What was he thinking at this point, that she didn’t have a brain in her head?
They would dump her as soon as the feds had Greg in custody. And she couldn’t blame them. How much had her actions already cost people? She was transporting diamonds that had been mined by slaves. She was working with factories that probably used child labor.
A sharp knock on the door brought her out of her thoughts. She didn’t need anyone to see her like this. “I’m in the shower.”
“Kinley, let me in.” Riley’s voice sounded through the door.
He was the last one she needed. He was so smart. Riley had resisted his physical attraction to her. Now he probably wished he hadn’t given in. “I’ll be out in ten minutes.”
Maybe she could compose herself by then.
There was a slight rustling sound, then the door popped open. Riley had his driver’s license in his hand. “Interior doors are a breeze. And you lied. You are not in the shower.”
But she was naked. She grabbed a towel. “Privacy please.”
He frowned, his eyes on the towel. “Why? You didn’t want privacy before. You were perfectly happy to be naked in front of me. Or is it only Dominic and Law you’re comfortable around? What happened, Kinley? You decide you didn’t really like three men?”
“God, you are so damaged. That’s where you go? Everything has to be about you?” She was just about done with his attitude. “It can’t be that I just figured out how much of a fool I am? No, we have to go back to your problems and your issues. Go away, Riley. I’ll be out when I’m ready.”
She turned away from him, brutally aware she’d just been a complete bitch.
Riley’s arms wound around her waist and pulled her back. “I’m sorry. It didn’t occur to me because I don’t think you were a fool. I think you’re sweet and loving, and had no way to see this coming. You’re far too good for the likes of Jansen…and me. But I’m going to ask you to overlook that little flaw because I’m crazy about you.”
Tears filled her eyes. “That’s not fair.”
She wanted to be alone. She wanted to wail and blame herself for everything and Riley wasn’t going to let her.
“It’s all right, sweetheart.” He said the word like he really meant it, his hand smoothing back her hair as he cuddled her close. “It’s okay. You made a mistake, but it was an honest one. You did it because you were hopeful. He took advantage of your giving nature.”
“Just like it happened to you.” If she could get him to understand that what Simone did wasn’t his fault, maybe all the pain would be worth it. “There was nothing wrong with you or Law or what the three of you want. Simone had the problem.”
He stared down at her. “All right, Mary Sunshine. I’ll go with it, but only if you promise me one thing.”
“What?”
“Don’t let this change you. Stay as sweet and hopeful as you’ve always been, and I’ll try to find the positive guy inside me.” He grimaced. “I’m warning you, though. He’s buried deep. It might take me a while.”
She could wait. “Okay. It’s a deal.”
Kinley tilted her head back, looking up at Riley as he kissed her, sealing their deal.
Reluctantly, he pulled back. He reached into the shower, turning the water off. “We need you to skip the shower. No cause for alarm, but we’re thinking it might be a good idea to change locations. You know, stay safe, just in case.”
“What about the FBI? Aren’t they coming to see us?”
Regret skipped across Riley’s face. Then the lights flickered and died.
His whole body stilled. When she began to ask about a generator, he shoved a hand over her mouth. His eyes bored into her as he whispered. “No talking. Give it a second.”
The lights came back on. And died seconds later. A loud buzzing followed, an alarm signaling something.
“Fuck.” Riley paled. “Listen to me very carefully. The security system is offline because someone cut the power to it. The generator is top of the line, and so is the backup. We have to assume someone took both of them out.”
Shockwaves pinged through her system. “Do you think it’s FBI agents working some sort of sting? They’ve been looking for me.” She’d signed the affidavit that she wasn’t a hostage, but who knew if they’d believe that or assume she’d been made to sign under duress.
“The feds would announce themselves, and the feds know what we’re doing. I’m starting to think that Jansen has someone on the inside, and we’re screwed. Here’s what’s going to happen. Jansen wants the diamonds. I have to hide them. If he gets his hands on them, he’ll kill us all. My gun— Damn it, my gun is back in the office. Law is out at the hangar, and Dominic should be rounding up the dogs.”
“Greg is here?” Oh, god, if he was in this house, he was coming after her. And he wouldn’t come alone.
Suddenly, she heard an odd popping sound.
“Gunfire. Shit. Sweetheart, I need you to hide. I’m not sure where that gunfire came from, maybe the back of the house.”
Kinley grabbed the clothes she’d brought in with her. She’d picked them up without thinking. She was holding a pair of jeans covered in blood diamonds. She never wanted to see another pair of jeans again.
An idea struck her. She quickly opened the medicine cabinet. There was a nail file, the metal kind with a nice pointed end. She went to work on the stitching in the back pocket. After a couple of good twists, it was easy to pull the heavy scrap of fabric apart from the rest of the pants. “We need to hide the diamonds, but the actual jeans are bulky and it would take too much time to pry each stone off individually.” She reached for the bottle of her favorite shampoo. She dumped half of it into the shower and then stuffed the pockets in one at a time.
Riley kissed the top of her head. “I will spank you if ever call yourself dumb again. You’re brilliant. He needs them all. Every single diamond.”
She nodded. “All right, but I think Dominic took the rest of them. I don’t know where they are.”
“I do. He took them to the office. He was going to put them in a bag or something so you didn’t have to look at them.” Riley’s face tightened. “I need to get to those jeans.”
Riley hesitated, but Kinley knew his brothers could be out there dying right now. Her men were in danger, and she would do anything she could to stop it. “Go. I’ll stay and be exactly what Greg expects me to be—a hostage. He won’t kill me.”