The Moon That Night Page 10

  But that wasn’t going to happen.

  “Suddenly I’m starving,” Riley said. “Let’s get something to eat.”

  They walked down the sidewalk and ordered spicy souvlaki, lamb kabobs, corn on the cob, pistachios and freshly squeezed lemonade from street vendors. As they ate, they strolled the narrow alleyways, many shaded from the unrelenting sun by tall, lush trees and other greenery.

  One small shop followed another and another, selling everything from old musical instruments to bronze and ceramic reproductions of ancient statues, monuments and ruins. Scarves and dresses, hats and jewelry, wind chimes, oils and candles. Handcrafted arts. Kiosks selling newspapers, magazines, gum and candy. A street musician stood in the shade squeezing an accordion and singing a folk song. Sidewalk cafés with window boxes filled with still-colorful flowers. Vines clung to the sides of the old buildings.

  As the afternoon passed, Ally looked more and more relaxed. She was smiling, laughing and chatting away, forgetting for a few hours that her aunt’s life was in jeopardy.

  Riley, on the other hand, had barely let down his guard. He was forever checking the position of the setting sun or glancing at his watch, waiting. It wasn’t long after they’d finished eating that Ally found a shop full of trendy teenager stuff. She popped inside and he turned to Kate. “What did you say to Ally back at the parking lot by the Acropolis?”

  “That you’d never let anything happen to Jenny. That she’ll be safe.”

  “That’s it?”

  Kate hesitated. “I told her about my mom dying when I was eight. My dad leaving before I was born.”

  “You two have some common ground to stand on.”

  “It would appear so.”

  “I find myself again in the position of needing to thank you.”

  “You don’t need to thank me for anything.”

  “I do.” He looked at her, held her gaze. “Ally needed these few hours to decompress, and I wouldn’t have been able to make that happen on my own.”

  “Riley, I think you’d be truly surprised at what you’re capable of when it comes to Ally.” But what she was really starting to wonder about was what he was capable of when it came to her.

  It was that kiss. Pretending it hadn’t happened wasn’t working. She wanted to kiss him again. And more.

  “Kate,” Ally said, excited. “Come and look.”

  Good thing Ally was there.

  “Coming,” Kate said, finding the girl inside the shop. Before they moved on, Kate bought Ally sunglasses, a necklace with small gold Greek-coin pendants strung along the chain, and a pair of handcrafted leather sandals.

  The next shop they ventured into stocked clothes and accessories for all ages, but dusk had begun to settle. While Riley stood watching them, Kate and Ally dived into the shop, talking and laughing.

  “Oh, you’d look so cute in this,” Ally said, holding out a bright pink patterned dress.

  “You think?” Kate said, eyeing it. “I don’t usually wear pink.”

  “Try it on.”

  Kate snatched it off the rack, went into a change room, then stepped out to model the garment.

  “C-u-u-ute,” Ally said.

  “I’m not sure.” Kate glanced at herself in the mirror.

  “Dad, tell her.” Ally grabbed his arm. “Doesn’t she look gorgeous in that dress?”

  Clearly uncomfortable, Riley studied Kate. Up and down and down and up. “You’re asking me? What do I know about fashion?”

  “You know what looks nice on women. Does the dress look good on Kate? All you have to say is yes or no.”

  “Yes.”

  “See?” Ally said smugly.

  But it was the intense way Riley was looking at Kate that captured her attention. As if he was tracking her thoughts, his gaze flicked to her lips, and he seemed to grow more tense.

  Ally disappeared down an aisle and they were quite suddenly left alone. Standing close to each other. Too close.

  “It’s time we got back to Angelo’s house,” Riley muttered.

  “I know.”

  “Kate—”

  “Do you love her?” The thought came out of nowhere. The question out of her mouth before she could swallow it back.

  “Who?”

  “Jenny.”

  “Jenny?” He tilted his head at her, narrowed his eyes. “I love her. Like family. But I’m not in love with my sister-in-law. Not even close.”

