Secrets and Lies (Crimson Romance) (13 page)

He and Juliana waited in the car outside the florist, dressed in jeans and T-shirts. She had her hair in a ponytail and wore heavy mascara and eyeliner, dark eye shadow, and black lipstick. Goth didn’t begin to describe her. She looked years younger than she was. He’d let his hair air dry, so it curled riotously, and had pulled locks forward onto his forehead. He looked like he was in his twenties again.

Charlie checked to be sure his bandage was hidden under his shirt’s sleeve. He couldn’t let it show at the Montgomery mansion. The wounds throbbed from this morning’s exertions. He rubbed his chest where Juliana had bitten him. He liked wearing her marks of possession.

“There.” Juliana pointed as the florist van pulled up to the back door of the shop.

They exited Juliana’s car and approached the van. One of the employees looked up. “Mr. Montgomery said we should help,” Charlie said.

“Talk to the manager.” The dark-haired young man jerked a thumb over his shoulder. “Maggie Solomon.”

Charlie and Juliana walked over to Maggie, a middle-aged blonde woman. Again, Charlie gave his cover story.

“We have enough help.” Maggie continued shoving papers onto a clipboard.

“He’s paying us, so we’re supposed to work,” Charlie said.

Maggie’s dark gaze sharpened. “
He’s
paying you?”

“Yeah. My dad works for him. I’m John. This is my girlfriend, Sondra. We got delayed.”

Maggie looked them over, her gaze lingering a moment on Juliana’s bruise and the love bite on her exposed midriff. “I see. Okay, you can help. We need to load all the flowers for the wedding into the vans, take them out to the estate, place the ones in the house, and store the rest in the coolers.”

“We can do that,” Juliana said.

The loading completed, Charlie and Juliana had to sit on the floor in one of the vans. Surrounded by blooms, the sweet odor was nearly overpowering. He kept his arm around her and nuzzled the side of her face. It was part of their cover, but he couldn’t stop touching her. He wanted to kiss her, but for them, kissing was a prelude to making love.

There was another reason Charlie kept physical contact with Juliana. She was like a GPS device using the sculpture photo in her jeans pocket as her destination. Her body was tight with tension, like a violin string, and when they pulled up to the Montgomery gates, she inhaled sharply.

He did kiss her then, and whispered in her ear. “Keep calm.”

She nodded and kissed him back.

Now
his
body hummed with tension. He couldn’t be near her without wanting to be inside her.

The van pulled close to the back door.

Maggie had to call Juliana’s fake name twice to get her attention. The florist handed her a tall vase of beautiful gladioli and gave her directions to the front foyer. She handed another wider vase to Charlie. “Living room coffee table. Through the foyer. Follow her.”

When they entered the house, Juliana whispered. “It’s here.”

“Where?” In his excitement, he had trouble keeping his voice down.

“Wait.” Juliana closed her eyes to slits.

Charlie nudged her down the hallway. He didn’t want to attract attention to them.

The hallway widened onto a beautiful two-story marble foyer. A wide, curved staircase led to the upper floors.

Juliana pulled up short near the stairs, her eyes opening. “Up.”

Dammit, there were people upstairs. The risk of discovery was high if they attempted the second floor. From where he stood, Charlie could see the living room filled with beautiful furnishings and artwork. Damn Montgomery for stealing the sculpture. Some men could never have enough money.

Charlie and Juliana placed their vases. She eyed the staircase, licking her lips.

He watched the movement with hunger burning in his gut, and lower. He wrenched his gaze away. Should they attempt the upper floors? After getting shot he felt some trepidation for himself. He felt even more for Juliana. He had to protect her.

“Well, what are you waiting for?” Maggie demanded from behind them. “There’s more to unload.” She moved past them to adjust the flowers in the vase Juliana had placed.

Charlie guided Juliana back to the vans.

“Can we get upstairs?” she whispered.

“It’s risky. I’ll think about it while we unload. Tell me if the sculpture moves during that time.”

Maggie didn’t give them any other flowers for the front of the house. Charlie saw a back staircase as they loaded exquisite red roses into the cooler. They were almost done unloading. If they were going to risk it, they had to do it now.

