So I just need to relieve him of the twenty million.
“What’s the next agenda item?” Constantine asked. “We planning a little B&E for the house in the French Quarter? After giving up the location to you, the man is going to have it heavily guarded.”
“I’m sure he will.” His hand lingered on her cheek. He kept touching her. Kept going back to her over and over again. The truth was that he was drawn to her. Remy felt better when he was near her.
But soon enough, he’d be walking away.
Not until she’s safe. Not until the threats are eliminated.
Her head turned. Her lips brushed lightly over his hand. Electricity snaked up his arm and went straight to his heart.Damn.
“Earth to Remy?” A prompt from Constantine.
Once more, he forced himself to stop touching her. His head angled toward Constantine. “He’ll have a ton of guards there. Probably armed to the teeth.”
Constantine nodded grimly.
“So…” Remy continued musingly. “It’s probably a good thing that I’m not planning to break into that place in the Quarter.”
“What?”
“What?”
Twin cries from Constantine and Jacqueline.
“The safe isn’t there,” Remy told them simply. It wasn’t. “I watched his reaction when I listed the main possible locations. His house in the Quarter. The warehouse he owns. The newbar he just opened on Bourbon.” Andthathad been the lucky location. “He flinched and swallowed when I mentioned the bar.”
“So?” Jacqueline shook her head. “Maybe he was just doing that.”
“I’m good with body language.” He’d learned to read people early on. A necessary survival skill. “He didn’t give anything away with the other locations. Then, later, he was going out of his way totryand make me believe the safe was in the French Quarter house. He might as well have just said, ‘Come on over. I’ll have a trap set up to kill you.’”
Jacqueline sucked in a sharp breath.
“But, if he wants to think I’m an idiot, fine with me,” Remy continued easily. “While he has his men focused at the French Quarter house, I’ll hit the bar on Bourbon. We’ll go in and relieve him of the twenty million.” A pause. He let his gaze sweep carefully over Jacqueline. “That is, of course, if you’re willing to go in with me. You don’t have to do it.” She needed to understand that he would never force her into any situation that made her uncomfortable or scared. “If you want to go in with me, I’ll have your back every moment, I swear.”
They stopped at a red light. Jacqueline lightly bit her lower lip. “If we take the money out of the safe, he doesn’t need me any longer.”
“Right.”
“But, if there truly is twenty million in there, Preston isn’t going to just let us walk away with it. And, besides, it has to belong tosomeoneright? Stolen money that my grandfather took and hid?” A shudder. “We have to turn it over to the authorities.”
“Oh, she is a true blue one,” Constantine murmured. “You could, of course, go to the authorities right now and not doanything drastic like say…sneak into a bar, try to find some hidden safe, and steal twenty million. Just a suggestion, mind you.” Suspicion deepened his voice as he studied Remy and said, “Unless, you were planning to take the money, take the girl, and just disappear into the sunset. That wouldn’t be on your to-do list, would it, buddy?”
The limo stopped in front of the hotel.
Remy smiled at him. “Whatever would make you ask me that?”
***
She felt icy cold. Probably because her clothes were still wet and her hair hadn’t dried and because a terrible, leaden fear filled her gut.
Remy shut and locked the door to their hotel room.Correction, suite.Constantine hadn’t followed them up. He’d stayed in the limo, said something about doing more recon work, and they’d left him. She’d walked through the lobby with her head high and her spine straight, and her heels squeaking a bit with each step that she took.
“A warm shower will have you feeling a lot better,” Remy noted.
Her attention cut to him. He’d stripped off his shirt. Tossed it onto the back of a chair. Grimacing, he kicked off his shoes and ditched his socks.
“Correction,” Remy amended, “I think a warm shower would make us both feel one hell of a lot better. Checked it out earlier, and I know the shower here is big enough for two.” He reached for her.