By a Thread (15 page)

“I called because I wanted to hear your voice,” I murmured. “I needed to hear it. Being on vacation is . . . harder than I thought it would be.”

“How so?”

I rubbed the spider rune scar on first one palm, then the other, struggling to put my feelings into words. “Because I don't seem to be very good at it. We haven't even been gone a day, and it feels like I'm right back where I started. Like I never even left Ashland and the bad guys behind. I was looking forward to relaxing. And I tried today—I really did. I let Bria drag me around all afternoon, and I even
oohed
and
aahed
over tacky T-shirts and cheap seashell necklaces just like you're supposed to when you're on vacation. Can you believe that? I don't think I've ever
oohed
and
aahed
in my entire life.”

Owen laughed again.

“What? It's not funny,” I grumbled. “It's downright embarrassing.”

“Ah, don't worry about it.” I could hear the smile in his voice through the phone. “This too shall pass.”

“I know, I know. It's just a long weekend, and I'll make the best of it. But then there's Bria,” I said, finally focusing on what was really bothering me.

“What about Bria?”

I sighed. “She loves it down here,
Owen. She absolutely loves it. You should have seen her face today. Other than the visit to the cemetery, she was so happy, especially when we first walked into the Sea Breeze and she saw Callie again. I keep forgetting that this was her home for so many years, that she had friends and a job and a life down here. Part of me wonders if she regrets leaving all of that behind to move to Ashland. To find me. Because, let's face it, things haven't exactly been easy for either one of us these last few months.”

“Just give it some time,” Owen said. “Bria's only been back in your life for a few months. The two of you are still getting to know each other. There's bound to be an adjustment period as you both figure out what kind of relationship you can and want to have, especially now that Mab isn't around to constantly be a threat to both of you.”

“Yeah, but so far, I don't think that Bria likes what she sees very much. I wanted this vacation to be stress- and bad-guy-free so we could finally have a chance to connect with each other, but it looks like it's going to be anything but that.”

We fell silent again. Outside, the waves continued to crash into the shore, while the moon slowly sank toward the ocean, making the frothing water glimmer with a pale, ghostly light.

“You know, if I left now, I could be down there just after sunrise,” Owen murmured in a low, sexy tone. “You, me, a deserted beach. The possibilities are endless.”

Liquid heat flooded my veins as I pictured the two of us rolling around in the sand together, the sea spraying over us as we made love,
Owen's hands moving up and down my body, even as mine did the same to his. “Mmm. Tempting. Very tempting.”

“But?”

“But you'd have a hell of a time dragging Finn out of bed tonight. He tends to whine whenever his precious sleep is interrupted. I already woke him up once. I wouldn't want you to have to listen to him bitch for the next several hours.”

Owen laughed again. “It would be worth it for you, Gin. Besides, I'm sure I could find some duct tape somewhere here in the house. A couple of pieces of that would take care of even Finn's whining.”

I smiled. Whether we were having a simple conversation about nothing important or discussing something as deep and convoluted as my feelings toward my sister, Owen always knew exactly what to say to make me feel better.

“I don't know,” I drawled. “Finn's got an awfully big mouth. I don't think that just one roll of duct tape would do it.”

Owen laughed again.

We flirted with and teased each other for a few more minutes before the conversation wound down. We paused again, and I thought once more about telling Owen about Donovan and how the detective had suddenly reappeared in my life. But that would lead to another conversation about my gnarled, knotted feelings, and I felt like I'd already exposed enough of my doubts, insecurities, and vulnerabilities to Owen. I'd never considered myself a coward, but I just didn't have the balls to get into my history with Donovan. Not tonight.

“I love you,” Owen finally said.

“I love you too,” I whispered back, and hung
up.

I put the phone down on one of the coffee tables, but instead of going to bed like I should have, I sat there in the dark and stared out at the ocean, wondering what new troubles the sunrise would bring with it.

