“Can you tell me …” Jed paused as if he didn’t want to ask and know the answer. “Is she with you?”
“I can’t tell you that,” Heath said.
“Actually, I don’t want you to. If she is with you, keep her safe and hidden. This might be my chance to bring Brigham down. I’ll do everything I can from this end. You be careful. I’ll be in touch.” Jed disconnected.
Heath set the phone down and stared at Hazel. Jed was as clean and honest as they came, and he’d basically asked Heath to break the law. Brigham must be dirtier than even Heath could comprehend.
“It’s bad?” she said quietly.
Heath nodded.
“Will your friend tell them I’m with you?”
“No. We’ve both had … issues with Brigham before, and he just confirmed what you overheard about Brigham having connections in the police force. Brigham and his family have a mob affiliation, just as I’ve always suspected. Jed’s in a mess and is going to have to be very careful, but he’ll do everything in his power to prove you’re innocent.”
“What am I going to do?” She wrung her hands together. “I shouldn’t have run.”
“I don’t know. I think you’re a lot safer in Colorado than close to Brigham’s center of power.”
“You’re powerful too,” she said, looking at him as if he could be her hero.
“Sadly, not as powerful as Brigham.”
“I don’t know if I believe that.”
Heath hated to admit it because it made him feel vulnerable, but he tried to explain anyway. “Brigham is family money. Generations of it. His family relocated from Chicago to Park City when he was in high school, buying up resorts and land like they were Monopoly properties. They have plenty of money and dirty tactics to threaten and get their way, and they usually do.” He pushed a hand through his hair. “I’m a newcomer to Park City and a self-made millionaire. The established money doesn’t know or trust me. My parents have a great resort in Colorado that my oldest brother manages. They’re successful and my four resorts are doing great, but our success is a drop in the bucket compared to the resources, connections, and power that the London family has.”
Hazel shivered. “You’re scaring me.”
Heath pushed out a breath. They should both be terrified, but at least he had Jed on his side. With Jed as the lead detective, maybe he could discover the truth at the crime site or dig and finally make other crimes stick to Brigham. Yet … “Why would your hair be on Jamison’s sweater?”
She splayed her hands. “Jamison and I have become good friends over the past few months. When he visited London, he’d always take me to do something fun. On the plane ride today, I fell asleep for a little bit. When I woke up, my head was on his shoulder and he had his arm around me.”
Heath’s stomach rolled with something suspiciously like jealousy. That was idiotic. He hardly knew Hazel, and Jamison was in a coma. It sounded like he’d wanted more than friendship with Hazel, and if his cousin was that slime Brigham, he couldn’t have been too great of a guy. Had Hazel heard he wasn’t dead, though? “Jed said Jamison isn’t dead but in a coma.”
Hazel put a hand over her heart. “Oh, that’s brilliant news.” She squeezed her eyes shut and muttered, “Thank you, Lord.”
Did she have feelings for Jamison, or was she simply relieved it wasn’t murder she was facing? He pushed the quandary away, because this was good news. If Jamison awoke, he could name his attacker. Maybe this would be over quickly—but if that happened, Heath doubted he would see Hazel again. “You said that you thought you heard Jamison say something about how Brigham was making mistakes and he could prove it. You think that’s why he pushed him, right?”
“It sure sounded like it, and they both kind of laid claim to me.” She looked down. “Brigham said, ‘Hazel is mine.’”
“You didn’t mention that earlier.” That ugly jealousy reared its head again. What was Brigham’s play here? Heath assumed he’d hurt his cousin, either on accident or on purpose—a shove and a fall like that could go either way—then planned to send the group on and clean up the mess and the evidence, maybe finish the job. Then, when Hazel disappeared, he decided to frame her. Yet he’d wanted her for himself. That made Heath’s muscles tighten.
“He made me feel … uncomfortable.”
Heath’s protectiveness reared. Maybe they should go back and he’d just take Brigham out right now.
“Hopefully, Jamison will wake up and tell the truth.” Her eyes lit up. “Hey. Could we find somebody in their business to prove what Jamison said and that Brigham had reason to want to kill him?”
