Sea Panther (Crimson Storm) (8 page)

Fear registered in the lad’s eyes. Good.

“For now, lie here and rest. Come morning. Run along home.”
Robert stood. “I warn you, Willy, stay away from
Sea Panther
and her
crew, or I will find you, and you will not enjoy the consequences.”

Robert secured the silver dagger in its leather sheath and
shoved it into the waist of his jeans at the small of his back. He strode in
the direction of town determined to find Kimberly and ensure her safety.

With the lad incapacitated, the night should be quiet.

The confiscated blade and its significance would need to be
dealt with soon.

* * *

Colin placed the perishable package under an arm and hurried
along the dock toward
Sea Panther
. Timothy leaned against the mast,
under the glare of overhead lighting, gaze directed at two uniformed men
approaching the yacht. When the lad noticed Colin, he acknowledged him with a
slight motion of the head.

Good lad
. Colin quickened his pace.

“Captain? Permission to come aboard?” the stockier of the
sheriff’s deputies asked, breath condensing as he spoke.

“Sorry, sir, the captain’s ashore. Can I help you with
something? I’m one of the crew.” Timothy jumped from the deck onto the dock in
front of the two men.

“Maybe. We’re looking for Miss Kimberly Scot,” the second,
younger, deputy said.

“She’s not here,” Timothy said.

Colin approached the men from behind, and they spun around,
hands on their holstered guns.

“Who are you?” the first deputy asked.

“Colin MacEwen,
Sea Panther’s
first mate.” Colin held
his palms open to show he carried no weapon, while clutching the brown-paper
wrapped package to his side with an elbow. “If you’ll give me a moment to
refrigerate this parcel, I’ll try to help you.”

“Give it to the kid to take care of.”

Colin made eye contact with Timothy and handed over the
blood. The lad inclined his head and went below, leaving Colin to deal with the
men. “Will you explain your purpose, gentlemen?”

The younger deputy took out a pad and pencil. “We’re to pick
up a Miss Kimberly Scot. We understand she is a crewmember on this boat.”

“She is, but she’s not here now.” Colin hoped Timothy
understood what to do. “Has she done something wrong?”

“That’s none of your concern. Do you know where we can find
her?”

“Somewhere in town, celebrating Christmas Eve, I imagine.”

The deputy’s exchanged an annoyed glance and hurried to the
patrol car parked at the end of the dock.

“Timothy?” Colin leaned into the companionway.

“Dialing.” The lad held a cell phone.

* * *

Boisterous voices rose in joyous celebration around
Kimberly. She pretended to have fun and smiled at John who raised a mug to
clink with hers. In the bar area of the pub, a country fiddler played Christmas
tunes, and the patrons sang the verses. Locals mingled with
yachtys
.

To say her mind was on overload would be a gross
understatement, but the knowledge a hit man pursued you was more than anyone
should have to deal with on Christmas Eve. She played with a cocktail napkin
while Davey and John sang the chorus of
St. Stephen’s Day Murders
along
with the rowdy crowd.

The more she thought about Sarah’s phone call, the more she
realized the evidence didn’t add up. A professional wouldn’t leave
fingerprints. A hit man would kill her, and that would be the end of it.
Something else was going on, and she needed to figure out what.

The fiddler took a break.
Silent Night
played on the
sound system. Voices lowered to a hum. Kimberly massaged the stiff muscles at
the back of her neck. The effort to figure out what nefarious plot entrapped
her brought on a migraine. Perhaps she should concentrate on something else for
a while. The boys were in celebratory moods. Maybe they would shed light on the
mystery shrouding
Sea Panther
.

“Why is the captain never around during the day?” she
blurted out.

“Never around during the day?” Davey squeaked.

“You sound like a parrot,” Kimberly said. “I’ve only ever
seen him in the evening. Isn’t that odd?”

“I’ve not noticed. Have you, John?” Davey hedged.

“No, I haven’t,” John said.

They were stonewalling, but she wasn’t letting it go.
Robert’s behavior was peculiar. “I’m certain I’ve never seen Robert in the
daylight.”

The twins relaxed and gave each other one of those smug guy
looks Kimberly hated.

“Robert?” John smirked. “Since when do you call the captain
Robert?
”

Kimberly shook her head to brush off the question.
“Sometimes, he seems warm and accessible, and other times ice cold. Closed off
to others.”

Davey’s eyes widened, and he cleared his throat. Not once.
Twice.

“What?” she asked.