But Haley Montgomery, the bride herself, descended the back staircase looking annoyed. Charlie drew Juliana to him and ducked his face against her neck. He didn’t think Montgomery’s daughter paid much attention to the help around her, but he couldn’t take any chances.

“Miss Montgomery,” Maggie greeted the girl. “Would you like to see your bouquet? It’s gorgeous.”

“Sure.” Haley followed Maggie to the cooler.

“Up,” Charlie urged Juliana. They had to try for the sculpture.

They made it up the stairs, but in the hallway they saw a blonde woman with her back to them. Charlie dragged Juliana back into the stairwell.

“It’s that way,” Juliana pointed down the hall.

Female voices came from below. Maggie and Haley returning. Dammit. “Down,” Charlie ordered.

“But we’re close,” Juliana protested.

“Close to getting caught. Move.”

They made it to the bottom of the stairs before the two women appeared. Charlie took Juliana in his arms for a hungry kiss.

“Back to the van you two.” Maggie sounded resigned.

Charlie tugged Juliana away from the stairs, from the house, from the sculpture. They’d have to try again during the wedding. And they’d have to succeed.

Charlie drove Juliana’s car behind the limo from the hotel to the wedding, giving the other guests the excuse they couldn’t stay for the entire reception due to another commitment later that evening.

Juliana felt wired. This was it, their last chance to reclaim the sculpture before some drug scumbag bought it to create a drug empire in Miami.

Charlie said the sculpture would probably be downstairs this time, easier to reach. She hoped so. Her nerves couldn’t take an extended search for it.

There was a line of cars in front of them turning into the estate, and parked cars lined the curb.

“This will work to our advantage,” Charlie said. “We can park in the street for a quick getaway.” He flashed her a smile.

Juliana wished they had a concrete plan instead of contingencies based on what-ifs. Bank robbers had better-laid plans than she and Charlie. Did he always fly by the seat of his pants? As a boy he’d been restless, flitting from dream to dream. He hadn’t liked to stand still, and he didn’t like structure. What was he like now?

They had to park half a dozen houses down the road. They joined the other wedding guests heading for the gate.

“You look stunning in that dress, darling,” Charlie said.

Juliana smiled at him. He’d said the same thing in their hotel room, only with much more heat. She’d been surprised at how sophisticated she looked in the dress with her hair in a French twist. Charlie looked very Californian dressed in dark slacks, dark blazer, and a cerulean shirt with a Mandarin collar. The expensive sunglasses were a nice touch. He looked very sexy.

She had her hand looped through his right arm. They gave their cover names to a guard at the gate, who checked his list and let them through.

She exhaled a sigh of relief.

The guests headed for the house. Juliana tightened her hold on Charlie’s arm. This was it. She had the photo in the silver purse on her shoulder. As she crossed the threshold, she gripped it tight.

Dalton Montgomery and his wife were greeting guests a few feet inside the door. Juliana’s breath caught. How were she and Charlie going to get past the man?

Yet Charlie held her in line until it was their turn. Charlie gripped Montgomery’s hand. “A beautiful day for a wedding.”

“Yes,” Juliana added. “Thank you for inviting us.”

“Welcome to our home.” Montgomery studied them, trying to identify them. “Please have some champagne.”

Charlie towed Juliana further into the foyer where a server offered them flutes of champagne, which he refused. She led him into the spacious living room where other guests mingled. When they were in front of the second hallway, her body turned toward it. She smiled at Charlie and lowered her voice. “Down that hall.”

With studied nonchalance, he turned. A smile lit his face. He dropped his head to nuzzle her ear. “As I suspected. I know the way in there. When the ceremony begins, we need to be in the house.”

“Wonderful,” she said in a normal tone.

“Let’s mingle a little. I don’t want to attract attention.”

Charlie proved adept at conversing with strangers. He simply asked people questions about themselves. He and Juliana gave their cover names if asked, usually just their first names. And the lies he told—he was an independent film producer, small but expecting to grow; he was an architect, he was a stock trader, he owned an import-export company.

Where he came up with the whopper that Juliana was pregnant with their first child she didn’t know, but it allowed most of the women to cluck over her and give her advice. She barely had to say a word.

