Oceans of Fire (Drake Sisters 3)

"Jonas takes his job very seriously and he'll find out who murdered your partner. If you're asking me would he be an asset to you, then yes. And if you're worried that he'll get so close to the truth that whoever is behind this will want him dead, he's tenacious and he'll find the killer. I'd be very grateful if you'd watch over him." She yawned. "I'm so sleepy."

He kissed her neck again. "Go to sleep then. We have tomorrow to talk."

"Sasha..." Her voice was drowsy again. "I have to be at the cove first thing in the morning to give the dolphin antibiotics and then I have a meeting with my sisters. I'm supposed to be helping them plan a double wedding and so far I've contributed absolutely nothing toward the plans. There's also that thing." She made a noise of disgust.

"What thing?"

"Frank Warner is having his party for all the bigwigs and we received the royal summons from Inez, which means we have to go."

"Are you giving me the brush-off?"

She stiffened at his tone. "No. I'm telling you I have plans tomorrow and won't be able to see you. I do have a life, you know. And I thought you were here on business. Don't you have an investigation to run?"

"My investigation is going fine. I'm able to juggle more than one thing in my life at a time."

She looked at him with her vivid green eyes. "Am I one of those things?"

"You're everything."

13

"ABBEY! You're late!" Hannah glared at her sister. "And you're dripping all over the floor."

Abigail stood in the doorway for a moment, looking like a guilty child caught with a hand in the cookie jar. Her usually vivid red-gold hair hung in damp tails, dripping water down her neck and shoulders. There was even water on the tips of her feathery eyelashes.

Hannah regarded her with amusement. Abigail had stripped off her wetsuit somewhere before coming home, but her mask still hung from her fingertips as if she'd forgotten she carried it. She was barefoot and wearing only her modest one-piece and a pair of very wet sweatpants.

"I know, I know. I'm sorry." Abigail Drake slammed the kitchen door closed and looked longingly over toward the kettle. "I'm desperate for a cup of tea."

Hannah couldn't resist Abigail's enormous puppy-dog eyes and she glanced at the silver kettle sitting on a burner. As if on cue, the burner sprang to life, flames hissing softly beneath the kettle. "I'll make you a cup while you shower, but hurry." She glanced at her watch. "We're already half an hour late."

Abigail ran for the stairs, Hannah following behind her. "I couldn't help it. I had to give antibiotics to Kiwi this morning and then the other dolphins were in the cove and they were so responsive I couldn't resist a swim. It was so peaceful that I completely forgot the time." She grinned at her sister over her shoulder. "If you had a choice between sweet, entertaining dolphins versus making an appearance at Frank Warner's gallery, which would it be? Besides, Frank avoids me pretty much like the rest of Sea Haven if he can help it. I hate these things."

"They don't avoid you, Abbey," Hannah said.

"Sure they do, they're all afraid I'm going to blurt out the wrong thing and they'll tell the world a deep dark secret. I'd rather be under the sea with the dolphins."

"You have a point, but you also missed the meeting about Sarah and Kate's wedding plans. Even Aunt Carol was in a huff over it and you know she adores you."

Abigail paused at the entrance to the tiled bathroom. "I know." She shoved back the mass of wet, salty hair from her face. "I shouldn't have done that. It's just that..." She trailed off with a small sigh.

"Is it Jonas or Aleksandr that you're avoiding?" Hannah asked.

Abigail stiffened, a slight reaction, but Hannah caught it right away. Abigail's expression was immediately wary. "Both. Did either of them call?"

"Yes." Hannah put her hand on Abigail's shoulder to prevent her escape into the bathroom. "Jonas has been calling all morning. Why are you upset with him?" She watched her sister closely for a reaction. Shadows moved in Abigail's eyes, veiled her expression.

Hannah pressed her hand over her heart. It actually ached and she knew she was feeling her sister's pain in spite of the fact that Abigail smiled at her. "Abbey, I wish I could help."

"I know you do, honey. I have to work things out on my own. I'm so mixed up right now and it doesn't help with Jonas calling and demanding I talk to him about things I really don't know about. He should just talk to Aleksandr and leave me out of it. I came home to help plan my sisters' wedding and to research my dolphins. I don't want to know anything about stolen artifacts or murders. I just wish they'd all leave me alone."