“May I join you?” Robert said and slid into the booth next
to her, not waiting for an invite.

Oh, God
. Heat climbed from her toes to the top of her
head.

She sneaked a peek to the right. Robert wore a wide grin
that smoothed the scar on his cheek. Her pulse jumped. He looked lethal even when
smiling. Far more handsome than any man had a right to look. She sipped from
her mug to hide her embarrassment.

The fiddler strolled back on stage and played a merry tune.
Couples got up to dance.

“Lads, go find partners. I’ll keep Kimberly safe.” He didn’t
have to offer twice. The twins disappeared into the thickening crowd.

Kimberly took another sip of her drink, wishing she had the
ability to wiggle her nose and bewitch herself somewhere else. The fire burning
deep within Robert’s cinnamon eyes stopped her mid-thought, stopped her from
glancing away, stopped her from wanting to slip away.

She desired him more than she dared. Their gazes held, and
the barroom faded away. Sexually charged seconds ticked by with a slow sizzle.

A
drunk banged
into the table and broke the steamy spell holding Kimberly and Robert
enthralled. She choked on a flat laugh. He cleared his throat.

The awkward moment thickened the air. Made it hard to
breathe.

Kimberly twitched her nose. Now would be a good time to find
a hidey-hole to crawl into. Perspiration glazed the skin between her breasts.
God, her face must be the color of a ripe strawberry.

“I overheard you,” Robert said.

“Did you?”
Just great
.

“Aye.” His gaze dropped to the tabletop. He picked up a
drink stirrer and fiddled with it.

Mesmerized, she watched large fingers nimbly tie the thin
strip of plastic into a bowline knot. The naughty image of him using the same
knot to tie a silk scarf around her wrists flashed in her mind.
Where had
that idea come from?

“What the rest of the crew has been trying hard not to tell
you is I have a rare blood disease.” Her wayward thought splintered at the
unemotional statement of fact.

She gazed into his eyes, searching for something empathetic
to say.

“I have to take it easy until my doctors can find a donor
with the right DNA makeup to help me. That is why I sleep a lot.”

“I’m sorry.”
Oh, that sounded lame
. Worse yet, she’d
been thinking about sex. Kinky sex. My God, what had come over her lately?
She’d never thought of having that kind of sex with Jason. Heat rose from toes
to face. Thank God Robert couldn’t read minds. She reached for her mug, but it
was empty.

“Dance with me?” He grasped her hand.

She nodded, and followed him onto the dance floor. “When
they find a donor, will they be able to make you well?”

His eyes clouded. “I hope so.”

So did she.

He tucked her close, held her tight, smooth cheek against
the rasp of whiskers, as they swayed with the other couples to the sweet melody
of an Irish love song. She embraced hard muscle as she wrapped her arms around
him.

How could a virile man like Robert be critically ill?

When the song ended, she pulled away, feeling awkward. He
seemed uncomfortable too. They returned to the booth at the same time as the
twins.

The moment Robert sat, his cell phone buzzed. He grabbed it
from his belt. “Aye.” A dark expression hardened his features. “Do what you
can. Tell Colin to be ready to motor out and set sail as soon as we arrive.”

Alarm pinched. Something bad must have happened.

He returned the phone to his belt and pulled her to her
feet.

“What’s up?” Davey asked.

“We have trouble.” Robert pushed Kimberly through the crowd
toward the back door. Davey and John followed. Once they were out in the night
air, Robert answered Davey’s question, “It appears Miss Scot is wanted by the
sheriff’s department.”

Kimberly wanted to explain, but he cut her off.

“Colin is stalling the deputies, which will buy us some time
but not much. You two…” He directed an intense stare at the twins. “Go to the
boat and make ready to cast off on Colin’s order. I will borrow a launch, and
we will rendezvous offshore.”

John and Davey disappeared into the shadows.

“Come.” Robert tugged on her arm.

They ran down the back alley away from the Christmas gaiety.
By the time they reached the outskirts of town, Kimberly panted for breath. She
still hadn’t figured out how to explain the situation. “Captain, I—”

“Just answer one question. Did you break the law?”

“No.” She shook her head with force. “Definitely not.”

“Then you can explain later. Now, we need to hurry.” He led
her behind a waterfront hotel. They jogged across the manicured lawn to a
private dock with a Zodiac tied to it. Luck was with them. Keys dangled from
the ignition.

The inflatable boat raced out into the dark night. When the
town with its twinkling lights looked like a miniature holiday village, Robert
idled the engine, and they drifted.