Heath shrugged. “It’s a pretty tight-knit group, and they mostly only employ family.”
“But wouldn’t Papi—whoever that is, the grandpa or dad—be ticked if he suspected Brigham killed his own cousin?”
“I don’t know. With some of those families, it’s a ‘survival of the fittest’ kind of feeling. If you end up on top, you should be there. Those trampled on the way weren’t worthy.”
She shook her head. “That’s nuts.” Her shoulders sagged. “So you’re saying they’re going to frame me and I have no chance? Do you know where my closest embassy is? Maybe they’ll grant me asylum.”
Heath smiled despite the turmoil inside. “Jed’s good at what he does, really good. He has a lot of reasons to hate Brigham and want him out of commission. The guy is straight-up evil. I’ll text Jed some of these ideas, and I’m sure he’ll have some more. I’ll remind him to keep security tight around Jamison so nobody can take him out, and maybe the guy will wake up soon. If we need them, I’ve got a great team of lawyers. You can hide out at my parents’ retreat until we figure it all out.”
“Thanks for taking care of me.” Her voice lowered, “For taking a chance on me.”
“Sure. I didn’t really have anything else going this Christmas.” He winked at her.
She smiled in response. It was a beautiful smile.
Heath wasn’t one to blow sunshine or give vain reassurance, but he found himself reaching over and squeezing her hand. “It’ll be okay, Hazel. I promise it’ll be okay.”
Her green eyes brightened, and she blinked as if she were holding back tears. Heath felt something warm and intense erupt in his chest. He believed his own words, because he knew that no matter the cost, he wouldn’t let Brigham London destroy another woman he barely knew but was already invested in.
Chapter Six
Hazel’s gut churned with conflicting emotions: terror that Brigham was worse than she’d understood, relief that Jamison wasn’t dead, and deep respect for the man seated next to her. She wanted to say so much more to Heath. Gush over how amazing he was. Beg him to hold her and reassure her. Tell him thank you over and over again for helping her. There wasn’t time, as the plane landed on a small county airport outside of Vail and they loaded into a rental Audi sport utility that was waiting for them and drove away from the airport without saying much. She worried that his pilot, Gary, might turn her in, but Heath had taken him aside, and the man had promised to keep the secret of where she was and to stay close to his home in Park City for the holidays.
Hazel kept staring in awe at the snowy mountain peaks around them, all studded with picture-perfect pine trees whose boughs were heavy with white fluff, and then looking back to Heath’s handsome face and appealing profile.
“You’re probably itching to take pictures,” Heath said.
“You have no idea.” She loved that he understood her obsession. “It’s so beautiful here. Incredible. I mean, blimey, those are really mountains, aren’t they?”
He chuckled. “If you think those mountains are beautiful, wait until you see my valley. It’s the prettiest spot in the world.”
She angled to study him.
“I’m not nearly as pretty as the view,” he said, grinning cockily at her.
“Don’t get cheeky with me,” she said, though she wanted to argue that he was prettier than any view she’d seen. That wa
s a scary thought, as she’d worked hard to photograph any beautiful view she could find, and she’d found a lot. She knew his physical characteristics were overwhelmingly appealing, especially his eyes, but it was more that he had protected her. He’d done it with such kindness and class, and he could still smile and laugh in the midst of the fight against an evil, seemingly unbeatable man. Heath was quickly becoming her personal hero.
“Cheeky?” he repeated. “I love the way you talk.”
“Cheers. Now you talk. Why, if your valley is the prettiest spot in the world, did you rush to leave it and set up resorts across the nation, but not stay and work on your family resort?”
“Interesting questions,” he said dryly.
“Are you going to answer them?” she shot back. The road wound up through the mountains, and she had to take a break from gawking at him to gawk at the view. “Oh my, I am gobsmacked! I probably look like a grockel.” She’d pushed the terror of Jamison’s accident and this horrific situation to the back of her mind while she savored this.
