Alastair pulled his car to a stop at the Adana Tower and climbed out.

Darcy leaped out of the car, bursting with energy. As they headed toward the group of agents and the THS gang waiting near the entrance, he wanted to grab her hand, but he restrained himself. Barely.

After touching her all night, he wanted to keep doing it. He didn’t want to stop.

She looked at him and clearly read him like an open book. A sexy smile curved her lips. “Behave.”

As they neared the group, Thom, Dec, and Cal looked up.

“No one came out of the penthouse all night.” Thom handed over some paperwork.

Alastair scanned the warrant.

“Someone did enter this morning,” Thom said.

Alastair lifted his head.

“Older gentleman. He’s one of the founding members of Cochran, Dean, and Porter.”

“Lawyer,” Alastair said.

Darcy leaned forward. “You think he’s the Collector?”

“Let’s find out,” Alastair said. “Time to pay a visit.”

“We’re having that discussion about my sister,” Dec said. “Soon.”

Cal’s gaze narrowed, his voice was low. “I say we just beat him up.”

“I can’t hear everything you’re saying,” Darcy said, from the other side of Alastair. “But I’m pretty sure I don’t like it.”

“You see that freaking hickey on your neck?” Dec growled.

Darcy’s gaze narrowed. “Do I ask you about your sex life?”

Cal groaned. “Don’t use the word sex. Sisters are not allowed to say it to their brothers.”

Darcy rounded on her brother.

Alastair gripped her arm. “Can we take down Silk Road first, then continue this?”

Dec and Cal both straightened. Darcy nodded. Once again, Alastair was glad he was an only child.

Alastair waved at the group of armed agents. As they moved toward the front doors of the Adana Tower, Darcy did as well.

He scowled at her and opened his mouth.

“I’ve earned this.” Her gaze narrowed. “And you know it.”

Alastair sucked in a breath. “Fine. But you stay back.”

They headed through the lobby and over to the elevators. Thom had already briefed the building’s security. It was a tense ride up to the penthouse level.

The elevator opened into a small lobby covered in expensive marble and a large, carved wooden door. He nodded at Thom, and his partner knocked on the door.

It opened, and a handsome young man stood there, wearing a tailored suit. His tousled blond hair was styled, and he was cradling a mug of coffee like he didn’t have a care in the world.

“We have a warrant to search the premises.” Alastair held out the paperwork.

The man’s face moved into a concerned look. “I see, Mr.…?”

“Special Agent Burke. FBI.”

“Ah.”

An older man appeared at the man’s back. The young man turned and handed the paperwork over to him.

“I’ll let my lawyer take a look at it.”

Smug bastard. He reeked of privilege and superiority. Alastair had met many wealthy people in his career. Most of them were damn hard-working business owners and philanthropists. But there was always an elite asshole lurking around a corner in DC.

The younger man smiled and it rubbed Alastair the wrong way.

Suddenly, Darcy pushed forward, and Alastair barely resisted rolling his eyes. He threw out an arm to stop her.

“Wait,” she said. “I know you.”

The man tilted his head, and his smile widened, showing lots of perfect teeth. “I’m sure I’d remember a woman as lovely as you.”

Alastair scowled and stepped closer to her.

“You were in the Dashwood. The morning we stopped those kids trying to steal the sculpture.”

The man gave a negligent shrug. “I often visit all of DC’s venerable institutions.”

“Name,” Alastair demanded.

That smug smile stayed in place. “William Henry Acton.”

Now it was Declan who muscled forward. Darcy gasped.

Alastair frowned at the siblings. He was missing something. “That mean something to you?”

“Back in the seventies,” Dec said. “In Ecuador, when our parents first met—”

“There was an English treasure hunter named Henry Acton.” Darcy glared at the blond man. “He tried to steal a priceless Incan emerald my parents were searching for. He tried to murder them.”

William just smiled. “My grandfather was a true adventurer and visionary.”

