Chapter Thirteen
“The plot thickens,” Cruz muttered.
Boone wanted to smack the tiger — for no good reason other than being so unbearably on edge. In part, that was due to Nina being tense and the way her emotions jumped over to him. But also because of what he’d just learned. Cruz was right. Nina had millions of reasons for some jealous soul to want her dead.
She also had millions of reasons to no longer need him.
Money couldn’t buy everything, but hell — fifty million dollars? He lived in a shack by the beach on another man’s land. His life savings was closer to five hundred dollars than a thousand. Sure, Nina liked him, but really, how long would that last? Nina was a nice, responsible girl, and sooner or later, some nice, responsible man would lure her away.
His wolf growled. That was Tammy with Kramer. Nina is different. She’s special.
That was the problem. She was special — but he wasn’t. He was just him. Worse — he was a wolf shifter, and Nina was human. The shifter world was full of danger and intrigue. Pulling her into it would only expose her to more danger.
As if she’s not already in deep? his wolf snarled.
Holy shit, Cruz muttered into his mind. You know what that stone is?
Boone shrugged. What did he care about some gem? All he cared about was Nina.
That’s no ordinary stone, Cruz insisted.
Well, duh, Sherlock, he wanted to say. It had to be worth a fortune.
Look at it, Cruz hissed.
Boone looked. Okay, a big red stone. A big, freaking expensive red stone.
Feel it, Cruz insisted. Hell, just get anywhere near it.
Boone wasn’t about to grab Nina’s jewel, but he cupped her hand. Nina held the gem by the silver chain, but when she caught it in her left hand and brought it closer to her face, the temperature around him rose by two or three degrees.
It’s one of the Spirit Stones, Cruz murmured.
Boone leaned away. Holy shit.
Bet you — oh, let’s say, fifty million dollars — that’s what this is, Cruz went on.
“What do you know about this gem?” Hunter asked Nina very casually.
“Nothing. I didn’t know Lewis was rich.”
“He never mentioned it?”
She shook her head. “He barely ever mentioned his wife, and when he did, he choked up.”
Boone looked at Cruz. The Spirit Stones were a collection of five precious stones with special powers that had once been owned by a powerful dragon clan. But that horde had been scattered to the four winds centuries ago. And although the stories sounded a little kooky to him, Boone knew better than to doubt them. Kai’s mate, Tessa, was the keeper of the Lifestone, and it had protected her from dragon fire.
He went through the stones in his head. According to Silas, there was a Lifestone, a Waterstone, a Windstone…
This is the Firestone, Cruz murmured. It has to be.
Boone clenched his fist before the shake in it showed. He hadn’t given much thought to the Spirit Stones. The Lifestone was one, and it had helped Kai and Tessa fight off the dragon who’d been intent on claiming Tessa as his mate — and that was that as far as Boone was concerned. Tessa was awesome, and she fit right in with their little band of shifters at Koa Point. The place hadn’t felt the same since she and Kai had left for their trip to Arizona.
So, no, he hadn’t spent much time wondering about the other Spirit Stones. But now, Silas’s words echoed through his brain.
When one of the stones wakes, it calls to the others.
Boone stared at the ruby. Is that why it was here? He thought destiny was bringing him Nina, but maybe she’d just been dragged along by fate.
We need to get a hold of Silas, fast, Cruz muttered.
Boone nodded. The problem was, Silas was somewhere in the continental US, tracking down the treasure stolen from his family by the dragon who’d attacked Tessa. Silas had been in and out of contact over the past few days. Who knew when they’d hear from him next?
Hunter rustled through the papers on the table and pulled one out to show Nina. “Look.”
Boone leaned in as Nina read the copy of a decades-old newspaper clipping out loud. Something from the society pages.
“Mr. and Mrs. Lewis McGee attending a benefit dinner for the Children’s Cancer Fund. Mrs. McGee is seen wearing the Harrington Ruby, purchased at an undisclosed price three months ago. It is said that Elizabeth Taylor lost the bid for the stone once owned by the Duchess of Rothersay…”
“He sent this thing by registered mail?” Cruz asked, looking at the envelope.
“That’s the best way,” Nina murmured. When Boone stared, she shrugged. “Lewis told me lots of stories, like how the Hope Diamond was once shipped by registered mail to make it look like a plain package instead of something worth millions.”
“Here it is again,” Hunter said, flipping through the printouts he’d amassed. When he put a finger right on the page he was seeking, Boone was impressed. The bear shifter must have been up half the night, tracking all those articles down.
The article was another obituary for Lewis McGee, and one section was underlined. Among his assets are a ten-million-dollar Florida estate and the six-million-dollar Harrington Ruby…
“Six million?” Nina screeched, quickly tucking the ruby back in its case and pushing it away.
But monetary value was just one aspect of the gem, and Boone knew it. What power does the Firestone have? he asked Cruz.
Can’t remember. Did Silas say?
Hunter looked blank, too, and Boone wanted to shake them both.
“When did you say you got this?” Hunter asked Nina.
She turned to Boone. “Yesterday the receptionist said the mail just arrived, right?”
He nodded.
“I wonder if the lawyer even knows what was in there,” Cruz mused.
Boone shook his head. “I doubt it. He was probably just acting on McGee’s orders.”
“So does someone want Nina dead for the money or the ruby?” Cruz asked.
