In Plain Sight (Stolen Hearts) (25 page)

Chapter Sixteen

“This is weird.”

Bridget looked her brother over. Yup, he still had all ten fingers, and, she supposed, ten toes. “No kidding.”

He put his arm around her shoulders as they exited the jail. “The O’Neills both set free on the same day. If I never see the inside of another jail, it’ll be too soon.”

She was out on bail, unlike Darcy, who had been released because Dejarnatt had honored his promise to Armand and dropped the charges. Armand had told her he was going to make that happen. Her trial wouldn’t take place for another two months, and anything could happen in that time—good or bad.

Gage had worked hard to get Darcy released on the same day as she was, because, he said, she needed someone she could trust one hundred percent. Rafe was still recovering, and things were so messed up between them, she wanted to cry every time she thought about him.

Gage said Rafe had plunged into a deep depression when he found out she was pregnant. She’d hurt him too much and too often to ever be able to mend the rift between them. But if she could just do this one thing to clear her name, she could at least ensure their child had a future.

Darcy squeezed her shoulders. “You don’t look so good, sis. Are you going to tell me what’s going on?”

“I am.” What a relief she didn’t have to lie. Her past was the same as Darcy’s, and he understood more than anyone what she’d lived through. Just as Rafe had shared a part of her life no one else would completely understand. She shoved the thought away and slipped on her sunglasses as she took a long hard look at what was happening on the street in front of them.

Gage had told her she wouldn’t see the agents shadowing her, and if she did spot them, to let him know. Heaven knew how many people Bad Guy had on her tail. No one had been able to identify who was behind the planned theft. Probably because she’d killed most of the witnesses.

She pushed against the gray wall of depression that surrounded her. Knowing that she’d saved Rafe’s life and her child’s helped ease the guilt, but it didn’t completely erase the fact that two people were dead because of her. Her throat ached as she tried to gulp a breath of air, the now familiar sign that preceded the mini panic attacks she’d been experiencing since escaping from the farm.

And she hadn’t even begun dealing with Armand’s death.

“It’s hard to believe Armand’s dead,” Darcy said, as if reading her thoughts. “He was kind of like a father figure to me. Even if I didn’t see him the last few years, I liked knowing he was out there.”

“I’ll miss him,” she murmured through closed lips. “I sent his body back to Paris. I was afraid he’d haunt me the rest of my life if I let them bury him anywhere but Paris.”

He slanted her a sideways look. “When are you going to tell me what’s been going on?”

“Now, I guess. Let’s walk to your apartment, and I’ll tell you on the way.”

“We’ll walk until you get tired, and we have to stop somewhere so I can have a salad and a glass of wine. Jail food will kill you if the inmates don’t.”

Bridget smiled for the first time since the escape from the farm. Gage was right, she needed someone on her side. Someone to love. Someone who knew everything about her.

An hour later, they sat at an outdoor café, their salad plates almost empty. Bridget had eaten more today than she had in the last week. Maybe confession was good for the soul.

Darcy stared at her stomach. “No way.”

She smiled. “Way. You’re going to be an uncle, so you’d better clean up your act.”

“Boy or girl?”

“I don’t know yet. I have to find a doctor first.”

He leaned forward. “I want to go with you.”

“Where?”

“To the doctor. When you get an ultrasound, and when you give birth. I want to be there for you.”

Bridget blinked back tears. Rafe should have been saying those things to her, but she hadn’t given him a chance. “Thanks, Darcy.”

“Yeah, well, I’m your bro’.” He dragged a hand through his hair. “So what are we going to do about the necklace caper?”

“It’s not a joke. He’s killed once, and he’ll kill again.”

“I’m worried about Claire. Does anyone know where she is?”

Bridget tossed her napkin on the table. “The feds think she left the country. You could ask Gage or DeMarco to track her down, I guess. But maybe for now she’s better off not being found. Things could get messy. I suppose she was trying to help in a way by feeding the FBI information about us.”

“I want to think she’s a friend, but I’m not sure who she was helping. The FBI let you keep the necklace?”

“I have to retrieve it from the SUV, which is still sitting in the impound yard. Gage said it’ll look like I’m picking up my personal possessions, but not like the cops are letting me have it. Can you find a stone setter? I have to locate some realistic-looking gems.”

“Are you sure you want to finish the necklace?”

“I don’t have a choice. If I don’t finish it and put the word out I’m ready to make a deal so the FBI can hopefully catch this guy, my life isn’t worth anything.”

“What’s up with this Rafe guy? Is he the father?”

She studied her hands. “I can’t talk about him yet, okay? Gage says he’s doing okay. He was in the ditch with me. Cyrus shot him.”

“And you shot Cyrus. Jesus, Birdie. At least those shooting lessons Armand insisted you take paid off. This Gage guy seems to have a lot to say. What’s up with that? He’s FBI.”

“Oh, yeah. Lives and breathes his job. He didn’t interview you in jail?”

“Some, yeah. They brought in another dude. I’m not sure he was FBI, but he works for them sometimes, or something like that. Chance Spencer. Very cool guy. He was different from Gage and DeMarco. More laid-back, but…I don’t know how to describe the difference. He wasn’t as serious as the other two. I liked him.”

“Enough to tell him everything?”

A faint blush colored Darcy’s cheeks. “Not everything. Do you trust Gage or is he just using you?”

“I don’t trust anyone but you.” And Rafe, but what was the point of admitting that? He was out of her life.

