Page 97 of Wicked Heat

“I know,” he says, as he pulls the covers over us both. “I didn’t expect you, either.”

I fear it will take a while for sleep to creep up on me. I’m too afraid the dream will come. Rory. The kidnapping.

But all that comes is sweet oblivion, then a shaft of sunlight peeking through the drapes to push me gently into morning.

I roll toward Ash and snuggle closer, wondering if the dreams are simply giving me breathing room… or if Ash really is a man who can truly keep them at bay.

Twenty-Nine

The Los Angeles area pretty much overflows with excellent bars, but as far as I’m concerned, none of them hold a candle to Austin’s Driskill Hotel bar with its dark wood, lush lighting, incredible ceiling, and Texas-themed sculptures. It’s friendly and comfortable, and it’s been my favorite since the first time I went to South By Southwest when I was a sophomore in college.

I’d flown to Texas to meet up with an old high school boyfriend. He’d taken me to the Driskill for a drink, and then surprised me by having also booked a room in the famously haunted hotel. We didn’t see any ghosts, but I did see a little bit of heaven that night.

Noah Carter has already claimed a table by the time we arrive, and I recognize him right away by his coppery red hair, green eyes, and friendly smile. What surprises me is that he recognizes me as well.

“It’s so good to see you,” he tells me, clasping my hand as Ash pulls a chair out for me. “I’m so sorry about the circumstances.”

I thank him for the concern—and for the help. Ash brought me up to speed on the plane, so I know that Noah’s optimistic about tracing the money to its ultimate destination once we transfer it tomorrow.

“Assuming the trace works, we’ll be able to get it back, right?”

“We certainly hope so,” Noah tells me as Ash squeezes my hand. “The bigger goal is to find the people behind all of this. Then the money situation will sort itself out.”

I just nod. While I appreciate the thought, I’m still hoping that the money can be reclaimed. I hate knowing how much Ash is sacrificing for me. But at the same time, I really do love him for making the sacrifice.

Love.

That word has been popping into my head since last night. And even before last night, if I’m honest. And as I sit in this dark bar and listen to these two men discuss how this is all going to go down tomorrow, I can’t help but face the truth—somewhere along the way, I fell in love with Ashton Stone. I’m not even sure if that fall started years ago or yesterday or just moments ago when he rested his palm on my thigh under the table.

It doesn’t matter. I love him. And even though I haven’t told him yet, it feels really, really, good.

“So how will this work?” I ask Noah, forcing my thoughts back to the practical. “And did you get anything from the URLs?”

Noah looks to Ash first, then shakes his head. “Nothing. Whoever set them up knew what they were doing. We’re monitoring them, though. If they log-on, there’s a good chance we can triangulate their location.”

“Really? How?”

Noah and Ash exchange a look, and I roll my eyes. “Techno magic,” I say.

Noah grins. “Something like that.”

“Is it legal?”

“Do you really want me to answer that?”

I lean against Ash, who pulls me close. “I’m gonna go with no,” I say, as Ash laughs, then kisses my forehead.

“It’s actually the money that’ll give us the best shot,” Ash tells me. “Sucks to have to risk that much, but Noah has some tricks up his sleeve.”

I turn to Noah, who looks smug. “Digital currency marking. It’s like using a florescent marker on a hundred-dollar bill. We just do it digitally.”

“That will work?”

“The marking, yes. Tracing it to the source…” He trails off with a shrug. “It’s something my company’s been developing for law enforcement.”

I whip around to face Ash. “The rules⁠—”

“Noah isn’t law enforcement, remember? And this tech is still entirely his.”