Red After Dark (Blackwood Security #13) - Elise Noble Page 0,76
him to check the cattle and the horses in the paddocks at least.
That left Alaric and me to do the barn. Nine horses to muck out and feed, plus three to ride—the two stallions and a youngster who always had too much energy. I was running on empty by the time we finished.
“Breakfast?” Alaric asked.
With Stéphane providing moral support at the hospital, there was no spread waiting for us when we staggered into the house, and the thought of opening the fridge made me groan.
“I don’t have the strength.”
“When did you last eat?”
“A few mouthfuls at dinner last night.”
“I’ll make toast.” Alaric waved at the old sofa in the corner. “Put your feet up.”
“But I’m supposed to be your assistant.”
“In that case, I’m ordering you to sit down. Does Harriet really do all this herself every day? With just one other guy?”
“Yes. Stéphane looks after the house and the senator. I’m not sure how she’s going to cope when he leaves.”
“He won’t leave.”
“But he’s Irvine’s assistant. And Harriet can’t afford to pay him anymore.”
“Stéphane’s not here for the money. He’s in love with Harriet.”
“What?”
“You don’t see it?”
“No! I mean, I always thought Stéphane was gay.”
“He’s not gay,” Alaric said mildly. “I’m good at spotting that sort of thing.”
Because it takes one to know one? Once again, I felt a pang of sadness. The good guys were always unavailable, one way or another.
“That’s, uh, I guess that’s good news. But she’s still going to struggle for money.”
“Don’t forget Red After Dark’s through there in the bedroom, and there’s a fifty-thousand-dollar reward. Without wanting to sound callous, Irvine isn’t going to need Dominique anymore. In fact, it makes me twitchy to think of a painting that valuable hanging on the wall in this house.”
“Nobody knows it’s here but us.”
“Correction: nobody but us and the bad guys. It’s served its purpose now—I wouldn’t put it past them to take it back.”
“You think we should move it?”
“For now, I’ll put it somewhere more discreet than Irvine’s bedroom wall, but I think the sooner it’s back in the Becker Museum, the better for everyone. Unless…”
“Unless what?”
“Never mind. What do you want on your toast?”
“Anything but Marmite.”
“You’re safe—not so many people eat that over here.”
How long did bread take to toast? One minute? Two? Whatever, it didn’t matter. I was asleep in thirty seconds.
CHAPTER 30 - ALARIC
A MONTH AGO, Alaric would have left Red After Dark on the bedroom wall. Enigmatic Dominique—the perfect lure. If the thieves took the bait, Sirius and Blackwood could reel them in.
But that was then, and this was now. Alaric wouldn’t put Beth or Harriet in harm’s way, not even for Emerald herself. Perhaps Black was right—that was painful to admit—and Alaric needed to stop living in the past? They’d retrieved one painting, and as soon as he worked out how to return it without tarnishing Irvine Carnes’s name, Harriet would get fifty thousand dollars of reward money. If she needed more, he had some savings he could lend her. Nice though it was to have a cushion of cash to fall back on, he didn’t need a fortune to be happy.
The toast was cold now. Dominique was hidden. Alaric scooped Beth up in his arms and carried her to the guest bedroom. Tempting though it was to lie down beside her and close his eyes, he made himself back out into the hallway. He’d be fine on the couch.
But damn, he loved that woman. The only problem was, how did he tell her?
“I’m sorry I fell asleep.”
Alaric turned to see Beth in the living room doorway, wearing a bathrobe with her damp blonde hair hanging past her shoulders. Usually she tied it back. He’d just finished speaking to the sheriff from Devane’s hometown about the young redhead who’d led them to Piper Simms. The man had promised to look into the situation. Discreetly. Her father was a well-known asshole, and the sheriff felt it was only a matter of time before he violated his parole.
“Not a problem.”
He could get used to seeing Beth like that every morning. A little tug on the end of that belt…
“Do you want coffee? I’m just going to make some, and then I need to feed the horses again.”
“With hay? I already did that.”
“But how did you know…?”
“I used to help Emmy with her horse occasionally. Breakfast and dinner in a bucket, hay four times a day or he kicks the door. Did I get it right?”