cat may be hiding a clue about what happened to Mac.  We need to see them in order to find out.”

“When you put it that way,” Sean replied, “I guess we’re going to Thompson, Michigan.  You might as well settle in, Angela.  It’s a long trip.” 

“Umm,” Angela cleared her throat.  “Isn’t this boat a little small?”

Chase opened his mouth, but Sean cut him off, his eyes twinkling.  “You don’t like my boat?  You don’t want to spend the next week lying on that bench there?”

“A week?”
  The thought made her feel sick.  “Umm, but where’s the bathroom?” 

Sean reached behind him and pulled out a plastic bottle.  Without another word, he handed it to her, and Angela paled.  “No.”  She turned her horrified gaze toward Chase.  “He’s kidding, right?  Please tell me he’s kidding.” 

Sean threw his head back and roared with laughter.

Chase chuckled along with him, and Angela turned away, hating the idea of the two men laughing at her.  Chase quickly trapped her in his embrace, pulling her back against his front to prevent her from walking away.  She struggled against his hold, wishing for a moment that she had the strength to push both of them overboard.  Chase nuzzled her neck before whispering in her ear.  “I’m sorry, babe.  Your reaction was just so…priceless.”  When she turned her head to glare at him, he tried again.  “We’re going to change boats.  I promise you’ll have a bathroom and a bedroom,” he assured her after exchanging a brief look with Sean. 

Angela’s head swiveled between the two men, her eyes fierce.  She couldn’t believe they had teased her like that under the circumstances.  Didn’t they understand that women didn’t joke about things like bathrooms?  She turned in Chase’s arms and lowered her voice to ask, “My own bedroom?  Where I’m going to sleep alone?”

Chase’s eyes widened in surprise.
  He placed a finger under her chin and forced her to meet his gaze before whispering, “Do you want to sleep alone?”

The corners of her mouth tilted up as she shook her head.  “No.”  She burrowed deeper into his arms, burying her face in his muscular chest.  “I like sleeping and waking in your arms.”

Chase leaned down and kissed her. 
“Me too.”
 

“Umm, guys,” Sean interrupted.  “We have a problem.”  He handed Chase a set of binoculars. 

“Shit!” Chase ground out a few minutes later.

“What?”  Angela demanded, moving between the two men. 

Chase passed her the binoculars.  “See the two men near the large white and blue boat? 
The big one off to the right?”
  Chase asked, and Angela nodded.  “That’s Sean’s other boat and if I were a betting man, I’d stake money on those guys being FBI.”

“But how?
 
And why?
   I don’t even know Sean.” 

“Yeah,” Chase agreed, “but I do.  I used my real first name in Manchester, remember?  My connection to Sean is immortalized in my military record.  Sorry, man.  I really thought we had a little more time.”

“So, now what do we do?”  Angela twisted a strand of hair around her finger.  “I’m sorry I got you mixed up in this mess, Sean.” 

“I’m not, Angela.  I’d do just about anything for the man next to you and he knows that.  Besides, this is the most fun I’ve had in a long time.”  Sean piloted the speedboat away from the marina. 

Angela wrinkled her nose in disbelief.  “You think running from the long arm of the law is fun?”

“Yep,” he smirked. “It takes skill and fortitude.  Plus, it generates a hell of an adrenaline rush.” 

Angela’s eyes crinkled as she turned to him and asked, “Do you feel the same way?”

“Usually,” he admitted, “but this time, I’m more concerned about keeping you safe and out of trouble.”

“Hey!” she objected.  “It’s not like I go looking for trouble.  Lately, it’s just been landing in my lap.” 

“Time for Plan B,” Sean announced as he pulled out a key ring and shook it enthusiastically.  “I just love a good plan B.  It gives us the opportunity to see how talented our pursuers are at unraveling layers and tracking.”

Chase simply arched a brow and offered, “Monroe’s the agent-in-charge.”

“Fucker.”
 The words were spoken without any heat behind them.  “Hell, he’s no challenge at all.  Well, at least he’s giving me an excuse to take out McGuire’s sweet new yacht.”

“What’d he buy?”

Angela hid a smile behind her hand.  Chase sounded like an excited little boy with a new toy. 

“The new fifty-three footer by Meridian.
  It’s got three staterooms, but I’m guessing we don’t need them all.”  Sean leered at the embracing couple. 

