Lena couldn't tell if she was winning the debate or not. She threw all the firmness and emotion into her whisper-yell that she knew Cassidy needed to hear.
"No time. Trust me. I trust him, and that's all you need to know. Answer his question so we can go."
She glanced at Nash. The surprise and approval on his face made her breath hitch. She gave a tight nod. He kept his eyes fused with hers for a second longer than necessary, then turned to Cassidy. "You said you know where the jewels are."
Cassidy didn't look happy. She glanced from Nash to Lena, finally back to Nash.
"Cassidy," he said with more gentleness than Lena expected. "Someone tried to kill you tonight on that boat. I'm going to do everything I can to keep you and Lena safe, but I need information."
The venom drained from her glare. Genuine fear flitted across her face, then disappeared behind Cassidy's standard "I've got it all together" mask.
"He has the jewels with him." Her shoulders sagged. "Half of them, anyway. He put half in the safe at the house and brought the other half to the yacht. I wasn't lying to you about the life jacket. But I realized, after you walked back to the parking lot, that he'd taken them from the life jacket and put them in a small pouch that he's wearing under his shirt."
Nash didn't look surprised. "On his lower back?"
"How did you know?" Cassidy asked.
"I noticed a bulge when we were walking into the house. Any idea who blew up the boat? Why didn't you meet us in the parking lot? Where were you and Emil going?"
Cassidy pinched the bridge of her nose. "I was about to leave the party and come meet you in the parking lot. And this guy—I don't know who he is. I've never seen him before. He came up and said something to Emil that got him all upset. Really spooked him. Emil told me we were leaving, and I was trying to figure out what excuse I could make up to get to the parking lot. But he pulled me away from the guy. He made me feel like the man wasdangerous, so I followed Emil onto the boat. It felt like we were trying to escape the guy."
Fear contorted her face. "We were in the boat for maybe a minute before Emil noticed something on the floor. I guess it was a small bomb or something. He yelled, 'Jump now!' He was completely freaked out. He jumped out of the boat. And he looked so panicked, so I followed. He yelled at me to get away from the boat. I swam as fast as I could. A few seconds later, we'd made it to the other side of the swim platform, just before the boat exploded. We swam to the bulkhead on the edge of the parking lot. I'm not sure if the guy saw us or not. I never saw him again. We ran to the parking lot, and he found you." She shrugged. "You know the rest."
Again, Nash didn't look surprised. Lena wanted to hear all of his thoughts, but she knew there wasn't time.
"Thank you," he said. "Now get out of here." He nodded toward the SUV. "My team will meet you on the road. They can escort you back to The Mandeville. They'll be in a white SUV. Knox will blink the headlights three times. You'll know it's them. You can trust them."
"I'll drive," Cassidy said. She snatched the key out of Lena's hand and ran around to the driver's side.
Nash's jaw tightened. Something raw in his gaze echoed the emotion she saw on the yacht.
An instinct she didn't know she had led her hand into his and trailed her thumb across his wrist. "Nash, we'll be okay. We'll meet up with your team."
He pursed his lips. "My head tells me this is the best plan. You two need to get out of here. But I don't like leaving you. Too much could happen. There are too many variables. I could—"
She pressed her thumb against his wrist. "Hey. Stop. You're great at what you do, Nash, but you can't control everything." She stroked his wrist again. "A little faith?"
The corner of his mouth quirked up. "Yeah, I know. You're right. You need to go. Be careful." He gripped the handle of the passenger-side door.
Lena clamped her hand over his. "Yoube careful, okay? Promise me you'll . . . Just be careful."
She told her hand to release, but it refused. The look in his gaze paralyzed her in the most wonderful way. Her fingers squeezed his hand, but she still couldn't move, couldn't let go.
Finally, he eliminated the space between them, crashing his lips against hers. Her hand let go, and she slid it aroundhis neck. She'd never been kissed with such a mix of confidence and tenderness. Sparks shot through her whole body. It lasted less than five seconds, but she felt his kiss all the way to her toes.
He eased back and whispered, his voice husky, "You've got to go. Be safe. I'll check on you as soon as I can."
Her brain puddled. She couldn't form words. But somehow, her head knew to nod her assent.
He opened the car door, and she hopped in. He shut the door, tapped the window, and made eye contact with Cassidy. "Go," he mouthed.
His glance fell back on Lena as the SUV pulled away from the house. In her last glimpse of him, she saw the worry—and so much more—in his eyes.
Chapter 21
Lena stared through the windshield, replaying the kiss in her mind. What just happened?
"I have so many questions for you," Cassidy said.
