Page 16 of Savannah Heat

“You think about it, because I need a break.”

Dan lay back across the end of the bed. “I am thinking about it. That’s about all I can think about. Somebody out there wants to destroy my life. I have to figure this out and soon.”

Chapter Eight

Frustrated and getting nowhere, they ordered lunch from room service. Jenna checked the flight schedules and figured Brock was still in the air. After taking a break to eat some room service food, they got back to the topic at hand.

Jenna raised her eyebrows and looked at Dan, who was busy checking his emails. “Okay, one more time. Let’s talk it through. Why do you think she has a partner, because you don’t think a woman is clever enough to do this on her own?”

Dan’s head popped up from his phone to check Jenna’s face to see if she was just taunting him. “That’s not what I mean at all, and I can’t believe you would say such a thing. I just think a woman who is alone gets noticed more than a couple…that’s all. Our girl is too smart to be noticed unless she wants to be. But the mysterious appearing red hair is throwing me.”

“Okay, truce. So, yes, what if the red hair has been left there on purpose to point them in a direction of a redheaded female for a reason?” Jenna held up a strand of her hair again.

Dan ran his fingers threw his hair and huffed out a loud sigh. “The thought has occurred to me, but that would mean whoever this is knows that we were a team, or at least knows my partner was a redheaded female. It’s clear, they plan to use it to help set me up. Ask yourself, who could know that?”

Jenna shook her head. “I have no idea, and that is what worries me. We have an enemy out there, and not only your insurance investigator. At least, we know who she is and what she wants. This Red Cat person or persons—what’s their agenda? And how are they connected if they are—and why? But yes, it’s personal. It’s revenge. Who wants revenge? I can think of a few.”

Dan’s phone pinged, and he stared for a full minute before shoving it back into his pocket. “Damn, another problem. Harper is coming.”

“Who is Harper?”

“She is my, uh, she and I, well, we see each other from time to time. She’s a roving photojournalist. We met when I was racing cars.”

Jenna’s stomach did a little flip “So, she is coming here because…?”

“I might have mentioned it I was coming and asked her to join me, but this was before I knew…well, before. I thought it would be a good cover to be a couple. Like I said, couples get noticed less, and I knew, or rather guessed, Gail Wells would be tracking me here.”

Jenna, feeling as if she had been punched in the gut, walked to the door and opened it as she turned back to Dan. “Well, that is just great then, we will both have dates, and we will have one more person we must work around. You’d better be on your way. I’m not sure when Brock will arrive. See you tonight, Dan.”

Dan opened his mouth to speak but threw up his hands, instead, and left with one glance back at Jenna.

She closed the door in his face. Jenna fought the little jealous fire that started in her stomach as she watched him walk through the door. She knew this was the most ridiculous thing she could do; to get involved with Dan again in any way was a disaster. Why did she feel that old tingle of excitement now when she thought all this was in the past? Would it never leave her alone?

Jenna secured her long hair in a ponytail, put on her sweats, and ran down the stairs and out the side door of the hotel. She needed to clear her head and get rid of this itchy buzz that traveled through her body. She ran until she could hardly stand, and then she made her way back to the hotel, feeling rung out in every way possible. However, she was still not satisfied she was thinking clearly.

Her clothes were plastered to her body, and she was so thirsty she could hardly swallow as she went through the main lobby doors. Rather than offend everyone around her by using the elevator, she went down a side hall in the lobby to the door leading to the stairs. As she put her hand on the door handle, she heard a full-throated laugh coming from near the lobby’s main desk. She turned to look because Southern women didn’t laugh that way in public. That was always a dead giveaway you were an outsider, but something about that laugh rang a bell.

Jenna eased her way back down the hall toward the front desk area.

A tall, buxom redhead wearing tight white pants and a short black top that barely covered her breasts stood at the end of the front desk.

Brock stood beside her with his 100-watt smile plastered onto his face. Well, what is going on there, and who is the woman? She made her way back down the hall and through the door to the stairs. How long has Brock been back?

Jenna ran up the stairs and got into the shower so fast she almost forgot to take off her shoes. She wondered why she was more curious than jealous about seeing Brock with the woman in the lobby. Something about the woman was familiar; yet she was sure she’d not met her before. She couldn’t think what was bothering her. She forgot names sometimes because she met so many people in her line of work, but she rarely forgot a face. And that laugh—what was it about that laugh?

Brock was unpacking his clothes when she came out of the shower. “Hey, I’m back. I hope that’s okay.”

“Of course, now I have a date to the big event.” Jenna walked over and gave him a hug. “Oh, Brock, your tux got wrinkled. Just call room service and have it steamed.”

“Thanks, Jenn, I wanted to come back and be with you. I couldn’t do anything for my uncle or his family. He left strict instructions for his family, so there is no actual funeral, at all. Equally important, I couldn’t leave my girl alone without a party escort and for all the wolves to pounce upon.”

Jenna struck a defensive pose. “Humm. You know I’m a black belt, right?”

“No, I did not know that. Good information to have in case you need to rescue me.” He kissed her on the neck and tried to remove her towel.

But she backed away. “Not so fast, big boy. I’ve missed lunch, and I’m about to faint from hunger. Can you run down to the place around the corner and get me a salad of some sort with some protein? Room service is backed up because this hotel is so full now, and it will take forever to get anything sent up.”

“Consider it done. But feel free to stay undressed until my return.”