The rest of the night passed uneventfully, and Friday morning dawned clear, bright, and hot. By the time Bria and I left the rented beach house to drive over to the Sea Breeze, the temperature had already climbed into the lower eighties, and the stifling humidity made it seem ten degrees warmer than that. I spotted a few people moving in and around the other houses farther down the street as folks gathered up their chairs, blankets, umbrellas, coolers, and sunscreen for a day at the beach, but nobody showed any interest in us that they shouldn't have.

As powerful and connected as Dekes was, he and his men hadn't tracked us from the hotel last night. I hadn't expected them to, given my alias, but it was nice to know that we were in the clear—at least for now. I had no doubt that the bodies in the hotel pool had been found by this point. I didn't know exactly how Dekes would react to the death of his men, whether he would rage and scream or quietly, coldly plot out his payback, but I'd have my guard up, just like I always did.

Bria and I got into Finn's busted-up convertible and headed for the Sea Breeze. I thought that the car might get a few strange looks with its cracked windshield, ripped seats, and dented hood, but Bria parked it in a far corner of the lot next to a few
junked pickup trucks, and it blended right in.

Apparently Callie's restaurant served up an even better brunch than they did supper because the lot was even fuller than it had been last night, with several cars double-parked and others lining either side of the road. All the seats at the picnic tables were already taken, so we once again headed inside to wait for a table.

“Do you think that Finn and Owen are already here?” Bria asked, standing on her tiptoes and looking over the crowd.

I opened my mouth to answer her when a large, familiar body sidled up next to me.

“Why, hello, gorgeous,” a low, sexy voice rumbled in my ear. “Can I interest you in a walk on the beach?”

Smiling, I turned around to find Owen standing behind me. Finn was there too, but I only had eyes for my lover.

Owen was on the tall side, topping out at about six foot one, with a strong, sturdy body that had hard, sleek muscles in all the right places. His hair was black, and the sunbeams streaming in through the porthole windows made the hidden blue highlights in his thick locks shimmer. The midnight color of his hair set off his pale skin and his piercing violet eyes. His nose was a little crooked, the result of having been broken long ago, and a thin white scar slashed down his chin, but I thought that the small imperfections only added to his rough, rugged appeal. He'd dressed down today in a pair of khakis and a short-sleeved black polo shirt that showed just how wide and strong his chest was, and I thought he was the most handsome man in the room. Hell, in the whole South.

I wrapped my arms around
Owen's neck and drew his mouth down for a kiss. I'd meant for it to be a quick caress of my lips on his, but Owen coaxed my mouth open, his tongue stroking against mine, his hands kneading my back, and liquid heat pooled in my stomach. It was several seconds before I pulled back, breathless, aching, and yearning for something else besides breakfast. Something that would be even more delicious and far more satisfying.

“You know, that walk on the beach is sounding better and better all the time,” Owen murmured, his eyes glinting with the same heat that thumped through my veins.

“Later,” I promised. “We've got work to do this morning, remember? Finn, did you bring the information that I asked you to? Finn?”

He was too busy bending Bria over backward and planting a sound, lingering kiss on her to answer. It took them even longer to come up for air than it had Owen and me, and by the time Finn set Bria back up on her feet, most of the people in the restaurant were staring at them. A few of the wives were even poking their husbands in the chests, muttering about how
they
never got kissed like
that
anymore.

Finn grinned, gave an elaborate flourish with his hand, and dipped into a low bow before straightening up and addressing the entire restaurant. “And that, ladies and gentlemen, is how it is
done
.”

A couple of the older women broke out into enthusiastic applause, and Finn winked at them all in turn. A furious blush flooded Bria's cheeks at the unexpected, unwanted attention, but her blue eyes were sparkling. Whatever his faults might
be, Finn made my sister happy, and that was all I really cared about, even if I'd wanted to keep a lower profile this morning.

