Gage took her arm and began to haul her off toward a vehicle parked under a nearby overhead light, a bronze Land Rover with black trim, fully tricked out with a rack on top and a heavy-duty front bumper. It fit Logan, the explorer, perfectly.
Gage popped the locks and opened the passenger door. “Get in. I’ll take you home.”
“I can’t leave my car. I have things to do in the morning.”
“I’ll pick you up and bring you back.” Ignoring her look of protest, Gage herded her into the seat and firmly closed the door. As he rounded the vehicle to the driver’s side, he unbuttoned his collar, loosened his tie, and dragged it off, exposing his muscular neck.
“I’ll check out the house,” he said, sliding in behind the wheel, tossing the tie carelessly into the back. “We’ll make sure there’s no unwelcome visitor there to surprise you.” Cranking the engine, he put the Rover in gear and drove out of the parking lot.
Abby just sat there. Gage Logan was clearly a force to be reckoned with. She was almost sure she didn’t like it.Almost. It had been years since there’d been anyone around to worry about her safety.
As Logan navigated the Rover in and out of the traffic on Colorado Boulevard, he relaxed back in his seat. “Where are we going?”
Abby gave him directions to her borrowed apartment on South Dexter Street. “It belongs to a friend. Tammy’s staying with her boyfriend, trying to decide if she’s going to make a permanent move.”
“Probably a good idea to find out first.”
“Jed’s a white-hat kind of guy. I hope it works out for them.”
The corner of his mouth edged up. “A white-hat guy. I like that.”
Abby glanced at Logan. He was definitely a larger-than-life figure. Time would tell if the good things she had read about him were true.
Winding in and out of traffic, the Rover continued down the street. “I hope you enjoyed the lecture,” Gage said mildly.
“I’ve read several articles you wrote about the rubies, so I knew most of what you were going to say.”
He flicked her a sideways glance. “Then why did you go?”
“Reading about your adventures could only tell me so much. I wanted a look at Logan, the man. If we’re going to work together, I need to trust you. To do that, I need to get a sense of who you are.” One that was more objective than the image she had conjured in her head.
As they passed beneath an overhead light, his gaze strayed to hers. “So you think I’ll agree to your proposal.”
“You have to be intrigued. And from what I’ve read, you’re very thorough. By now, you know everything there is to know about King’s Folly. Or at least as much as anyone knows. You also know that, aside from his final quest, King never failed at anything he attempted. He believed the gold was there. You’re just deciding if you want to risk your own reputation trying to find it.”
Gage smiled, a flash of white in the darkness that relaxed his features and made him even more handsome. Her pulse kicked up for the second time that night. It was ridiculous. The last thing she needed was a distraction like Logan.
“We need to talk,” he said. “If it’s safe, your place will do.”
She nodded, though his gaze was fixed on the road and not her. “All right.”
“I hope you’ve got something alcoholic to drink. I’m always a little keyed up after one of these events. Being in the spotlight isn’t one of my favorite activities.”
She wouldn’t have guessed that. King loved being in front of an adoring audience.
“King drank scotch, and he was very particular. I put most of his personal possessions in a storage locker until I figure out what I’m going to do. But I kept a bottle of Lagavulin. It’s in the kitchen. If that’ll do, you’re welcome to it.”
The corners of his mouth edged up. “That’ll do very nicely. Thanks.”
CHAPTER FOUR
GAGE PARKED THEROVER IN FRONT OF A THREE-STORY, STUCCO-AND-BRICKbuilding only a few miles from the museum. Reaching across the console, he opened the glove compartment and took out the Smith and Wesson .45 he kept for self-defense. In his line of work, it could come in handy.
“You carry a gun?” Abby asked.
“My job takes me to interesting places. You never know when a weapon is going to be necessary.” He got out of the vehicle, shoved the gun into his waistband at the back of his slacks, and let his suit coat fall in place to cover it. By the time he rounded the Rover to the passenger door, Abby was waiting for him on the curb. They took the elevator up to the third floor, and he stood by while she opened the door to apartment 318.
Gage eased her behind him, pulled the gun, and held it two-handed as he walked into the apartment. It was a simple one-bedroom, he saw as he moved from room to room, clearing the space, with hardwood floors, a beige sofa and love seat in the living area, and a modern stainless kitchen with white-and-beige granite countertops.