Hannah regarded her sister with solemn eyes. "You slept with him, didn't you?"

A faint smile touched Abbey's mouth. "Well, yes."

"And it wasn't good?"

"It was great. Aleksandr and I are very compatible. It isn't the sex. It's how much I need him. How he can get to me. I want it to be just sex--it would be so much safer that way, Hannah."

"Abbey, any woman who spends her life in the sea doesn't play it safe. I'm not saying go after him, because I don't honestly know what he's like. His aura is very mixed and indicates conflict, violence, and danger, but also protection and a lot of other great qualities."

"I ache for him. I can't get him out of my head."

"I'm sorry, hon, I know you're hurting. And he's called every hour for you. I know he thinks I'm lying when I tell him you aren't here." Hannah indicated the bathroom. "Go take a shower. You're dripping all over the hall. I'll make you a cup of tea. You'll need it to go to this party." She made a little face.

"I know how much you hate them."

"I feel like I'm two people inside, Abbey." Hannah looked down at her hands. "I'm the real me, the way I am with my family, outgoing and strong, and then I go out into a public situation and I can't talk without stammering. It's so frustrating. I believe in myself. It doesn't matter to me what others think of me." She paused. "Well, my family and maybe that rat Jonas, although why he matters, I have no idea."

Abigail studied her sister. She was always slightly shocked at how beautiful Hannah really was. She was tall, fashionably thin, but managed to still have full, natural breasts. Her hair was white-gold, thick and long, and held an incredible shine. Everything about Hannah was elegance and class, from her large, heavily fringed eyes and high cheekbones to her wide, full mouth. There was power in Hannah's slender body, and a mischievous nature hidden beneath her ice cool exterior. Few ever saw that side of Hannah. The larger the gift, the stronger the power, the more drawbacks nature counterbalanced with, and Hannah's talent was extreme. And Jonas was right. She looked tired and drawn and far too thin in spite of her beauty.

"Don't." Hannah blinked back tears. "I'm fine."

"I'd hug you, but I'm all wet," Abigail said. "You could always turn him into a toad. That would solve both our problems."

"I've been considering it. Or better yet, every time he opens his mouth to say something mean to me, a nice loud croak comes out."

They both burst into laughter.

The kitchen door banged just as the kettle began to whistle. "Hey!" Sarah Drake called up the stairs. "I can hear the two of you cackling like a couple of witches, but I sure don't see either of you at the gallery where you belong. Just what are you up to?"

The two sisters exchanged a long, guilty look.

"Save me," Abigail mouthed and rushed to the bathroom to wash the sea salt from her hair and body.

Hannah raced down the stairs to intercept her oldest sister. "Sarah! I thought we were meeting at Frank's gallery."

Sarah lifted an eyebrow as she examined Hannah's flawless face. "I'll just bet you did. Were you and Abbey thinking of sneaking off and accidentally missing it?"

"I was making a quick cup of tea for Abbey," Hannah hedged.

"You did consider it, didn't you?" Sarah poked her sister in the ribs. "You look beautiful all dressed up in that elegant outfit. Where else would you go in Sea Haven dressed so nice?"

"I w

as thinking of my old flannel pajamas, a good movie, and some popcorn," Hannah said. Her hands moved gracefully as she spooned tea leaves into a small teapot.

"Abbey just got back, didn't she? Kate said she and Matt dropped by the old mill to make a few changes in the plans and she saw Abbey's skiff out in Sea Lion Cove. Abbey spent the day playing with the dolphins."

"It isn't playing, Sarah. She works. She's a marine biologist."

Sarah gave an inelegant sniff. "Not here, she's not. You're a model, Hannah, but when you come home, you're our sister and you're here to plan a wedding. A double wedding. Abbey's out every day in the ocean instead of working with us."

"I know." Hannah ducked her head. "She's worried about the dolphin who was injured and she went out to take care of him. You know how the dolphins always congregate and call to her when she's around."

"She's hiding the way she always does," Sarah said, a mixture of concern and exasperation in her voice. "She slept with that man, didn't she?" She glanced toward the stairs. "Has she said anything at all about the other one? We need to know what we're up against."

