Casting the Dice Read online

  That didn’t necessarily mean they would also plant a bomb under Hal’s SUV. Except she’d had that weird feeling someone was watching her.

  That had been more of hunch and—Oh, she didn’t know and didn’t want to think about it anymore. Her headache had revived, and she needed to be careful not to get stressed. She didn’t want to chance another memory lapse when she was still dealing with this one. “I need to get home.”

  Hal pulled out a cell phone, looked at the surprisingly intact screen and lifted his gaze to hers. “Can you hold on a second?”

  “Not too long, please.” She turned toward the river. Dark blue thunderclouds smothered the setting sun. A ferry slid into a nearby river landing. With the excitement gone, spectators walked away. Wait a minute…

  That guy with the shaggy brown hair… Didn’t he look like that photo Hal showed her?

  She craned her neck, but a couple stepped in front of him, blocking her view. She turned to show Hal, but he signaled for her to wait another minute. When she looked back at the crowd, the man she’d thought she’d seen was gone. In his place a teenager with shaggy hair coasted by on a skateboard, but she could have sworn—

  Hal stepped in front of her. “Sorry. The call went on longer than I intended.”

  “I’m sure your wife or family were upset once they saw the news.”

  “I’m not married.”

  She shook her head, disbelieving.

  “But I have bossy brothers. One’s my boss who’s been calling all afternoon.”

  “I understand.” She hadn’t a clue what having brothers would be like, but a weight shifted away and she felt lighter—or was it light-headed? “I need to get home before the streets get any darker.”

  “I’ll walk you. Hold onto me so we don’t get separated.” He gestured toward the street at the bottom of the grassy slope. “You can tell me what you’re doing in town. If you remember.”

  “I do, actually. I still don’t recall being at the house where we met, but a lot of other things are coming back.”

  Annie tucked her hand through his arm, careful not to jostle his bandages. “I don’t know where to start.”

  He steered her through Jackson Square and streets filled with hungry tourists and the pungent scents of gumbo and fried fish. “You’re visiting town. Why don’t you start with that?”

  “Okay.” She took a deep breath. “I found a canceled airplane boarding pass in my suitcase this morning. That confirms I got in on Wednesday. I must have talked to Mr. Costanza that afternoon.”

  They turned onto Royal Street. “I called before I left home to get the utilities turned on because I’d planned to stay at the bookshop while here. My aunt left me the shop, probably since I’m a high school librarian, but I don’t live here and need to sell it to pay off some big bills.”

  Her shoulders sagged. “Now I’ve got another problem. According to those men who grabbed me in the square, I met Randy and they think I can lead them to him.” She stopped in front of the bookshop alley and searched her bag for the key.

  He stepped in front of her, blocking the entrance. “Considering what happened today, the best thing you can do is go home. Come back and sell the shop some other time.”

  “I can’t.”

  She looked able-bodied to him. “If you need a ride to the airport—”

  “No. It’s too late to leave town. I’m not dragging trouble home to my school. That would be irresponsible.” She studied him. “Do you have a gun with you?”

  A weapon? Was this another of her evasion tactics?

  “It’s a bad look with a wet suit.” He grinned.

  “I’m serious.” She nibbled her lip.

  “I locked it in the glove compartment before I went inside the aquarium and now it’s no more. Poof!”

  She looked him up and down, and he tensed. “You still look like you can handle it.”

  This didn’t sound good. “Handle what?”

  She opened the door and motioned him inside before lifting on her toes to whisper in his ear. Her warm breath on his skin set his pulse humming. “Do you hear anything in the patio?”

  He cocked an ear, but the only sounds came from the street behind him. “No,” he whispered. “Why?”

  “Someone else has a key. I don’t know who. Can you please see if there’s anyone inside the property while I wait here?” She pressed against the wall. “Watch out for the junk on the patio.”