“He didn’t die in Ecuador?” Darcy asked.

William continued smiling, but something nasty moved through his blue gaze. “Your parents pushed him off a cliff into a caiman-infested river.”

“To save their own lives,” Darcy spat.

Suddenly, the lawyer stepped back into view. He gave William a small nod. Alastair waved to his team and they moved forward to begin searching the penthouse.

Alastair strode past Acton, keeping Darcy close. As his agents spread out, he watched Darcy lift her tablet.

Then she gasped.

“What?” he asked.

“The diamonds are moving. Downward.”

William Acton’s smile slipped. Clearly no one had found the trackers. Surprise, asshole.

“Thom!” Alastair followed Darcy.

She swiveled, moving through the penthouse. She burst through a door and into a study. It was done in dark wood, burgundy leather, and covered in bookshelves. She stopped in front of one of the fully-loaded shelves.

“Here,” she said.

Alastair reached out, moving his hands over the shelves.

“There must be something behind it,” she said. “We need to find the mechanism to open it.”

Darcy and Thom joined him, all of them looking. Suddenly, Darcy touched something, and Alastair heard a click.

Part of the bookshelf opened, moving away from the wall. Alastair gripped it and swung it wide.

The silver doors of an elevator were behind it.

“It wasn’t on any schematics,” Thom said.

Alastair cursed and strode out of the study. He looked at Acton, and the young man was smirking again.

Alastair didn’t waste any time with the asshole. “Someone arrest him!”

He strode out, barking orders as they all entered the main elevator.

“Someone contact the agents on the street. No vehicles leave here. No one leaves the building. I want every door, window, and trash chute secured.”

Darcy tapped on her tablet. “Diamonds are still moving. They’re outside! North side.”

The elevator slowed and the doors opened. They jogged through the lobby and out into the sunshine.

Agents swarmed them. “No one’s left, Agent Burke.”

“The diamonds are outside. Find them!”

They circled around the building and Thom suddenly pointed upward. “Look.”

Alastair spotted a broken window on the second level.

A second later, there was a squeal of tires. They all turned, and down the street, a black Mercedes peeled away from the curb.

“Fuck!” he roared.

All of a sudden, a car screeched to a halt beside him. His car. The door opened and he saw Darcy behind the wheel.

“Get in.”

He leaped into the passenger seat, and before he’d even closed the door, she careened out onto the road. He quickly pulled on his seatbelt.

“Here.” She shoved her tablet at him.

Darcy followed the Mercedes, driving like a race car driver hyped up on caffeine. A few times, he had to brace his hand on the roof.

“Darcy—”

“Don’t worry, Dec and Cal taught me to drive.”

“Fuck,” he muttered.

She smiled at him, and despite the circumstances, he was struck by how beautiful she was. Suddenly, it hit him that he was falling for her. All the way, completely. His chest contracted.

He knew that it hurt to care, to love, and then to lose. He’d avoided it ever since he’d lost his mom. He’d probably be terrible at it since his experience was limited.

Darcy spun the wheel, taking a corner way too fast.

“Don’t kill us,” he said.

“I’ll do my best.”

He growled. “I want you safe.”

“And I’m never going to follow your orders, Alastair.”

That was probably the truth. “Except in bed.”

She winked at him. “When it suits me.”

God, she was something. The Mercedes had pulled ahead, and Alastair could just see it in the distance. Then he checked the side mirror and tensed.

“Darcy.”

“Yeah.”

“There’s a sedan coming up behind us. Coming in fast.”

She looked in the rearview mirror, her eyes widening. “He’s speeding up. He’s going to—”

The sedan rammed into the back of them with a crunch of metal. Darcy clamped her hands on the wheel, trying to keep hold of it.

“Hang on!” She pressed her foot down.

Their vehicle shot forward and Alastair gripped the door handle. She fish-tailed across the thankfully empty road, took a corner way too fast, but she managed to put some distance between them and the sedan.

She looked in the mirror. “They’re still coming!”

