Free Stolen Heat by Elisabeth Naughton Page B

up—again—and this time dragged me into it.”
    She couldn’t believe he was just going to stand there and act like he hadn’t played a part in what had happened. She opened her mouth to say just that but stopped.
    He was right about one thing. She had dragged him back into this mess. If she’d stuck to her plan and not gone into the Worthington’s lobby last night, neither of them would be here right now.
    “I didn’t mean to—”
    “What you meant to do and what you did are two very different things, then and now. Aren’t they, Kat?”
    Her mouth snapped closed.
    “And now I suppose you’re going to tell me these guys, the ones who were at the auction tonight, saw you and now know you’re not really dead. Which means they’re looking for you because they want to have a nice little conversation about what you remember. And because you showed your face at my auction, that means I’m now fucked because they’ll try to find me to get to you. Is that about right? Please, by all means, fill me in if I missed anything.”
    It was more than right, and his sarcasm proved just how ticked he really was. She sensed now wasn’t the time to tell him the pendant she’d mailed him just before disappearing six years ago held the only evidence that would prove her innocence and possibly put a murderer in jail.
    And that when she was forced to turn it and herself into the authorities tomorrow, she’d have to explain everything she knew about his involvement as well.
    He waited long seconds for a response she just couldn’t give. Finally, he rubbed both hands over his face. “This is all I need right now.”
    All he needed? Get in line, buddy.
    He turned and looked around the room. “I’m soaked.”
    “There are extra clothes in here.” Happy for the excuse to get away from him, she moved to the small closet and pulled out a fresh towel. “Not fancy, but dry.”
    “Whose property is this?”
    She froze. It was the one question she’d hoped he wouldn’t ask. She could tone down the violence of what had happened in that tomb. She could keep her emotions out of it when she told him the story. She could even fudge on the whys of what she’d done. What she couldn’t do was lie to him. Not about this. Because it had been an issue between them even before those last few days.
    “Whose property, Kat?”
    “Marty’s.”
    “Oh, man. This is just fucking fantastic.”
    He stalked toward her, jerked the towel from her hands and shoved the bathroom door open. “Why am I surprised?” he muttered. “Considering everything else, I shouldn’t be.”
    “Oh, for God’s sake, Pete, it’s not what you—”
    “You know what?” He stepped into the small bathroom. “I don’t even want to know. Who the hell you screw isn’t my problem anymore. When the storm breaks, I’m gone.”
    Her back went up. She wanted him gone, right? Then why was her chest suddenly stiff?
    “That pickup in the back of the garage work?” he asked.
    Startled, her mind flashed to the beat-up blue Ford F-250 she’d parked the limo next to. “Yes, I think so.”
    “Good. Then I’ll take that and be out of your hair.”
    “They’ll come looking for you.”
    “Oh yeah?” When he glanced down at her, his eyes were hard and cold and the same steely gray she’d seen tonight in the alley when he’d had Busir pinned to the side of that building. This was the man she didn’t know, a side he’d kept carefully hidden from her. She’d never been afraid of him, but right now, she was. He looked like he could commit murder and enjoy it. “I can’t wait.”
    “Pete—”
    She never got to finish her statement. The door closed in her face. He didn’t slam it, didn’t even snap it shut like she’d expected. He simply clicked it closed and forced her out.
    Then turned the lock so she couldn’t get near him again.

C HAPTER E IGHT
    Present day
Barcelona, Spain
    His phone had a habit of ringing just as he was about to crash for the day.
    Martin