“Let’s go.” She stood and automatically looked for suspicious-looking characters. This was her life until she could lure Bad Guy out of hiding. He’d been so secretive all along, she wondered if it was possible to find him.

“I’ll get a taxi. You look like you need a nap.”

“We should write down a list of people Armand associated with,” she said as they climbed into the back seat of a taxi. “It has to be someone he knows, don’t you think?”

“Not necessarily, and we hadn’t seen Armand for years. Hard to tell what was going on with his life.”

“I need to start somewhere, so I’m going with who we know for now. We know a lot of people in the trade, Darcy. Maybe one of them can tell us something.”

“Okay. You’ll need some tools, a lab to work in. Let me check around. See who’s still in town. Don’t worry. We’ll get you set up in no time.”

Bridget relaxed back into the seat and closed her eyes.
Don’t worry
. If only. These days, that’s all she did. That couldn’t be good for the baby. She had to end this. Soon.

One Month Later

“I don’t know how it’s possible, but you’ve grown even more handsome in the last few months.” Honey patted Rafe’s tie and stepped back to survey her work. “I’m almost considering taking up where we left off. Or I would if I didn’t know you’re hopelessly in love with that woman. How could she leave you to recover on your own?”

“That woman’s name is Bridget O’Neill.” He still couldn’t say her name without getting a dull ache in his chest. Sophie said his heart was broken. He wasn’t willing to go that far, but he had a hard time getting excited about anything these days.

“And I was hardly on my own. I must have gained ten pounds from all those home cooked meals you and Sophie and Marianne made for me.” He’d have preferred to lick his wounds in private, but the women in his life had other ideas.

He’d been relieved to discover Honey was also attending the same awards ceremony. It was his last gig with the ad agency. After this he was a free man. “Who’s your escort?” he asked as he perched on the end of the sofa in Honey’s hotel room. In a few minutes, they’d have to plaster on a smile and find their escorts for the evening.

“Rocky Latour.” She laughed. “I can’t even say his name out loud without giggling. Who have you got?”

He pulled a slip of paper out of his pocket. “Leita Moorehouse. Don’t know her.”

“Ohhh, she’s a beauty. I saw her in the
Moonlight Drive
. Did you see that movie?”

“Nope.” He checked his watch. “Showtime. Catch you later.” He dropped an absent kiss on his friend’s cheek and went to find his lady for the evening. Thank God this was the last time he had to stand around looking interested in someone he couldn’t care less about. Had he really enjoyed acting as an escort once upon a time?

When he knocked on Leita’s door, her agent ushered him inside with a quick look up and down the hallway. Rafe had met Greg Dobson before, and they shook hands.

“Any press out there?”

“Not that I noticed.”

“Drink?” Greg held up an open champagne bottle.

Great. It always made his evening longer and more difficult when the star drank before the ceremony. “No, thanks.”

“They’re doing her jewels. Then it’s straight down to the interview area.”

Jewels
. Hell. He’d forgotten, or more likely had blocked out that part. Priceless jewelry was lent out for events like this either to advertise the jeweler and/or for the actor to catch the public’s attention more than the next person in line. Security was always tight at award ceremonies for that reason. He shouldn’t have listened to Honey and Marianne when they’d convinced him doing this show would be good for him. Anything remotely related to jewels was torture.

When Leita finally exited the bedroom with an entourage of men behind her, Rafe felt as if someone had punched him in the gut. He stared at her necklace, recognizing the design.
Fucking sapphires
. Leita gave him a demure, knowing smile, assuming, probably, that he found her fascinating. He finally tore his gaze away from the necklace and looked into her eyes, which were as blue as the stones around her neck.

“Is this some kind of fucking joke?”

Leita’s smile disappeared, and she looked toward her agent. “Greg?” she pouted.

Greg stepped between him and Leita. “Is there a problem?”

“Her necklace.” Rafe looked at the two security men standing behind her. “Is it real?”

A small man stepped out from behind the two large security guys. “I assure you, it is the Belgian sapphire. I brought it from Paris myself.”

Rafe stared at the necklace again. It wasn’t the same as the replica he and Bridget had worked on. Close, but not exact. He pinched the bridge of his nose and made himself take deep breaths. He should have known he wasn’t well enough to handle the show. Right now it felt like he’d never be able to pull his shit together.

“I’m sorry.” He dropped his hand and tried to smile. “I thought it was another necklace. I’m Rafe.” He held his hand out to Leita. “You look beautiful tonight.”

They went through the usual instructions of go here, say this, smile, smile, smile. Rafe only half heard what they said, but it didn’t matter. He was nothing more than window dressing. He discreetly checked his watch as they filed out of the room. Two hours, and he’d be free.

It wasn’t until he and Leita had run the gauntlet of cameras and microphones stuck in their faces and were standing in the foyer of the convention center, Leita desperately trying to look as if she were enjoying herself, that Rafe had time to look around for Honey.

Out of the corner of his eye he saw the familiar shape of the back of a man’s head.

Gage? Here? Nah. He smiled down at Little Leita, as he’d silently nicknamed her. She was too young and too new to the business to know many people. He caught Honey’s eye and steered Leita toward the famous star. When he’d broken through the circle around Honey and introduced the two, he stood back and looked for Gage again.

He’d imagined seeing his brother-in-law. But…hang on. What the hell was DeMarco doing here? He shouldered his way through the crowd, but by the time he got to where DeMarco had been standing, he was gone.