He chuckled. “I’ve heard we speak a different language, but I didn’t realize how true that was.”
She rolled her eyes. “A grockel is like a … clueless tourist wandering around London on their smartphone and not listening to directions and making a fool of themselves.”
“When I go to London, I’ll pay attention and stay off my phone.” He winked.
She’d really like to have him visit London. She could play tour guide for him, if she ever got out of the mess she was in. She oohed and aahed and almost put her head out the sunroof for a few minutes, but then she turned back to him. “Okay. Why’d you run from home so fast?”
He chuckled. “Most US young adults go away to college.”
“So do a lot of us in the UK. But we come back home, don’t we?”
“I’m going back right now.”
“Oh, you are a tough one. Fine. Don’t share your deep, dark secrets. I’ll find them out.” She crossed her arms over her chest and smirked at him. “Secrets are my specialty.” Not really, but she liked to tease with him.
He shook his head and expertly navigated the corners in the mountain pass. “No big secret. Our valley’s too small to support another resort, and my parents and brother Gavin already have a successful resort.”
She studied him. “That might be partially it, but it’s not it. If that was true, you would’ve set up another resort in Colorado, not too far away. You went to Utah and … a bunch of other places that I am not sure of.”
“Utah, Wyoming, Connecticut, and Vermont.”
“Well, there you go. I’m not an expert on your lovely country, but I know Connecticut and Vermont are nowhere near here. And Wyoming is like cowboy central, right?” She’d dreamed of finding a cowboy, but Heath Strong was much more appealing than any daydream she’d had.
“Parts are, but the area near Grand Targhee is pretty posh.”
“Hey.” She tilted her head and pumped her eyebrows at him. “Look, you’re talking like a Brit already. Posh?”
“I don’t think you coined that phrase.”
“Ooh, don’t you mess with me. We coin a lot of phrases. Posh is ours. I think even the Spice Girls used it.”
“Then it must be stamped British.”
She laughed.
Snow was piled high on the edges of the asphalt as they started down into a picturesque valley. It was all laid out before them, a small strip of town with shops, a school, a church, and a cemetery. Farms and houses spread out with a ribbon of a greyish-blue river trailing through the white of the snowpack. On the far side, she could see a massive lodge with smaller buildings nearby. Ski runs and lifts snaked up the mountain beyond the lodge.
“Oh my …” She placed a hand over her heart. “This is your home?”
Heath smiled. “This is where I’m from,” he corrected. “It’s pretty, isn’t it?”
“Pretty? That would be like saying your face is mildly attractive. This place is blinding. It’s brilliant. I love it!”
If she’d embarrassed him with the compliment, he didn’t show it. “I do miss it,” he admitted.
“So, you’re going to tell me what you ran from?” She peeled her eyes from the incredible view as he drove along the highway and approached the downtown area.
“I didn’t run from anything.”
She snapped her fingers. “A woman. A woman broke your heart and you had to leave home, go make yourself a fabulous success so when you come back, she eats her heart out.” She grinned. “Yep. I’m genius.”
He actually laughed. “Not a woman.”
Her shoulders drooped. “Yeah, I guess you’re right. Any woman who could let that face and body walk away would have to be gutted about it and chase you right down. Not a woman. Let me think. She turned back to the view as they drove past town. “Oh, that church is perfect. Will you be married there someday?”
He shrugged. “No plans to settle down anytime soon.”
“Pity.” She tapped her finger against her lips, enjoying teasing with him and pushing all her worries away. “I’ve got it. Your parents are nasty, mean people who thumped you right good on many occasions, so you ran from them.”
“That’s horrible, but no. My parents are great.” His lips pursed. “I wish you could meet them, but I’m afraid the fewer people who see you, the better.”
His words brought a rush of fear back. “You’re probably right. Oh, this is going to be a ruddy miserable stretch, hiding away for Christmas.”
“Better than prison.”
“Aren’t you the sunshine?”
“Sorry. I’m just saying …”
“No. I’m with you, and I really appreciate you taking me in. I could gush about how grateful I am, but you’d think I was dodgy.”