“I’m sorry. I’ve done nothing wrong.” Kimberly found it hard
to believe the mess that had caught up with her.

“I didn’t think you did.”

“Robert, please let me explain.” She needed him to
understand she hadn’t lied. She’d just neglected to tell all the details of her
troubles. If she had, he never would have hired her.

He raised a brow. She flushed. It was the first time she’d used
his first name to his face.

“Did you ken they would come for you?”

“Not really. My sister called earlier and told me the police
investigating the break-ins want to put me under protective custody while they
search for the hit man. I never imagined they’d send the local law enforcement
after me here.”

“I thought the hit man was a rumor. And by the way,
break-ins were never mentioned. You better tell me the whole tale from
beginning to end.”

When Kimberly finished the story, she shook uncontrollably,
not from cold, but from the realization of what she faced.

“You can count on me to protect you.” Robert took both of
her chilled hands into his warm grasp and squeezed. “But I can only help if you
are completely honest with me. If you continue to confide in me.”

“I will from now on. I promise.”

“Good. I vow to keep you safe.” He gave her hands another
squeeze before he released her and peered starboard. “Ah. Here comes our ride.”

Searchlights from
Sea Panther’s
deck scanned the
water around them. Robert whistled, and the bright beam landed on the
inflatable, blinding Kimberly for a moment.

He engaged the engine. The small boat motored alongside the
now-idling yacht. After securing lines, they climbed aboard to the worried
gazes of the crew.

“The deputies are searching for Kimberly in town,” Colin
said. “It won’t be long before they learn we’ve gone.”

Robert rubbed the back of his neck. “And now we are
harboring a runaway and are accessories in facilitating her escape.”

Kimberly stiffened. She hadn’t considered she placed Robert
and her crewmates into legal jeopardy. “I—”

He silenced her with a stern look. “Give me a moment to get
some cash from my cabin then we will send the Zodiac back and be on our way.”

Robert reappeared on deck a few minutes later and handed Davey
an envelope along with the keys to the inflatable. “Return the Zodiac to the
hotel and pay them for the use. Meet us in Charleston at the boatyard.”

“Will do, Captain.”

“And Davey.” Robert patted his shoulder. “Do try to stay out
of sight of those two deputies.”

“You bet.” Davey curled his lips into a cocky grin.

He jumped into the Zodiac, tossed lines, took off. Kimberly
chewed on her lower lip as the small boat disappeared into the dark. She hoped
he didn’t land in trouble on her account.

* * *

A few hours later, Robert leaned over his desk along with
Colin and glared at what might be a mage weapon. “What do you think?”

Colin ran his fingers over the gleaming silver surface of
the dagger.

“’Tis ancient. But that you already knew.” He angled the
blade back and forth in the lamplight. “Superb craftsmanship.”

“I ken that too. What of its origin?”

“You’d know better than I.”

“Arrrrgh.” Robert slumped onto the settee. “Call Jagger.
Have him find a thirty-two foot sailboat and rendezvous with us at Winyah Bay
near Cat Island at high tide. He will ken the spot.”

“What are you planning to do with Kimberly?”

“She will sail into Charleston with me in the smaller boat.
After I have concluded my business with the builder, you and the lads can
deliver
Sea Panther
to the boatyard. The authorities will expect her to
be with you. By the time they realize the switch, Kimberly and I will be
sailing for Florida and my compound. Hopefully, Jagger can pull in some favors
and keep the law off our tail.”

“’Tis dangerous.”

“Not very. You ken the way around the shoals.”

“You know that’s not what I mean.” Colin pursed his lips.

Robert ignored the disapproving look. “Give the lads shore
leave with pay. You can rent a car and meet us at the compound.”

“As long as I’ve known you, you’ve only fed from women
who’ve thrown themselves at you. Like that vampire groupie in New Jersey with
the purple hair. I believed Kimberly to be safe when I recommended hiring her.
Now, I have doubts. I’ve seen the way you look at her, Robert. What are your
intentions toward the lass?”

Robert bit down on rising anger. “I have vowed to protect
her.”

“I don’t like it.” Colin shook his head. “How will you hide
your true self from her?”

“She sees my true self every eve’n. ’Tis the beasts of which
she is unaware. I will keep them in check.” Robert massaged the back of his
neck. He didn’t need Colin’s censure at this moment.

“How will you feed?”

“Kimberly believes I have a rare blood disease. She won’t
question the bags of blood in the fridge.”