  He crept forward, left the alley, and passed an enclosed staircase. Just as he’d thought, Annie did have a servants’ quarters, which looked empty. In the light of spotlights lay a mound of splintered boards in the patio. He cupped his hands to look into the dark bookshop. Nothing there, but someone could be lurking in the shadowy corners behind him. He spun around and nearly jumped at the sight of Annie.

  She pointed at the stairway and handed him the key. “Would you check upstairs, too?”

  He’d been about to suggest that himself. “Stay here until I give the all clear.”

  “What if someone comes in while you’re up there?”

  “Hide.” Hal mounted the stairs, every nerve ending alert to the tiniest sound. At the threshold, he swept his gaze around the empty front room. The place smelled like it had been closed up a while. Heavy drapes hung beside a silent window air conditioning unit. He eased the curtain open and stared out at the bedraggled potted plants on the railed street balcony.

  A closed door marked what was probably the bedroom. An intruder could have heard them and be waiting. Hal braced against the wall, twisted the knob, and nudged open the panel. Lights from the street fell on the spread of a double bed. A hard-shell suitcase lay open on the floor, half full of clothes. Nothing in the bath except the lingering scent of soap.

  “Did you find anyone?”

  Hal flinched and stalked into the front room. Annie hovered at the top of the stairs, gripping a splintered plank in both hands. “I told you to wait.”

  “You were up here so long—”

  “Five minutes, max.” He crossed his arms. “Were you planning to help me out?”

  “If you’d gotten into trouble.” She set down the block of wood and bent behind the couch to click on the air conditioner.

  “How do you know someone else has a key?” He followed her into the galley kitchen and took up a position next to the window. “You got some evidence?”

  “The pile of stacked lumber in the patio was gone this morning.” She lifted the lid of a teapot.

  Hal looked down through the window. “There’s a pile of lumber there now.”

  “Two-by-fours like you buy in a home repair store have been stacked there since I arrived, and I noticed them again yesterday. What you see now used to be the stairs and balcony of the back building. I was at the window this morning when I noticed the door of the upstairs apartment standing open.”

  Balconies connected to outside stairs were another feature of French Quarter properties. Hal squinted into the gloom beyond the spotlights, but only a jagged pale line marked the boundary between floors. “I can see where it was attached.”

  “When I went to investigate, the whole thing fell out from under me.” She flapped a hand at the brick wall of the neighbor’s house. “I had to come down that.”

  Had he heard her right? “What are you, Spider-woman?”

  “I wish.” Her musical laugh kicked up his pulse. “I didn’t have much choice, but there are enough holds—not many—if you know how to rock climb.” She took two beers from the fridge. “This might be too old, but I’m having one.”

  “Thanks.” Hal twisted the cap off the bottle of Abita she offered and let the brew roll down his parched throat. It was stale, all right, but wet and cold. “Unless you want another surprise, you need to change the locks. I know a locksmith. I’ll call him now.”

  “I don’t have a way to pay him.” She picked at a fingernail, frowning.

  “I’ll take care of it, and you can put it on your tab.” Without a change to the l
ocks, he’d worry even more than he had yesterday when she’d shut the door in his face. Her actions had irritated him, but he could live with that as long as he did what he could to keep her safe.

  She watched him with those beautiful blue eyes. He finished his beer and turned his back. When the locksmith answered, Hal told him what he needed and ended the call.

  “When’s he coming?” Annie asked as soon as he pocketed his cell.

  “Tomorrow early.”

  “I really appreciate this.” She started toward the stairs and turned to look back when he didn’t follow.

  He’d like to find out how far her appreciation would go, especially if it involved touching, but he put on his neutral face. The car explosion confirmed his first instincts. She’d recovered from the migraine, but threats seemed to be increasing. Someone had connected him to her, and he was also in danger.

  She stood at the top of the stairs, twisting her hands together.

  “Don’t you want me to stay? I have muscles, remember?” He pumped his arm to show off his biceps. “You said so.”

