Hunt Her Down (37 page)

“Hide, behind the crate,” he ordered. “She’s out there. So’s Ramon.”

“How do you know?”

“She sent me a sign.” Brilliant, resourceful, wonderful Maggie. “Whatever you do, don’t

move. Now
go
.” Quinn made a disgusted face.

“The stink’s your cover. No one will go near it.
Stay there.
I have to get her from around the

back.”

“Okay,” Quinn said, sounding braver than Dan knew he felt. “I’ve still got this gun and I’ll

use it if I have to.”

“Just stay out of sight.”

Dan flattened himself against the wall and slithered out to the street perpendicular to the

alley, then ran alongside the building and back up the next alley, darting across the street

where the parking lot was.

Staying close to the buildings that lined the sidewalk, he moved to a place where he could

see behind the bus— and saw Ramon in firing position behind it.

Dan silently sped across the lot behind Ramon.

One more time, light spilled from the front lights and Dan’s heart filled with love. She was

risking everything to let him know it wasn’t safe.

He’d do no less.

He crouched down, steadied his Glock, and aimed for Ramon’s head.

The light flashed again and this time, Ramon launched up and spun to the car, his face

furious. Just as he did, he saw Dan. For a second, they stared at each other like gunfighters.

Then Ramon opened his arms as if he were going to drop his gun—but the barrel was

pointed right in the open passenger window.

Dan fired the instant he did, and the double explosions rocked the air. Ramon’s face

flickered with shock and outrage; then he fell to the ground.

“Maggie!” Dan ran to the van and threw himself at the open window.

She lay bound and gagged on the front seat, a bullet hole in the vinyl next to her, her eyes

wide with terror, but very much alive.

“Maggie.”
He yanked the door open, pulling her up to him, working the tape off her

mouth, kissing her eyes, her tears, and her mouth.

“You got the signal,” she murmured. “You remembered. You understood.”

“Of course I did.” He kissed her again. “Are you all right? Did he hurt you?”

“I’m fine. Quinn?”

“He’s in the warehouse. He’s safe. He’s perfect. He’s
ours
.”

She dropped her head on his shoulder and he hugged her, then turned her to tear the tape off

of her hands and feet. Her whole body was trembling.

“Everything’s fine. Everything’s going to be okay.” When she looked at him, her

expression was miserable and full of doubt. “Maggie, you know everything Sancere said was

lies. You know that, don’t you?”

She didn’t react and his heart dropped down to the equator. How could he ever undo that

damage? How could he make her believe him?

“Of course I know that,” she finally whispered. “You loved me then.”

He kissed her, then looked her in the eyes. “I love you
now.
”

FROM HIS TWO-TOP by the window at Smitty’s, Dan watched the front door open at exactly

midnight. Constantine Xenakis ate up the floor with every step, his silvery blue eyes lasered

straight ahead on Dan.

He reached the table, nodded to Maggie who watched from the bar, then flipped the other

chair around and folded himself in it, crossing his arms on the backrest.

“It’s been three weeks,” Dan said. “Where the hell have you been?”

“Around.”

“Robbing banks and mugging little old ladies?”

Silver slits narrowed at him. “I kept my end of the deal, Gallagher.”

“Yes, you did.” Dan took a swallow of beer, watching Xenakis over the bottle. “And I’m

going to keep my end. I was just waiting to make sure you’d show.”

“What happened to the money?”

“Property of the U.S. Government, with all but about two million accounted for.”

“Glad to hear it.”

Was he? Dan pushed the beer to the side. “Let me ask you a question, Con.”

He got a shrug in response.

“What do you want with Lucy?”

“Your job.”

Dan laughed. “In your dreams.”

“Then just one assignment. Consider it . . . a test run.”

There was something compelling about the guy, but Dan couldn’t pinpoint it. “Lucy already

tested you, as I understand it. You didn’t pass.”

“Things change. People change.”

Dan gave him a dubious look.

“You have,” Xenakis countered, notching his head toward Maggie. “When you first walked

in this place, you’da never given up your golden ticket for a woman.”

