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“No, Tim’s not the one who was abusive to me,” she said.
Odell nodded, but he didn’t look like he believed it.
Henri called that they’d better get back out to the fire or all of the s’mores would be gone. She sounded drunk.
Without another word Odell returned to poolside. Willa glanced around his kitchen, peeked into the bedroom, then wandered back out. Was Odell really who he said he was and was his concern real? Or was there a gun with a silencer hidden somewhere in his apartment, a gunny sack that once held a poisonous snake? She couldn’t help but wonder if what Odell really wanted was Landry out of her life. But why?
Back outside, Willa found herself watching Landry. It wasn’t until she saw him talking to Blossom that she realized what he was up to.
He’d said they had to find out who was trying to kill her. She just assumed he meant to stop them. But now she realized that if one of these people was willing to kill her before they got the disk then Landry was thinking they already had the painting and the disk and they were just tying up loose ends.
“You all right, darlin’?” Landry asked.
She swore some times it felt as if he could read her mind. He kissed her neck and whispered, “You aren’t jealous, are you? I saw the way you were looking at me. If looks could kill.”
She groaned. She hated being so transparent.
He chuckled. “Let’s go somewhere private,” he said just loud enough for everyone to hear.
Willa felt her face flame as he pulled her to her feet.
“Thanks for dinner,” Landry said with a grin. “I know you’ll understand if Willie and I call it a night.”
Henri raised her wineglass in a silent salute.
Odell said nothing, his gaze on Willa. He’d been watching her all evening. And she would wager he knew she was from South Dakota. She shivered as she climbed the stairs ahead of Landry and wasn’t even surprised when he cupped her buttock on the way up and swept her into his arms as they both stumbled into her apartment.
It was what he said once they were inside that surprised her.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
“Henri is as sober as I am,” Landry said as he locked the door behind them. “And if she’s getting over a heartbreak I’ll eat your underwear.”
Willa ignored that. “You think Henri is the one who shot at me, the one who put the snake in my bathtub?” she asked incredulously.
Landry was checking the apartment. For killers? Or snakes? “She could be just setting up Odell,” he said as he checked the bathroom. “You know, pretending she’s really drunk so he’ll make his move.” Landry shrugged. “She’s wasting her time, though. Odell’s not interested in her.” His gaze settled on Willa’s face. “He wants you.”
“Not in the way you think,” she said. “He let it slip tonight that he knows I’m from South Dakota. I never told him that. He must have gotten it from the newspaper articles, which means he knows who I am.”
“That doesn’t make him the shooter,” Landry said. “Come on. You saw what he buried behind the villa. The guy’s afraid of his shadow. He is no snake handler. No, trust me, the guy’s got the hots for you.”
“Do you always have to be so crude?”
He smiled as if he thought it was part of his charm. “Now, Blossom is something else. She looks like she could wrestle a snake. You ever see her in anything on TV or the big screen?”
Willa shook her head. “She acts like she’s bored but I saw her watching everyone.”
Landry nodded, eyeing her with what could have been respect. “So you were paying attention.” He glanced at his watch. “We should try to get some sleep.”
She glanced toward the bed.
“I’ll take the couch,” he said, as if reading her mind again.
“Fine,” she said, heading for the bedroom.
“Leave the door open,” he ordered.
She turned to look at him.
