Flash Burned (Burned 2)

I guessed they’d drive it once and then it’d disappear. They’d likely use a different one to return Kyle.

It made for boring times not having him around, given that Amano was always deep in secret-service mode. Playing Wii solo wasn’t all that thrilling, and I didn’t want to overly exert myself because of the baby.

So it was an even more pleasant surprise and relief when Dane came strolling into the living room, from the back patio, while I read.

Peering at him over the top of the book, I said, “Please tell me you’re not a mirage.”

He joined me on the sofa, lifting my curled legs onto his lap and stroking my bare skin. “Not a mirage.”

“Thank God.” I set the novel aside and pulled my legs from where they rested, sliding my butt onto his lap instead. I wrapped my arms around his neck. “To what do I owe the unexpected honor?”

He kissed me softly. One arm circled my waist. His free hand combed through my long, plump curls. “Aside from the fact that it’s impossible to stay away?”

My fingertips grazed the side of his neck, down to his collarbone. “I think about you nonstop. I’ll never get through this book, because my mind keeps wandering to you and then I have to go back and reread. Nothing but you registers.”

His lips tenderly tangled with mine. Then he whispered, “I’m dying a very slow death.”

Tears stung my eyes. “Don’t say that.”

He grunted painfully. “This needs to be over.”

My gaze lifted from his tempting mouth to his clouded green eyes. “Amano’s been on the phone to you all this time, hasn’t he?”

“Not all the time. I’ve had meetings, depositions to give, more evidence to turn over.”

“What did he say?”

“We talked about Vale Hilliard and Wayne Horton. I have to stop them. But they’ve both covered their tracks well. Vale because of his money—he can easily create a layer of anonymity. Horton’s like—”

“A ghost. I know.” I sighed. “But at the end of the day, doesn’t someone with that sort of brilliance want people to know how clever he is? That he could sabotage a world-class, multi-billion-dollar business venture?”

Dane nodded. “It wouldn’t be out of the ordinary. A lot of criminals get caught because they brag to friends or family, post something incriminating and stupid on Facebook, whatever.”

“Like Walt on Breaking Bad.”

“What?”

“A show Kyle and I streamed when we were at the retreat and had WiFi. So this guy is a meth cook and he’s like, the absolute best of the best. When his brother-in-law DEA agent tries to help find this ‘best of the best,’ Walt gets sort of jealous that someone else is going to get credit for his recipe. Even though that guy would go to prison, not Walt. His ego takes over his sensibility.”

“And that’s why you think you could get a confession out of Horton? That he’d want to brag to you about everything he’s pulled off?”

I shot a look out the open patio doors, wondering if my bodyguard was out there. “Amano tells you everything, doesn’t he?”

Dane nodded.

My nerves jumped. It was only a matter of time before Amano discovered I was pregnant. I hid the pre-natal vitamins in my bathroom—wholly off-limits to him. I’d already devoured every book and magazine I could get my hands on when it came to parenting, so I didn’t keep any around the house. I had gradually begun wearing looser clothes, subtly, so as to not draw attention. But eventually, the baby bump would give me away. And I’d need to see my OB-GYN soon. Not to mention, I wanted to start planning for the nursery. Though … I wasn’t sure where that would be set up. Here? At our creek house? Somewhere else?

My life with Dane and plans for the baby were pretty much in limbo. Not a comforting position to be in when you were a planner who needed every detail nailed down before any big event. All of my details hung in the balance at the moment, making me antsy.

Really, I needed to rethink my strategy on keeping my pregnancy a secret. If Dane’s visits became more frequent—which I would love—then any day he’d notice I wasn’t just arbitrarily putting on weight, no matter how toned I stayed from yoga and genetics.

Getting back to the topic at hand, I said of Wayne’s potential bragging, “It would sort of be an in-your-face for him, where I’m concerned. I’m sure he’d love to torture me with stories of how he’s destroyed everything I love—whether he knows you’re alive or not. Vale hadn’t hesitated to tell me who he was and what his role was when he kidnapped me. He was just fine telling me he worked for the bad guys. He was proud to be their henchman.”

“Still is, apparently. I thought for sure they’d cut him out when he fucked up so badly.”

“Maybe they did.… Then maybe he came up with the plan to bomb the hotel. And had the perfect accomplice to make it happen.”

Dane’s jaw worked as he mulled this over.