Chapter 9
Kane
“On second thought, you’re coming with me.”
Her eyes widen, startled by my sudden change of heart. I grip her arm as she starts to tug it away. “What? No, I’m not.”
“Yes, you are,” I insist, scanning her face. Even with the choppy haircut and puffy eyes, something is captivating about her. “Look, Declan and Rory just buried me alive for a ‘detox.’ You really think I’m going back to that car without backup?”
She tries to pull away, but I hold firm, not enough to hurt her but enough to make my point.
“I don’t even know you!” she hisses.
“You know I was buried in the sand. You know my name. You know I was drunk on a plane.” I shrug. “That’s more than most people know about me after a first date.”
“This isn’t a date,” she sputters.
I grin. “Not yet.”
Declan’s shout carries down from the cliff. “Kane! Get your ass up here now!”
I lean closer to Kori. “Come with me, just for a bit. Help me convince them I’m sober enough for whatever family shit we’re about to wade into. Then I’ll bring you right back to your cottage.”
“How do you know I’m staying at a cottage?”
“Where else would you be? There’s nothing out here but holiday rentals and sheep.” I can see her wavering, so I play my trump card. “Besides, don’t you want to meet the men who buried me alive? Could make for a good story when you go home.”
Her eyes harden at the mention of home. “I’m not going home.”
“Then we have that in common, too.” I tug gently on her arm. “Come on, airplane girl. Live dangerously.”
For a moment, I think she’ll refuse. Then something shifts in her expression—a flash of recklessness I recognize all too well. It’s the look of someone with nothing left to lose.
“Fine,” she says. “But only for an hour. And if your cousins try to bury me too, I’m going to be seriously upset.”
“That’s fair,” I laugh, feeling inexplicably lighter as we start trudging up the beach path. “Though if they did bury you, I’d dig you right back out.”
“My hero,” she says dryly.
As we approach the car, Declan’s expression morphs from irritation to confusion. Rory looks amused, the bastard.
“Who’s this?” Declan demands, eyeing Kori with suspicion.
“This is Kori,” I announce, as if introducing royalty. “She saved me from your sadistic beach burial. Kori, my cousin Declan —he’s the one with the control issues—and Rory, who does Declan’s dirty work.”
“We’ve met,” Kori says, surprising me. “Sort of. On the plane.”
Recognition dawns in their eyes. Declan has the decency to look slightly embarrassed.
“You’re the woman Kane was harassing,” he says. “I apologize for my cousin’s behavior.”
“Funny, I was just about to apologize for yours,” she retorts, and I have to bite back a laugh at Declan’s stunned expression. “Burying people isn’t exactly a normal way to handle family disagreements.”
Rory snorts. “The MacGallans aren’t exactly normal.”
“MacGallan?” Kori repeats, her brow furrowing. “The mob family from Toronto?!”
Declan shoots me a warning look that I deliberately ignore. “Nah, that’s just rumors,” I say vaguely. “Kori’s coming with us.”
“Absolutely not,” Declan says immediately.
“She already knows too much,” I counter. “She found me buried on a beach. What’s she supposed to think?”
“That we’re dealing with your alcoholism, the only way that works,” Rory offers.
I roll my eyes. “Yeah, because that’s so much better.”
Kori shifts uncomfortably beside me. “Look, maybe this isn’t such a good idea—”
“No, it’s not,” Declan agrees.
“It’s a great idea,” I insist, still holding her arm. “She’s staying at a cottage nearby. We can drop her off after we visit the property.”
Declan narrows his eyes. “How do you know she’s not working for the Russians?”
I bark out a laugh. “Because she thought my rings were buried treasure! What kind of spy mistakes jewelry for archaeological finds?”
“A clever one,” Declan mutters, but I can tell he’s wavering.
Kori looks between us, confusion evident. “Russians? What are you talking about?”
“Nothing,” all three of us say in unison.
She takes a step back. “You know what? I think I’ll just head back to my cottage. Thanks for the... interesting morning.”
“Wait,” I say, lowering my voice so only she can hear. “Please. I know this sounds crazy, but I could use a friendly face right now.”
Something in my tone must convince her because she hesitates, then sighs. “One hour. That’s it.”
I turn to Declan with a triumphant grin. “She’s coming.”
He throws his hands up in defeat. “Fine. But she rides with you and Rory.”
“Deal,” I agreed quickly before he could change his mind.
“I need to return my metal detector first,” Kori says, pointing back down the beach where she left it.
“I’ll get it,” Rory offers, already heading down the path.
While he’s gone, Declan pulls me aside, his voice a harsh whisper. “What the hell are you playing at, Kane?”
“Nothing,” I lie smoothly. “Just being friendly.”
“We’re looking for evidence that my dad faked his death and is hiding from Russian mobsters, and you want to bring a complete stranger along for the ride?”
I shrug. “She saved me. I owe her.”
“You don’t owe her anything except an apology and a goodbye.”
“Too late,” I say as Rory returns with the metal detector. “She’s already involved.”
“If anything happens to her—” Declan starts.
“Nothing will happen,” I interrupt. “I’ll make sure of it.”
The truth is, I’m not entirely sure why I’m so insistent on bringing Kori along. Maybe it’s the lost look in her eyes that reminds me too much of myself. Perhaps it’s because she’s the first person in years who’s looked at me like I’m worth saving.
Whatever the reason, as I watch her climb into the backseat of our rental car, I can’t shake the feeling that Kori Blake is somehow important—not just to me, but to whatever mess we’re about to uncover.
As I slide in beside her, Declan gives me one final warning look before getting into the lead car with Wren and Kat.
“Ready for an adventure?” I ask her as Rory starts the engine.
She gives me a look that’s half fear, half exhilaration. “I’m pretty sure I’m going to regret this.”
I grin, settling back against the seat. “All the best decisions start that way.”