“Ian,” Sean admonished.
Eddie shook his head. “I promise, Mr. Taggart. After what you and David have done for me, I’ll pay all your bills.”
“Don’t offer that. He’s got five kids and a wife with a shoe addiction,” David pointed out.
“We’ll work something out,” Eddie promised. “Let’s go see what my father left for me.”
David offered her his hand, and she let him lead her down the narrow staircase.
Low lights came on, probably on a motion detector, and she found herself in a room that looked more like an art museum than a storage room. There were paintings on the walls and glass cabinets that showed off artifacts and jewelry.
“Nice,” Big Tag said as he walked in. He took a deep inhale, and his expression went from curious to predatory in a heartbeat. “Is that what I think it is?”
Sean nodded beside him. “Holy shit. That’s a bottle of Macallan Fine. I’ve never seen one before.”
“This is from the shipwreck.” David was standing over one of the cabinets. “These are Spanish doubloons. They’re worth hundreds of thousands now.”
“So it’s a bunch of old stuff?” Kyle managed to get down the stairs and looked around.
“It’s history,” David said with that look of wonder on his face she loved so much. “It’s more than just the shipwreck. It’s all the stuff he collected. This is amazing.”
Big Tag was staring at the bottle with a look of longing on his face she’d never seen before. Maybe when he looked at his wife, but there was real desire in the man’s eyes. “This is the greatest Scotch in the world. I will trade you the bill for my services for the bottle.”
“That bottle is worth almost two million,” Sean pointed out. “Don’t fall for his bullshit.”
Eddie stood in the middle of the room, looking down at the big book left there for him. “This is our family history. Everything he could find. And his journals. David, come and look at this. He took pictures. No one’s ever seen them before, and there are recordings from the meetings he conducted.”
“Are you serious?” David gasped as he looked down at the books and tapes on the table. “This is a gold mine.”
“But this is liquid gold,” Big Tag argued.
David laughed. “Well, he did mention liquid gold.” He looked back at her. “Baby, do you mind if I look through…”
She wasn’t going to keep him from his treasure. She kissed his cheek. “You have at it. I’m going to take your family upstairs and raid the Scotch that isn’t worth two million dollars.”
“Just a taste,” Ian tried.
She frowned his way. She was going to be surrounded by Taggarts. She would have to be tough. “Up those stairs, mister. We need to greet the cleaners and deal with all the bodies. In my family women do the killing and men bury the bodies.”
Sean sighed. “Yeah, that’s how it mostly works in ours, too. All right. We’ll let the professor have his fun.”
David suddenly scooped her up in his arms. “The professor’s fun can wait. I think I need to take my lady here and make sure she understands how much I appreciate the save.”
“David,” she began, “it’s okay. I know how much this means to you.”
“You mean more.” He took them up the stairs. “And I’m not done with my study.”
She wrapped her arms around him and knew they would never be done. She could study her professor forever.
* * * *
Also from 1001 Dark Nights and Lexi Blake, discover Charmed, Enchanted, Protected, Close Cover, Arranged, Devoted, Adored, and Dungeon Games.
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DRAGON REVEALED by Donna Grant
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CAPTURED IN INK by Carrie Ann Ryan
A Montgomery Ink: Boulder Novella
SECURING JANE by Susan Stoker
A SEAL of Protection: Legacy Series Novella
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A Stark Securities Novella
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THE DAREDEVIL by Dylan Allen
A Rivers Wilde Novella
BOND OF DESTINY by Larissa Ione
A Demonica Novella
THE CLOSE-UP by Kennedy Ryan
A Hollywood Renaissance Novella
MORE THAN POSSESS YOU by Shayla Black
A More Than Words Novella
HAUNTED HOUSE by Heather Graham
A Krewe of Hunters Novella
MAN FOR ME by Laurelin Paige
A Man In Charge Novella
THE RHYTHM METHOD by Kylie Scott
A Stage Dive Novella
JONAH BENNETT by Tijan
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JT Malone is lucky, and he knows it. He is the heir to a billion-dollar petroleum empire, and he has a loving family. Between his good looks and his charm, he can have almost any woman he wants. The world is his oyster, and he really likes oysters. So why does it all feel so empty?
Nina Blunt is pretty sure she’s cursed. She worked her way up through the ranks at Interpol, fighting for every step with hard work and discipline. Then she lost it all because she loved the wrong person. Rebuilding her career with McKay-Taggart, she can’t help but feel lonely. It seems everyone around her is finding love and starting families. But she knows that isn’t for her. She has vowed never to make the mistake of falling in love again.