  She hugged herself. “I’m not really set up to entertain.”

  He strolled over, suppressing a smile. “You want to entertain me?”

  “It’s only an expression.”

  “It’s not as if we don’t know each other.” He walked to the couch. “How about I sleep in here on the sofa?”

  She tapped a finger against her mouth. “I guess that’s all right. As long as you don’t go all bounty hunter on me.”

  He had no idea what she had against bounty hunters, but this wasn’t the time to argue. He raised his hands. “I promise not to touch you.”

  No matter how much I want to.

  “Good.” She held out her palm. “Would you show me that photo of Randy again?”

  He found the mugshot on his phone. She took the cell and walked to the kitchen window for better light. “I think I saw him in the crowd after the explosion, but why would he risk being seen in public if he’s a fugitive?”

  7

  “Kurt said he identified the business on the card the woman had with her.”

  “Her name’s Annie.” Hal waved to the locksmith pulling into the street. “I’m planning to talk to someone at Magick Charms today. He hefted the holster and Glock his brother handed over and dropped his gaze to the Go bag with his kit and a change of clothes. Those he wore were grubby as hell, and he stank big time. “Thanks for bringing this.”

  “You need a gun.”

  “Right.” Hal drained the rest of his own coffee. “You got the car insurance papers with you?”

  Jack pulled a sheaf of papers from his hip pocket. “We already called the claim in, but the insurer wanted more information.”

  “Did the locksmith come?” a lilting woman’s voice called from above.

  He and Jack looked up at the balcony. Annie leaned over the railing, her beautiful café-au-lait-colored hair falling over her shoulder.

  Hal dangled the new keys and forced his gaze away. Stupid caveman dreams had kept him awake half the night, and he needed to stop noticing things that could set them off again.

  “Great!” She disappeared.

  “She cleans up good.” Jack rubbed his chin. “Now you have her key, you don’t need to hang around.”

  Hal stowed his paper cup in the bag at their feet. “I might stay another night.”

  “Why?” Jack bug-eyed him.

  “Annie wasn’t positive but thought she saw my fugitive hanging around after the explosion.” She’d hadn’t been able to offer details after dropping that bombshell, but she’d said enough to make Hal worry.

  “If Randy was involved, he could pop up again. That’s a good reason to stick with her.” He didn’t mention the major reason—Annie needed a protector and had no one else.

  “Be careful, you hear.” Jack squeezed his shoulder. “Don’t get blown up.”

  His brother left for his well-deserved day off, and Hal tucked the locksmith’s receipt in a pocket. As soon as he entered the apartment, he inhaled the fragrance of brewed tea.

  “I found some food.” She extended an open packet of graham crackers. “Hungry?”

  Did she have to use that word? Hal jammed his hands in his pockets to hide his reaction and stared out the kitchen window. What was it about her that got to him? Her low voice? Her delicious curves? He didn’t know and wouldn’t speculate, not if he knew what was best.

  He took a cracker, though, swallowed a bite and nearly gagged. The thing tasted like sawdust. “How old are these?”

  “No idea.” She clutched the spiral bound notebook she’d found to track what she owed him. “I found them yesterday. My aunt must have bought them.”

  “That would be at least six months ago?”

  “A stale graham cracker is better than no graham cracker.” She swallowed the last of hers and dusted her hands, eyeing the cell he placed on the counter. “If you want to recharge your phone now, I’d like to use it again. I didn’t get a chance to check e-mail after canceling my credit cards.”

  “No problem.” Hal found the cord and plugged in his cell then keyed in the password. “You mind if I shower?”

  “Go right ahead. Come get me in the bookshop when you finish.”

  Her aunt’s shelving system made no sense to Annie. After ten or fifteen minutes of searching, she’d found herself in a narrow cul-de-sac completely surrounded by bookshelves except for a narrow entry. On tiptoe, she ran a finger down a row of gold-embossed spines. Surely, her aunt would have a copy of the classic she sought.

