Through the Night

by Janelle Denison

  “Hello,” Valerie said as she slipped her hand into Jack’s, feeling nothing but warmth and positive, genuine vibes.

  “Pleasure to meet you, sir,” Chase said, shaking the man’s hand in a firm grip.

  “‘Sir’ is how everyone addressed my father,” Harrison said, waving off the formality. “Call me Jack.”

  Chase took in the other man’s sporting attire as they stepped into the grand marbled foyer. “I hope we didn’t cut into your golf game.”

  “Not at all.” Jack led them down what seemed like a never-ending entryway. “Tee time isn’t until one, though if I have the time, I may get there early to hit the driving range and practice my swing.”

  “Well, thank you for seeing us,” Chase said graciously. “We’ll try not to take up too much of your time.”

  “No worries,” Jack said, his tone sincere. “I’m retired. My time is flexible.”

  They walked through another luxurious room that looked to be a spacious formal living area that was filled with expensive furnishings and decorative art pieces that he’d most likely culled from his own Harrison House Antique Gallery. The walls were covered in a richly textured wallpaper, the couches an immaculate please don’t touch white that complemented the stunning, vibrant oriental rug dominating the travertine-tiled floor.

  “You have a beautiful home,” Valerie said as she caught a glimpse of the outdoor infinity pool through the glass French doors leading to the backyard.

  “Thank you, though it’s getting to be a bit much for just my wife and me.” Jack said with a sigh, “We’re in our seventies, and we’ve decided it’s time to downsize, and that means selling off some of our furnishings.”

  Which was probably why Jack was so willing to part with the desk that had once belonged to Capone. It was a matter of getting rid of static showpieces in order to adjust to a more modest lifestyle.

  They followed Jack into a library, designed and decorated more for show than functionality. Dark wood shelves lined one entire wall, filled with hardback novels and what appeared to be older, classic books. Upscale Victorian furniture embellished the room, except for a brown leather recliner that looked well used and broken in. Someone obviously did enjoy the use of the library, just not the fussy couch and chairs.

  “Here it is,” Jack announced proudly as they came to a stop in front of a pristine antique secretary made from solid mahogany.

  The upper part of the desk was standard 1930s fare, with a drop-front panel that revealed slots and small drawers for correspondences and office supplies. But it was the two front legs that held Chase riveted, and Valerie watched as his fingers curled in anticipation of getting his hands on those posts to check them out for himself. He was clearly restraining himself, trying to act calm and casual, though with her standing so close to his side, Chase’s exhilaration was palpable.

  The picture Chase had shown her of the desk legs didn’t do justice to the real thing, and even Valerie felt a little breathless. Made from sturdy mahogany, each column had been intricately carved and inset with ivory lily of the valley flowers in a vinelike pattern, and vibrant green emerald stones glimmered from the lighting in the room.

  The entire handcrafted desk showcased a skill and artistry that you just didn’t find in today’s manufactured items. As a whole, the secretary was stunningly gorgeous, and there was no reason for any ordinary person to think that one of those legs was actually the staff part of a cane.

  “I brought it home from the gallery years ago because it’s such a beautiful piece of furniture, not to mention that it once belonged to Al Capone,” Jack said, running a hand over the still glossy and unmarred surface of the desk before looking at Chase. “Are you a fan or collector?”

  “Both.” Chase shifted on his feet, and Valerie knew he was trying to contain his eagerness. “Al Capone has always been a source of fascination, and this desk is a work of art.”

  Jack nodded his approval. “You’ve got that right. It’s a beauty and in excellent condition and would fetch top dollar at auction.”

  “I’m willing to pay top dollar,” Chase said without missing a beat. “Have you had it appraised recently?”

  “Actually, I did, because I knew I’d be selling this piece at some point.” Jack stepped away for a moment and returned with a few documents, which he handed to Chase. “Here’s the report for the appraisal, and the certificate of authenticity that came with the desk when I originally purchased it.”

