Page 102 of Silver-Tongued Devil
“Yep,” Blake said. “That’s what I thought. We didn’t spread that around, either. We told the sheriff, of course, and I told Walt Crane, my head of security, what we were looking for, and he told his guys, obviously. That’s it. And a week later, it’s right in that spot.”
“People talk, though,” Margaret said. “The more sensational something is, the more they talk. And the idea that someone would sabotage a brand-new upscale resort… that would be interesting to anyone.”
“It’s not that likely to get from a security guy to a radical environmentalist in six days,” Blake said. “That’s not the same social circle.”
“Oh, I don’t know,” his father said. “If it’s family.”
“True,” Margaret said. “The brother-in-law nobody can stand. The crazy cousin. But it’s worrisome all the same. Are you saying it could be aimed at you personally, honey?” she asked Blake. “Or through Dakota? Surely she’s not jumping off boulders.”
“Not anymore,” Dakota said. She was trying not to show it, not to shake. But her breath was coming short, and she was tangled in the net again as if it were happening right now.
Blake said, “I knew I shouldn’t have told you. But be careful, baby. Swim at City Beach, and that’s it. Watch your back when you’re out and about. Lock your doors. Or you could come stay out here. I just don’t like this.”
“If anybody’s in danger,” she said, “it’s you, not me.”
“Nope,” Russell said. “A man will risk anything for himself. He can’t take it happening to his woman. That’s going to be worse every time.”
“I’m not Blake’s woman,” Dakota said.
“Oh, yeah,” Blake said. “You are. And whoever this is will know it. They know who pulled you out of the lake. They know who’s been taking you out. And Russ is right. Having it happen to you would be worse. It alreadywasworse.”
“You obviously have people checking, though,” his father said. “When was that dumped, do you know?”
“Sometime this week. We’ve got cameras, but it must not have been obvious. Plenty of boats passing that spot, and a crib frame—that’s small. Run the boat in close, dump it over the far side. Nobody saw anything in time to save the tape, anyway. It gets recorded over.”
“What I don’t like,” Dakota said, “is that they’re… taunting you. They knowyouknow it’s not an accident, and that the sheriff does, too. A bed frame was youridea,or mine, which is the same thing. They’re saying they don’t care anymore. That’s different from the glass and the net. It’s escalation.”
“Yep,” Blake said. “So—want to move in for the week, while we’re opening?”
She laughed. “No. That’s silly, Blake. You won’t be around that much longer. If I moved in, it’d look likemorethan it was. I mean,wewould. It’d do the opposite of what you’re saying. You’re going to open the resort, and after that, you won’t be here that much. You can’t be a target, or you would have been already. Which meansIcertainly won’t be a target. The resort might be, but you’re watching for that. You’re doing all you can.”
Blake looked like he wanted to say something else but wasn’t sure what. His mother said, “Well, that’s just awful, but all the same—I wish Victoria could have come out with us, Blake, and seen how beautiful it is here. Blake’s sister,” she explained. “She’s a chemist, and she’s in the middle of a series of experiments. At the University of Virginia, like her dad.”
“Fortunately,” Elliot said, “linguistics professors are flexible. I need to be, to accommodate Margaret’s schedule.”
The conversation changed, and the moment passed. And an hour later, Dakota said, “We should go. It’s getting late.”
When they’d said their goodbyes, Blake headed outside with Dakota and Russell, and Bella tore herself away from Margaret and came along. Russ opened the door of the pickup, told Bella to jump up and hauled himself inside, said, “I’m not looking,” and slammed the door.
Blake smiled. Then he took Dakota in his arms, gave her a long, slow kiss that had her melting against him, and kept his arms looped around her lower back. “Thanks for coming,” he told her. “That’s not enough to say, but I’ll say that.”
She couldn’t see him very well in the deep purple twilight that lingered so late at this time of year, this far north. She didn’t need to see him, though. She heard the warmth in his voice, and she felt the security of his arms.
“Thanks for insisting.” She felt a little shy, still. “I like your parents.”
“They like you, too. And they like Russell.”
“How do you know?”
“Because they’re my parents. Because if they didn’t, my mom would be giving me these little looks.Concernedlooks. ‘Oh, my Lord, what’s Blake gone and got himself into now? And how am I going to set him straight without him realizing I’m doing it?’”
She laughed. “Really?”
“Oh,yeah. You could say I’ve had experience. You’re the real deal, though, and they both know it. I’m all good.” He gave her another kiss. “Well, notallgood, because I’d still rather you stayed.”
“Mm.” She rubbed her cheek against the soft cotton of his shirt. “I need to get started on my glass tomorrow, though. And I need to get myself beautiful for your grand opening on Thursday, too. You’re not allowed to see until the end. Idowant to knock your socks off, as much as I can when you bought me the dress and the shoes.”
“You can. You do.” He smoothed her hair back where a lock had fallen out of the clip. “Will you do something for me?”
