Mrs. Rives scoffed. “There are dangerous men who would do dangerous things to claim the emeralds. They play for more than the necklace, Diana. And we must stop all of them. Including young Mr. Holt.”
“Please—”
“Ian is an unnecessary liability. We serve a greater mission. You must remind yourself that none of us are essential.”
“He’s essential tome!”
The startled expression on her mother’s face gave Ian an opportunity to fling the deck of cards to open the door all the way, which illuminated the dark room with the light from the hall.
Diana spun around. Her mother jerked her head up.
“Mrs. Rives.” He cocked the pistol. “A pleasure to see you after so many years.”
A whistle shrieked. Diana’s mother darted away as Ian shouted at Diana to duck. Glass shattered, and something doused the outside corridor light and the lone lamp in the room.
Darkness engulfed them.
Ian shouted Diana’s name while he hurled furniture aside to cross the room.
The dim light of a wall sconce flickered, and as the hazy light spread through the broken glass shade, he saw Diana’s hand quiver as she gripped the gas valve.
He paused with one eye on the door, the other on the room, until he confirmed they were once again alone.
A horrible sense of foreboding rose within him as he remembered the fear Diana had voiced about what would happen next. The tenor of her voice as she’d shouted at her mother was still reverberating in his ears.
He’s essential to ME.
“Diana.”
At the soft call of her name, she blinked, registered his face, and sprinted across the room.
Ian opened his arms to receive her, but halfway there, her legs folded beneath her.
Before she hit the ground, he caught her in his embrace.
Chapter Eighteen
Diana’sthoughtsfoggedin.The only thing that kept her grounded to consciousness was Ian’s warmth, and the weight of his arms around her.
She blinked to clear her vision and her mind. After a hazy moment, she realized Ian was carrying her up the staircase of the hotel next to the casino. Their progress was smooth; the transition from one place to the next was almost dreamlike as he walked through a hallway and into a small suite of rooms.
A sudden hush descended. In the stillness, a dam burst within her chest, and she lost the battle to restrain her sobs.
It only took a few fraught minutes with her mother to shatter her into pieces.
Widow had denied none of Diana’s accusations about betraying their mission. She had no remorse about betraying her own daughter.
A spike of rage cleared away some of her bewilderment. She batted her eyes and blinked as she examined the smart furnishings of the luxurious hotel suite.
Ian stood a foot away from her perch at the edge of the bed. He watched her carefully; his posture was strung tight as a bow.
Everything felt fragile: the air between them, the closeness they’d built together over these few weeks…even her raw emotions.
She assessed the way his strong shoulders filled out the fine wool of his black jacket before she met his eyes.
“We’re safe here,” he assured her. “I arranged for the room.”
“Arranged or swindled?”