  Chase read over the details and, seemingly satisfied with what the paperwork revealed, he set the information on the surface of the desk. “Do you mind if I look it over?”

  “Not at all,” Jack said, backing away to give Chase the space to get up close and personal with the desk.

  Chase started with the drawers, opening each one and examining the upper portion, trying not to appear too eager about what he was ultimately interested in. In time, he crouched in front of the desk, and that’s when his entire demeanor changed. Valerie could see the tension stretching the muscles in his back taut, could practically feel his excitement spike as he reached for one of the legs, and she was just as fascinated to see his psychometric abilities at work.

  He wrapped his hand around the top of one of the posts and slowly skimmed it downward, using his thumb to stroke over the intricate, vinelike pattern of ivory and emeralds. Nothing about Chase’s body language changed until he repeated the process on the second leg. His hand stopped midway down the post, and she watched as his head bowed ever so slightly in concentration.

  His fingers flexed, his breathing deepened, and when he stood back up and faced them again, the elation in his eyes was hard to miss. He’d finally found the staff to the cane top, and she knew it was taking effort for him to remain neutral and contain his triumph.

  “Does it meet with your approval?” Jack asked.

  “Absolutely.” Chase grinned. “What do you want for the desk?”

  Jack didn’t hesitate to reveal his asking price, a six-figure sum that didn’t even make Chase blink, because Valerie knew that no matter the cost, Steven had the money to pay for what he wanted.

  “I’ll take it,” Chase said, and put his hand out to seal the deal with a handshake.

  The startled look on Jack’s face was comical as they shook hands. Clearly, he’d expected Chase to negotiate over the price, and it took his brain a few seconds to catch up to the fact that Chase wasn’t going to haggle with him.

  Since Jack’s son now owned the Harrison House Antique Gallery, the transfer of funds went quickly and smoothly, with Tony handling the financial end of things for Chase. Within the hour, they had the desk wrapped in packing blankets and loaded into the back of the SUV they’d driven to Jack’s house, and were on their way back to their hotel in Boca Raton.

  Chase hired two bellmen to transfer the secretary up to their room, as well as deliver a screwdriver kit from maintenance, though he never left the piece of furniture alone. Now that he’d found the coveted cane staff he’d been searching months for, he clearly wasn’t going to let it out of his sight for one single second.

  As soon as the door to their room closed behind the bellmen, Chase wrapped his arms around Valerie in a warm, exuberant hug that lifted her feet up off the floor as he spun her around in a wide circle.

  She let out a squeal of surprise. With her enveloped so completely in his embrace, Chase’s excitement became a part of her, and she could feel the rush of adrenaline that he seemed to need and welcomed in his life. And desire. Yeah, that was present, too, corralled and simmering beneath the surface—and with her body pressed so intimately against his, she couldn’t stop her own craving in return.

  Finally, he put her back down, his grin huge and his gorgeous green eyes expressing his delight. “We did it, Valerie!”

  She laughed and shook her head. “No, you did it.”

  “I wouldn’t have gotten this far without you. That’s the truth.”

  “It was fun.” And she meant it. Despite her migr
aine after visiting Alcatraz, she’d enjoyed the adventure. “I can see how hunting for treasures could get addicting.”

  He lifted a dark, teasing brow. “You mean procuring fine things, right?”

  She rolled her eyes at his formal definition of what he did for a living. “Yes, of course that’s what I meant.” She studied the secretary, taking in its large size and shape. “So, how are we going to get this bulky desk back to Vegas?”

  “We’re going to disassemble it.” He grabbed the screwdriver kit the bellman had brought up to the room. “The only thing I’m interested in is the legs, but if we take it apart, I can keep the legs with me at all times, and we can at least preserve the desk itself. After all, Steven did buy the entire secretary, and who knows what he wants to do with the rest of it.”

  After setting the tools nearby, he came up beside the secretary and motioned for her to stand on the opposite end. “I know it’s heavy, but I need you to help me place the desk on its back so I can remove the legs without all the extra weight on them.”

