Emerald Fire. Monica McCabe

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СКАЧАТЬ flash of pain crossed her uncle’s features. It was quickly masked before he turned to Chloe, but she’d seen it. Honestly, Finn had to learn the art of softening a blow.

      “Did SafeSail call you?” her uncle asked.

      “At three a.m. no less,” she replied.

      “You went to Lisa?”

      “I did.” Chloe would rather avoid telling her uncle about his trophy wife’s spiteful response, but he deserved to know. Mike and Brett deserved justice for their sacrifice, yet she was reluctant to hurt her uncle beyond what he’d already endured.

      “The truth, Chloe.” Jonathan wiggled his fingers, palm up, encouraging her to talk. “This old man has done a lot of thinking the past two days, and it’s time for some hard facts.”

      She sighed in resignation and gave him what he asked for. “Lisa seemed less worried about her missing husband and more concerned about why I got the call and not her. She fired off a round of furious accusations at me, claiming I had you change the notify information.” She stopped there, not wanting to go any deeper into her suspicions of Lisa’s treachery. Or Owen’s possible involvement.

      “There’s more,” her uncle said with a knowing look.

      She grimaced, but kept going. “Lisa claimed that I was working on your beneficiary list next, and I could forget about ever seeing a dime.” Chloe looked away from the hurt in his face, staring at the uneaten food on her plate. “I left without telling her I was flying down.”

      It grew quiet at the table, and she glanced up to spy a hard expression in her uncle’s eyes. “You know, friends have been warning me about her for some time, especially Sam Brady.” He glanced over at Finn. “What has Sam said to you?”

      “Just that you were his friend.”

      The hint of compassion in Finn’s tone took Chloe by surprise. She’d had to beg, barter, and threaten to get his cooperation. He’d been nothing but gruff since day one, which was actually just yesterday, come to think of it, but still.

      “Sam also told me not to come back until I find the Emerald Fire and solve the case,” Finn added with a half-laugh. “He doesn’t take failure very well.”

      “That’s why I pay his exorbitant insurance rates. SafeSail, too.” Her uncle finally started eating his lunch, but kept up a string of questions. “Did you have any trouble getting the GPS coordinates, Chloe?”

      She shook her head and followed her uncle’s lead by picking up her spoon and stirring the gumbo. “Once I provided the password, we had the location in a matter of minutes.”

      “Excellent.” He took another bite of lunch. “Since you two are here, I assume you have a plan?”

      She glanced over at her new partner. “Finn just finished explaining to me how he thinks the local police are dirty.”

      Her uncle didn’t even bat an eye. “Not surprised. Not enough tourism to float the economy around here.”

      “The plan I have is dicey,” Finn said.

      “Don’t care,” her uncle stated emphatically. “The bastards have my ship. I want it back. What’ve you got?”

      “The only option left,” Finn explained. “We steal it.”

      Her uncle sat back, crossing his arms and staring at Finn with something akin to respect. “That takes guts. Or absolute insanity. Which is it?”

      “Desperation,” Finn replied. “I need the paycheck that comes with the yacht’s recovery.”

      Uncle Jon stared at Finn as though he were trying to get a read on his capability. “You do this sort of thing often?”

      Finn shook his head. “I wouldn’t say often, but a stint in the Navy gave me a rather unique skill set that comes in handy once in a while.”

      Chloe wondered what exactly that involved, but decided not to rock the boat since her uncle seemed satisfied with Finn’s answer.

      “Okay,” Uncle Jon finally said. “When do we strike?”

      “Tonight.” Finn grabbed his sandwich.

      “I like it,” Uncle Jon said. “There’s only one condition.”

      “And that is?” Finn asked.

      “Chloe stays out of it.”

      “What?” she exclaimed. “Not a chance!”

      “No way, honey. I’ve seen what those men are capable of, and you aren’t going anywhere near them.”

      She appreciated his protective instincts but refused to be set aside like some fragile flower while the menfolk went about battling the bad guys. “After all the self-defense classes you’ve put me through, the weapons training, and crazy fire drills, you know I can handle whatever is thrown my way.”

      Her uncle didn’t budge. “I put you through them because you sailed with me. I wouldn’t risk your safety without some guarantee you’d be able to handle yourself in times of crisis.”

      “Isn’t that what this is?” she argued. “A crisis? I’m prepared. Don’t even think you are leaving me behind.”

      “This isn’t make-believe, Chloe,” her uncle said adamantly. “It’s not training. It’s a group of hardened men who have no qualms about killing.”

      That part was definitely disconcerting. But her uncle knew what she did for a living, the specialized skills she’d developed to stay at the top of her game. He also knew she’d spent years chasing the truth about William Desmond. Why would he think she’d let third-world thieves stop her? She was much too close to step down now.

      “I’ve already agreed to follow Finn’s lead,” she said. “With you there, too, I’ll be fine. Besides, the Fire is on the chopping block, and there’s no time for other arrangements. And really, is it any safer for me to drive back to Santo Domingo alone? Get a flight out of here all by myself?” That was a bogus play. She’d traveled the world solo, and they both knew it.

      Her uncle and Finn stared at her in consternation. She offered them a smile. “The devil is in the details, right?”

      “You get more like your mother every day,” Uncle Jon declared. “Never could win an argument with her either.”

      “It’s settled then,” Finn said. “Eat up, me hearties. We’re going to be getting real busy.”

      Chapter 7

      Daylight was fading fast by the time the taxi pulled up to a remote beach house. Three gringo tourists decked out in Hawaiian print shirts, board shorts, and sandals piled out. Perfect island camouflage if you didn’t want to be noticed. Finn and Jonathan grabbed their backpacks while Chloe carried several plastic grocery bags and a brochure from Tropicana Properties. American stereotypes settling in for several days of beachfront access. Finn had called the rental company earlier and listened to their sales pitch, but all he needed to know was СКАЧАТЬ