Lost.
I’m lost, like a piece of treasure waiting to be found, and I plan on going nowhere until he does find me. Will he find me? Come back to me? I roll over and bury my face in his pillow, curling into a ball, the pain of his absence excruciating. Find me.
‘Eleanor.’
I blink, thinking, listening. Dreaming?
‘Princess.’
I sit bolt upright in bed, my eyes shooting towards the sound of his voice, my mind telling me not to get too excited. That I might be hearing things. That I might be skipping further down the road to crazy. Then I hear the loud, familiar crunch of his teeth sinking into an apple.
He chews, he swallows, and he sighs. ‘Shit, that’s good.’
‘Oh God!’ I’m off the bed like a rocket, charging across the room, and my body collides with his harshly, knocking the wind out of us both, but I don’t care. I wrap myself around him tightly and cling on.
He laughs and holds me under my arse, carrying me to the bed. ‘Let go.’
‘No,’ I snap, squeezing harder.
‘I’m going nowhere, princess.’
‘I don’t care. It doesn’t stop someone from trying to take you.’
He wrestles with me for a few seconds, forcing my claw-like grip from his neck and pushing me down to the bed. ‘Sit,’ he orders, crouching down and throwing a look over my shoulder. ‘What’s Winston doing in bed?’
I look back and see the pooch curled into a ball. ‘I was lonely,’ I tell him, just as Winston lets out a snorty snore.
‘He’s clearly missed me,’ Becker mutters.
‘What happened?’ I ask, returning my attention to Becker. ‘What did they say? What will they do? What did you say?’
His finger comes to his lips. ‘Shhhh,’ he hushes me and smiles, like it’s humorous. It’s not. I’ve been going certifiably crazy. Why’s he so cool? ‘Price had nothing, Eleanor. But I have something on him.’
I withdraw. Price is in Brent’s pocket. ‘What?’
‘Percy hacked Price’s offshore account.’
My hand goes over my mouth. ‘No.’
He nods his head. ‘Price has been taking backhanders from Wilson for years. He’s as bent as they come. I always knew it, but couldn’t prove it.’
My face must display the outrage I feel. ‘And he really had nothing on you anyway?’
‘Nothing,’ he confirms on a cheeky grin. ‘Except for my attendance at Countryscape.’
‘Becker,’ I drop my voice, an instinctive move, despite it being silly. We’re in The Haven. No one will hear me. I get closer to his face, nearly nose-to-nose. His smile is firmly in place, his amusement obvious, ‘But you did steal it,’ I point out stupidly. ‘How can they have nothing?’
‘I told you, princess. I’m a fucking genius.’ He plants a smacker of a kiss on my dazed face, and I’m suddenly positively desperate to ask him how he pulled off a heist of such epic proportions. ‘Don’t ask.’ Becker halts my question before I can ask it, and my lip pushes out on a slighted pout. He laughs. ‘And pick up your lip.’
‘Tell me,’ I press, giving him puppy dog eyes. ‘Please?’
‘No.’
‘Becker, come on.’
‘You’re too curious.’
‘That’s your fault. Tell me how.’
‘No. That’s one thing you’ll never get from me. If you don’t know, you can’t be forced to tell.’
‘But I know you stole it,’ I remind him.
‘No, you don’t.’ His eyebrow jumps up, and I snap my mouth shut. ‘Do you?’
‘I know nothing.’ I give him a nervous smile, trying desperately to display my coolness.
‘Good girl.’ He rises, my sight following him until he’s standing over me. Taking my hands, he pulls me to my feet.
‘Where’s the ruby?’ I ask. I can’t help it. I do bloody know, and I’m so bloody curious.
‘With its new owner.’
‘Lady Winchester?’
‘Correct.’ He starts unbuttoning his shirt.
‘How does she have it?’ I ask, lending him a hand and starting on the bottom ones. ‘You’ve been locked up for over twenty-four hours.’ Looking up at him, I see a wave of hesitancy travel across his face, and his fingers definitely falter for a split second.
‘You know I have my ways.’ Shrugging out of his shirt, he drops it to the bed and makes his way to the bathroom, ignoring the frown his answer has spiked. He might have his ways but being in two places at once isn’t one of them. And then . . .
I gasp, though I make sure it’s not loud enough for Becker to hear. Percy. I bet Becker’s little whizz kid played a part in this. I’m pressing my lips together so hard, they’re starting to go numb. I watch his back, the map rolling as his arms lift, stretching.
‘Percy.’ I put his name out there, and Becker stops at the bathroom door and looks back at me.
‘Shhhh.’ He smiles. ‘I need a shower.’ He disappears past the glass bricks. ‘Go say hello to Gramps.’
His instruction grabs my attention immediately. ‘He’s here?’