Nina shivered, and Boone nearly did, too. A Spirit Stone complicated things by a factor of ten. Twenty. Fifty. Humans coveted gems for their monetary value, but shifters revered the Spirit Stones for their powers. Dragons were especially drawn by the legends and mystical aspect of the stones. Silas had suspected that his archenemy Drax might have been behind the fight for Tessa’s Lifestone…
Shit. Boone could protect Nina from humans and from most shifter species. But if dragons were involved, that was a whole different ball game. He wasn’t afraid to take on a dragon, but odds were, he’d lay down his life in doing so.
I’d die for Nina, his wolf growled.
Of course he would. The problem was, he’d prefer a long, happy life with her. An honorable death didn’t have the same appeal.
He hung his head. Maybe a long, happy life with Nina wasn’t even in the cards. Maybe he was kidding himself about that.
An alarm buzzed, and Cruz went to check it out. “Someone at the front gate.”
Boone flashed his teeth, warning Cruz to be on his guard.
Like you have to tell me that, Cruz grumbled before heading off. Boone could practically see the tiger shifter swish his tail, miffed.
Hunter stood and followed. I’ll back him up. You try to get ahold of Silas.
When Hunter strode off, Boone was sorely tempted to pull Nina into his arms. Did the news change anything between them? But Nina was still processing it all, he could tell. She tucked McGee’s note into the jewelry box as if it were every bit as precious as the gem, then stood abruptly.
“Can I get you a cup of coffee?” she asked out of the blue.
A moment later, they both broke into laughter and fell into each other’s arms. He hugged her fiercely, more relieved than he could say. Maybe he still had a chance with her. Maybe once he explained…
“I guess the waitress part is in my DNA,” she laughed.
He shook his head. “What’s in your DNA is your ability to listen. To smile. To make people feel like they count.” His heart skipped a little at the thought. She’d sure done that to him.
She tucked her head along his shoulder and held on tight.
“Do you remember everything now?” he ventured.
“Not everything. I still don’t remember how I got on that boat that night or who those men were. I remember further back, though. At least, the important things.”
“Then tell me the important things,” he whispered, figuring it would do her good.
“I remember my mom.” She sniffed a little. “I remember my house and the people I worked with. Good folks, really. And the nice neighbor from across the street — Mrs. Lorenzi. She made me a lasagna when my mom died and always kept an eye out for me. I remember going to college…”
She trailed off there, and he held her tighter. “What did you want to study?”
She laughed, though there was no joy in the sound. “Psychology. But I had to stop when my mom got sick. It was hard enough to juggle work and study, and then the bills started adding up…” Her voice faded again.
He smoothed his hand over her hair. “I’d bet you anything that McGee guy would have preferred you over the best shrink.”
She laughed. “You’re not supposed to use the word shrink.”
“Tell you what,” he said, inhaling her scent. “When you get your degree, I’ll make sure I won’t call you a shrink.”
She pulled back and looked at him with eyes wide in wonder.
“What?” he asked.
She smiled. “My mom used to say that the same way. ‘When you get your degree.’ Like she really believed I could do it someday.”
“I do believe it. Even without fifty million dollars, I would still believe.”
She frowned, and he cursed himself for bringing it up.
“I don’t even know what it’s like to have money. I buy most of my stuff at thrift shops. I clip coupons. I’m not sure what I’d even do with a thousand dollars, let alone fifty million.”
“You could finish college, for one thing. And you know what? You can shop at thrift stores and clip coupons for as long as you want.” She laughed, but he persisted. “Why the hell not?”
She pulled him back into a hug. “That’s what I love about you, Boone.”
His ears perked, and his heart stopped momentarily. Did he dare ask if she meant it?
Dare, his wolf egged him on. Dare.
“Love?” he whispered, holding his breath.
Nina looked up at him. She caught her lower lip with her tongue, then nodded slowly. “I didn’t think it was possible to fall in love with someone so quickly, Boone, but yes, I do. I mean, I think I do. I mean — I know I could be all mixed up. But what else can it be? When you touch me, I feel alive. When you’re away from me, part of me wilts and dies. I look at you, and all I want is you. You make me feel good. Happy. Secure. I don’t need fifty million dollars. I don’t need a jewel. I wouldn’t know what to do with it. I just need you, Boone. And that’s love, right?”
Boone locked his knees before they buckled at the force of her words.
“That’s love,” he managed. “I love you too, Nina. Ever since the first time I touched you…” He trailed off. Did he dare finish that sentence? The first time I touched you, my wolf howled inside. You’re my destined mate, Nina. I know you are.
He was still wrestling with words and emotions when heavy footsteps scuffed the perimeter of the building, and Hunter cleared his throat.
Boone didn’t release his hug. Hunter could wait.
Boone, Hunter called.
Not now, man.
Boone. Hunter’s voice was sharper, and that should have been a sign. Hunter never got riled up. Never. But Boone was so focused on Nina, he let that detail go.
I said, not now.
It’s got to be now, man. Kramer’s here.
Boone froze. Nina pulled back, picking up on his tension immediately.
“Is everything okay?” she asked.
Hunter looked at his feet, at the thatched roof, then at the floor. Anywhere but at her face. “There’s someone here to see you.”
Boone snarled and stepped forward. Like hell, he’d let Kramer in to see Nina. Kramer has nothing to do with Nina.
Hunter pursued his lips. Not Kramer. Not exactly. But his client…
Kramer had a goddamn client?
“Who’s here to see me?” Nina’s voice trembled. She might not be a shapeshifter, but she sensed the danger, all right.
Hunter took a deep breath and glanced at Boone, then Nina. Why did he look so…sorry? So sad for them both?
“Who is it?” she insisted.
Hunter opened his mouth, closed it, and finally opened it again. “Your husband, Nina. Your husband is here to see you.”