“Each item tells its own story. Most of them I like remembering.”
Abby looked up at him. “We’re going to make a new story, Gage, starting when we get to Arizona.”
He thought of everything that had happened since he’d met her. “I think our story has already begun.” A look passed between them, and desire swept through him. He wanted to make a story with Abigail Holland. He wanted to remember her naked in his bed, her golden-red hair spread out on his pillow.
He turned away, started walking down the hall. Abby followed, her laptop slung over her shoulder as he led her into the guest room.
“India,” she said, her gaze running over the intricately carved wooden headboard above the queen-sized bed and a tall chest inlaid with mother of pearl. An ornately carved elephant with a padded seat served as an ottoman in front of an overstuffed chair upholstered in the same dark red woven fabric that covered the bed.
“The Maharaja’s crown—the Golden Hawk,” he said, remembering his time there. “We were commissioned to return the crown to the Delhi Museum after there was a massive fire and it disappeared. We tracked it down, but the effort only paid enough to cover our expenses. Interesting trip, though.”
“I’ll bet.” Abby set her laptop on the carved writing desk in the corner. “The room is beautiful, Gage.”
Her approval pleased him. He usually didn’t care what other people thought about the place he chose to live. “There’s a bathroom over there.” He pointed to an open door. “I’ll bring up your luggage so you can get settled in.”
“I’ll help you,” she offered.
“I’d rather you get started on that list. I’d like to get some idea who’s behind these attacks before we take off for Arizona.”
* * *
Abby sat across from Gage at breakfast the following morning. Like the rest of the apartment, the kitchen was flooded with sunlight. White cabinets hung above caramel granite countertops, and a leafy philodendron on an ornate plant stand stood in the corner. A round antique table and chairs sat in front of tall paned windows.
They were both sipping coffee, getting ready to go over the list she’d made last night, when the doorbell buzzed downstairs.
Gage rose and hit the intercom button.
“It’s Kade. I had business in the city. I was hoping you’d spring for a cup of coffee.”
Gage smiled. “Come on up.” He rose from his chair. “My brother,” he said to her.
“The rancher or the soldier?”
“The rancher. But you won’t need your gun, I promise. He’s even more harmless than I am.”
Abby bit back a smile as Gage walked over and buzzed the downstairs door open. Dressed in jeans and a black T-shirt that showed off a pair of spectacular biceps, his dark hair still damp from the shower and curling at the nape of his neck, the man looked like sin personified. Harmless wasn’t the word she would use for Gage Logan.
Nor for his equally handsome brother, when the two men walked back into the kitchen.
“Kade, this is Abby. We’re partnering for an upcoming expedition.”
Kade smiled at Abby. He was almost as tall as Gage, with a lean, V-shaped body beneath a white western shirt closed by a row of pearl snaps.
“Good to meet you,” Kade said. “My brother’s been needing something to do. That caged-animal look in his eyes has been getting worse by the day.”
“I promise he’ll be breathing fresh country air very soon,” Abby said.
Kade smiled. Taking off his dark brown Stetson, he smoothed the creases from his golden brown hair. “Ellie sends her love,” he said to Gage.
“His beautiful bride,” Gage explained. “How is she?”
“Feisty as ever.”
“No surprise there. What about Edge? Have you seen him lately?”
“He came out to the ranch, rode up in the hills for a couple of days. He’s decided to go to work for Nighthawk Security. At least for a while. I think he’s gonna be okay.”
“He’s always been a step ahead of us. He’ll be fine.”
Kade walked over and poured himself a cup of coffee. For the first time, it seemed to dawn on him that it was very early and Abby was sitting at Gage’s breakfast table. At least she was dressed and not still wearing her robe.
“I hope I didn’t interrupt,” Kade said, sipping his coffee as he eyed his brother, clearly intrigued.
“Abby came to me with information that may turn out to be valuable. Unfortunately, someone else thinks so too. She was attacked on one occasion, her apartment ransacked on another. She’s staying here until we’re ready to head out.”
Kade sobered. “If you two need a safe place to stay, you’re welcome at the ranch.”
“Thanks for the offer, but we should be all right here. And we have plenty of work to do.”
“Which I’m obviously keeping you from doing.” Kade finished the last of his coffee and set the empty mug down in the sink. “Let me know if there’s anything I can do to help.”
“Will do.” Gage walked him to the door, then reset the alarm after Kade had exited the building.
“You mentioned your brother Edge,” Abby said. “Are the three of you close?”
Gage refilled his mug. “As we grew older we drifted apart for a while. Kade’s wife, Ellie, brought us back together. I don’t think any of us will let that happen again.”
“You’re lucky to have a family. King was all I had, and now he’s gone.” Emotion rolled through her, made her eyes burn. King hadn’t been around a lot, but he was always there when she needed him.
Gage set a big hand over hers where it rested on the table. “You’ll always have your memories. With any luck, we’ll find the Devil’s Gold, and you’ll have even more reasons to remember him.”
Abby swallowed past the lump in her throat. Her memories of the time she had spent with her grandfather would never leave her. And he would be with them in spirit every day of their journey.
Gage sat down across from her. Abby picked up the list she had made the night before and handed it over.
As Gage studied the list, his dark brows pulled together. “You said King was all the family you had, but the names at the top of the list are your cousins.”
Abby nodded. “My cousin Jude and his sister, Stacy. Their grandfather was King’s younger brother. Jude’s always been a jerk. He’s thirty years old and still lives with his mother. His sister, Stacy, is selfish and spoiled. She dates wealthy older men and takes whatever she can get from them. Jude wasn’t the guy who attacked me, but I figure he or Stacy could have hired him.”
“They were both at the reading of the will?”
She nodded. “Their mother, Olivia, was also there. King left each of the kids a small amount of money. Jude was furious King left the house to me. He thought I should sell it and split the money with him and Stacy. I figured if my grandfather wanted them to have it, he would have given it to them.”
Gage’s mouth inched up in amusement. “Tell me about Stacy.”
“My cousin is a gold digger—if you’ll pardon the pun—and she’s a user. Not drugs. The kind of user who’s willing to do anything to get what she wants. A fortune in gold certainly qualifies.”