Millions To Spare

Chapter Seven

Harrison jumped to his feet, while Julia froze in place. The dank jail cell rose in her mind again, and she could feel the scratchy cloth against her bare skin.

“I’ll go,” said Alex.

Brittany rose, as well. “I’ll come with you.”

Both men opened their mouths to protest.

“I’ll join you,” said Brittany in a tone of steel. “I am the hostess, and they will be forced to treat all of my questions with respect.”

Alex looked to Harrison, and Harrison nodded, obviously realizing Brittany intended to slow the police down. “That’s a good idea.”

Leila spoke again. This time to Julia. “My father says I should take you to the barn.”

“Your father?”

“Nuri,” said Harrison.

Julia’s eyes widened. Were they crazy? Nuri had probably set a trap for her. In fact, he’d probably called the police himself.

“It’s safe,” said Harrison.

“But-”

“He’s loyal to me. It’s safe.”

Julia wasn’t so sure. But as Alex and Brittany set off for the gatehouse, she rose shakily to her feet.

Leila led the way. “My father suggests you go to the vet’s office. I’ll saddle up Roc and Cedar Twist. If the worst comes…”

“No lights,” said Harrison.

Leila shook her head. “I won’t need them.”

“If the worst comes, what?” asked Julia, glancing from one to the other.

Harrison answered her. “We’ll ride into the desert.”

She looked over her shoulder at the far-off gatehouse. “You mean they might not go away?”

“I mean, they might search the property.”

And she’d be fleeing into the night?

With Harrison or Leila?

Would they get lost in the desert? Die of thirst out there?

And how the hell was she going to get out of the country if they were in the middle of the desert?

Before she could voice any of her questions, Leila opened a side door to the main barn, and they slipped inside.

Harrison took hold of Julia’s hand.

She tried not to give away her fear by gripping tight, but she couldn’t help herself. If the police found her, they’d take her back to jail.

“Is there a bathroom in here?” she whispered.

Harrison wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

“We’ll meet you at the vet’s office,” he said to Leila.

“Ten minutes,” Leila responded, and then her footfalls disappeared down the main hallway.

Julia blinked, but all she could make out was the dark bars of the nearest stalls. The horses shifted and snorted in the depths of the barn while the tang of hay and manure hit her nostrils.

“This way,” said Harrison, guiding her to the left.

“Can you see?” she asked.

“Enough. Do you really need the loo?”

“Yes.”

“Do you have some kind of problem?”

“No! I have perfectly normal bodily functions. But they don’t seem to allow for that in UAE jails.”

“You’re urinating in case they take you back to jail.”

“Yes,” she admitted.

Harrison sighed audibly. “Don’t be pessimistic.”

How could she help but be pessimistic? They’d practically stormed Harrison’s gate.

“Who are they?” she asked. “Why are they here? I didn’t do anything.”

“Let’s let Alex do his job. He’ll fix it.”

“What if he can’t fix it?”

“You’re getting ahead of yourself.”

“But what if he can’t fix it, and they search the place?”

“Then we’ll leave.”

“Into the desert?”

“Yes.”

“Won’t they chase us?” Julia couldn’t help picturing herself as a player in some kind of desert action flick. The kind where the thirsty, battered, innocent protagonists were trapped in blind canyons by the corrupt cops who had automatic weapons.

Harrison was silent.

“Here’s the ladies’,” he finally said.

“Thank you.” She felt her way into the small room and closed the door. She’d better get ready for another trip to jail, considering their chances of outrunning the police force seemed dismally small.

Perhaps Harrison would be so kind as to teach her the word for bathroom in Arabic.

Afterward, she felt her way back out the door.

“Feel better?” he asked.

“Not much.”

“Listen.” He put a hand on either side of her, trapping her against the wooden wall.

The rough boards dug into her shoulders and her rear end.

He leaned in close so she could just make out his features. “I am not going to let them arrest you.”

