When she focused on the face in front of her, she wanted to scream, but for a whole other reason.
Cassidy grinned and removed her hand from Lena's mouth.
"Cass! Oh, Cassidy!" She flung her arms around her cousin. "Are you okay?"
"Yes, I'm fine, but you shouldn't be here."
"You don't understand. Emil's not safe. Someone was killed at his house. And those men you saw yesterday at the beach—they threw a dead man into the ocean."
Color drained from Cassidy's face. "Okay, that . . . that's something I didn't know." Her head snapped up. "But I know Emil stole the jewels. And I'm leaving him."
Lena hadn't expected that. She'd expected an argument.
Fury flashed in her cousin's eyes. "I didn't know at first. I came out here thinking Emil hadn't done anything wrong. But—"
The door flew open. Nash stood in the doorway, a tense combination of fear and aggression radiating from him. He gripped Lena by the shoulders—as if his hands needed physical proof she was there.
"I'm fine. Sorry, I—" She inclined her head to Cassidy. He'd noted her presence when he walked in, but he didn't display Lena's joyous reaction.
He shut the door behind him. "Why did you grab her like that? What are y'all doing in here?"
Lena didn't like the way he looked at Cassidy. Like he suspected her of something.
Cassidy narrowed her eyes at Lena. "Who is this?" she asked, pointing at Nash.
"It's a long story," Lena said. "He's helping me. He's a private security agent."
Cassidy wasn't impressed. "A what?"
"He's one of the good guys, Cass. Don't worry about it. We have to get out of here."
"Listen to her, Cassidy. Your life is at stake," Nash said. His words were firm and professional, with something else simmering underneath.
"I was trying to tell you," Cassidy said. "I know Emil took the jewels. I saw them."
"What?" Lena and Nash asked in unison.
"I've been keeping tabs on what's going on back home," she said to Lena.
"How?"
"Through Lacey."
"Oh." Lacey was the family business's biggest gossip. She and Cassidy had always had a strange relationship. The gossip turned Lena off. Cassidy couldn't get enough of it.
"Lacey's been feeding me a few sordid details," Cassidy continued. "I know some people think I took the jewels, so I wasn't about to come home without being able to clear my name. I've been playing dumb so Emil wouldn't suspect I'd take the jewels. I had to wait until tonight because Emil was having them appraised by some guy, but now they're back here, on the yacht."
"That was a very dangerous plan," Nash said.
Cassidy looked annoyed. She and Nash were not hitting it off. "It's worked so far."
Nash pursed his lips. "No time to discuss this. You and Lena need to get out of here. I'll secure the jewels. Where are they?"
"Seriously?" Cassidy widened her eyes at Lena. "Who does he think he is?"
"I'm the guy who's going to make sure you go straight to the airport tonight with your cousin," Nash growled.
Lena worried she was about to have to play referee.