  Now that she had new locks, the intruder couldn’t surprise her. She planned to reimburse Hal, but she did not want to be in the debt of anyone, especially not to a man like Hal. She’d be safe here now and wouldn’t need to prolong the acquaintance neither of them wanted.

  Even though he was devastatingly handsome.

  He should go back to searching for his fugitive, and she should never have mentioned noticing Randy on the riverfront. She’d been trying to be helpful, but when Hal got excited and started asking for details, she’d had to admit she couldn’t be positive.

  Three books fell off the shelf in front of her. She managed to catch them at the same time Hal called from the other side.

  “Over here.” She walked around the end of the case and found him folding the mahogany step stool blocking his aisle.

  Amazing what a clean T-shirt and washed cargo pants—hip-hugging cargo pants—could do for a man. He smelled clean, and the scent of his shaving cream set her insides dancing as she squeezed past him in the aisle.

  “The stool is here to remind me which bookcase wobbles.” She handed over the books and reopened the short ladder before tapping the bookcase to her right. “Don’t lean on the shelving.”

  “I can fix it so it’s stable.” He followed her around and loomed over her in all his masculine glory. Not by too much, but hard muscle packed every inch, and he easily crowded the small passage, overwhelming her with his muscular presence.

  “There’s no point in fixing it.” She stiffened against the urge to lean closer. “I’ll have to clear out all these books before I can sell.”

  That was something she hadn’t considered when planning this trip. Along with kidnappers and exploding cars—and armed bounty hunters.

  The overhead light gleamed on the butt of the gun Hal wore in a sling under his arm. She pointed to the pistol, keeping her hand as close to her chest as possible. “Be careful with that.”

  His dark brows pulled together. “With what?”

  “Your gun.” She grimaced. Simply saying the word caused her stomach to spin. “You need to be extra sure before you make a move that the guy you’re arresting is Randolph Lemoyne.”

  “Thanks for the advice.” A corner of his mouth quirked, creasing one cheek with a dimple.

  She ignored his sexy dimple and straightened to her full five feet ten inches. “That was not a joke.”

  “I wasn’t laughing.” He crosse
d his arms. “I wear a windbreaker to hide my Glock.”

  Her heart thumped hard. He even has a name for the thing!

  “But I can’t stop looking for my bail skip.”

  “When you find him, I’m staying out of the way.” She squatted to continue searching the shelves. “Thanks for letting me use your phone again. I found the email from my aunt’s lawyer. I need to see him, but I doubt I’ll hear back from him before Monday. Here it is.”

  She pulled a book and stood to show him the cover with the embossed gold title. “I’m recommending Pride and Prejudice to the senior class this year and want to re-read it.”

  Hal nodded. “Good story.”

  “You’ve read it?” Jane Austen wasn’t a guy’s usual reading preference.

  “Saw the movie.”

  Some chick had probably dragged him there. She probably would have, too, if they’d known each other then. Except he’s a bounty hunter.

  She did not need to even think of fraternizing with him. “Let’s have the new keys.”

  He pressed one bright, shiny key into her palm, brushing warm fingers against her skin.

  She stiffened against the delicious shivers cascading through her. “Didn’t you get two?”

  “I’m keeping one since I need to work with you.”

  This big, handsome guy needed her? She clutched Pride and Prejudice to her chest. She needed him, too, if only for safety’s safe until her attackers could be arrested. “You sure? Being around me might cause another explosion.”

  “You have to promise not to keep things from me.” He crossed his arms.

  Her mouth dropped open. “I didn’t keep anything from you.”

  He scoffed. “You could have mentioned you were being chased.”

  “I figured that was my business, and…” She smoothed her hands on her hips. “Okay. From here on out. I’ll be more forthcoming.”

  “Truthful.”

  “More truthful.” She shooed him out of the cul-de-sac. “The first thing we should do is go back to the casino. I could have lost my purse there.”