Dark Diamonds (The Jewel Series) Read online

  “It’s okay. I hardly sleep at all during the night.” He stood up and walked toward the door.

  She continued to push pieces of waffle around on her plate.

  “I’d better go into the living room before I decide to eat you for breakfast.” A devilish grin accompanied the comment.

  She smiled back and he headed out the door.

  Lucy didn’t want to ponder why Kevin turned over a new leaf, so she ate her breakfast, rose, and put on the emerald green pantsuit she’d decided to wear. She liked the result in the mirror—her hair swept back into a sophisticated French twist, ready to face the day.

  She stepped into the living room, and watched as Kevin cleaned up the kitchen. His broad shoulders bunched and released as he picked up the dishes to dry. She grew hot just watching him. A man doing the dishes must be one of the sexiest things in the world. Taking a deep breath, she moved into the room and put her purse on the kitchen counter.

  “Ready to head to work? It’s going to be an exciting day if I don’t miss my guess.”

  Kevin turned toward her and let his silver eyes gleam as they took in her attire. She watched them turn into liquid silver. “You look good in green. It matches your eyes.” He put the towel down and crossed over to her.

  “Thanks.” She fidgeted, aware of his close proximity.

  “You’re welcome.” He placed a hand behind her head and drew her into a kiss. “Did you get the tap on Conner’s cane last night? We never really got a chance to talk about it.”

  Lucy recalled what they’d done instead. Heat rose in her cheeks. “Yes, simple. I told Cindy before she left. Everything’s ready to go.” She didn’t need to tell him about kissing Conner. That would just complicate things. There was enough to deal with—she didn’t need to tie in personal feelings that would involve things like jealousy.

  “Good. We wouldn’t want to lose you too.” He leaned in and rested his forehead against hers.

  She sighed and rested in his arms for just a moment. “You won’t.”

  Together they headed out the front door.

  They caught a taxi outside the apartment and headed to their destination two blocks from the museum.

  “Be careful Lucy.”

  “I will. You take care too. We don’t need anyone else hurt on this mission. No trying to play hero, okay Kevin?”

  He gave her a crooked grin and her heart fluttered.

  How silly, she thought, I’m acting like a schoolgirl. Lucy smiled, closed the door to the taxi, and headed down the street to the Met.

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  Conner watched the pretty agent from the top of the roof across the street. This would be the easiest heist he’d pulled off to date. His let a grin spread across his face in a self-satisfied smirk, as his eyes took in the beauty parading down below. Lucky him.

  After today she’s going to be mine.

  Conner laughed. Yes, too easy. They didn’t know he worked alone. Giving no clue to the woman was a stroke of genius. She thought him so gullible, and he wanted her to. It was always easier to handle people when they underestimated you. People did all the time.

  An armored car started to back into the alley from the main street. This was it. Conner grabbed his gun, and inched back away from his vantage point.

  ***

  Lucy paced back and forth behind the museum as she waited for the van to arrive. Her patience level wore thin. She longed for another cup of coffee and her head ached. She hadn’t been lying when she told Conner she wasn’t a morning person. Everything in her body rebelled at the thought of being up this early—not to mention all the sore muscles after last night with Kevin.

  Her mouth formed a secretive little smile as she thought about what happened the night before. The memory alone kept her warm as she waited.

  Halverson was late. Cold in the brisk morning air, the traffic seemed sparse for New York City, even this early. She shivered as cars flashed by. A horn blared and she glanced sharply to the left. A taxi slammed on its breaks as it almost ran into the car in front of it. A driver yelled at a stopped vehicle and nearly made him cause an accident.

  She glanced at her watch and noted the time: 4:45 a.m. She let out a sigh. The cold concrete on the ramp to the back entrance of the museum started to seep through her slacks as she sat down. Just five more minutes.

  Lucy looked at her watch again. Halverson should be here by now, she thought. Where is he? He was ten minutes late. She glanced around the area, got up, and paced. She braced her hands on her waist, unsure about what to do.

