Flash Burned (Burned 2)

Though one distressing thought did pop into my head. “What about my dad?” I asked Mr. Conaway. “He can visit, right?”

“Oh, that.” He gave me a placating smile. “Your father won a two-week first-class trip to the private Augusta National Golf Club. You should give him a call. I’m sure he was very excited when the package was offered to him.”

It took a few seconds to process what he’d said. “You arranged for my father to play the club where the Masters are held?”

“Yes. The club’s GM called him personally.”

My dad had not made it that far in his professional career. This was … over-the-top.

Even Kyle appeared taken aback. “Unbelievable.”

“So,” Mr. Conaway mused. “He’ll be enjoying himself and will, of course, be well looked after.”

I blanched. “You don’t believe—”

“No, absolutely not.” The lawyer quickly picked up on my line of thinking. “He’s perfectly safe, Ari. Kyle would have been as well, if you two hadn’t shown up at the creek house together. Therefore, the most important thing now is to sit tight while Dane finishes his work. Amano should be here in four or five hours. He booked a flight as soon as we hung up.”

“From where?” Kyle wanted to know.

I sighed.

Mr. Conaway told him, “I’m not at liberty to say.”

“This is really crazy and … whacked,” Kyle announced. “I’m not the only one who realizes that, right?”

My heart twisted. “It is, yes. But there’s nothing we can do about it, except…” I spread my arms wide. “Enjoy the estate.”

He glared at me.

“Or skulk about,” I mumbled.

Mr. Conaway said, “I’ll have Eleanor buy you clothes and I’ll bring them over this evening.”

“Thank you,” I said. “For everything. I’m so sorry for all the trouble.”

He smiled. Patted my hand. “This is hardly your doing, Ari. And yet … you have a very interesting outlook on all of this.”

“I knew what I was getting into from almost the beginning,” I admitted. “Dane never once lied to me. Well … other than some farce about beavers chewing through wires at the Lux when the security system went down.” I’d meant that statement as a joke, but something about it lodged in my brain. “Anyway, thankfully we’re safe again.” I eyed Kyle. He merely shrugged.

Mr. Conaway left us to a fully stocked kitchen and wet bar. Kyle offered to make omelets and I jumped in the shower in a master suite—there was one in each wing. My selection looked out onto the pool area, with a breathtaking rock-trimmed waterfall and a huge hammered-bronze cauldron-style fire pit.

I wrapped a plush robe around my naked body and joined Kyle.

“I’ll get the plates and silverware so you can shower,” I told him. “Take the other master suite.”

When he returned, we settled at the kitchen island. We didn’t have much to say over breakfast. The past twenty-four hours had been a bit surreal for him. Unfortunately, not so much for me. Terrifying, sure. But not exactly out of the ordinary these days.

As I rinsed the dishes and put them in the washer, Kyle finally spoke.

“Aren’t you worried about the baby, Ari?”

I glanced at him, also dressed in a robe. “Of course I am. Dane doesn’t know I’m pregnant yet, though, and I intend to keep it that way a little while longer. Until it’s absolutely evident I haven’t just gained a few pounds.” I’d packed on some weight, but it was evenly distributed over my body, making even the tiniest hint of a baby bump just seem like I should spend a couple of hours in the gym every week. Or cut back on the oatmeal and breakfast potatoes.

Kyle lifted the towel I’d left on the counter after drying my hands and he snapped it absently, restlessly, against the marble. “Why haven’t you told him?”

“Because he has extremely important work to do. And he’d stop if he knew about the baby. In fact … I’m afraid this latest episode is going to have him second-guessing what he’s doing.”