“I’m not giving up anything,” Dan said. “I’ve only gained.”

“All I’m asking for is a chance,” Con said. “If I screw up, it’s my deal.”

Dan nodded. There was
something
about the guy. “I do like to send in a new recruit every

once in a while. And there’s nothing Lucy loves more than a test.”

“So make the call.”

Dan’s gaze drifted to Maggie, in conversation with Brandy. She laughed at something; then,

as if she felt him looking, glanced at him. And didn’t look away.

He never wanted to look away.

Xenakis tilted his head toward Maggie. “You chose wisely.”

“I haven’t chosen anything yet. It’s all up to her,” Dan admitted, picking up the beer. “Pack

for New York. You’ll have to interview first. You live through that, you can probably live

through anything.”

“I’ve lived through everything,” he said, standing up to leave. “That’s why I want to do

this.”

Dan had his phone in his hand before the door closed. Lucy wasn’t number one on his

speed dial anymore, but he had her on the first ring.

“Please tell me you need a plane to bring you back,” she said.

He chuckled. “I could use it, but not for me. I found you a new Bullet Catcher.”

“Xenakis?”

Always three steps ahead of the world. “I think you ought to give him another chance.”

“I don’t know. The job is undercover salvage protection. He might fold when he sees the

shiny stuff.”

“Or he might surprise you. Sometimes it takes a thief to stop one.”

She laughed, the familiar, comfortable laugh that he missed. Just as he missed talking about

the business, and brainstorming solutions. He didn’t want to stop working for Lucy, but . . .

“When?” she asked.

“I don’t want to leave her.”

“You know, you can have both,” Lucy said. “There’s no law that says you have to be in

New York. I have planes, there are phones, we can make this work.”

Would it be the same? Would he still be the number two man in the company?

Maggie sailed by with a tray in her hand, grazing his shoulder with her fingertips as she

passed. “Ten minutes, Irish, and I’m yours for the night.”

For the night? He wanted
forever
.

“Just think about it,” Lucy said. “In about six months, I’m going to take a leave myself.

That’ll be close to the end of Quinn’s school year. Maybe the three of you can come up here

and you can run this operation for me while I tackle motherhood, then go back when I’ve got

things under control.”

“As if you ever don’t.”

“Say that when there’s a nursery next to the war room.”

That made him smile. Along with her idea. “It’s doable, Luce. Assuming Maggie agrees.”

“She’d be crazy not to.” Her voice was warm. “And believe me, once you try this happily

ever after stuff, you’ll be hooked. I am.”

So was he. “As always, thanks for the ear, Juice.” “Anytime. Send me Xenakis. We’ll see

what he’s made of.”

As he signed off, Maggie put her hand on his empty beer bottle and angled her arm to let

her bracelets slide over the neck. One,
ding,
two,
ding,
three,
ding ding ding
.

Then she smoked him with a look that said upside down was the special of the house.

“We can go to my house tonight. Uncle Eddie called and wanted to take Quinn fishing early

tomorrow. It’s been a long time since he’s seen Eddie, and I don’t want him to lose touch with

Smitty’s side of the family.”

“Home it is,” Dan said. “And if I have to help Milk Man wash dishes to hurry things up, I

will.”

She laughed. “It’s Milk Dud, and I’m ready to leave now.”

Dan stood and waved to Brandy, who winked.

Outside, the temperature was cooler now. He’d planned something special for Christmas,

but after the conversation with Lucy, he didn’t feel like waiting.

The house seemed quiet without Quinn and Goose, and quiet was good for tonight. While

Maggie showered, Dan set to work, then poured her a glass of her favorite wine and grabbed a

bottle of water for himself.

He was waiting in the chair in the bedroom when she came out.

“You know what I was just thinking about?” she asked, fluffing her damp curls, a towel

tucked around her body.

“Me?”

She smiled. “How’d you guess?”

“It’s mutual. You go first.”

