Royal Heist by Rachelle McCalla

Author:Rachelle McCalla
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Steeple Hill
Published: 2013-09-01T04:00:00+00:00

THIRTEEN

Ruby hurried to keep up with the guards, unsure whether she could find her way through the garden maze if she lost them. Linus hadn’t technically invited her to follow, but she figured whatever Rocco Salvatore had to say was as much her business as anyone else’s, and anyway, Galen was supposed to be guarding her. She was supposed to stick with him.

She thought she heard voices up ahead, just before she came around a corner and slammed into Galen’s back. “Sorry,” she whispered, steadying herself with one hand at his waist, holding on another moment for the reassurance she felt from the contact.

“What isn’t he supposed to tell me?” The captain raised an eyebrow, and Ruby realized he seemed to be glaring at the place where her hand still rested at Galen’s waist.

She moved her hand, guilty. How would the captain respond if he knew she’d been kissing Galen?

“Harris?” Selini prompted.

But Linus inserted himself in the conversation. “The phone call, Captain. We don’t want Rocco to get tired of waiting and change his mind.”

“This way.” Captain Selini led them inside almost reluctantly. The angry look he flashed them promised that he wasn’t going to let the matter drop entirely.

Ruby hurried to keep up, questions swirling. Why had Rocco called? Was he going to help them? Or was he really guilty, and only calling to feed them misinformation and throw them off his trail?

They stopped in a conference room, and the captain directed Galen to a phone in a small room on the other side of a glass partition. Galen nodded, clearly understanding what to do.

Once Galen picked up the phone and started talking, Ruby understood. A speaker in the middle of the conference table allowed everyone in the room to hear Galen’s conversation, but the wall between them prevented Rocco from picking up the noises of the others listening in.

“I thought about your offer. I want to talk with you in person.” Rocco’s voice was deep, his accent distinctly East Coast American; Ruby had never bothered to sort out precisely where. Not Boston. New Jersey maybe? She couldn’t tell.

“I’m sure we can work something out.” Galen watched the rest of the guards through the glass, his eyebrows up, questioning, looking for input.

The captain nodded sternly.

Galen’s face relaxed. “When would you like to meet?”

“Soon. Tonight, if possible.”

“That should be fine. Where would you like to meet?”

“North of the marina. There’s a road—Seaview Drive?”

“I know it.”

“It follows the coastline. There’s a trail on the bluffs overlooking the marina—”

“I know the one.”

“Can you be there in an hour?”

Galen raised his eyebrows.

Selini nodded.

“No problem.”

“Good. See you in one hour. And bring Ruby.”

Galen opened his mouth, but a tiny click cut him off, followed by a dial tone that said Rocco was gone. Shaking his head, Galen rounded the corner and entered the conference room, his eyes darting from the captain to Ruby and back again.

“Bring Ruby?” Captain Selini repeated, raking his hair back. “Why? Why does he need Ruby?”

Galen quickly related the handprint theory they’d worked out that afternoon with Kirk and Stasi.

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