off.
Kenzie’s gaze moved over Reese, whose pallor was fading, his color returning. “You’re awfully quiet. Are you all right?”
He sighed. “Just trying to make some sense of all this. I’ve had plenty of time to think in the last twenty-four hours, and we both know that explosion wasn’t an accident. It’s only a matter of time until the authorities figure that out. But what the hell was the motive? Now that Arthur Haines is dead, even if Sawyer DeMarco were still alive, he’d have no reason to press for control of the rig. So who else wants it?”
“Maybe the explosion had nothing to do with taking over the deal,” Kenzie said. “Maybe whoever was responsible was after you personally. That’s what your brother is worried about. That’s why Jax is here.”
“I don’t deny it’s a possibility. But if someone wanted me dead, they could have done it a dozen different times. Instead, each time was connected to the Poseidon.”
“You need to make a list of your enemies, Reese, people who dislike you enough to want you dead.”
He grumbled something about the hazards of being a CEO, then fell silent as the jet began to rumble down the airstrip, gathered speed, and pushed into the air. As the flight smoothed out and the jet leveled off, his head came up as if an idea had struck.
“What if there was someone who wanted the rig, but also disliked me enough to kill me? Or maybe just didn’t care if I died as long as he got what he wanted?”
Kenzie turned toward him. “Who are you talking about?”
“Troy Graves.”
“Arthur’s partner?”
“That’s right. Troy and I met in college. From the start, we never got along.” Reese went on to explain how they had competed against each other in everything from sports to women, and Troy always managed to come out the loser. “In the years since then, we’ve been anything but friendly.”
“With Arthur dead, Troy’s now in control of Black Sand Oil and Gas,” Kenzie said. “That puts him in a position to get even for whatever grievances he might hold against you.”
“That’s right. If Black Sand winds up with the Poseidon, the company gets a badly needed boost, and maybe in the process, Troy gets rid of the competition—for good.”
FORTY-ONE
The jet landed at the Dallas Executive Airport late in the afternoon. Reese’s cell phone started ringing as he descended the metal stairs onto the tarmac. Hawk’s name appeared on the screen.
“Good news,” Hawk said. “Good for Kenzie. Not so good for Jeremy Bolt.”
“What’s going on?”
“Bolt’s dead. Better yet, the narcissistic bastard left a room full of trophies, one for each of his kills. He had Lee Haines’s photo, a photo of Kenzie, and a spent shell casing from Kenzie’s pistol that he used to kill the guy. All we have to do is wait for the cops to find it, which hopefully has already happened. It shouldn’t take too long for Kenzie’s name to be cleared.”
“I can hardly believe it. That’s really good work. Thanks, Hawk. If there’s anything you ever need—and I mean anything—you call me. Okay?”
“I’ll keep it in mind. I heard what happened on the boat. You okay?”
“Fine, considering how much seawater I drank. Kenzie saved my life. And from what I’ve been told, she damned near died trying to do it.”
“She’s a keeper, bro.”
“I know,” Reese said gruffly. The call ended and he caught up with Kenzie near where Reggie stood next to an SUV limo. “That was Hawk. He took care of your problem. The cops have to work things out, but it shouldn’t take long before your name is cleared.”
“Oh, my God, really? Are you sure?”
“Bolt’s dead, but he left plenty of evidence behind, trophies of the kills he made—including Lee Haines. If it goes down the way Hawk thinks, it won’t take long.”
Kenzie threw her arms around his neck. “You did it! Thank you! Reese, I’ll never be able to thank you enough.”
Reese’s drew her snugly against him. “You’re welcome, but you should be thanking Hawk.”
“True, but if it weren’t for you, I never would have met him, and I’d probably be in jail.”
The notion chilled him. I love you, baby, he thought. I love you and I’m not letting you go.
He wanted to say the words, but he wasn’t sure what Kenzie would say when he did. And with Ryker walking a few feet behind, now was not the time.
Add to that, there was his old nemesis, Troy Graves. If he was right and Graves