Beautiful Beast by Dani Sinclair

Author:Dani Sinclair
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2006-12-15T00:00:00+00:00

CASSY MADE A FACE at him, but was secretly as relieved by the interruption as Gabriel appeared to be. The painting had been a spur-of-the-moment decision. She hadn’t known he’d bought the jewelry, but there’d been something almost wistful in his expression when he’d looked at that painting. She had a feeling few people had ever given Gabriel gifts, particularly in the last few years. Beacher had said his parents were deceased and he wasn’t close to any other family he might have. She knew he had few friends, if any, and it saddened her.

“Lowe is German for lion,” he told her.

Her pulse quickened. It was the first time he’d initiated a casual conversation. And the name fit him so perfectly.

“Is that where your ancestors are from? Germany?”

“On my father’s side anyway.”

“Where did the Gabriel come from?”

“My mother. She liked the sound of it. You’re the only one beside her who’s ever called me Gabriel. Most people call me Gabe.”

“And most people call me Cassy.”

His expression lightened with definite humor. “Cassiopia sounds nicer.”

“So does Gabriel.”

The smile was rueful, but it was still a smile. “Truce?”

“Truce,” she agreed. “Now what?”

“We need a car.”

The man was exasperating. “I just happen to have one. Unfortunately, it’s parked two blocks from your house.”

“Too dangerous. The police have probably found it by now.”

Cassy set down her fork, no longer interested in food as she thought about the dead man in his house.

“We should go to the authorities.”

He lowered his voice even though the last couple seated closest to them had just left. “They’ll believe I set that explosive.”

“But you didn’t!”

“Prove it.”

His flat tone was chilling. A shiver moved down her spine. “You can’t prove a negative.”

He inclined his head, lifted his fork and continued eating. He’d been trying to do just that for the past four years, she realized.

Cassy reached for her coffee to give her shaking hands something to do. Sipping at the bitter brew she tried to think past the creeping fear.

“I could call a friend to lend us a car.”

“No. Too dangerous.”

“Why would anyone be watching my friends?”

Gabriel simply shook his head and continued to eat mechanically. She was almost certain he didn’t taste his food.

“The gallery is open by now,” he pointed out between bites. “We can’t afford to draw attention to it.”

“I could create a distraction.”

“No doubt. Then what?”

“What do you mean?”

“If the package contains what we think it does, what do we do with it?”

“Turn it over to…Surely they won’t think…” The coffee did a lurch and roll in her stomach. Of course the authorities would think Gabriel had had the vials all along. A few weeks ago she would have thought the same thing.

He set down his fork. “Do you know how to handle the toxin if we find it?”

“You don’t handle it. If even a drop of that stuff gets spilled we could have a disaster. Of course, we wouldn’t live long enough to bear witness. And what if someone else already found the package?”

“We’d know by now.

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