As fast as it all began, it’s over.
Except it’s not as over as I thought it was. When I'm led outside there’s so much noise and light all around, I'm lost in the confusion of it all. Until hands land on my shoulders and I'm turned to face those electric blue eyes I've been searching for ever since we parted.
"My captain has something he needs to talk to us about and they'll have to take a statement from you."
He takes me by the hand and leads me over to where a big man chewing an unlit cigar is standing. "Captain, this is Seraphina. We couldn't have got all those people out as safe as we did if she hadn't thought of a distraction."
I blush. He makes it sound like I came up with a stunning idea when I really just watched it on a rerun of one of my favorite shows. I shake the big man's hand and he switches the side the cigar is on making me wonder if he realizes it is actually even in his mouth.
"Ah, the woman who finally caught Cooper like a fish on a hook."
"What? No...," he laughs and gives Cooper a slap on the back showing a whole row of bright white teeth. I don't want Cooper to think I'm trying to reel him in or anything, like I might be trying to trap him.
"It's damn nice to meet you, Saffie. And I wished we could have met under better circumstances."
"You had something you wanted to tell her, Captain?"
"Oh yeah. God damn low life dirtbags. Saffie, I'm going to be honest with you because I know that's what you’re used to if you have to put up with this guy." Oh God, the way he talks it sounds like me and Cooper have been dating for a while when in reality we've just met. "The clowns who held everyone up are all wrapped up tighter than a nun's legs and they're talking - mostly for the plea deals. Quite frankly I'm not liking what they have to say."
He huffs out a large sigh and looks to Cooper then back to me again.
"They were hired to find the necklace," Cooper tells me like this little nugget of a fact might make everything else so much clearer.
"They're pointing the finger at Brendon Mayborne."
I can tell my mouth is slack at the Captain's words.
"The Mayborne descendant?"
The Captain nods. "That's a hell of a thing ain't it! God at the paperwork this is going to cause me."
"He got pissed last year when he had to give up the controlling shares to the house and the committee over it decided to turn it into a full-time museum." Adam comes up to stand behind Cooper who still hasn't let go of my hand as he speaks to both of us.
"I guess the guy lost his wad when he realized he wasn't going to have the time to troll around looking for the necklace like he thought he was. When he heard about the papers and old journals of Sarah's being found in the wall he thought the answer would be in there for sure. Hired these guys to steal the papers and the necklace if they could find it in time."
"In time? In time for what?"
"Before anyone started missing the people at the party I'm guessing. Which leads us back to what I wanted to talk to you about. I sent a unit to pick Mayborne up but they couldn't find him. He's in the wind."
I don't really understand why all of these big men are standing around looking at me.
"I ain't saying he was ever here at the party but...I wouldn't be shocked if word got back to him about his plans being foiled." Oh shit. A cold chill goes down my back as I start putting two and two together. "He's going to want to retaliate against those responsible for that I would imagine."
"So you think Mayborne's going to come after me?"
"Let's just say you're the only one of the three who don't sleep with a gun. I've mentioned putting a patrol on you so you're safe," oh crap that sounds terribly complicated, "but Cooper here says you won't be needing it."
"What?" I'm a little shocked that Cooper would say something like that until I turn to look at him. His eyes are stormy blue and there is a look on his face that sends a warmer shiver down my spine.
"You'll be coming home with me." He breaks into a sideways smile that promises all sorts of things. "Right where you belong."
Chapter Nine
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Saffie
Being back in Cooper's jeep was an experience in memory recall. All I could think about was the first time he had me in the front seat. Thankfully I don't have very long to stroll down memory lane before he's pulling into a set of condos I drive by every day on my way to work. I might have pretended to live in one of them someday.