They were driving up the slope to the other side of the valley now. She simply loved this intimate valley, so beautiful and serene. She wished she could photograph every season here. Sadly, she wouldn’t be able to capture this one with no equipment, not while hiding out from Brigham and the police. “Are your other resorts in as pretty of places as this and Park City?”
“Yes, but there is something about home.” He pointed at the sprawling, six-story lodge arching toward the sky in front of them. The broad timbers decorating the tan-colored lodge fit perfectly with the outdoorsy setting. Other buildings and some smaller villas spread out from the lodge and behind, and to the right was the ski resort. The parking lot and resort were bustling. Lots of people must like to ski for their holiday. “This is the main lodge. My parents’ and brother’s homes are in a smaller, gated canyon to the west.” He pointed to the left.
“Wow. Oh, I wish I could see their homes, meet your family, go skiing. Where are you going to stick me to keep me hidden and out of the way? Are you going to come visit so I’m not completely gutted? Do you have a novel on hand? I’m not a big fan of the telly.”
He pulled into a parking stall and put his hand over hers. “When you’re relaxed and not running for your life, are you always this cute and talkative?”
She blushed. “I told you how my mum says I’m mischievous. She also says my mouth is a motor that never runs out of fuel.”
“I like that motor.” He squeezed her hand and grinned.
Her eyes widened, and heat rushed through her. Did he mean … No, he couldn’t.
“I’m going to go find my brother and see what he has as far as a room for you.”
“How are you going to not tell him about me?” Her stomach got a little unsteady. “What if I’m on the telly as armed and dangerous? ‘If you see this woman, shoot first and ask the questions later’? I’ve seen American cowboy movies. I know all about your renegades, or are they vigilantes?”
A loud laugh burst out of Heath, and he shook his head. “Nobody has made me laugh like that in a long time.”
“This is no laughing matter. You wouldn’t be laughing if you were the one being hunted down.” That pulled the smile from his face—no
t that she’d wanted to yank that smile off or make him feel guilty. He’d done everything for her. “I’m sorry,” she said before he could respond.
“No. You’re not the one who should be sorry; Brigham is.” A protective, almost fierce expression appeared in his deep brown eyes. “I’ll protect you, Hazel. I will.”
Hazel melted into the leather seat. She wanted to swear her devotion to him, but he’d think she was a silly girl. Instead, she tried to tease, “With all those muscles, I think you can.”
His smile returned. “And I thought you didn’t like the ‘telly.’ How do you know American cowboy movies and renegades?”
“My brother, John, had an obsession with John Wayne for a few years.”
“Makes sense. To answer your other question, I’ll just tell Gav that I brought a business associate for the week who’s going to ski, order room service, and relax at the spa. Then he won’t ask why you aren’t coming to Mama’s for dinner.”
She really wished she could go to Mama’s for dinner, but then she had to ask, “There’s a spa?”
“Yes.” His eyes trailed over her. “But sadly, I don’t think we can allow your beautiful face to be recognized. Maybe a mud treatment?”
She smiled. He’d said she was beautiful. Her situation was horrific, but she liked that they could flirt and tease. Maybe after they got through this deal with Brigham, she could ask him on a proper date. Did American women ask men out? They were brazen and brave, right?
“Excuse me,” he murmured, and then he exited the car.
Hazel waited, letting her eyes take in the scenery, the architecture of the lodge, and the interesting people coming and going. After probably fifteen minutes, she started to get fidgety. Why wasn’t he coming back? This was his first time away from her. What if he’d changed his mind, had called the police, and was keeping his distance until they showed up and hauled Hazel away?
Her eyes darted to the rearview mirrors, but she saw no lights and heard no sirens. Would they come in silently so she didn’t run? She gritted her teeth and clenched her hands together. She had to trust Heath. She had to. No one else could help her right now. She trusted her family and friends, but they were all across a lot of mountains, open spaces, some cities, and a very large body of water from her.
Don't Fall for a Fugitive: Strong Family Romances Page 5