  He showed her where to grip the piece of furniture for the best leverage, and together they managed to gently tip back the desk and lay it down on the carpet so the front legs were suspended in the air. He got to work on the mock post, the one that had been made to match the real cane staff. Within a few minutes, he had the leg carefully detached, and Valerie put it on the bed while he started in on the authentic walking stick that belonged with the ivory cane top.

  As soon as he’d removed the actual staff, he put them side by side on the bed. “Look. Do you see the difference?”

  The disparities between the two were subtle and slight, and probably wouldn’t even be noticed by a regular person, but knowing that one of the posts attached to a cane, she spotted the discrepancies instantly. “The real one has a different threading composition on the top, and a gold ring that we couldn’t see until it was removed.”

  “Exactly.” He rewarded her with a grin that made her stomach do a little somersault. “Remember the picture I showed you of Capone and the completed cane? That screw on the top of the leg will twist into the ivory piece, and that gold ring is what threads them securely together.”

  “That’s amazing.” She couldn’t believe that one man had gone to so much trouble just to keep the pieces of a walking cane separated. “Steven is going to be thrilled that he’ll have the completed cane for his collection, and to display at the Onyx.”

  She reached down and ran her fingers along the carved ivory vines in the authentic staff and felt … nothing. There were no flashes or visions that linked the cane to Capone, and she realized she was disappointed that she couldn’t experience the kind of psychic connection to the cane that Chase had. Then again, their abilities were completely different, but she was curious to know what he’d seen when he gripped the leg in his hand back at Jack’s house that confirmed it belonged to the ivory top piece.

  She turned her head, meeting his gaze. “What did you see or feel when you initially touched the leg that belongs to the cane top?”

  He braced his hands on his hips and hesitated a moment, seemingly thinking about his response before he spoke. “I flashed on Capone taking the pieces apart while talking to a man about handcrafting the secretary for him using the real cane staff, and another one he’d had made to match it. That’s how I knew that one was authentic,” he said, pointing to the second post he’d removed. “The other leg didn’t give me anything but vague glimpses of the man who’d made the desk. There was nothing to indicate it belonged to the ivory top piece.”

  “That’s very cool.”

  “Yeah, having psychometric abilities definitely comes in handy.” He withdrew his cell phone from his pocket. “I need to call Tony, give him an update, and have him set up the private jet for our flight back to Vegas tomorrow morning.”

  Now that she’d done her part in this case, and Chase had tracked down the rest of the cane, there was no reason left for them to be together once they returned to the Onyx. Even though going their separate ways had been inevitable, and she’d told herself that was exactly what she wanted, a lump formed in the back of her throat and she was mortified that her emotions were getting the best of her.

  Which wasn’t a good sign. Not at all.

  All of a sudden, the hotel room seemed to close in on her. She desperately needed fresh air, and she needed to clear her thoughts. Before Chase could dial Tony’s number and get caught up in a long conversation with the curator, she decided she needed a bit of time to herself. “There’s a Starbucks a couple of blocks from the hotel. Do you mind if I take a walk and go get an iced coffee while you make your call?”

  He glanced at her, searching her face with a hint of concern, and she wondered if he’d detected the forced calm in her voice. “No, of course not. You go ahead.”

  Picking up her purse, she averted her gaze, because she was afraid her eyes or her expression might give away the panic that was starting to rise within her. Panic over being foolish enough to let this man get closer than she’d ever thought possible. “Would you like anything?”

  “No, I’m good. I’m already hyped up on the natural rush of adrenaline.” His voice was light and teasing, and she knew he was trying to cajole a smile out of her. “Caffeine will no doubt put me over the edge.”

  She laughed, because that seemed like the fitting response. But the truth was, she couldn’t get out of there quick enough.

  Chapter Eleven

  Chase watched Valerie hustle out of their hotel room without looking back and knew something was wrong. Oh, she’d been fine while they took apart the desk and discussed his visions upon touching the leg piece, but somewhere along the way, that switch of hers had flipped to panic mode and he had no idea why.