  “It’s just that she’s probably so much like your wife. I thought…”

  “Kate—”

  “I know. I know.” She held up her hand, embarrassed. “You’re not a family man. But when I see you with Ally…I wonder.”

  “Don’t. You can wonder all you want. It’s not going to change anything.”

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  “OKAY, THIS IS IT.” Riley put down his binoculars and glanced at his watch. “Angelo should be leaving the house any minute, and the guard just finished patrolling this side of the property. I’ve got about fifteen minutes before his next pass.”

  “Dad, I want to help.” Ally sat forward from the back and rested her arms along the front seat.

  “No, Ally,” he said. “You and Kate need to stay in the car.” The sun had set some time ago and they’d been parked only a block from Angelo’s fully walled and gated property, watching and waiting.

  “Wait a minute.” Kate turned toward him. “You can’t do this one alone.”

  “I know I can help,” Ally added. “I’ve heard you and Kate talking about it. There’s got to be something I can do.”

  Two women. Double the chaos. What Riley wouldn’t have given for a couple of the guys, someone who knew how to take orders. He dug deep inside for some patience. “I won’t lie to either of you. This is dangerous. But this isn’t a lie, either. Having you along would make it more dangerous for me. So stay put. I’ll be back in no time.”

  “Riley, when are you going to get it through that thick head of yours that I can help you? You need me. If for no other reason than to ID the statue.”

  She was right, but it didn’t sit well.

  “I’ll be quiet,” she said. “I’ll follow you. I’ll do exactly as you say.”

  That’d be the day. He glanced from Kate to Ally. Maybe it was time they both learned how to take orders, and he needed something to keep Ally in the car. That was the only way to keep her safe.

  “All right. Kate, you’re coming with me. Put this on.” He tossed her his black jacket. He’d changed into a long-sleeved black T-shirt, but she needed something to cover her pale, reflective skin. “Ally, you watch the house and the driveway. If you see any movement, anything at all, you call me.” He handed Ally one of the phones and a set of binoculars.

  “Kate and I are going to hop over the wall and wait in the bushes until Angelo leaves.” He gave Ally the phone number and further directions. “As soon as Angelo’s gone, we’ll be ready to make our move. The instant you see vehicle headlights start toward the road, call me on my cell. I’ll have it on vibrate.” He didn’t really need her call, but if it made Ally happy to help, so be it. “Got it?”

  “Got it.”

  “As soon as we leave this car, you lock the doors. Then you watch the house. I’ll leave the keys here, but you are not to leave this vehicle unless there is an emergency and you have no other options.” As long as she stayed put, she’d be safe. “Understand?”

  “Yes.” She nodded. “How long before you’re back?”

  “It’ll take us no more than an hour, but if we’re gone five hours you still don’t leave this car. I’ll call you if there’s a problem. But if I don’t, you fall asleep and wait until morning. Can you do that?”

  “Yes.” Such a little thing, but Ally looked proud to be of some use. Maybe this wasn’t such a bad idea.

  “Good.” Soon after they’d landed in Athens, Riley had secured several weapons from another of March’s contacts, as well as equipment he’d need to disable Angelo’s security system. This time, un
like in Italy, he’d located March’s tracking device and destroyed it. He dug through the bag, grabbed what he needed, then glanced back at Ally. “One more thing.”

  “What?”

  “You need to remember that stealing is wrong.”

  Ally rolled her eyes and glanced at Kate. Kate was clearly trying to hold back a smile. There was no doubt these two joining forces would make a lesser man turn tail and run for the hills. “The only reason I’m doing this is for Jenny’s sake.”

  “I’m not an idiot, Dad.”

  “I know that. I needed to do my dad thing, okay?”

  “Would you go already?”

  As Kate climbed out onto the sidewalk, Riley glanced one more time at Ally. There was so much he wanted to say to her, so much he wanted to share, but now was not the time.