Angela blushed, but stayed in Chase’s arms.  The truth might be a bit embarrassing, but she had no intention of changing her relationship with Chase.  In fact, she hoped their intimacy grew instead of ending. 

Less than two hours later, Sean slowed the boat, and Chase jumped overboard, disappearing under the surface of the deep blue water.  “Chase!” Angela squealed.  She leaned over the side, her worried eyes searching him. 

Chase rose from the water like Poseidon rising from the sea, dimples flashing as he shook his head and sprayed her with water.  “Sorry, didn’t mean to scare you.”  She couldn’t help but laugh at his antics. 

“I’m going to help Sean by walking the boat in.  He needs to raise the prop so it doesn’t get damaged as the water becomes shallower.”  Chase treaded water alongside the boat as he explained. 

“And you had to fly off the boat like a fish to accomplish this?” she demanded as Sean threw Chase a thin rope while the boat coasted toward shore.   

“Yep.”
  Chase swam off while Angela watched his muscles ripple as he moved through the churning water. 

Angela observed from a distance as the two men docked and secured the boat like a well-oiled machine.  She could see that they intuitively knew what the other would do.  “Where are we?” she wondered as Chase assisted her off the boat.   

“Yeah, Dutch, where are we?”  Chase whistled.  “Sweet place you found here.”

Sean only grunted in response, and Angela sent Chase a perplexed look.  A minute later, Angela caught sight of a petite blonde woman hurrying down the long dock toward them. 

“Sean!” the woman called, her excited voice carrying over the sounds of the crashing waves.

“Emily?”  Sean stalked down the dock toward the woman.

“Sean!  What in the world are you doing here?”  Angela and Chase watched from a distance as Emily extended her hands toward Sean who grabbed her arm and steered her back toward the house.  As they followed, Angela and Chase heard Sean snap, “I could ask you the same thing!  You’re supposed to be in the city.”  Sean paused as the group entered the large white structure at the rear of the property.  He glanced around the main room before walking off for a few minutes.  Angela opened her mouth to ask Chase where he went, but Chase shook his head.  A second later, Sean marched back into the room.  “Who’s with you?”

“Um, no one,” Emily winced, and Angela felt sorry for her.  “Sean, look, I’m sorry if taking tomorrow off is a problem, but Michael said it was okay.”

Sean groaned.  “You’re here alone?” 

“No,” Emily retorted, crossing her arms across her chest.  Angela recognized that tone.  Of course, she didn’t blame her.  Angela couldn’t understand why Sean would be upset that a grown woman had taken a few days off.

Emily’s voice interrupted Angela’s train of thought.  “You’re interrupting the orgy I have planned. 
Unless you like to join us?”
 

Angela smiled at the other woman.  Somehow she didn’t seem like the orgy type.  Emily returned the smile, pointedly ignoring a fuming Sean.  “Hello, I’m Emily McGuire.  Welcome to my home.” 

“Hello,” Angela replied, stopping when Chase squeezed her hand.  She held back a sigh.  Clearly, he didn’t want Emily to know who she was.  Angela thought that was a pity.  She had a feeling she would like Emily McGuire.  Any woman who could stand up to a man like Sean was her kind of woman. 

“Emily, I’m going to borrow the
Dochas
.”  Sean’s voice interrupted any pleasantries Angela might have offered.  “If anyone asks, I need you to tell them that I’m out of town on business.  You don’t know where.  You haven’t seen me since yesterday.  Understand?”

Emily’s eyes softened and she stepped forward, placing her hand on Sean’s muscular forearm.  “Are you in some kind of trouble?”

Sean inclined his head ever so slightly and Chase nudged Angela out of the room onto the deck to give the other couple the illusion of privacy. 

“I’m fine,” Sean assured Emily.  “Just don’t tell anyone I’ve borrowed the
Dochas
, okay?” 

“I won’t,” she promised.  “How long will you be gone?”  She brushed a lock of his wavy hair out of his eye. 

“I’m not sure,” he admitted.  
“Probably no more than a few days.”
 

“Are your friends in trouble?” she probed. 

He shook his head.  “This is one of those things you just don’t need to know, kitten.”  Tilting her chin up so she met his flat gaze, he ordered, “Promise me you’ll do as I asked.” 

“Only if you promise to tell me what’s going on when you can,” she bargained.