  At a loss, she stopped pacing and leaned up against the edge of the building. What if something happened and Conner had backed off? She would never be able to find her brother.

  Dammit, Chase couldn’t afford for them to lose the trail. Lucy pulled on a strand of her hair.

  Where were they keeping him? She wondered once again.

  When she told Killroy that Chase remained alive, she sounded more convinced than she felt. She didn’t want to lose this opportunity.

  As twins, she and Chase were closer than any two people could be. They shared a connection, but she was scared. For some reason she couldn’t explain, the connection got weaker. Certain Chase remained alive, perhaps he’d been hurt, or was in pain.

  As her thoughts took on a mind of their own, Lucy heard the low rumble of a diesel engine. She looked up. The armored car backed down the alley.

  Finally, now we can get on with this thing, she thought as she heaved a sigh and pushed away from the wall in one graceful movement. She saw Halverson’s face as he pulled closer, and almost laughed at his paranoid expression. The new guy on the block, she didn’t blame him too much for being skittish. She waved him down.

  Halverson stopped the van and got out. She presented a clipboard with transfer papers on it and verified his identification as the fake guard. He turned toward the back of the vehicle. Lucy chatted with him as they walked together trying to look as though she didn’t suspect anything to happen. Halverson presented a perfect picture in his navy-colored guard’s uniform, but the way he twitched suggested his nervousness. She talked about mindless things with him to waste time.

  He unlocked the back of the van and pulled out a large case that contained the diamond. Halverson handed it to Lucy as he moved to get his own clipboard for her to sign some of the documents. When he turned back she set the box down to her left and reached for the pen he extended.

  “Hello Valerie.”

  Lucy turned.

  Conner stood behind her with a .48 aimed at her back. “Move over there, Honey. There’s some business to attend to here.” He looked at Halverson who appeared as though he would wet himself, and motioned toward the ground with the gun. “I don’t want to make a mess. Why don’t you just lie down on the ground like a good boy and I won’t need to kill you?” Conner’s cold smile fell on the guard and Lucy suppressed a shudder.

  Halverson stared at the barrel of the gun with rounded eyes. His face became pale and he slowly sank to the ground without a sound. She stopped herself from giggling, and wondered if Halverson took acting lessons like she did.

  Conner’s laugh drew her attention. He’d picked up the case and stood beside her. “I told you that you might get to take your vacation a little early.” The cold barrel of the gun slid down her cheek.

  “What are you doing Conner? That belongs to the museum.” She tried to take the case out of his hand.

  “Not any longer. I’m afraid that I’ve misled you, Valerie. Now, you must come with me. You’ve seen my face, and know who I am, and I don’t want to kill you. Besides, we get along rather well. How do the Bahamas sound to you?”

  Lucy stopped struggling with the case, shrugged a delicate shoulder and gave him a cocky grin. “Well, if I must be kidnapped by anyone, it’s you. The Bahamas aren’t exactly a bad place to be taken to either.” Lucy gave a carefree laugh. “I won’t have a job to come back to, but then, I don’t think you planned on letting me come back. Isn’t th
at so?” She said it more as a statement; the look he’d given her explanation enough. Conner pulled her close and kissed her full on the lips. Lucy tried not to gag.

  “Let’s get out of here. That guard’s going to wake up any minute.”

  Lucy glanced down at Halverson lying on the ground supposedly passed out and giggled nervously. “If he saw you he would just faint again. You do cut quite a figure with a gun.” She looked at him, letting an admiring gleam enter her eye.

  Conner sucked in his breath.

  “You are a treasure. Let’s go.” He hefted the case under one arm and grabbed Lucy with the other. He steered them through the alley to the street out front. Conner placed the gun in his belt, grabbed the handle of the case, and calmly changed his pace. They lost themselves in the throng of people on the sidewalk.

  Lucy kept up with Conner as they made their way through to the edge of the sidewalk. “Conner, how are we going to get there? A plane or something?”

  “No, we’re taking my boat. We’re going to meet someone and head over from that point. It’s going to take a while, so just enjoy the cruise.”