“You can’t go out in full sun. Do you expect her to sail the
whole way to Florida alone while you hide in your cabin?”

“Nae. We will sail during the night and find a gunk-hole to
hide in at sunrise. ’Twill be safer that way. She will understand we need to
sleep during the daylight hours to avoid the authorities and the hit man who
stalks her.”

“She’s a sweet lass in a ton of trouble. She doesn’t deserve
more.”

Colin’s chastisement cut deep. Robert had promised to
protect Kimberly. That wasn’t a vow lightly taken.

“She is a noble woman. I will protect her by any means
required.”

Even if that meant taking her blood?
Robert shifted
uneasily. He quieted his conscience, allowing the vampire to emerge and hiss at
Colin.

His friend stood firm. “Be careful with her. She could too
easily be hurt.”

Colin was right, but that didn’t change anything. “I will
see nae harm comes to the lass.”

“Your arrogance is showing.”

Robert growled. Colin stared him down.

“Give me the damn blood.”

Refraining from further speech, Colin handed Robert the crystal
goblet. He accepted the glass of blood from his keeper and slowly sipped. The
vital fluid didn’t compare to the tiny taste of Kimberly’s blood he sampled.

The vampire seized upon the memory. Robert could feed from
her once more without initiating a transformation. The ability to track her
movements and perceive her thoughts would assist him in keeping her safe. One
more taste wouldn’t cause her additional harm. He drank deep from the goblet,
wishing it were her blood.

His conscience reared its unwanted opinion. Who was he
trying to fool? He desired her with every fiber of his despicable being.

As a woman? As prey? As a mate?

A soft yowl escaped his lips, the panther uneasy. The
vampire slithered through the shadows, determined to have Kimberly. Robert
forced the evil from his mind. What mattered most was keeping Kimberly safe.

* * *

Another Christmas day. Another overly bright diner with
gaudy holiday decorations. Another job to do. Dino chuckled and lowered the
visor of the baseball cap to shade his eyes. One could never be too careful
when you were a hired gun, though he doubted the young deputy sitting at the
next booth flirting with the waitress would recognize him from old mug shots.
He’d undergone plastic surgery from his face to the tips of his fingers,
changed the color of his eyes, and dyed his hair since his last incarceration.

He’d even changed profession—drug dealer to assassin.

Assuming the identity of a dead hit man was one of his most
brilliant plans yet. And the fool that hired him was none the wiser. Dino
couldn’t wait to get the hundred grand for the kill. He took a sip of coffee
and leaned back to better hear the conversation.

The girl giggled. “Maybe you could make it up to me
tonight?”

“I’d love to, sweetheart, but I was up all night searching
for a person of interest.”

“But it’s Christmas,” she whined. “You promised.”

“I know, honey. I’ll make it up to you. I swear.”

“Why can’t you come tonight?”

“Would if I could.”

“What’s stopping you?”

“The woman we’re searching for is part of the crew on that
yacht,
Sea Panther
,” the deputy said, changing gears.

“The fancy boat berthed over at the marina?” The girl’s
voice rose with excitement at the hint of gossip.

Go figure.

“Not any more. The yacht disappeared in the middle of the
night around the same time
Hotel Jackson’s
inflatable went missing.
According to the hotel manager the Zodiac reappeared this morning with an
envelope containing three hundred dollars cash.”

“What’s that to do with us spending Christmas night
together?”

“One of the guys from
Sea Panther
was seen leaving
the dock after the Zodiac showed up. My partner is trying to get a handle on
where the kid went. Then we’re going after him.”

“Don’t count on me being available when you get back.” The
waitress stalked past Dino in a snit.

He threw a few dollar bills on the table for the coffee. It
was doubtful the woman he hunted remained with
Sea Panther
. He’d done
his homework. The yacht’s billionaire captain had a reputation for being
shrewd. Dino would find the kid from
Sea Panther’s
crew before the
sheriff’s deputies. He planned to take him to his employer. The kid would talk
if he wanted to live.

* * *

Sea Panther
moored in a calm inlet on the
Intracoastal Waterway. Kimberly snuggled within the folds of the new green
mohair cape, allowing the unseasonably warm night soothe her. She’d slept in
after their hurried escape and found the surprise gift late in the afternoon
when she woke. No one would admit to being her secret Santa.

Only Robert could have left the large box wrapped in white
paper with a large green velvet bow. Sarah would advise not to accept such a
present, warning there might be strings attached. Kimberly didn’t care if there
were. She intended to keep Robert’s thoughtful gift.