Oceans of Fire (32 page)

Aleksandr crawled into the bed beside Abigail and curved his body around hers. “What do you know of Jonas Harrington?” He wrapped his arms around her and pressed a kiss against the nape of her neck.

“What do you want to know?” There was a note of wariness in her voice.

He smiled in the darkness. “You are so protective of this man.”

“He wouldn’t think so. He’s our family. I love him. My sisters, my parents, even my aunts love him. He’s a pain in the butt most of the time, but he’d walk through fire for us.”

“I have learned much about him and he seems to be very good at his job and has an excellent service record.”

“How’d you find that out?”

“These are modern times and even backward Russian Interpol agents use laptops and the Internet to send and receive files. Interpol is rather renowned as an agency for information.” He nuzzled her hair. “I love the way your hair smells.”

“I use an herbal shampoo my sister makes. It’s great stuff.”

“Tell me about Harrington as a person. A man. Is he rigid about rules? Does he go strictly by the book? Would he back up his partner when it got rough?”

Abigail opened her eyes and turned over to look at him. Her soft body moved against Aleksandr’s with a sweet fire that shook him. It was one of the things he missed the most, lying in bed with her, feeling her simply move against him.

“Don’t you dare use Jonas for anything dangerous.”

“He seems to be very much on top of the investigation and he’s brushing a little too close to Nikitin and Prakenskii. I don’t want them to target him. I don’t think Prakenskii would take Harrington down except in self-defense, but Nikitin’s answer to anyone in his way is usually some sort of violence. I thought I might better be able to protect Harrington if I worked with him.”

“Jonas takes his job very seriously and he’ll find out who murdered your partner. If you’re asking me would he be an asset to you, then yes. And if you’re worried that he’ll get so close to the truth that whoever is behind this will want him dead, he’s tenacious and he’ll find the killer. I’d be very grateful if you’d watch over him.” She yawned. “I’m so sleepy.”

He kissed her neck again. “Go to sleep then. We have tomorrow to talk.”

“Sasha…” Her voice was drowsy again. “I have to be at the cove first thing in the morning to give the dolphin antibiotics and then I have a meeting with my sisters. I’m supposed to be helping them plan a double wedding and so far I’ve contributed absolutely nothing toward the plans. There’s also that thing.” She made a noise of disgust.

“What thing?”

“Frank Warner is having his party for all the bigwigs and we received the royal summons from Inez, which means we have to go.”

“Are you giving me the brush-off?”

She stiffened at his tone. “No. I’m telling you I have plans tomorrow and won’t be able to see you. I do have a life, you know. And I thought you were here on business. Don’t you have an investigation to run?”

“My investigation is going fine. I’m able to juggle more than one thing in my life at a time.”

She looked at him with her vivid green eyes. “Am I one of those things?”

“You’re everything.”

Chapter 13

“ABBEY! You’re late!” Hannah glared at her sister. “And you’re dripping all over the floor.”

Abigail stood in the doorway for a moment, looking like a guilty child caught with a hand in the cookie jar. Her usually vivid red-gold hair hung in damp tails, dripping water down her neck and shoulders. There was even water on the tips of her feathery eyelashes.

Hannah regarded her with amusement. Abigail had stripped off her wetsuit somewhere before coming home, but her mask still hung from her fingertips as if she’d forgotten she carried it. She was barefoot and wearing only her modest one-piece and a pair of very wet sweatpants.

“I know, I know. I’m sorry.” Abigail Drake slammed the kitchen door closed and looked longingly over toward the kettle. “I’m desperate for a cup of tea.”

Hannah couldn’t resist Abigail’s enormous puppy-dog eyes and she glanced at the silver kettle sitting on a burner. As if on cue, the burner sprang to life, flames hissing softly beneath the kettle. “I’ll make you a cup while you shower, but
hurry
.” She glanced at her watch. “We’re already half an hour late.”

Abigail ran for the stairs, Hannah following behind her. “I couldn’t help it. I had to give antibiotics to Kiwi this morning and then the other dolphins were in the cove and they were so responsive I couldn’t resist a swim. It was so peaceful that I completely forgot the time.” She grinned at her sister over her shoulder. “If you had a choice between sweet, entertaining dolphins versus making an appearance at Frank Warner’s gallery, which would it be? Besides, Frank avoids me pretty much like the rest of Sea Haven if he can help it. I hate these things.”

“They don’t avoid you, Abbey,” Hannah said.

“Sure they do, they’re all afraid I’m going to blurt out the wrong thing and they’ll tell the world a deep dark secret. I’d rather be under the sea with the dolphins.”

“You have a point, but you also missed the meeting about Sarah and Kate’s wedding plans. Even Aunt Carol was in a huff over it and you know she adores you.”

Abigail paused at the entrance to the tiled bathroom. “I know.” She shoved back the mass of wet, salty hair from her face. “I shouldn’t have done that. It’s just that…” She trailed off with a small sigh.

“Is it Jonas or Aleksandr that you’re avoiding?” Hannah asked.

Abigail stiffened, a slight reaction, but Hannah caught it right away. Abigail’s expression was immediately wary. “Both. Did either of them call?”