  Lucy looked at him and tried to assess what he was thinking. It wasn’t hard to guess why he wanted her along, but she couldn’t for the life of her figure out how she would be able to keep her distance from him for the duration of the voyage. Normally, she would be willing to do almost anything for the Agency, but after her night with Kevin, she couldn’t bear the thought of another man touching her in that way.

  She wondered where he kept Chase and what he planned on doing with him. Her mind envisioned her brother curled up on the floor of some dank cell somewhere waiting for her to come and save him. He counted on her. That’s why he’d come to her in the first place. Something Conner said snapped her back to the present.

  “There are several guests coming with us on this voyage. Try to stay away from them as much as possible. I don’t want you mixed up with them.”

  She wanted to question him about the guests, but the look on his face told her that he’d finished with that part of the conversation. She nodded her acceptance.

  Conner hailed a cab and they climbed in.

  “Pier 57 driver,” he told the man where to go.

  The cabbie touched his hat in acknowledgement and took off down the street with astonishing speed through the city traffic.

  “We’ll be there soon.” Conner leaned back against the seat obviously in no hurry to get to the pier. They would be in coastal waters soon enough.

  Lucy wondered how far away Kevin and the rest of the team stayed as they sped down the street. Who are the guests that would be on the boat with them? She wondered. Would Chase be on the boat when they got to the harbor? Too many questions remained unanswered and she didn’t know where they kept him. She tried to feel the connection between them, but it got too weak for her to locate her brother. A terrible sense of urgency twisted her gut.

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  “Everything’s ready, right?” Killroy asked Kevin as he climbed into the cab of their nondescript van. “Montgomery got the bug on?”

  “Sure,” Kevin said. “She got it on fine.” Killroy gaze tracked him.

  “You okay? You look as though you’re smiling. You never smile.”

  “Great Killroy, never been better.”

  “Hey, what happened between you and Montgomery last night? Is that the reason for all this amusement?” Killroy got way to close to the truth.

  Kevin’s smile widened, but he changed the subject. That’s something Killroy didn’t need to know. “Is Halverson ready to go?”

  Killroy backed off and Kevin suppressed a sigh of relief. The last thing they needed now was the director of F.I.U.W. breathing down their necks. “Yes, all suited up and ready to go. We rigged the diamond case with a tracking device in it to make sure nothing happens that shouldn’t. We don’t want to lose either Conner or the diamond.”

  Kevin looked at him curiously but kept his thoughts to himself. He turned his attention to the two signals on the tracking screen, and asked Killroy which one indicated Conner.

  “He’s the green signal there.” Killroy’s finger pointed to a spot across from the museum, and Kevin stomped down the unease that made its way down his spine. The man was on the rooftop right across from Lucy.

  Lucy experienced tough spots before, and this plan worked without a hitch so far. No reason for him to be so uneasy, even though every instinct he possessed wanted him to leave the relative security of the van and go make sure nothing happened to her. She was his, and his protective instincts rose to the surface.

  “She needs to go with him to get on the inside, but I can’t help feeling as though this is wrong somehow.” Kevin looked at Killroy and noticed a flash of worry skitter across the older man’s face—at least he thought it was worry. Killroy quickly replaced it with a blank expression. Kevin continued, “Never mind, I’m sure everything will be fine.” It would, he told himself to stop from jumping out of the van and running to her. She could handle herself. “Yeah, sure everything will be fine.”

  “There they go.” Killroy pointed to the screen indicating the tiny blips on the monitor and watching them with rapt attention.

  The streets of New York were already crowded with people and cars. Kevin was glad they thought of using both foot surveillance and the van- tracking device. It would take a lot for Conner to lose them with both. He hoped Lucy didn’t blow it if she found her brother again.

  “Where do you think they’ll go?”

  “Probably to the pier. Remember the warehouse?” Killroy looked at him, his gaze level.

  “How can I forget?” Kevin rubbed his leg, careful not to undo the stitches again.

  “There’s a large boat stashed where I looked. If I don’t miss my guess they’re going to catch the next boat out of the country.”