  He hoped they still had time.

  With no further discussion, Riley got out of the car, made sure Ally locked the door, then walked with Kate along the wall enclosing Angelo’s property. The sky was partly cloudy, providing only intermittent moonlight, so Riley moved slowly and made sure they weren’t being watched. A warm breeze blew past them, bringing with it the scent of lemon trees and olive groves.

  “Here.” He stopped at the far corner. “This is where we hop over the wall.”

  “Hop?” She gawked at him. “This cement wall is six feet tall.”

  “I’ll lift you.” He put out his hands, fingers inter-locking. “When you get to the other side, crouch down against the wall and stay put.” They’d know within a few minutes whether or not the camera blind spot had been fixed.

  She was heavier than she looked, but with good upper-body strength. One boost from him and she hoisted herself over the wall within seconds. Riley quickly followed and glanced toward the camera in the corner. The camera was new, but he could tell by looking at it that they were outside its range. No one had adjusted its arc. They were in the clear.

  “Now we wait,” he whispered, dropping into the shadows between several bushes and the rough outer wall.

  “For how long?” she whispered back.

  “As long as it takes.”

  “What do we do if Angelo doesn’t leave?”

  “He’ll leave.” Angelo had to leave. If he didn’t, things got very complicated. Riley pointed next to him and held out a black ski mask. “Get down here and put this on.”

  “Yes, sir,” Kate whispered, crouching next to him.

  He pulled on his own mask. “Here comes that attitude again.”

  “Why is it that seemingly strong men are so threatened by women with attitude?”

  Riley kept his mouth firmly closed on that one.

  “Take you, for example.” She drew the mask over her head. “You’re a confident guy. Why is it you like quiet and accommodating women?”

  Talk about treading on thin ice.

  “Well?”

  He glanced at her and immediately regretted it. The mask, rather than hiding her features, served only to heighten the ones he could see. Her eyes looked bigger and a richer amber color. Her lips more full and bowed. Better to keep his eyes off Kate and on the lookout instead for the guard. “Can’t go wrong with quiet and accommodating.” Was he trying to convince her or himself?

  “Well, since I’m neither of those, I think it’s safe to say that’s why I never get past the third date.”

  He couldn’t believe they were talking about this, but who knew how long they’d be waiting? For a soldier hunkered down and waiting, sometimes quiet conversation was all there was to pass the time.

  “Kate, don’t take this the wrong way, but you’re a beautiful woman. You’re smart. Sexy. High-spirited, strong and willful,” he continued. “And it very well could be you haven’t gotten past the third date with a man because you’re hanging with the wrong type of guy. You’re too much for the men you’ve been dating. You haven’t found one who deserves you.”

  “Well, Riley,” she said, a smile in her voice, “that sounded an awful lot like a compliment.”

  “Maybe it was.” Suddenly uncomfortable, he shifted positions.

  “All right. Since you’re so smart, what kind of man should I be dating?”

  “You can hold your own with any man. Don’t be afraid of a man tough enough to meet you head-to-head.”

  “You mean like you?” she whispered.

  “No,” he said, shaking his head. “Nothing like me. I’m about as wrong for you as a man can get.”

  “Why?”

  “Because I…” For the first time in this discussion, he faltered. He’d boxed himself in. “You want a man like me, Kate, but you don’t want me.” He put a finger of one hand to his mouth as he pointed with the other. “Shh. Don’t move.”

  Riley never took his eyes off the guard as they silently waited for him to pass, then he glanced at his watch. Angelo was late. He should’ve left at least five minutes ago. A moment later the guard had moved out of earshot.

  “Then again,” he whispered, continuing where they’d left off, “it could be that you haven’t gotten past the third date because you’ve got it in your head that you’ve got to break up with the guy before the guy breaks up with you.”

  A puff of air left her lips.

  “Hit a nerve?”

  “Hardly.”

  “Sulking?”

