AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Salvador made a sound of annoyance. “I will find him. In the meantime, you should go to your room and stay in there. Don’t let anybody in.”
I just stared at him. “You think someone here wanted to hurt me?”
“Someone here did try to hurt you,” he said oppressively. “They had to come from somewhere. Do as I say.”
Ah, Spanish men and their lordly ways! Though his bossiness was reasonable, given the situation. “Tell Ian to come talk to me when you find him,” I said in answer. “If he doesn’t, I’ll come looking for him.”
Salvador looked disapproving but he said nothing, and for a moment, it was a stand-off in the hallway by the stairs, as he waited for me to obey his orders. With a low, decidedly American curse under my breath, I climbed the stairs, still with that uncanny feeling of a target on my back.
Dutifully, I locked the door to my bedroom, then kicked off my shoes and lay down on the bed. Siestas had never been my thing, and after the events of the day I was even less likely to sleep, but I’d misjudged just how exhausting a near-death experience could be. I was asleep within minutes.
The pounding on my door woke me up in the early dusk, and I stumbled out of bed, woozy and disoriented. At least Ian and I would finally talk, but without thinking, I opened the door. It was Marcus standing there, filling the frame, an unsuitably cheerful expression on his face. “There you are, sleepy-head. The cousins and I are going out to the Constanzas for dinner, and I knew you’d want to come.”
“Is Ian coming?” I temporized.
“Ian?” he echoed. “I doubt it. No one’s seen him all day, and besides, he hates the Constanzas.”
If he hated them, it was good enough for me. “I think I’ll skip it.” I hesitated, considering it, before I said, “I had a bit of an adventure today.”
His placidly cheerful face didn’t change. “You did?”
“Someone took a shot at me as I was climbing toward Pinnacle Point,” I said flatly.
He frowned. “You must have imagined it. Why would anyone want to shoot you? Everybody loves you!”
Now that was a complete lie, but Marcus might be blinded by whatever it was he called love. “The bullet went into a tree, but it was definitely a close call.”
“If it happened, and I’m saying if, then it must have been an accident. People shoot rabbits all over that area—you must have run afoul of a poacher. Did you call out? Warn people you were there?”
I wasn’t about to tell him about Salvador or Ian’s concern. Concern that didn’t help much if the damned man was going to disappear for days on end, I added to myself.
“I didn’t,” I answered him. “I was too shaken.”
“Well, there you go! You got in the way of a hunter, and you’re just lucky you weren’t hurt. You’ve got to pay better attention, Bella. We don’t want anything to happen to you!” He sounded so sincere.
“Maybe,” I said. “Do you know where Ian is?”
“You don’t want to bother him with this,” Marcus said. “He’s got enough on his plate right now, trying to find Podge.”
“I need to talk to him.”
“Why?” Was Marcus being particularly dense, or was he somehow jealous? He had no reason to be, as Ian had made abundantly clear.
“I just do.” I replied stubbornly. “Where is he?”
Marcus shrugged his massive shoulders. “Beats me. I haven’t seen him all day.”
So it wasn’t just me he was ghosting. What in God’s name was he doing?
“I think you should come with us tonight. You know the Constanzas would love to see you.”
“No.” My voice grated a bit, and I managed to summon a faint smile. “But give them my best.”
Marcus beamed. “That’s my girl. Let me know if you change your mind.”
That wasn’t happening. I wasn’t going anywhere until I saw Ian and confessed my sins. He needed to know that Mariposa, the olive groves, and the vineyards were still his. I didn’t want them.
But why did he think I was in danger, enough that he had someone watch over me? I hadn’t told him the details of my encounter on the dance floor, that the man had threatened to kill me. Was he the one who had shot at me? He’d frightened me, but I hadn’t for one moment thought he was serious. Unless...hadn’t Granda mentioned Bella’s drug-dealing ex-lover? Surely she wouldn’t have set me up as a patsy if a criminal was after her. Would she?