  Watching the blips on the screen head in that general direction, Killroy tapped the screen.

  What would happen to Lucy out on a boat alone with a criminal? He worried, and fought back the anger building within him when Conner kissed her. It wasn’t easy to be tied down with a bum leg. He grimaced when he shifted, and ignored the pain that sliced through his thigh.

  “I can’t even see her from here. How can we be sure she’s all right? You should’ve made her wear a wire-tap. Then we could be certain she’s alive and well.”

  Static sounded over the transmitter.

  Kevin picked up the signal and answered. “Yes, yes we’re here.”

  “Good. Something went wrong with my communicator and I haven’t been able to get through.” Cindy’s voice came through the speaker in short bursts. “Lucy’s fine. I can view them from where I stand. They’re headed toward the pier, but I suppose you already know their direction. It looks as though he trusts her. I don’t see his gun anywhere and they’re walking arm in arm. They’ve got the diamond.”

  Kevin breathed a sigh of relief and told her to follow at a discreet distance. He didn’t know what he would do if he lost Lucy. Someone tapped on the side door of the van.

  “Who is it?” Killroy asked. Kevin looked in the passenger side mirror. Halverson stood outside, his uniform smudged with dirt stains from the street.

  “It’s Halverson.”

  “Let him in.” Kevin pushed the door wide for him to enter.

  “What did you hear?” Killroy demanded the moment the door shut.

  “Not much. He’s fallen for our Lucy pretty bad though. Taking her to the Bahamas or at least that is what he wants her to think. She laughed with him as they left the alley. If I wasn’t sure she’s on our side, I’d think she’s playing for the wrong team. She didn’t even flinch when he kissed her.”

  The muscles in Kevin’s hands flexed and released. He couldn’t wait to get his hands on the guy. Too bad they needed him.

  “Well boys,” Killroy said starting the engine, “it looks as though we get a free trip to the Bahamas compliments of the Agency, if that’s where they really ar
e headed.” He laughed at his own joke.

  Kevin’s jaw tightened until his lips pressed into a thin line. Conner would pay if he tried anything with Lucy. He thought of how responsive she was laying beneath him just the night before, and the line of his lips tightened even more.

  “They’re moving, and definitely headed to the pier.” The blips on the screen grew steadily farther away. Killroy increased the speed of the van to keep pace with the speeding taxicab. The van swerved in and out through the traffic like a giant serpent. Unfortunately, the large vehicle was no match for the smaller one and they ended up stuck behind a line of cars when all the traffic had come to a standstill.

  “Damn this traffic.” Kevin slammed his fist on the dash.

  “At least we have a heads-up on where they’re going. We can catch up to them in a minute. Keep your temper down. When things come to a head I will personally see to it you get the pleasure of interrogating our suspect, Mr. Conner.”

  Kevin’s lips curled in satisfaction.

  “There’s an opening.” From the backseat Halverson pointed to the shoulder of the road and Killroy steered his way over.

  “Good thinking. We’ll catch up to them soon.”

  “I wish Lucy’d worn that damn wire.”

  Killroy gave a little laugh. “You know our Lucy; she wouldn’t wear one. She said that he’d probably find the tap, and she couldn’t take that risk. I tallied up the probabilities and figured she’s most likely right. So, I didn’t insist she wear a wire.”

  “I realize she’s right Killroy, she normally is. I just wish she could’ve taken something with her. She didn’t even carry a gun.”

  Killroy laughed. “If I know Lucy at all, you don’t need to worry about that one. She would never go on assignment alone. She considers her gun her personal companion.”

  Kevin smiled when he remembered the time he and Lucy went on assignment together.

  He thought she hadn’t brought a gun along with her but she’d reached down and pulled one from a leg holster on the inside of her thigh. He remembered how her creamy flesh felt beneath his fingertips and he closed his eyes for just a moment. No wonder, it was dangerous to get involved when on mission. Lucy was the most distracting thing that happened in his for a long time. He would need to watch it. A frown creased his brow.