Page 45 of Hidden Dane
His muscles were like a wall of protection. She let him go and said, “Dane, have Henry stay and deal with the police. You and I need to go after Alexandre.”
They both looked to the upper deck. Dane asked, “Henry?”
Henry waved them off like he’d overheard everything they’d said. “I’ll catch up with you once this is all over.” He pointed toward Ted on the deck. “I have to stay.”
Dane squeezed her hand. “I’m all yours, Emily.”
“Good.” She pulled him to follow her. They needed to get her necklace. She needed to remember him forever.
He ran next to her on the edge of Ted’s boat as she stared out into the channel. He said, “You’re my prize. It’s not the crown jewels that are important.”
Had he just said that? She leapt off the boat to the ramp leading to the parking lot. No Ted. Just dust of a car speeding west. She pulled Dane close. “I don’t need the necklace. I was being emotional. Forget it. Just kiss me.”
“Done.” He claimed her lips in a blazing kiss.
She wished she believed in happily-ever-afters, but happy-for-now was all she’d get. She knew better than to expect anything else.
Chapter 15
Dane’s shoulders began to slump as he drove the rental car down the country road, searching for Alexandre. There was no sign of any car anywhere and it was getting dark.
Emily curled her legs under her seat beside him with a yawn, but then turned the music up high as if fighting weariness herself.
“Em…”
“What?”
“Nothing.”
She lowered the music in defeat. “We should probably rely on the officers to catch Alexandre and get the jewelry back, is that what you were going to say?”
For the past hour, he’d driven in circles at her directive—but her yawn was contagious. If they waited, his father might have a better tracking system. It was important to reserve their energy. He clutched the steering wheel. “If he doesn’t, I’ll buy you a new necklace.”
She pouted like she was still the sixteen-year-old he’d met so long ago. “It won’t be the same.”
“We’ll push on for a little longer,” he compromised. “Whatever new necklace will be from me, to you, which is what you said mattered.” He wondered if the reason she wanted that necklace so badly was because of prom—had she cared for him all that time?
She let out a long sigh of disappointment. “I appreciate that. Have we tried down this road?”
“Yeah.” He braced himself for Emily’s response to his next suggestion, but he was losing focus. He’d not slept in a day and neither had she. “Emily, I think we lost him.”
“No,” she answered like she was shocked.
Impossible that she couldn’t see the truth—but he wouldn’t let her down if he could help it. “I’ll drive all night if you want but I think he’s long gone now. We’ll need to get coffee.”
Neither one of them said anything as it grew darker. The song came to an end and his phonebeeped.He kept his gaze on the road, swerving around a shadowy rabbit. He glanced at the call.
Emily bounced in her seat. “Who is texting you?”
He’d missed a few and his father’s name burned in his mind. He put his phone down in a cup holder. “Henry, Brady… and Michael.”
She crossed her arms and turned toward him. “Ah, you’ve been avoiding that question for hours. So you called your father.”
He glanced at her—would she would judge him? “I was worried you’d be hurt.”
Thunder boomed in the distance as they headed toward a storm.
Her voice was low as she said, “We’re running in circles. We can stop.”