There was a certainty in his eyes and a determination in his chin that, against all logic, gave her a welcome boost of confidence.

“You might not have a choice,” she pointed out.

“I have more choices than most.”

“Because you’re wealthy.”

There was a pause. “Yes.”

Of course.

It was a whole other world when you were wealthy.

Unfortunately, Julia wasn’t.

She wasn’t even all that strong. She didn’t want this to be happening to her. She impulsively placed her palm on his chest. The rhythmic beat of his heart pulsed with life, and she willed some of his strength to seep into her body.

He closed his eyes for a split second, and the muscles in his shoulders bunched. His heartbeat deepened, and his scent swirled out around her.

The passion from the pool house invaded her body. Fear and desire coalesced to one emotion, and her focus shifted to his mouth. Just once, she thought. Just once before her life went to hell.

His lips parted and he dipped his head.

Her hand curled into a fist with his shirt trapped inside. She pulled herself up on her toes, slanting her head, tipping forward.

His hand wrapped around the back of her head and dragged her in.

His lips met hers, full on, hot and open.

Passion welled to life from her belly, roiling out to every finger and toe. She opened her mouth, and his tongue invaded. His free arm wrapped around her waist, clutching her firmly to his body, her breasts plastered against him, her belly molding to the shape of his arousal, her thighs flush up against his, not a centimeter between them.

His kiss went to her neck, her ear, her temple, then back to her mouth. He stroked her cheek, ran his hand over her hair, slid the other over her buttocks, kissing her over and over again.

Then something banged in the barn.

A horse, most likely.

But they both jolted back to reality.

He broke the kiss and held her tight, gasping beside her ear, one hand still clasping her bottom.

“Not good,” he rasped.

“Sorry,” she breathed against his chest.

He shook his head. “That wasn’t your fault.”

“It was the fear,” she said.

“Yeah,” he agreed, his grasp on her loosening slowly.

“Could have happened to anyone.” She forced herself to pull back.

“The heat of the moment,” he said.

“Exactly.” She brushed the wrinkles from the front of his dress shirt.

He took a half step back. “There’s no need-”

“It never happened.”

Harrison could carry on with his plans for an arranged marriage to Brittany without any fear of Julia being indiscreet. It was definitely the least she could do.

Harrison took another step back, and they separated completely.

“The vet’s office,” he said.

She nodded.

He started to take her hand again, but then backed off.

Good thinking.

Clearly, they couldn’t be trusted together.

Harrison had a lot of faith in Alex. And if Alex was suspicious, then so was Harrison.

“Something’s not right,” Alex repeated, standing next to Brittany in the small vet’s office.

Leila had arrived, reporting that the horses were ready to go out the back way if needed. And it was looking as though they might be needed.

“A person of significance?” he parroted Alex’s earlier words back to him.

“It usually means some kind of hostile, material witness,” said Alex. “And they only use it in a very serious case.”

Harrison’s attention went back to Julia. She looked absolutely terrified, but he still didn’t know if he could trust her completely. She’d lied to him before.

“Do you have any idea what this is about?”

“I’ve only been here four days,” she all but wailed.

“Shh,” he admonished. The police were searching in the house at the moment, but they’d move to the barn soon enough.

Her voice turned to a hoarse whisper. “You were with me for most of that time.”

“The horse theft charges are back,” Alex put in. “It looks to me like they’re using anything and everything they can think of to get their hands on Julia.”

“Why?” Harrison asked out loud, stymied.

Everyone was silent.

“Somebody thinks she knows something,” Alex ventured.

Harrison stared at his friend. Unspoken was that the somebody who thought she knew something had the power to influence the UAE law enforcement. Not good for Julia.

“The horses?” asked Leila.

Brittany spoke up. “They’ll see you. They’ll follow you.”

Harrison and Alex looked at each other. Brittany was likely right.

“Unless,” Brittany continued. She turned her attention to Julia, sizing the woman up. “Trade me clothes. In case the taxi driver described you.”

