As soon as she and Tristan were in the motel room, he dropped all the bags on one of the double beds and turned to look at her. “All right. What do you think Damask is after?”
Shae took a deep breath and suddenly felt self-conscious. What if she was wrong? What if she made Tristan go back to the house for nothing? “I’m not sure. It’s really just a theory.”
“Okay, I like theories. Please share.”
“Well, he obviously wants something. The land isn’t valuable, so it has to be something, like, tangible, you know? If he really just wanted the property away from me, he would’ve burned it down, right? So he has to want something where he can’t burn the house down. So something inside that’s nonflammable.”
“Nonflammable?”
She rubbed her forehead in frustration. “You must think I’m crazy.”
“No, I don’t think you’re crazy. I’m just trying to think of what he could be hiding that would be so important to him. He’s been going hard.”
“I know! It has to be something inside the house, right? If it was just buried in the sand, he could send any of his goons when I’m not home. Which begs the same question. Why didn’t he send someone to get it from the house when I wasn’t home?”
“It has to be evidence.”
“What?”
“What else would drive a guy as wealthy and powerful as Damask to these lengths? If he were normal, I’d think it was something sentimental. But he’s not normal. Everything he does is for self-gain or self-preservation. He has enough money that I don’t think he’d be trying to rob you. It’s not like there’s a stash of hidden treasure there. The man has paid thousands of dollars for people to scare you and rob you. I bet you anything that if we get to it first, we can really fuck up his day.”
She was so elated that he not only believed her, but was totally running with her theory. “So we can go?”
“Of course not. First, he already tried to kill you in that house. Second, he’s probably scouring the state looking for you. You need to lay low. I can go. We’ll be in St. Pete tomorrow anyway.”
“It’s my house,” she pointed out. “If anyone is going to find something hidden there, it’s me.”
“So think. Have you seen anything out of place or questionable?”
“I don’t know. Nothing that I’ve looked at and thought ‘Oh, yeah. This is definitely why Damask is so interested in me.’ But if you let me go, I’ll help.”
Tristan shook his head. “I’m not comfortable with this.”
“I don’t need your permission to go to my own house,” she bit out.
“Maybe, but you do need a car. And, considering what happened the last time you were there, you know you shouldn’t go alone. Don’t be too stupid to live.”
Shae’s hands suddenly hurt, and she looked down to see that she’d balled them into fists. “I admit that it’s not the safest place to be, but I’m not going to be scared away from even going to the property. I might as well just hand it over if that’s the case.”
“We’re not handing anything over.”
“But he’s winning! He’s getting everything he wants. How long until he realizes I’m too scared to go back, then goes in and takes what he wants?”
“At least then you’ll be safe.”
“And then he’s going to win! I won’t do it. I’m not giving that son of a bitch anything he wants.”
“For the love of God, Shae. Can you please, just this once, be a coward for me? I love that you’re brave, I love how strong you are, but you’re gonna give me a heart attack.”
“Oh come on. What does it matter anyway? You’ll be done with this job in a week or so and will be gone. I’ll have to live with what I do or choose not to do for the rest of my life.”
“Don’t.”
“What? Say the truth?”
“Maybe I don’t want to think about you leaving. I want to bring down Damask with everything in me, but the second I do, you’re leaving.”
She scoffed. “I’m not leaving! I’m going to be here in the same house you found me in. You’re the one who’s going to be heading off with your merry band of criminals. We both knew this wasn’t serious.” The words sounded ridiculous as she said them. They both knew it wasn’t supposed to be serious. But this sure as hell didn’t feel casual.
“You’re right,” said Tristan unexpectedly. “This is just a fling.” He said the words simply, as if he were trying to convince himself. “One and done,” he added.
“One and done,” she agreed.
And then he was walking for the door and she found herself almost speechless. “Wait! Where are you going?”
“I think it’s best if I don’t sleep here. I don’t trust myself.”
Didn’t trust himself? What the hell did that mean? He didn’t trust himself to not fight with her? Or didn’t trust himself to not touch her?
But then he was gone and it was too late for her to ask.
She sat on the bed with the luggage on it and waited. He had to be coming back. He wouldn’t leave her here alone. Not with everything going on.
She had just lost her patience when there was a knock on the door. Shae leapt up and ran to answer it, only realizing at the last minute that people wanted her dead. She looked through the peephole and her heart fell when she saw Hunter outside.
Jerking the door open, she glared at Hunter.
“Whoa,” he said, obviously picking up on the hostility. “Just remember that if you hit me, Tristan won’t feel it.”
She didn’t laugh at the stupid joke. “Where is he?”
“Your boyfriend? He went out. He asked me to stay with you for a bit.”
“Went out? He can’t go out. We’re in crisis mode.”
“He apparently disagrees.”
She wanted to shake him until he understood. But she tried to find the words instead. “He isn’t just going out,” she said carefully. “He’s going to the house. We need to find him.”
“All right,” said Hunter. “I’m not going to say no. Let’s go talk to Hart and he can say no.”
After they woke everyone up, it only took Toni a few minutes to use Tristan’s current burner phone to track him. The phone he was notably not answering. “You’re right,” she said. “He’s heading to Seaside Escape.”
“To Seaside Escape?”
“What the hell is Seaside Escape?” asked Hunter.
“It’s my place.”
“You named your place?”
Shae shook her head. “It’s a beach thing. And it doesn’t even matter. I’m going back there and I’m going to kill him.”
“You can’t go,” pointed out Scott. “Tristan wouldn’t want you to go alone.”
Her eye roll could barely be contained. “He left me alone!”
“I agree,” said Gage. “It’s too dangerous for you to go.”
“But it’s not too dangerous for Tristan?”
“He’s a professional,” said Toni.