  “I don’t sulk,” she said. “You said it yourself, Riley. I haven’t gotten serious with a guy because I want to get married. Have kids. Settle down. What’s the point in wasting time with a man who doesn’t want the same things I want?”

  “Which is exactly why you shouldn’t waste any time on me.”

  “You know, all those years ago,” she whispered. “When you escorted me from Greece back home to D.C.?”

  Oh, hell.

  “I might’ve had a crush on you, but I’ll bet you didn’t even know I existed, did you?”

  “Oh, I knew you existed, all right.” He chuckled, soft and low. “Let’s say a certain swarm of butterflies is branded in my memory, and leave it at that.”

  “End of discussion?” Now it was her turn to chuckle.

  He signaled to Kate to be quiet as the guard came near for another pass. That’s when voices came from the front of the house. Car doors slammed and a moment later an engine roared to life and headlights shone down the short, winding drive. Thank God. Angelo was leaving.

  The guard moved out of earshot as Riley’s cell phone vibrated. He flicked it open and whispered, “Ally? Everything okay?”

  “Fine,” she whispered back. “I saw headlights. It looks like the car is coming.”

  “Thanks.” He flipped it closed. “We’re almost ready.”

  A moment later Angelo’s Mercedes cruised through the gate and pulled onto the street. After the gate closed, Riley handed Kate a gun. “The safety’s off, so don’t pull the trigger unless you intend to do some damage. And if you have to shoot, don’t aim directly at anyone. I might know the guard.”

  Kate took a deep breath.

  “You sure you want to do this?”

  She nodded.

  “Okay. Sit tight for a minute. I’m going to mess with the security camera in that corner.” He pointed toward the one closest to them. “There will be a guard monitoring the camera feed, but by knocking out this one, they’ll have an even bigger blind spot. He’ll come out to fix it and when he does, I’ll take care of him.”

  “You sure this will work?”

  “No, but Angelo overprotects his grounds. These guards get bored out of their minds when year after year they see no action. I’m hoping he won’t know what hit him.”

  Sliding close against the wall, Riley carefully crept toward the corner security camera. He cut off a branch from a nearby tree, flicked it in front of the camera a few times before settling the leaves directly in front of the lens, obscuring the view. Then he snipped the main wire. They managed to make it to the garage before a side door opened and the security guard stepped outside. Carrying a flashlight and tool kit, the ma
n took a quick look around and headed for the failed camera.

  Riley came behind him, overpowered him and within minutes had the man back in the security room off the garage, handcuffed and gagged.

  “Okay, let’s move,” Riley said, entering the house. “I want to get back to Ally as fast as we can.”

  They made it through the staff kitchen and out into the main area of the house, but when they reached the art displays in the dining room there was no statue to be found.

  “I don’t see it,” Kate said, glancing again at every shelf.

  “You’re sure?”

  “Positive.”

  “Let’s check the rest of the house. It’s got to be here somewhere.”

  They checked the formal living room and found no ancient art. Next they went down the hall and into the library. There were some very expensive pieces, no doubt, but no ancient Greek representation of the primordial god Chaos.

  “It’s not anywhere,” Kate whispered.

  “Stop!” a man called behind them. “Drop your weapons or I will shoot to kill!”

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  KATE DROPPED HER GUN and spun around. Riley slowly turned. A skinny old man, wearing a newsboy cap and glasses, held Ally tightly by the arm. He looked harmless enough, but that was more than she could say for the two security guards standing on either side of him with guns aimed directly at her and Riley.

  “You, American,” one of the guards said, his Greek accent thick and strong. “I said drop your weapon.”

  Riley hesitated as if he was assessing the guards’ capabilities, then he finally set his gun on a nearby table.

  “Now put up your hands,” the guard said. “Sigá. Slowly.”

  “Daddy, I’m sorry,” Ally cried. “He made me tell him about you. I know you told me not to get out of the car, but he made me—”

  “It’s all right, honey. You didn’t do anything wrong.”