Raising the Stakes

“Would he be one you’d respect?”

It was an incisive question and went swiftly to the heart of the matter. “He would be, yes. I spoke with old friends who’re still on the force. Baron’s tough. He’ll use everything at his disposal to defend a client but he plays by the rules…and, after all is said and done, getting his people off is what he’s supposed to do.”

“I suppose.” Mary sighed. “But why does that make things more complicated?”

Dan thinned his lips, rolled them in over his teeth. “They had a date a couple of nights back, he and our lady.”

“And?”

“And, it seems it didn’t go too well.”

“That’s good, isn’t it? I mean, that’ll be the end of his interest.”

“I don’t know about that, Mary. And I keep wondering… Baron is interested in Dawn. Dawn’s husband has a record. Could there be some connection between a man who is a criminal and one who defends them?”

“Oh God.” Mary clenched her fists. “Do you think—”

“No, I do not.” Dan lay his hand over hers. “I can’t for the life of me think why a New York lawyer with his thousand-dollar suits and a fancy degree would even be in the same room as Dawn Carter’s husband. Baron doesn’t handle penny-ante apes like that. Just going on gut instinct,” he said, patting her hand, “I’d say the odds of the two being connected is zero.”

Mary sat back. “Then, why are you still worried?”

“Because nothing I’ve learned explains why Baron’s focusing on Dawn, or the reason he reacted as Keir says he did when he learned her name.”

“Do we know anything else about him?”

“His uncle is Jonas Baron. He’s a big-time Texas rancher with a finger in half a dozen other pies. Real estate, mining, oil… The old man’s right up there on that annual Fortune 500 list of the richest people in America.”

“Are they close? Graham Baron and his uncle?”

Dan shrugged. “Not so you’d notice it and besides, I don’t see how his being Jonas Baron’s nephew has any meaning here.” He looked into Mary’s eyes and his hand tightened on hers. “Don’t look so worried, Duchess,” he said softly. “We’ll keep an eye on Dawn. And on Baron, as long as he’s in town”

Mary nodded. “Good.”

“Besides, Keir might have misinterpreted the way Baron looked when he introduced him to Dawn. It’s entirely possible the man’s sole interest in her is…biological.”

“Biological?” Mary watched the color stripe Dan’s cheeks and she struggled to keep from laughing. “Do you mean `sexual,’ Mr. Coyle?”

He nodded. That was all he could manage because, all at once, he felt as tongue-tied as a boy. Was that the gentle sound of laughter in her voice? Was she flirting with him? And—he looked down at their hands, joined now that she’d gently laced her fingers through his—and, God in heaven, was he actually clasping this woman’s hand? He’d admired her for a long time. More than admired her but though she’d always been polite, she’d never looked at him as if he were anything but her chief of security.

She was looking at him differently now. As if he were a man, and she were a woman, and she might enjoy spending some time in his company.

“That’s what I meant,” he finally said, “exactly.”

She laughed. “Well, I think you’re probably right. And I think your plan is excellent. To keep an eye on things, I mean.”

“Well, it’s all we can do without alerting Dawn to our concerns.”

“And we must not do that,” Mary said emphatically. “I have the feeling she’d flee if she thought we knew her secrets.”

“I agree.”

A moment passed. Then Mary eased her hand

from Dan’s and rose to her feet. “Forgive me, but I have an appointment with my doctor. Oh, goodness, don’t look like that! I want to take off a little weight. I’m just going in to discuss diets.”

“You don’t need a diet,” he said, rising also. “You look fine, just the way you are.”

Mary felt her heart trip. It had nothing to do with illness and everything to do with the way he was looking at her. The sensation was one she’d never imagined experiencing again.