  He stared at the phone in his hand, knowing he needed to call Tony to give him the good news, but in addition to Valerie’s distress, there was another slice of remorse that was weighing heavily on his mind, and that rarely happened. Oh, sure, he carried around plenty of guilt about the past and his best friend’s death, but this regret tightening in his gut was fresh and new and all related to Valerie.

  He’d lied to her. Not an outright, bald-faced deception, but rather he’d omitted some pertinent details about what he saw when he touched the authentic cane staff at Jack’s. Keeping those vital clues to himself had been an instinctual habit, a way to protect himself, and his secret—especially when so many people wouldn’t hesitate to take advantage of the kind of life-changing information he was in possession of. Unscrupulous people like Russ and Angie, and that was where his caution had stemmed from.

  Everything he told Valerie that he’d seen was the truth. It was what he hadn’t revealed that was wreaking havoc with his conscience. Now that he was so close to completing the cane, the visions he’d had in the past of a small ivory carving of a Virgin Mary, like some sort of flat key to something, were even stronger. When he skimmed his hand down the desk leg, he’d seen that image again, accompanied by the flash of a rare and valuable ruby.

  There was no doubt in Chase’s mind that when he connected the cane pieces, there would be more to the cane than what met the eye. He just wasn’t sure what would happen, but whatever puzzle piece was revealed next would certainly lead to that priceless red stone he kept envisioning. Capone had gone to extreme lengths with the cane to protect something very valuable. Steven could have the cane itself, but Chase was dying to get his hands on whatever that ultimate treasure was.

  He wanted Valerie involved in the discovery, and that was a huge revelation for him. He didn’t owe her anything above or beyond what Steven had hired them to do—which would be accomplished once they returned to Vegas. But after everything they’d been through in such a short period of time, confiding in Valerie was a matter of honesty and respect.

  Who was he kidding? Chase thought with a shake of his head. If he was really truthful with himself, confiding in her was way more than just about professional courtesy. He wanted to share what the c
ane revealed with her, not just because she’d appreciate the score as much as he would, but because he cared about her.

  And that was what truly mattered.

  * * *

  Valerie walked down the street toward the Starbucks she’d seen earlier that day when she and Chase drove to Jack’s. She breathed in the cool, clean air tinged with the scent of salt from the ocean just a few blocks over, forcing her mind to clear and the tension in her body to ease after her little anxiety attack back at the hotel. The sun was shining, a nice breeze rustled the fronds of the palm trees in the area, and for a midafternoon on a Thursday, the quaint city of Boca Raton was all about laid-back, low-key relaxation. Which was exactly what she needed.

  God, when had she become such an emotional mess, so tangled up in wants and needs that she’d always managed to keep buried deep inside her? Okay, she knew the answer to that question—sex with Chase had inundated her with pleasure, desire, and a longing for the kind of intimacy that had also prompted a wealth of fear and insecurity.

  It hadn’t taken much for Chase to shatter her controlled façade, the one that protected her heart from the kind of hurt and pain that took years to heal. And despite her efforts to keep her distance from Chase since they’d had sex and make sure they didn’t touch and set off those sparks between them, he was already under her skin, a part of her that she couldn’t shake, no matter how hard she tried.

  And that was the source of her panic. Though she’d tried shoring her defenses when it came to Chase, she felt so inherently drawn to him, so intrinsically connected, and she well knew what happened when she allowed her emotions to rule her head and heart.

  Admittedly, Chase wasn’t the kind of man to settle down in one place. He had a condo in Chicago that was a home base for him and that he rarely used, and he thrived on risk and adventure, enjoyed his always-on-the-go lifestyle. She, on the other hand, was a homebody at heart, someone who craved stability, security, and a regular routine. This adventure of his had been fun and exciting, but it wasn’t something she wanted to do on a regular basis, as he did.