Christmas Male(68)

“Charity, we don’t have time today for sibling rivalry,” Regina said, her voice tight and still a bit shrill.

D.C. kept his voice calm and matter-of-fact. “You’re going to fail again. The guards in the security room won’t wait as long this time before they come down and check the room.”

“They know that the transfer is taking place today. I’m betting they won’t expect the same thing twice,” Regina said.

D.C. had to grant her that one. He, Chance and Fiona—none of them had foreseen this happening. He recalled what Jase had told him about Kate/Regina’s ability to create new identities. No doubt she and her daughters would step into new ones as soon as they left the building.

“Charity…” Regina urged.

“Got it.”

Out of the corner of his eye, D.C. saw the blonde lift the necklace out of the case.

His time had just run out.



“WHAT DID YOU DO THEN?” Fiona asked Amanda. Her feeling that something was wrong grew stronger. She shifted her gaze to the door to the exhibition room. It had only been a matter of seconds since Regina and Charity had pushed through it. But the hall had emptied. The security guard should have signaled them to come in.

“I left the café to find Billy. I didn’t want to believe what I’d overheard, but I had to warn him.” Amanda leaned back and closed her eyes. “It was nearly closing time when I spotted him going through a door marked Employees Only. When I pushed through it, he disappeared through another door, and it was locked. I waited for him. When he came out, he had the Rubinov in his hands. He didn’t see me. He was holding the necklace out in front of him, just staring at it. Then everything happened so fast. All I could think of was that if he didn’t have the necklace, no one would hurt him—that they’d have to wait until they recovered the diamond. So I grabbed it and ran. I ducked into the first ladies’ room I found and I waited there until one of the guards came in to clear it out. Then I got out of the gallery. I’m not even sure where I went. All I could think of was that if I could get to General Eddinger, she would know what to do.”

Fiona glanced up at the door. Neither D.C. nor the security guard had poked their heads out.

When her cell rang, she flipped it open. But it was Regina Meyers’s voice she heard on the other end. “Why mess with success? It worked the first time. Charity, get the necklace.”

Fear formed a spiked fist in her stomach. “Amanda, I’m going to leave you here. Just for a second. I want to make sure they’re ready for you.”

Then, pulling out her gun, she tore down the hall and very quietly opened the door to the exhibition room. The security guard and D.C. saw her right away, but Charity and Regina had their backs to her. Charity was lifting the Rubinov out of the opened glass case.

“Not even that gun is going to get you out of here,” D.C. said.

Even as her stomach sank, Fiona made herself focus on the facts. D.C. wanted her to know that Regina Meyers had a gun. And it was pointed at him.

“Oh, yes, it will,” Meyers said. “It has to. All the waiting and planning won’t be wasted this time. I’ve come too far. I might even take you along as hostage, just to be sure.”

Fiona slipped out of her shoes and moved farther into the room.

“C’mon, Charity. Our ride’s waiting.” Regina gestured with the gun to get D.C. moving toward the service door. “After you, Captain.”

“Right,” Charity grumbled. “She stays where it’s safe.”

D.C. took a step back. “One more question. Ten years ago, when Shalnokov put the Rubinov out of your reach and found a way to keep you with him—was that when you came up with the idea of involving your daughters? Because you decided they might prove useful in your long-term goal of getting your hands on the necklace?”

“Is that why—” As Charity whirled to face her mother, the necklace slipped through her fingers and clattered to the floor. Regina’s gun wavered for the first time.

Fiona raced forward. She saw the flash of D.C.’s cane, heard it connect with Meyers’s gun arm an instant before she slammed into the woman’s side. They fell to the floor together. The roar of the shot blocked the sound of Fiona’s head smacking into the side of the display case.

Stars spun in front of her eyes as she rolled off Regina and grabbed the necklace.

“It’s mine! It’s mine!” The sounds Regina made were those of a wild animal as she dove for Fiona and the two of them rolled across the floor. Fiona gripped the necklace tight as Regina’s hands closed around her throat.