Tio, it turned out, was Mendini’s actual uncle on his mother’s side. The best they’d been able to fathom about the island and the women was that Mendini kept them there because he could and he liked the rush of power that gave him, and because there were times when he could exchange a woman for a treasure he wanted from some less-than-honorable seller in the Middle East or South America.
They would never have all the answers, of course. The FBI and local law enforcement would probably be cleaning up the remnants of Los Lobos for years.
But, as Dallas put it when the shooting was over, the head was off the snake.
As for the treasure...
The priceless Zafiro de Seguridad had been in the chest, and it was now being cleaned and prepared for display at the Smithsonian while ownership of the treasure was settled between Spain, America—and Hannah.
Truthfully, she didn’t want any of it. Too many people had died for it. And she had never been interested in things, anyway.
Just people.
She was startled when she heard someone calling her name from out front.
She rose and walked slowly around the house. She moved warily, still a little paranoid after all the things that had happened.
There she found a tall, very distinguished white-haired man studying the house with true appreciation for the architecture. He was dressed in a suit—a light, handsome, charcoal-gray suit, but a suit nonetheless.
FBI, she thought.
He was old for an agent. But there was a younger man at his side, pointing up to some architectural detail on the widow’s walk. Hannah realized that the younger man looked a lot like the older one—and that he was dead.
“Miss O’Brien? Yes, you have the look of your cousin about you,” the older man said. “Different hair color, of course, but there’s a definite resemblance,” he said.
“Yes, I’m Hannah O’Brien. May I help you?”
“I’m Adam Harrison,” he said, stepping forward to study her further with a smile.
“Oh, Kelsey and Logan’s boss.”
He nodded. “Though I tend to let Logan handle the Texas Krewe without interference. I don’t go into the field much anymore. Not the micromanager type.”
“Well, it’s lovely to meet you. I’m the first one up today. If you’ll come in, I’ll get the others for you.”
“Actually...would you mind if we walk around back?”
“If you wish.”
“I’d like to speak with you.”
“Oh?” she asked, surprised, and led the way.
He smiled, taking a seat on one of the lawn chairs. She joined him, noticing that the younger man was still with them and looking around the yard—the pristine pool area contrasting with the raw dirt where the treasure had been found—with interest. “Can I get you some coffee?” she asked Adam.
“In a minute.” He smiled. “I’ve received some interesting reports regarding your abilities.”
Ignoring that for the moment, she looked at him sympathetically and asked softly. “Is that your son?”
“So you do see Josh,” he said.
The ghost turned to smile at her. “She’s got it, Dad. She’s really got it.”
“I can see Josh now, though I couldn’t at first. But love is strong, as I’m sure you know. I don’t see others, however. But you—well, they tell me that you were able to communicate with Maria Lopez when no one else could even see her... And without her help...well, the outcome would have been quite different, I imagine.”
“I don’t know about that. Your agents are very good.”
“Yes, they are. I also hear that you took a ten-minute course in handling a Glock and then took down a murderer with your first shot.”
She reached for her coffee and shook her head. “I was just lucky,” she said.
“I think it’s more than that. And I’d like you to think about joining us,” Adam Harrison said.
She nearly dropped her cup.
“Just think about it, no need to decide this minute. It’s a difficult decision. It’s a tough job, and some days it’s life or death, but we have good days, really good days, especially when we take down someone like the Wolf.”
She certainly understood that. It had been a really good day when they’d saved Alicia and Alma, a real emotional high seeing Jose standing by his sister, knowing he’d been instrumental in saving her life.
“Adam!”
Kelsey hurried over to Adam and hugged him as though he were her grandfather, and then she welcomed Josh, although her hug went right through him. A minute later Dallas and Logan joined them. Kelsey made the introductions.
“So, are you joining us, son?” Adam asked Dallas. “I know Logan told you I’m eager to have you.”
“I don’t know,” Dallas said, and he looked at Hannah.
She felt poleaxed by the entire situation, torn in two as to what she wanted. But she knew what the look he had given her meant.
Yes, he wanted to go.
But he wasn’t going anywhere without her.
“I’ve been thinking,” she said. “Valeriya and her mother could manage this place. I’ll never sell it, and it will always be my home. But, frankly, I’d like to get away from everything that’s happened and all the crazy attention that’s coming, at least for a bit.”
Dallas smiled at her. Lord, but the man had a great smile.