Scarlet Nights (Edilean 3)

He looked at her, made no comment, but when they were in the car, he said, “Think you can wait until we get home?”

“Can you?”

Instantly, he pulled the car into the parking lot of a store that was still closed, opened his door, and got out.

“What in the world …?” Sara watched him open the rear door. He got in the backseat and began to unbutton his shirt.

Sara leaped between the front seats, her arms going around his neck and her mouth on his. She was glad his car windows were so dark that no one could see inside. He never did finish removing his shirt.

They spent the morning driving around Fort Lauderdale, where Mike showed her the sights, especially all the magnificent yachts and waterways, which gave the city the nickname “the Venice of America.” Sara could hardly listen because she knew that this afternoon they’d start the journey back to Edilean—and she dreaded it. She’d be in Joce’s car and Mike in his, so they wouldn’t even be together.

Worse, when they got back, all the horror would begin. Greg would be released from wherever they were holding him and at last he’d find out that his fiancée had married Tess’s brother. Sara would love to tell him that she knew about his mother, his wife, and how he wanted her, Sara, because … No one had yet been able to figure that out.

But she’d been told she couldn’t tell him that until Greg’s mother was found. The hope was that Greg would be so angry about Sara’s marriage that he’d make mistakes. Since his mother was the brains in the family, they all hoped Stefan/Greg’s rage at Sara would make him run to Mitzi—and he would be followed.

All this was why Mike planned to compete in the games and draw attention to himself. “You want to become a target, don’t you?” Sara’d said when he told her. “You will be standing in the way of whatever Greg wants.”

“It’s either you or me, baby, and I think I’m more used to being a target than you are.”

Sara didn’t say anything to that because she’d seen the scars on his body. She’d seen enough TV and movies to know bullet wounds when she saw them.

As the last day wore on, she got more nervous. She was worried about Mike. As her husband, he might as well have painted a bull’s-eye on his forehead.

“I forgot to tell you that an agent will be driving Joce’s Mini back to Edilean,” Mike said.

“Then I’ll be riding with you?”

“Of course. Did you think you were going to have to drive back alone?”

“No,” she said. “I thought I was going to drive your fancy car and you could ride in the trunk.”

“Wouldn’t be the first time. I think we should leave about one. That way we’ll get there around midnight. We’ll get a few hours sleep and be ready for the fair tomorrow.”

“It doesn’t start until noon.”

Mike smiled at her. “You aren’t getting cold feet, are you?”

When she looked at him, there was fear in her eyes. “Mike, this is serious. If you’re out there in public in those games someone could hide somewhere and shoot you.”

“Hazards of—” Her look cut him off. He sat down on the couch by her and pulled her into his arms. “I’ve done this kind of thing a hundred times and I h

aven’t lost yet.”

“It only takes once, and I think it’s time you stopped!” she said fiercely. “You’re thirty-six years old, you’re about to retire, you own property now, and I think you should stop risking your life every day.”

“Keeping my wife’s desires satisfied is more likely to kill me.”

She glared at him.

“All right,” he said. “I promise that once this case is done I’ll think about taking a desk job. Does that make you feel better?”

“I want you to stay away from the fair. You need to stay in a locked room with three armed guards who are so big they make the Fraziers look small. You should—”

Mike kissed her. “How about we walk down to the beach? Maybe we’ll see some big turtle laying eggs.”

When she just looked at him, he kissed her again. “I’ll be as careful as I can be. I promise. Come on. We need to go outside. Want me to carry you down to the beach?”

“No, I don’t—” When Mike picked her up and slung her across his shoulder, she couldn’t help laughing, and for a while she forgot about her fears.