“Samantha?”
“Quiet. Let me think.” Lucan wasn’t the sort of guy who used a lot of pet names, but when they were alone he’d call her ‘love.’ And when he was angry, he always addressed her as ‘madam’ but occasionally he’d use—
Burke cleared his throat. “My lady, perhaps I should—”
“That’s it.” She felt a fierce satisfaction as she glared at Lucan. “You called me ‘my lady.’”
“Did I?” He didn’t seem impressed. “How mysterious. I imagine that would be because you are my lady.”
“You didn’t say ‘my lady.’ You said it all slurred together. You made it into one word. Say it now.” When he didn’t, she stepped forward and slapped him.
“Lady Samantha.” Burke tried to get between them.
“Stay out of this, Burke.” She saw Lucan’s eyes turn to chrome. “Say the goddamn word.”
Her lover folded his arms. “Milady,” he drawled with insulting slowness. “Does that satisfy you, madam? Or would you care to hear me recite more niceties?”
“You say it with a short i. ‘Mih-lady.’” A strange sensation churned in her stomach, and for a moment she thought she might be sick. “Son of a bitch.”
His jaw tightened. “Oh, that I am, but what does it matter how I say anything?”
Of course, he didn’t get it. He had no memory of saying it. “That’s not how you said it on the beach. You said mee-lady. You used a long e.” She turned to the tresora. “Burke, in all the years you’ve served Lucan, have you ever heard him say ‘my lady’ like that, with a long e?”
“I cannot say that I have,” Burke admitted. “Perhaps if he were to imitate someone else, a peasant or a commoner, he could manage it.”
“When did I call you that, Samantha? In Palm Beach?” Lucan demanded. “Were you there when I wrecked the Ferrari?”
“Burke, whoever did this didn’t think about pronunciation. It came out of his mouth, but Lucan wasn’t the one speaking.” A laugh escaped her as her knees turned to jelly and she had to catch the edge of his desk to brace herself.
Lucan began to reach out to her and then seemed to think better of it. “Burke, clear out the club and tell the men to secure the stronghold.”
“We have visitors, my lord,” the tresora reminded him.
“Send them to one of my hotels,” Lucan said. “Under guard.”
When Burke left, Lucan came to stand beside her. “Samantha, obviously we have much to discuss, but I want you to know that I only made use of that girl to feed. When I returned tonight, I was so weak I could hardly walk.”
“That’s because tonight at the beach I shot you with the tranq gun. Twice.” She leaned against him. “It wasn’t you. You didn’t lose five hours, Lucan. They were stolen from you.”
His arm came up around her. “By whom?”
“The same bastard who I think took control of your mind and body.” Her mobile rang, and as she flipped it open, she looked up at him. “Someone who says mee-lady.” Into the phone she said, “Brown.”
“Sam, I need you to come in,” Captain Garcia said. “We’ve got the guy who murdered Coburn in custody.”
“What?” She straightened. “Who collared him?”
“No one. He turned himself in.”
Chapter 11
Once they were under way, Jamys insisted Chris go below to eat and rest while he manned the helm.
“I will wake you at dawn,” he promised.
She’d watched him handle the boat long enough to gauge his experience, which exceeded her own. He’d even done something to the rigging to make the sails more effective, which worked so well he cut off the engines as soon as they were out on the open sea.
Chris scanned the horizon for storm clouds, wide breakers, or anything that might spell trouble. “All right, but yell down if you need me. I’m a light sleeper.”
“Are you?” He seemed amused by that.
In the cabin belowdecks Chris found some clean clothes and took them into the head. The boat offered a surprisingly large shower and heated water, which she quickly put to use. The clothes proved to be several sizes too large for her petite frame, but she made do by belting and cuffing the jeans and knotting the hem of the T-shirt.
The owner liked his comfort foods, she decided when she opened the small fridge and examined the contents. Two bottles of excellent wine stood next to a whole herb-roasted chicken, bags of fresh fruit, and a container of salad greens. More meat and frozen veggies packed the little freezer section, and in the cabinet next to it she found enough canned and dry goods to keep them fed for weeks.