“More like blackmail. He’s trying to locate the documents that will exonerate her father and free her.”
Elizabeth could see Roark was itching to join the action. “Are you going to help him look?”
“For now, I need to be here.”
But she had to wonder how much longer before he took off on another adventure? Would he last much past Thanksgiving? Elizabeth scrutinized his frown and tense body language. She’d better prepare herself to say goodbye.
* * *
Roark was hanging by his fingertips thirty feet off the gym floor when his cell phone began to ring. This better be the call he’d been waiting for. Swinging his leg up, he slipped his toe into a hold and freed his right hand to tap the Bluetooth headset.
“Roark.”
“I found someone who can help us find Mas.”
Not the call he was waiting for, but just as good. “Where?”
“Cairo.”
Not only was Roark searching for any word on Darius, he was tracking the thief who’d stolen the Gold Heart statue documents. “How long ago?”
“Two hours. Keeps a girlfriend in Agouza.”
“Keep an eye on him, I’ll be there in twelve hours.”
Roark disconnected the call as soon as his feet hit the ground. He’d rappelled down the rock wall during the brief conversation and gathered up his duffel as soon as he’d packed away his gear.
On the street he hailed a taxi and dialed Vance. “I have some business in Cairo to take care of. Can you and Charlie escort Elizabeth to the gala tonight?” This evening’s function benefited the local food pantry.
“Charlie and I will take care of your fiancée, but are you sure that leaving town is a good idea right now?”
“It’s the perfect time. With all the suspicion surrounding the Gold Heart statue, I have to retrieve the documents that prove it’s authentic and not the one missing from Rayas.”
“And Elizabeth will be okay that you’re not going to spend Thanksgiving with her?”
Roark shied away from the true answer. “This isn’t a real engagement, remember?” The words didn’t reflect well on his character, Roark decided. On this anniversary of her family’s tragic accident, Elizabeth was counting on him to be there for her. She hadn’t come right out and said so, but he’d noticed how much comfort she took in his presence. And wasn’t that exactly what he’d hoped to avoid when he’d chosen Elizabeth to become his pretend fiancée?
“I remember,” Vance said. “It’s just that after seeing you two together I thought…”
“You thought what?” Roark interrupted, taking his bad mood out on his brother. “It’s all an act.”
“Well, it’s a damned good one.” Vance paused a second. “In fact, if I didn’t know better, I’d say you had real feelings for Elizabeth.”
“You don’t know better. This is all for Waverly’s. As soon as Rothschild’s takeover threat is dealt with, I’m heading back to Dubai and Elizabeth will get on with her life.”
Vance’s words ate at Roark as he went to his loft to grab the bag he always kept packed for just such quick escapes before heading to a downtown Manhattan heliport. He’d already contacted a man who owed him a favor. To avoid being stopped by the FBI, he was hitching a ride on the businessman’s Gulfstream to Amsterdam. From there he’d hop a commercial flight to Cairo.
Traffic slowed the taxi. Roark made use of the time to dial Elizabeth’s cell. It went straight to voice mail. She didn’t deserve to hear about his trip in a message. He disconnected the call. She was probably meeting with her boss. When she’d left his loft this morning, her mind had been far from her perfunctory goodbye kiss. Already they were behaving like a couple that had been together for years, taking each other for granted.
Yet, they’d only known each other three weeks.
Guilt nudged him, but he shoved it aside. Elizabeth knew what she was getting into when she’d agreed to help him out. He wasn’t the sort who stayed put and enjoyed being domesticated. He craved the thrill of the chase. Wanted no one and nothing to pin him down.
Sure, this elaborate hoax to save Waverly’s was a little unusual for him. But he wasn’t doing it because he intended to stick around and get involved with the day-to-day running of Waverly’s. That was Ann’s responsibility.
Roark slipped his phone into a side pocket of his duffel and headed to the waiting helicopter that would take him to Long Island MacArthur Airport. The chopper ride would be too noisy for another try at calling Elizabeth. He would just have to wait.
The private plane was taxiing toward the runway when he finally made contact.