Alastair pulled his Glock out and lowered the window. He unclipped his belt.

“Alastair, no—”

He reached out the window, aimed, and took the shot. An answering hail of bullets hit the back window, shattering it.

Darcy ducked down with a short scream. “Shit. Shit.”

“Hold us steady.” Alastair pulled himself half out of the window and fired again.

“Alastair! Get back in here.”

He hit one of the approaching car’s tires, sending the vehicle careening out of control. It went up on the sidewalk and hit a fire hydrant.

He slid back into his seat.

“I want you safe, too.” She slapped at his chest. “Don’t do that again.”

“I’m fine.”

Ahead, the Potomac appeared in their field of view. In the distance, the Mercedes turned.

“There.” Alastair pointed. “He’s headed for that marina.”

Darcy slowed. “It’s a yacht club.”

The river was wider here, and several docks poked out toward the middle of the river. They were lined with yachts of all different sizes.

When she pulled into the parking lot, Alastair spotted the abandoned Mercedes.

“What now?” she asked.

“Wait for backup, and then we search the marina.” He tapped the tablet. “I’ve sent Thom our location.”

Darcy peered out the windshield. Then she tensed. “Alastair, look.”

A large superyacht was docked at the end of one of the rows. Several uniformed crewmembers were scrambling about the deck, pulling in ropes.

Readying the ship to leave.

Dammit. That had to belong to the Collector.

Alastair opened the glove compartment and pulled out spare ammunition. “You wait here for our backup. Tell Thom where I am.” Then he leaned across the car, slid a hand behind Darcy’s head, and pressed a hard kiss to her lips.

“No.” She gripped his wrist. “You should wait.”

“I’m not going to let them get away.” He opened his door.

“The Collector has to be Henry Acton. Dad was sure he died in Ecuador, but he must have survived.”

“I’m going in to find him, get the diamonds, and end this.”

Fear skittered over her face. “Please wait.”

Alastair wavered. He wanted to ease her fear…but he’d started this journey a long time ago. He had to finish it. He straightened. For his mom.

“Tell Thom, and stay safe.”

Something flickered in Darcy’s gaze, something that made his gut churn.

“Alastair, stay.”

“I can’t.” He pressed another quick, desperate kiss to her lips, then he slid out of the car. He was doing this for her too. “They won’t hurt anyone I love again.”

Time to get justice for his mother, and for every time Silk Road had tried to harm Darcy.

* * *

Darcy stood by the car staring at the super yacht. It had several levels, some with decks at the back, and a bridge at the top, covered in fancy-looking antennas.

Alastair had left her.

She let out a shuddering breath. She felt hollow and alone. Discarded.

He’d slipped aboard moments ago. She wrapped her arms around her middle. When the hell were Thom and her brothers going to arrive?

Alastair had rushed in there, with no care for his own safety. She bit her lip. God, she didn’t know she could hurt this much. After the way he’d touched her last night, possessed her, she’d thought she’d found that once-in-a-lifetime connection.

But he’d left her.

Can you blame him? If her parents had been killed by Silk Road, she’d stop at nothing to bring the group to justice.

She swallowed. They won’t hurt anyone I love again.

She froze. In her head, she pictured the look on his face as he’d made love to her during the night—the hunger, the desperation, the absorption. She felt the way he touched, like every caress mattered.

They won’t hurt anyone I love again. Did he mean more than just his mother?

Oh, God. She pushed away from the car. It didn’t matter. She was falling for the hard-headed, bossy man, and she’d realized something in the last few days. Being in love wasn’t about someone sweeping you off your feet, or them always showing you grand gestures. It went both ways. It was taking care of each other, ensuring that the other person was okay, giving them what they needed. It was the small things as well.

Then she heard gunshots.

Her stomach clenched. Alastair was in trouble.

She took a step forward. Who knew how many Silk Road thugs were on the yacht? She scanned the parking lot. She couldn’t wait any longer. Alastair needed help.