We got a booth in the back and sat down, with Finn and Owen sliding into the opposite side from Bria and me. Finn was carrying a silverstone briefcase, but he didn't open it and put it on the table. He didn't need to. I knew what was inside already—all the information he'd been able to dig up on Dekes in the last few hours. In addition to his prowess as an investment banker, Finn also dabbled in information trading. Well, perhaps
dabbled
wasn't the right word when you had an extensive network of spies and snitches in Ashland and beyond like he did. Either way, there were few things he liked better than unearthing other people's deepest, darkest secrets, whether it was for cold, hard cash or just his own personal amusement.

There would be plenty of time to sort through the files later. Right now, I was determined to enjoy a meal with some of the people I cared about the most. I was still on vacation, and I was determined to act like it—at least for the next hour or so.

We ordered enough food for an army, and the four us of laughed and talked and joked while we waited for everything to arrive, like we were out on a casual double date instead of getting ready to consider what to do about Dekes. Or maybe this was just our own sort of date, plotting against the bad guys while we chowed down.

Thirty minutes later, Callie came over to our booth with several platters of steaming food balanced on her forearms, with two more waitresses trailing along behind her carrying even more dishes.

Stacks of thick Belgian
waffles drizzled with peach syrup, piles of fresh-cooked bacon, sizzling sausage, golden hash browns, deep-fried cinnamon rolls drizzled with sweet icing, toasted pineapple muffins slathered with whipped cream cheese, iced glasses full of mango mimosas. I breathed in, relishing the smells of the sticky waffles, flaky muffins, and hearty meats. They mixed together with all the other mouthwatering flavors in the air, creating a cloud of succulent aroma over the table.

“It all looks wonderful,” Bria said. “Thanks, Callie.”

The other woman nodded. “Sure. It's my pleasure. I hope you guys enjoy it.”

She smiled, but the tight expression didn't really lift her lips. Callie looked like she hadn't slept well last night. Purple smudges had gathered in the corners of her eyes, streaking out across her skin like a football player's greasepaint, and her whole body was tight and rigid. Even her blue work apron and the casual white T-shirt and khakis she had on underneath seemed stiff and starched with tension.

“What's wrong?” Bria asked, picking up on her friend's dark mood.

“Four bodies were found floating in the pool at the Blue Sands hotel this morning,” Callie said in a soft voice. “It's the talk of the whole island.”

Yeah, I'd figured it would be, and coming into the restaurant had only confirmed my suspicion. I'd heard more than a few folks around us say words like
dead bodies
and
murdered
and
pool
since we'd been sitting in our booth. Not too hard to figure out what everyone was buzzing about.

“The Blue Sands happens to be the same hotel where you told me that you had booked a suite,” Callie continued. “One of the men was Pete Procter,
and another was his buddy, Trent. I'm sure you remember them. They're the two guys who came into the restaurant last night and threatened me. The same two guys that your sister . . . dealt with.”

Callie looked at me, and I met her gaze head-on. If she hadn't figured out by now that there was more to me than met the eye, well, she hadn't been paying attention. Callie didn't strike me as the kind of woman who missed much. She'd already put most of it together, and all she needed now was confirmation from us. How she would react when Bria told her what had happened was what was going to be interesting.

Bria hesitated. “Come back later when you get a break, okay? There are some things that we need to talk about, including what happened to those two guys. In private.”

Callie stared at me another second before dropping her gaze and nodding at Bria. “Sure. Just as soon as I get a chance.”

She turned, threaded her way through the packed tables, and headed back into the kitchen to start on her next order, with the waitresses trailing along behind her. Nobody at our booth spoke for a moment.

“Well, that was rather awkward,” Finn said.

None of us answered him.

But Finn being Finn, he ignored the silence, smiled, and picked up one of the platters of food. “But on to more important matters. Who wants waffles?”

We spent the next hour eating. The food was just as delicious as it had been the night before. The waffles were light and fluffy, the peach syrup was
sweet without being too sugary, and the mango mimosas packed just enough of a champagne punch to make you think about lazing away the rest of the day in a chair out on the beach.