Julia shook her head. “I can’t let you-”

“Oh, yes, you can,” said Harrison. He nodded approvingly at Brittany. “A decoy.”

“Damn,” said Alex with clear admiration.

Brittany’s fingers went to the zipper at the side of her gown.

“Men outside, please,” came Leila’s scolding voice, and Harrison realized he’d been staring.

He and Alex immediately moved into the hallway and shut the door behind them.

“What in the bloody hell is going on?” asked Harrison as soon as they were alone.

Alex shook his head. “Something to do with Millions to Spare?”

“What could she know? What is there to know?”

“It must be connected to Leopold’s Legacy.”

Harrison switched to that angle. “And somebody knows she was here with the Prestons?”

“And that she followed Millions to Spare.”

Harrison swore. There was no telling how high or how far this went. And maybe Julia did know something. But maybe it was something she didn’t even realize she knew.

He didn’t want to consider the possibility she was playing him again.

No. He wasn’t going to explore that line of thinking.

“Want me to sleuth around?” asked Alex.

“Absolutely. When you and Brittany get back-”

“Whoa. Wait a minute. Me and Brittany?”

“Julia’s my responsibility. And I’m not about to let you get arrested for aiding and abetting a criminal.”

Alex looked aghast at the prospect of staying with Brittany.

Good grief. Brittany was a perfectly nice person.

“They’re going to follow you two,” said Harrison. “Lead them south as far as you can, then play dumb. I’m going to take the Jeep and go cross-country toward Fujairah.”

“Over the dunes?”

“And through the mountains.”

Alex cocked his head. “I don’t think they’ll expect that.”

“That’s what I’m counting on.”

Harrison felt around in his pocket and retrieved a credit card, holding it out to Alex between two fingers. “If you get lucky, and make it to Ajman, book a decoy hotel room with this.”

Alex took the card and grinned. “And then book the real one with cash?”

“You got it,” said Harrison. “Keep running and keep sleuthing as long as you can. I’ll be calling you when I get a chance.”

Alex nodded.

The door to the vet’s office came open. “They’re done,” said Leila.

Brittany acknowledged that Julia looked very nice in the Feteami gown. Her breasts were slightly fuller than Brittany’s, the result being a more voluptuous silhouette. But there was enough give in the fabric that it still fit her well, and the shimmering beads accentuated Julia’s graceful neck.

It would have been better for Brittany’s peace of mind if Julia had looked terrible. But Brittany would just have to get over this silly reaction to the woman.

Julia had done nothing overt. She wasn’t flirting with Harrison. In fact, Brittany mostly felt sorry for her. She was obviously frightened, and simply wanted to get out of the country as quickly as possible.

Julia teetered a little bit in the four-inch heels. Brittany had to admit she was grateful they’d switched shoes so that she wore the roomy, canvas flats.

She had no desire to go riding through the desert in her Claudio Merazzi shoes. Bad enough she was wearing a dress. She knew her thighs would rub against the saddle, but hopefully they wouldn’t be out there too long. And she could climb into the big, en suite bathtub when they got back.

She could already feel the soothing, foamy water.

She was worried there wouldn’t be a proper goodbye for the guests at the secretary-general’s party. But she supposed that couldn’t be helped. Although she didn’t have a diamond on her finger as yet, it was her job to support Harrison.

She drew a deep breath as the men walked back into the office. In this, she was ready, willing and able to offer support.

“Thank you,” Julia offered, reaching out to squeeze Brittany’s hand.

Brittany smiled at the woman and squeezed back. If it wasn’t for the odd energy she sensed between Julia and Harrison, she might even like the woman.

“It’ll be over soon,” she promised.

“Oh, I hope so,” said Julia.

There was a faint buzz, and Leila grabbed her cell phone from her pocket and put it to her ear.

“They’re coming,” she whispered to the group. Then she pointed to an outside exit door from the little office. “I’ll explain to your grandmother, and Darla will make sure the guests get a proper goodbye.”