"I haven't asked her yet, but I was going to over tea."

"I want to know just how dangerous he is. And if Jonas knows about him."

"Jonas doesn't need to know anything about that other man. He can't handle someone with that kind of power," Hannah said. "Did you feel the electricity gathering in the air with that small push he sent Joley? He really zapped her hand and yet, just brushing her palm with his thumb took the pain away."

"Joley was furious. I've never seen her that way," Sarah said. "I was actually afraid she'd start some kind of battle with him right on the spot."

"You have a lot of connections. Can you find out anything about him?"

"If we get his name, I'll start inquiries."

Hannah nodded and glanced up the stairs. The water in the shower had turned off but Abigail would be upstairs a few minutes longer. "I'm worried about Abbey. She's been really unhappy for years and with Aleksandr coming back into her life she's more upset than ever. Her solution is always to disappear. She goes off to another part of the world researching and doesn't have to interact with us at all. She just withdraws."

Sarah studied the shadows in Hannah's eyes. "You're really worried, aren't you?"

"Aren't you?" Hannah countered.

Sarah nodded, her shoulders sagging a little. "The truth is, I've been scared for Abbey. I was hoping I was just being paranoid. But she lets you closer to her than any of the rest of us. Don't lose her, Hannah. I know it's a burden for you because you're so empathic and she's so troubled right now, but you've got to hang on to her until the rest of us can figure out how to bring her back to us." Sarah flicked a glance toward the stairs, then forced a smile. "What about you? How are you doing? How'd the shoot in Africa go?"

"The photographer was a genius. I'd like to work with him again. I enjoy the traveling and Africa was beautiful. I hired a guide and stayed three weeks just to try to take everything in. I can't even begin to tell you the awe I felt out in the wild." Her eyes sparkled. "It was like being free. The strange thing was, I didn't have a single panic attack out in the wild, with just the guide and me. I didn't stammer. I could actually talk to him. Mostly I just listened. He had such wonderful stories to tell me."

"I'm so pleased for you, Hannah," Sarah said. "I wondered why we didn't receive an SOS from you."

Hannah poured a cup of tea, added milk, and handed it to Sarah before pouring a second cup. "I know it must get old for everyone to have to help me when I'm on jobs. It's so draining for all of you over such a long distance." She turned with perfect timing and handed the cup of tea to Abigail as she came up to them dressed in a sleek pinstriped pantsuit that was more feminine than either sister had ever seen her wear.

"Nice, Abbey. Are you expecting to go out on a date with Frank?"

Abbey made a face. "As if. I'll leave that to Aunt Carol. Is she already there?"

"She helped oversee all the details with the caterers and the party planner along with Inez. They want this to be a huge success. Aunt Carol ordered me to come and collect you," Sarah explained. She glanced at her watch. "We're already late so a few more minutes won't matter that much. I haven't had a chance to ask you about the other Russian, the one with the magic. Who is he?"

"His name is Ilya Prakenskii. He was raised in the same state-run home that Aleksandr was raised in. I asked Aleksandr if he remembered anything different about Prakenskii and he did recall a few things that indicates the man may have been born with the same gifts we have. He's definitely adept at them. He tried to subtly push me to say something I didn't want to say, and when I realized it, I challenged him to a game of truth or dare." She smirked. "He definitely didn't want to engage."

"Does Aleksandr think he's dangerous to us?"

"He says he's a dangerous man, has the reputation of a hit man, and that he works for Sergei Nikitin, who just happens to head up one of the Russian mafia families. Nikitin absolutely loves Joley's music and wants to meet with her."

"She attracts the worst people. I think she needs a stamp on her forehead that says, 'If you're a psycho, apply here.'" Sarah sighed and looked at her watch again. "We have to find out as much as we can about this Prakenskii. And all of us need to keep a watch on Joley. She can be a bit psycho herself if anyone pushes her too hard. We'd better get to the party. After all, Frank let the press know Hannah would be there."

"Not just Hannah," Abigail said. "Poor Joley and Kate as well. He did a lot of name-dropping to bring in a crowd. He'll get it, too, dangling the three of them like that."

