The Men with the Golden Cuffs (Masters and Mercenaries #2)(76)

It wasn’t like Serena had never made a mistake. She’d made tons.

“Were Bridget and Chris involved?” She had to know.

Lara shook her head, talking through her tears. “God, no. I’m a little scared of Bridget, and Chris can’t keep a secret to save his life. He would have told you three minutes after I told him. Serena, I know you have to hate me now, but you also have to listen to me. I didn’t put a snake in your car. I talked to the cops earlier. Yes, I have your key, but I swear I didn’t use it. I wanted some press coverage. I didn’t want to hurt you. I would never try to hurt you. I thought it was a little game. I thought we would get some good coverage for the release of the new book and the signing. It was stupid. I’m willing to do anything to make it right.”

So it wasn’t over. It wasn’t over by a long shot. There had been a moment’s peace when Serena had realized that even though she’d lost so much, she’d been free from the threats to her life.

Now she didn’t even have that. Someone out there still wanted her dead.

She turned to Ian. “So what should I do? The police don’t want to hear about it. If they find out about this, they’ll think even less of me. I could go somewhere else.”

It might be the best solution. She could find a place where no one knew who she was. Her cousin had a little cabin in Colorado that might work. She could look for someplace of her own from there. She could disappear into the mountains and just sink into her work. She could forget Jake and Adam.

“No. He could find you, and then you would be all alone,” Ian said.

“He wouldn’t know where I went.” The more she thought about it, the better it sounded. The cabin was peaceful, isolated. She could go for days without seeing a soul.

Ian lifted a single eyebrow at Jake. “Would you know where she would go?”

Jake nodded. “She would head straight for a place called South Fork, Colorado. Her favorite cousin has a cabin there. If I couldn’t find her there, she has a friend in St. Augustine with a condo on the beach she could hole up in. And if she wanted to get really exotic, she would go to Sydney, Australia. She talks to a writer friend there all the time. They talk about her going there.”

Damn him. It was exactly what she’d been thinking and just in that order. Was she really that transparent?

Jake smiled down as though he could feel her frustration and took a special delight in it. “It’s best you stay here and under our protection until he’s caught. We’ll take you back to our place. Now that we know what to ignore, we can concentrate on the real stuff. We can have Eve work up a new profile based on what we know. Adam, what is Serena’s schedule like this week?”

Adam looked over, his eyes skimming her before focusing on Jake. “It’s a quiet week. She’s meeting Bridget and Chris for lunch this afternoon. She has some blog appearances, but the only thing she has to do publically is the party at The Velvet Room. It’s where the signing is. I already approved the catering menu.”

He had? When had he done that?

Adam answered as though he’d read her mind. “I asked you to look over it yesterday, and you told me it was up to me. We’re doing an hors d’oeuvres menu including dumplings. You like Asian, so I fashioned the menu off that. And the red velvet penis cupcakes. We have complimentary champagne, and I talked two of my reporter friends into covering it. I found a dress for you from Neiman’s, and you’ll hate the shoes, but they’re perfect. Christian Louboutin stilletos. They arrive this afternoon, and you should break them in. I hired a photographer because we can use it on future press releases. I left an itemized receipt of everything, but I managed to get it all for ten percent under budget.”

God, he was a sexy man. How the hell was she supposed to go back to life without him?

Ian was smiling. “See, I should charge you for his organizational skills alone.” He slapped his hand on the desk. “All right. This is how it’s going to be. Lara, you’re a dumbass, but I loved your brother. He saved my life at the cost of his own, and that means putting up with you when you’re a dumbass. Do you want Serena alive?”

He looked over at Serena as though her whole life depended on what Lara said next.

“I do. She won’t believe it, but I love her.”

Ian shook his head. “I don’t care what she believes. Trust me, I know all about keeping someone I love alive when they hate my guts. If you want her alive, I will make sure she stays that way.”

It seemed stupid to ask if she got a say in that, but she kind of wanted to. Still. It was a stupid question. She didn’t envy whatever girl ended up falling in love with that deeply obnoxious, totally hot man. Ian Taggart was both rock and hard place.

But she would take more control this time. “I would like to interview some of the bodyguards and figure out which one would work best.”

Ian leaned forward. “Do you understand the meaning of half a million and counting? You’ll take what I give you and be goddamn happy you’re alive. And you’ll give serious consideration to forgiving Lara because she gives a damn. Adam and Jake think they told me something I didn’t already know. Lara came clean a couple of days ago.”

“Then why the f*ck didn’t you tell us?” Jake asked, his hands on his lean hips.

“It was on a need to know basis, and you didn’t need to know. I told Eve after she met with Serena.” He pushed a file folder across the desk. “Here’s her new profile. I had hoped to keep Ms. Brooks in the dark. She would have been happier not knowing. If it helps, I gave Lara a long and drawn-out talking to.”