“Tell her the French, the Uzbeks-” He swore under his breath.

“Darla will know what to do,” said Leila. “She’ll tell them the right story.”

Harrison gave a grim-faced nod, and Brittany understood there must be some important diplomatic talks going on at the party.

“Roc and Cedar Twist are this way,” said Leila.

Knowing time was running out, Brittany headed for the door.

To her surprise, Alex appeared at her elbow.

“What-”

“Shh.”

“But-”

“Quiet,” he ground out as he ushered her through the exit to the dark yard. “You need help getting on?”

“No.” She had been riding since she was five years old. She was perfectly capable of mounting her own horse.

But where the heck was Harrison?

She strained to look over her shoulder.

Leila shut the door, and she and Alex were alone, save for the two horses tied to the hitching post.

“Where’s Harrison?” she demanded.

Alex grinned as he untied the lead rope of the taller animal. “He’s with Julia.”

“What?”

“Quiet,” Alex warned.

“You’re coming with me?” Brittany couldn’t believe it. She was sacrificing her thighs to spend time with Alex?

“We’ll both be taking a ride with the police if you don’t get on that horse.” He mounted and turned his big chestnut in a circle.

Some lights went on in the building behind them, and Brittany deftly released the other lead rope. She swung up on the mare, adjusted her seat, arranged the skirt as best she could and took up the reins.

“How did you pull this off?” she asked Alex in the most accusatory voice she could muster.

He just grinned unrepentantly at her. “Looks like it’s you and me, babe.” Then he turned south along the fence line and urged the horse to a gallop.

Brittany spurred her horse to follow. She was going to kill Alex. The second she had an opportunity, she was simply going to kill him.

Julia struggled to keep up with Harrison, crossing his lush lawn in the ridiculous high-heeled shoes.

Brittany had smaller feet.

She was marrying Harrison, and she had smaller feet.

Julia gritted her teeth in frustration with herself.

She had to stop caring about the stupid things. She was in a foreign country, and she was running from the police. What did she care about Brittany’s shoe size or what Harrison saw in the woman?

Of course, it could be that Brittany was beautiful, cultured, gracious and kind. Oh, yeah. And intelligent. Brittany seemed very intelligent.

She supposed a man might be interested in some of those qualities.

Not to mention that Brittany had a title. She was Lady Brittany Livingston. Julia had looked it up on her laptop back at the hotel. No reason to look her up, really, other than plain old curiosity. Harrison was practically going into an arranged marriage with Lady Livingston, and Julia had wondered why he would do that.

Harrison stopped abruptly at the corner of an outbuilding, and Julia all but stumbled into the back of him. His hand clamped firmly around her wrist. He was holding a little tighter than was comfortable, but she wasn’t about to complain. He’d make sure she didn’t fall, and he knew exactly where they were going on this dark, moonless night.

“See that yard light?” He pointed to a spot in the distance.

“Is that where we’re going?” She was disappointed by the distance. There was already a blister forming on her baby toe.

“No,” said Harrison, and she breathed a sigh of relief.

“We have to avoid it,” he continued. “We’ll go around the back of that paddock, and come up on the garage from the south.”

“You’re joking.”

He turned to look at her. “What do you mean?”

“I mean, my feet are killing me.”

He glanced down. “So take off your shoes.”

That solution seemed a little too simple.

“Won’t I cut my feet?”

“On grass?”

“What about poisonous snakes?”

“Vipers?”

Julia shuddered.

“I’d worry more about scorpions,” said Harrison.

“Oh, thanks.”

“I was joking. Vipers like the sand, and scorpions are usually under rocks.”

“That really wasn’t funny, Harrison.”

“Take off your shoes.”

“Seriously. We’re running for our lives here. At least my life. Well, my freedom. And you’re making jokes about poisonous things.”

“Venomous things.”

“I hate you.”