Darcy snatched up her tablet and slipped it into her pocket. She wished she had a weapon, but that still wasn’t going to stop her.

She jogged down the floating walkway toward the yacht. There were no crewmembers or guards in sight. She raced up the ramp.

Two suited guards were unconscious, zip-tied and lying on the ground. She grinned. Damn, her man was good.

She snuck through the first door she found and paused. Wow. It was all glossy, tan wood, cream leather, and gold fixtures. Expensive-looking, but a little gaudy for her tastes.

She lifted the tablet and pulled up the tracking map. The diamonds were toward the back of the ship. She slipped through the hallway. It was lined with wooden doors, but they were all closed.

At the end of the hall, there was another door, with a glass panel in the center. She pressed to the side of the hallway and moved closer. The murmur of voices rumbled through the door. Then she craned her head, peeking through the glass.

Bile rose in her throat. It was some sort of open living area and it was filled with armed guards. Alastair was sitting in the center of the space, tied to a chair.

Oh, no.

“The Collector will be here soon,” a man said.

It had to be Henry Acton.

She peeked in again and saw the diamond case resting on a table. She had to get Alastair free, get the diamonds, and get out of there until their backup arrived.

Easy. No sweat.

As she watched, one guard reached back and punched Alastair in the face. His head whipped to the side, blood on his mouth. She bit her lip to stifle her cry.

She ducked back down. She wanted to rush in there, but that wouldn’t help. Think, Darcy, think. She pulled out her tablet. She needed to use the skills she had. She looked around and spotted a small, covered, electrical panel on the wall. It took her a second to remove the plate. She lifted her tablet, plugged in, and got into the yacht’s controls. She smiled grimly. She was now on their wireless system.

Okay. Now what? She tapped, hacking into the lighting and ventilation system. It wasn’t much, but it was something.

She turned the lights off in the room. Instantly, voices rose in alarm. Then, she started blinking the lights on and off.

Now, commotion broke out inside. She peeked through the glass again. Alastair was on his feet, still tied to the chair, but swinging it around and kicking his attackers. He banged into one guard, then kicked another one into the wall.

Darcy opened the door. She slid inside, staying close to the wall. She circled the room, moving over to a built-in bar. She ducked behind it and opened a drawer. She fished around and pulled out a knife.

Then she turned. There was a guard with his back to her.

She crept closer. Suddenly, he turned and spotted her.

Gripping the hilt of the knife tighter, she launched herself at him. She stabbed at him, but he dodged the blow.

From her vantage point, she had a direct view of Alastair. She watched as a guard rammed a punch into Alastair’s gut, sending him lurching backward.

“Out of my way,” she snapped at the guard. Alastair needed her.

She stabbed again, and this time, she caught the man on the side. He slammed into the bar, tripped, and cracked his head on the edge of the bar. He went down hard.

She spun and found Alastair standing in the center of the room, his chest heaving. The other guards were all on the floor around him, groaning.

She lifted her tablet and turned the flashing lights off.

Green eyes locked on her. “I told you to stay in the car.”

“Surprise.” She walked over to him. “No way I was letting you hog all the action.” She pressed her lips to his. “Or get hurt.”

“You drive me crazy.”

“And you love it.”

“Yeah, I do.”

Their gazes locked and, for a second, Darcy couldn’t breathe.

“You going to cut these ropes off?”

She blinked. Ropes, right. “Turn around.”

He spun, and she used the knife to saw through the rope. The chair dropped to the floor, and Alastair yanked the ropes off.

Then he grabbed her, pulled her off her feet, and yanked her in for a kiss.

“Let’s get the diamonds,” he said. “Then find Thom and the others.”

They turned to the table…and Darcy’s heart sank.

The diamond case was gone.

Suddenly, she heard a steady thwap thwap sound coming from outside. A helicopter swept overhead.

“Shit,” Alastair muttered. “It’s coming in to land on the top deck.”

“The Collector!”