"Inez is proud of him for that. She wants this event to be a huge success and for the townspeople to fully support him," Sarah said. "She thinks he brings culture to us."

Hannah put up one hand in surrender. "Fine, I'll go, but I wish he wouldn't have so many of his famous fund-raisers. He seems to time them so coincidentally when I happen to be back in town."

"He does, doesn't he?" Abbey said.

"Clever man," Sarah added. "Free press for him."

The town, usually quiet and homey, was alive with people. Several limousines were parked along the wooden sidewalks and various top-of-the-line models of cars lined the streets. Teenage boys hung around in groups to admire the more exotic cars while the young girls tried to catch glimpses of celebrities as they entered the fashionable art gallery.

Frank Warner had been in Sea Haven a good ten years and his gallery was classy, spacious, and filled with interesting antique artifacts and paintings. Sarah had been to his home once with Inez and she said his house was filled with beautiful artifacts from around the world. Old and much-revered paintings were kept in special rooms where the sun never touched them.

The gallery featured sculptures from modern times as well, art forms in several types of material, all pleasing to the eye and carrying a hefty price tag. Only a couple hours' drive from San Francisco, the town's quaint beauty, with its theater and culture, had appealed to Warner and he'd stayed, making a surprising success out of his gallery.

He often featured some of his own paintings of the local area, the harbors and cliffs, the crashing waves and windswept landscapes. The Drake sisters found him talented, eccentric, and a bit of a coward, using their fame but not wanting to get too close to the strange, magical gifts they shared.

Hannah waved to a crowd of teenagers and Abbey sent a brief smile, stepping close to her younger sister. Hannah always looked poised and confident, even a bit haughty as she swept through a crowd with her elegant, exotic beauty, yet she was painfully shy and often had panic attacks. Whenever she made public appearances her sisters aided her by binding together so she could speak and breathe without problems. It was draining on all of them, but they were so used to it, they did it automatically.

"You look beautiful, Abbey," Sarah said as they entered the gallery. "I like that pinstripe on you. And you've done something different with your hair."

Hannah burs

t out laughing, the sound turning heads. "She's wearing it down and it isn't soaking wet and dripping saltwater."

"Hey now!" Abbey protested. "I'm not always soaking wet."

Sarah made a derisive sound. "Yes, you are. I think you'd live in the sea if we let you. Kate thinks you're evolving into a mermaid. Don't you, Kate?" she added as Kate approached them.

Kate Drake laughed at Abbey's expression. "You know it's true, so don't bother denying it. I'm getting married in a couple of months and you haven't contributed so much as a preference for colors or flowers."

"I said I thought a scheme of coral reef would be pretty as a centerpiece on the tables," Abbey pointed out.

Kate nearly snorted the sip of wine out her nose. She waved Abigail away. "Go mingle so Inez will be happy with us. She's looked at her watch fifty times in the last ten minutes and she's upset because Joley made a comment about one of Frank's goddess sculptures looking a little anorexic."

"That's our Joley, stirring the pot," Sarah said. "Come on, Kate, we'll do damage control. You two stay out of trouble."

Hannah caught sight of Joley weaving her way through the crush of the crowd and nudged Abbey. "There's Joley. Let's do a fast run through and make our way to her. Maybe we can get out before Inez asks us to do something like stand on our heads for everyone."

"Good idea." Abbey drifted around the room, murmuring greetings to people she knew and acknowledging introductions quickly to protect Hannah as much as possible.

"There's so many people," Hannah said. "Isn't there a fire code? Where does he find all these people?"

"There's Aunt Carol. Take a look at the man hanging on her arm"--Abigail pointed rudely but she was so shocked she didn't care--"that's old man Mars."

Hannah laughed. "You mean Reginald. He's all cleaned up and wearing a suit. Aunt Carol is snapping pictures like mad. Hopefully she'll get one of him because if any moment in time is worth recording, this would be it. I've never seen him in anything but his overalls and a scruffy face."

"He's actually good-looking."

Abbey smiled and waved at Frank Warner as he swiftly, but very politely, moved through the crowd in the opposite direction. Amusement put a smile on her face as she waited for Hannah to sign another autograph. Over in the corner Kate was signing a book she'd written and Joley scrolled her name across a baseball cap.