She took the wine he offered and curled up on the bed. “Your Chris Craft. That’s an

amazing boat. Any way I could ever see it?”

The perfect opening. “You’d have to go to New York.”

She sighed. “No chance of shipping it down here?”

“Why would I do that?”

“To make Gumbo Jim and Tommy Sloane cry.” She smiled. “It’s your turn. What were you

thinking about?”

“Your grandmother.”

She brightened. “How sweet. She’d like you, you know. She had a soft spot for men who

made her laugh. What made you think about her?”

“The tarot cards. Can you read them?”

“Not as well as she did, but I think she just made stuff up, anyway.”

“All of it?”

She stood and walked toward the dresser.

“You know, I think I’m giving up the whole signsfrom-the-universe thing. I don’t need

guidance from my dearly departed grandmother, who didn’t really give me anything except

my silver bangles, and”—she opened the top drawer—”her tarot—”

For a long minute, she said nothing. She just looked at what he’d left there, staring at it

while his heart kicked up to double time.

Finally she lifted out the jeweler’s box as gingerly as if it could explode in her hand. “What

is this?”

“A gift. Something I’ve always wanted to give you.”

Holding it, she sat on the bed. “Really.” She pulled the white silk ribbon, her hands

trembling slightly. “Always?”

He leaned forward, propping his hands on his knees. “Ever since I heard you jingle.”

She gave him a quick look, then lifted the lid, blinking at the contents. “Wow. They really

sparkle.” Plucking the three slender, diamond-encrusted bracelets from the satin lining, she

sighed softly. “These are really beautiful.”

“Not to replace your grandmother’s,” he said.

“No, but . . .” She slipped them on and shook her arm to let them ding together. “For

special occasions.” Twisting her wrist, she admired them, a wistful look on her face. “Thank

you. I love them.”

“I love
you
. I love everything about you, Maggie.”

Her eyes filled a little. “I love you, too, Dan. I love the happiness and wholeness you’ve

brought to my life. No matter what you decide to do, or how often you visit—”

He was on his knees before she could finish. “I don’t want to visit. I want to stay.”

She melted a little. “For however long you like.”

“Forever. When I can’t be here, you come there. You and Quinn. I won’t live without you,

Maggie. I love you too much.”

She tried to speak, but struggled. Laughing it away, she tapped his shoulders. “Look at you

on your knees.”

“The perfect place to be, for this.” He lifted the satin lining of the jeweler’s box to reveal

one more circle of diamonds, a perfect match to the bangles. “I believe this is the traditional

position to ask this question.”

She stared at the ring for a moment, then blinked, sending a tear down her cheek.

Dan reached up to cup her face in his hands. “Marry me, Maggie. Marry me and let me stay

with you forever, next to you, under you, beside you. I never want to spend one day without

you and your laugh and your love and your jingle.”

Her hand trembling, she picked up the ring and held it out for him to slide on.

As he did, he looked up and held her glistening gaze. “I should never have left you the first

time,” he said. “I loved you then, I love you now, and I will love you for the rest of our lives.”

She took his hand and kissed it; then she held out her left hand and admired the ring.

“Now
that,
” she whispered, “is a very good sign.”

Turn the pagefor a top secret lookat the next exciting novelin Roxanne St. Claire’ssexy Bullet

Catchers series,

Make Her Pay

Coming soon from Pocket Books

LIZZIE’S WATCH ALARM vibrated at three a.m., when the hundred-and-twenty-foot vessel was

silent but for the hum of the generators. The other divers, the captain, and crew were all

asleep. She tiptoed barefoot out of her cabin.

Her feet soundless on the teak floor of the narrow hallway, she barely breathed as she

glanced up the stairs to the main deck, where all was dark and silent. Pausing for a second,

she pulled a dark hooded jersey around her, took a deep breath, and darted down the steps

leading below.

At the bottom, the generators were louder, the engines clunking softly. Grasping the key

she’d taken from Charlotte’s stateroom during the hoopla when one of the other divers had

emerged from the sea holding the beaded silver chain, she headed toward the lab. In the midst