Eyes of Fire

“Then—” Adam began.

“I’m telling you, the Walkers are guilty of a certain deceit in their reasons for being here, but that is it. They are innocent of any wrongdoing. Judy Walker is extremely fond of Miss Carlyle, who has been very kind to her children. I can promise you, the Walkers would not harm Sam. You will not find Miss Carlyle with them.”

“God help you if you’re lying to me, Astin!” Adam said. Then he turned on his heel and exited the cottage.

It was time for a showdown with Jerry North.

He kept touching her.

Fingers moving over her flesh like maggots.

But she did want to live.

“The English captain of the Beldona was still in love with his Spanish mistress. She and her new fiance were both aboard the Beldona. The rubies and other Spanish gems were aboard the ship, as well, and my father believed…”

“Yes, what did your father believe?”

His fingers stroked her thighs.

“That…that…”

“Yes?”

Oh, God. She couldn’t speak, couldn’t breathe.

He was straddling her.

She could tell that he was lean, tightly muscled.

And he was nearly naked. Shirtless, barefoot, he wore bathing trunks and nothing else at all. He sat over her own barely covered hips. The hair on his legs grazed vulnerable flesh.

He leaned closer to her again. She could almost feel the full length of him. The texture of his flesh. The strength of his body.

All of it…so threatening.

Evil. Eerie.

His lips nearly upon hers, his breath coming in and out, a whisper forming on his mouth, against her own.

“Now…” he began.

Then another voice suddenly cut the air. A female voice.

Furious.

“My God! Just what in hell do you think you’re doing?”

15

O ddly enough, Hinnerman was at the door of the cottage as Adam made his way toward it.

“What the hell is it, cop?” Hinnerman demanded nastily. He was wearing boxer shorts and an open robe, and he held a glass of liquor in his hand. A nightcap.

“I’d like to see Miss North, please.”

“Why?” Hinnerman demanded belligerently.

“That’s between Miss North and me.”

“You want to talk to Jerry, big man, you gotta go through me.”

But Adam didn’t have to go through Hinnerman. Jerry was standing behind him.

Such a pretty woman. Looking so much younger than her years. Except for her eyes. Her eyes looked so much older.

“Adam, what’s wrong?” Jerry asked.

“We’re looking for Sam.”

Jerry, in a white cotton robe and delicate white slippers, shook her head worriedly. “She isn’t here.”

“Of course she isn’t here! What the hell would she be doing here at this hour of the night?” Hinnerman’s eyes narrowed on Adam. “Maybe she’s decided you aren’t such a hotshot in bed after all, huh?”

Adam clenched his teeth, forcing a false smile to his lips as he faced Hinnerman. “Maybe she feels just that, Hinnerman. But you know what, butt head? At least I never had to beat a woman to get her to stay with me.”

Jerry gasped. Hinnerman swore.

“You wiseass piece of shit!” Hinnerman bellowed, starting toward Adam. Jerry leaped between them. Hinnerman looked as if he was about to slug her, but Jem instinctively came forward, sweeping Jerry up, just as Adam stepped forward, flinging up an arm to ward off Hinnerman’s blow while carefully aiming his own right.

Hinnerman went down.

Adam discovered that he was shaking. “Why the hell do you stay with him, Jerry? Why the hell do you need him when…when—”

He broke off, shaking his head.

Jerry eased from Jem’s hold, looking down at Liam, who was just beginning to try to pick himself up. “You… know?” she whispered.

“Yes.”

“Does Sam?”

“No, not yet. I thought it was something you might like to tell her yourself. But then again, I kept other information from her, and that’s why she’s missing now.”

Hinnerman had made it to his feet. He was staring balefully at Adam.

“Sam Carlyle seems to like you just fine right now, doesn’t she, Jerry?” he jeered. “Wait until she finds out you’re the mama who deserted her and her daddy on this island. Wait until she finds out that you were snooping around her daddy right before he disappeared from the face of this earth!”

Jerry was white. She looked at Adam. “He’s right. How can I tell her? She’ll hate me.”

Adam shook his head. “How can you not tell her? How can you keep away from her? You’ve got a beautiful daughter.”

“Too beautiful, maybe, inside and out. She’ll hate me.”

“I don’t think so.” He glanced contemptuously at Hinnerman. “You need to get away from this abusive bastard. She’d help you.”

“You mind your own business, you cop asshole.”

“I’m not a cop anymore.”

“Who the hell are you working for?”

“Myself. I’m my own damned employer. Jerry, we’ve got to find her. Want to help us?”

“Yes, yes, just let me change.”

Adam nodded. “Jem, you stay here. If he lifts a finger against her, deck the bastard again.”

“Gotcha, Adam,” Jem agreed.

“Yancy, we’ll try Jim Santino’s next.”

“Want me to go to Sukee’s?”

“No, I don’t want you alone anymore, either. Just stick with me. Behind me,” he added after a moment. “Santino is the son of a gangster.”

Yancy took him at his word. She hung just behind him, holding his elbow as they hurried across the beautifully manicured lawn to Santino’s cottage.

Yet even as they neared it, they could hear the screaming. Adam glanced at Yancy quickly, then started to run.

“You bastard! I’ll kill you!” cried the furious female voice.

Sam heard a whacking sound.

Then her attacker, speaking again, contrite, pleading now.

“Stop it. Calm down. You don’t understand what I’m trying to do.”

“It’s obvious what you’re trying to do.”

“Bullshit! Her old man killed mine. What possible interest would I have in her?”

“Your libido seems to have no problems with her!”