“Yes.” Hannah put her hand on Abigail’s shoulder to prevent her escape into the bathroom. “Jonas has been calling all morning. Why are you upset with him?” She watched her sister closely for a reaction. Shadows moved in Abigail’s eyes, veiled her expression.

Hannah pressed her hand over her heart. It actually ached and she knew she was feeling her sister’s pain in spite of the fact that Abigail smiled at her. “Abbey, I wish I could help.”

“I know you do, honey. I have to work things out on my own. I’m so mixed up right now and it doesn’t help with Jonas calling and demanding I talk to him about things I really don’t know about. He should just talk to Aleksandr and leave me out of it. I came home to help plan my sisters’ wedding and to research my dolphins. I don’t want to know anything about stolen artifacts or murders. I just wish they’d all leave me alone.“

Hannah regarded her sister with solemn eyes. “You slept with him, didn’t you?”

A faint smile touched Abbey’s mouth. “Well, yes.”

“And it wasn’t good?”

“It was great. Aleksandr and I are very compatible. It isn’t the sex. It’s how much I need him. How he can get to me. I want it to be just sex—it would be so much safer that way, Hannah.”

“Abbey, any woman who spends her life in the sea doesn’t play it safe. I’m not saying go after him, because I don’t honestly know what he’s like. His aura is very mixed and indicates conflict, violence, and danger, but also protection and a lot of other great qualities.”

“I ache for him. I can’t get him out of my head.”

“I’m sorry, hon, I know you’re hurting. And he’s called every hour for you. I know he thinks I’m lying when I tell him you aren’t here.” Hannah indicated the bathroom. “Go take a shower. You’re dripping all over the hall. I’ll make you a cup of tea. You’ll need it to go to this party.” She made a little face.

“I know how much you hate them.”

“I feel like I’m two people inside, Abbey.” Hannah looked down at her hands. “I’m the real me, the way I am with my family, outgoing and strong, and then I go out into a public situation and I can’t talk without stammering. It’s so frustrating. I believe in myself. It doesn’t matter to me what others think of me.” She paused. “Well, my family and maybe that rat Jonas, although why he matters, I have no idea.”

Abigail studied her sister. She was always slightly shocked at how beautiful Hannah really was. She was tall, fashionably thin, but managed to still have full, natural breasts. Her hair was white-gold, thick and long, and held an incredible shine. Everything about Hannah was elegance and class, from her large, heavily fringed eyes and high cheekbones to her wide, full mouth. There was power in Hannah’s slender body, and a mischievous nature hidden beneath her ice cool exterior. Few ever saw that side of Hannah. The larger the gift, the stronger the power, the more drawbacks nature counterbalanced with, and Hannah’s talent was extreme. And Jonas was right. She looked tired and drawn and far too thin in spite of her beauty.

“Don’t.” Hannah blinked back tears. “I’m fine.”

“I’d hug you, but I’m all wet,” Abigail said. “You could always turn him into a toad. That would solve both our problems.”

“I’ve been considering it. Or better yet, every time he opens his mouth to say something mean to me, a nice loud croak comes out.”

They both burst into laughter.

The kitchen door banged just as the kettle began to whistle. “Hey!” Sarah Drake called up the stairs. “I can hear the two of you cackling like a couple of witches, but I sure don’t see either of you at the gallery where you belong. Just what are you up to?”

The two sisters exchanged a long, guilty look.

“Save me,” Abigail mouthed and rushed to the bathroom to wash the sea salt from her hair and body.

Hannah raced down the stairs to intercept her oldest sister. “Sarah! I thought we were meeting at Frank’s gallery.”

Sarah lifted an eyebrow as she examined Hannah’s flawless face. “I’ll just bet you did. Were you and Abbey thinking of sneaking off and accidentally missing it?”

“I was making a quick cup of tea for Abbey,” Hannah hedged.

“You did consider it, didn’t you?” Sarah poked her sister in the ribs. “You look beautiful all dressed up in that elegant outfit. Where else would you go in Sea Haven dressed so nice?”

“I was thinking of my old flannel pajamas, a good movie, and some popcorn,” Hannah said. Her hands moved gracefully as she spooned tea leaves into a small teapot.

“Abbey just got back, didn’t she? Kate said she and Matt dropped by the old mill to make a few changes in the plans and she saw Abbey’s skiff out in Sea Lion Cove. Abbey spent the day playing with the dolphins.”

“It isn’t playing, Sarah. She works. She’s a marine biologist.”

Sarah gave an inelegant sniff. “Not here, she’s not. You’re a model, Hannah, but when you come home, you’re our sister and you’re here to plan a wedding. A double wedding. Abbey’s out every day in the ocean instead of working with us.”

“I know.” Hannah ducked her head. “She’s worried about the dolphin who was injured and she went out to take care of him. You know how the dolphins always congregate and call to her when she’s around.”

“She’s hiding the way she always does,” Sarah said, a mixture of concern and exasperation in her voice. “She slept with that man, didn’t she?” She glanced toward the stairs. “Has she said anything at all about the other one? We need to know what we’re up against.”

“I haven’t asked her yet, but I was going to over tea.”

“I want to know just how dangerous he is. And if Jonas knows about him.”