“No, you don’t.”

Of course she didn’t. He was rescuing her. But he didn’t have to be such a jerk about it.

“Take off your shoes,” he repeated.

But she couldn’t bring herself to do it. Even if snakes and scorpions were rare on manicured lawns, she wasn’t dashing around in the pitch-dark not knowing what she might be stepping on.

He let go of her wrist, turned his back and crouched down. “Then hop on.”

“I’m not-”

“Blisters, scorpions or me. Unless you’d rather deal with the police.”

Without another word, Julia hiked up her skirt and clambered onto his back.

He grunted and shifted her into place, wrapping his hands around her bare thighs before straightening.

“Hang on tight,” he warned, and then he started to jog.

There was nothing but her panties between her and his suit. Nothing at all between his hands and her thighs. She could smell his hair, hear his deep breathing, feel the shift and play of his muscles.

And then, there was the friction.

Oh, the friction.

She tried to shift, to get away from it, to alleviate the embarrassing-

“Hold still,” he commanded.

She froze.

Unfortunately, he kept moving, and the feeling began to throb between her legs.

What was she, a danger junkie or something? First the kiss and now this? If she wasn’t careful, she was going to-

“How can you be getting tired?” he asked.

“I’m not tired.”

“You’re panting in my ear.”

“Sorry.” She tried to get her mind on something else. Poor Millions to Spare. Or poor Leopold’s Legacy, ready, willing and waiting to race.

Or the jail cell.

Or the police.

She glanced behind her.

Thankfully, she didn’t see floodlights or dogs or an army of uniforms hot on their heels.

A shot of adrenaline went through her again, and she buried her face in the crook of Harrison’s neck. What if he couldn’t get them out of this? What happened then?

She tightened her hold on him, inhaling his scent, convincing herself he was some kind of superman who could face down any danger, solve any problem. And then the pulse started again, and the friction, and the longing.

He came to a halt and slid her down off his back.

She all but groaned at the sensation.

“Stay nice and quiet,” he whispered.

She nodded, not trusting herself to open her mouth. Every nerve ending was on fire for him.

He took her hand. “There are four cars in the garage. The one at the far end is the Jeep. I won’t be turning on the lights. But the door’s going to make quite a lot of noise when we open it. Not to mention the motor of the Jeep.”

Not to mention Julia if she didn’t get her body calmed down.

“I hope they followed Alex and Brittany. And the music should cover our sound. But if they start to chase us, hang on tight. And for God’s sake, do up your seat belt.”

Julia nodded again.

He looked at her closely. “Are you all right?”

“Fine,” she managed, her pulse finally slowing, her body coming back under control.

“Good to hear.” He slowly opened the door.

They passed through, and he pointed her in the direction of the Jeep. “Feel your way along the wall. I’m going to fill a water bottle and pull a few other things together.”

She tripped a couple of times over unseen objects in the dark, but managed to feel her way past one, two, then three cars. She found the Jeep, and made her way into the passenger side, fastening her seat belt tight.

She heard Harrison at the driver’s side. He shoved some gear into the backseat.

“Are you ready?” he asked.

She nodded, then realized he couldn’t see her. “Yes.”

She heard a click, then a groan and a whine, and the overhead door in front of them cranked upward.

The lights from the palace appeared, then the palm trees, then the stars. So far, nobody seemed to have raised an alarm.

Harrison started the engine and eased their way out. His profile came clear as he hit the garage-door remote, and the door whined shut again behind them.

Still driving slowly, he turned them away from the palace.

So far, so good.

They crossed the lawn, then followed a rutted track down a sloping hill, and the buildings disappeared behind them.

She watched over her shoulder, then looked at Harrison. “Did we do it?”

“Maybe. I’m not sure yet.”

Then a pair of headlights appeared on the hill, rocking airborne at the crest, then slamming down onto the rutted tracks.

“Hang on,” Harrison called, yanking the gearshift and revving the engine.