After several of these conversations, she began to daydream about what it would be like to have a child.
Charlie’s
child. Dark-haired, with her dark eyes. His son would be a heartbreaker . . . like him.

A slender blonde woman in a mint green silk dress made her way through the room. “If everyone would move into the back yard and find a seat, we’ll begin the wedding.”

The couples Juliana and Charlie had been talking to headed toward the foyer. Charlie held her back from following, instead grabbing a glass of champagne. He watched the hallway nearest them with feigned indifference. After a few minutes a couple headed that way and Charlie followed them.

The sculpture pulled like it was tied to her with a rope. Charlie held her to a slow pace, his arm around her waist. He had to feel her body trembling.

When they reached a doorway on her left, she gasped.

“Breathe, Camille.”

She clutched his arm. “In here.”

“As I suspected,” he whispered. Louder, he said, “Here, hold onto me.”

Juliana heard more people in the hall behind them. Frustration gripped her. The sculpture was right in front of them but they couldn’t get to it.

Charlie pulled her forward. The couple in front of them was already out of sight, but he seemed to know the way. Of course, he’d been here last night.

They entered a large indoor patio. The furniture all faced the green lawn where a large white tent stood, the blue ocean providing a gorgeous backdrop. Guests filled hundreds of white chairs. White-haired women were taking seats indoors.

“Perhaps you should stay out of the sun if you’re feeling faint,” Charlie suggested aloud. “You wouldn’t want to cause a stir during the ceremony.”

Several women looked their way. “She’s pregnant,” Charlie told them, his face glowing. The women gave her knowing smiles.

Why was he drawing attention to them? How were they going to slip away unnoticed?

The music began, and the crowd inside quieted. Everyone focused behind the chairs. The bride appeared wearing a gorgeous white silk gown, and there were exclamations of appreciation from the crowd.

Charlie leaned toward her. “You’re going to feel sick. Frown and clutch your stomach.”

She nodded, doing as she was told. He pulled her from her chair, and they headed toward the door. When they were in the hallway, Charlie said aloud, “I know we passed a bathroom. Hold on.”

Juliana followed him to the left. But as they neared the kitchen, she could hear people talking. It had to be the caterers. Charlie flattened against the wall and peered around the doorway. He held his hand up to wait, then signaled her to move toward the hall on her right. She walked on her toes to limit her high-heeled sandals from clicking on the floor.

When they reached the room with the sculpture, she felt nearly faint with relief. Charlie let her pass him. She went to the large mahogany desk and her hand reached out to touch the bottom drawer. “In here.”

Charlie produced lock picks and got the drawer open. Moments later he opened the door of the safe. Inside was an object wrapped in cloth. She reached past Charlie to touch it. Her hand tingled.

“Yes,” she sighed.

He unwrapped the object. It was smaller than she’d expected, about the size of a paperback book. The carving was very detailed. He placed it in her hands while he returned the cloth, locked the safe and the drawer.

The sculpture’s violent history swamped her, and she swayed beneath the onslaught. She shoved the information to the back of her mind, where it was like a dull buzzing. She couldn’t afford to be distracted now. They had to hide it. She should have brought a bigger purse.

Charlie tugged his shirt from his pants and the action drew her attention. What was he doing? He’d pushed the door nearly closed. Was he planning to have sex
now
?
Here
?

He produced a small roll of black electrical tape from his jacket pocket and handed it to her. “Tape it to my chest.”

“What?”

“It’s the safest way to get it out of here. Hurry.”

He held the sculpture in place while she circled him, taping it to his chest. The black tape made almost no noise when she pulled it from the roll.

“Several more times,” he ordered.

Juliana did as instructed with shaking hands. Any moment she expected the door to fly open and Montgomery’s men to rush in with guns drawn.

“Enough?” she whispered.

Charlie tested it. “Yeah.” He tucked his shirt back in and stuck the tape back in his pocket.

“Now we leave. You’re ill, remember?”

“Yes.” She felt ill. They had to get away.

Charlie opened the office door and looked out. Then he wrapped his arm around Juliana. She laid her head against his chest as they walked toward the living room.