Emerald Fire by Monica McCabe Read Free Book Online Page B

his chair, but his fingers formed a steeple as he gazed at them with obvious assessment.
    It was time to bow out gracefully.
    Finn stood. “We appreciate your time, Captain. We’ll be heading back to Santo Domingo this afternoon.” He shook hands with the man and ushered a mulish-looking Chloe back out to the car.
    “What was all that blathering about?” she demanded the minute they were outside the police headquarters. “Why didn’t you insist on his cooperation?”
    “Because, if I had, we’d stand no chance at all of finding the Emerald Fire .”
    “Why not?”
    “Boca Chica police are in league with the pirates.”
    “You can’t know that!”
    He opened the door to the rental for her. “I’ve been at this a long time, Chloe. I know the signs.”
    With a look that clearly spelled frustration, Chloe climbed inside. He shut the door and circled around to the driver’s seat.
    “Where to now?” she asked as he backed the Jeep out of their parking spot. “Because we aren’t leaving this town.”
    “Market Square,” he replied. “We need some supplies.”
    “Supplies for what?” she asked, her expression doubtful. “And what signs are you talking about?”
    “Take a look out there.” He thumbed toward the window. “In depressed foreign economies like this one, local authorities are well paid to look the other way. In their defense, they probably don’t have many sources of income. Turning a blind eye toward piracy is a small price to pay to keep their department afloat.”
    Her shoulders sagged in discouragement. “So if the police are in cahoots with the bad guys, our odds of getting the Fire back are slim.”
    “Not necessarily.” Finn had one more idea.
    Chloe tossed a hopeful glance his way. “Meaning?”
    A herd of goats rushed onto the road from a tree-lined field, and he braked hard, their duffle bags hitting the back floorboard with a thump. The old Jeep idled roughly as they waited for the last goat to cross.
    Finn used the time to lean close to her, brush her hair away from her ear and whisper, “You want to steal the yacht back?”
    Her eyes widened in shock. Whether from his nearness or his words he couldn’t tell, but their close proximity had a strong effect on him. Or maybe it was the memory of last night, the feel of her soft skin, the way she tasted, the surge of lust that hit him when she arched her back while in his arms. Up close in broad daylight like this, he could see pale, barely visible freckles sprinkled across her nose. Why he thought that was appealing, he didn’t know, but the urge to kiss her would’ve knocked him down if he wasn’t already sitting.
    “Steal the—are you serious?” she whispered back.
    He’d completely lost all common sense. If all it took to distract him was a few freckles, captivating eyes, and lips that begged to be tasted, then he was in deep trouble. He settled back in his seat, forcing his brain to take control again.
    “Oh, God.” Chloe closed her eyes, and when they reopened, he saw an excitement that suddenly made him nervous. “We’re going all James Bond aren’t we? I’m so on board with the idea.”
    Well, hell. He’d done it this time. The goat herder waved at them when the last of his flock cleared the road, and Finn put the Jeep in gear, beginning to roll. The plan to steal the yacht occurred to him last night, an idea likely borne of sexual frustration, and he’d only himself to blame. If he hadn’t been a total idiot out to prove a point, he wouldn’t have lain awake for hours afterward, thinking up the most insane way to carry out this job.
    “We’ll have to act fast,” she was saying. “No long-term planning, just do it.” She was already working scenarios, and it scared him. He expected reluctance, not enthusiasm.
    “You realize this is dangerous, right? The pirates will fight back, and we’ll probably get ourselves killed.” He was trying to discourage her, but he should have known better.
    “Fight