Dane’s entire body went rigid when he spotted the figure walking through the door of the restaurant. Unbelievable. He’d known Matthew MacKenna was in Vegas. It had been the deciding factor for choosing it when making his plans to marry Destiny. He’d planned to watch the man from a distance, at least figure out what he was up to. Instead, he stood less than a dozen feet away, bold as brass.
“What’s wrong?”
Dane jerked his head toward the door, and at Destiny’s audible gasp, knew she recognized the man in the charcoal-gray suit. Several other men stood surrounding him, all dressed like they’d come straight from a business meeting. As they walked past his table, Dane lowered his head slightly, not wanting the other man to get a good look at his face. He doubted MacKenna would recognize him, but he wasn’t willing to take the chance. If he’d been the one to put the bounty on his head, then MacKenna would probably know what he looked like.
“Did you know he was going to be at this restaurant?”
“No, I swear. I knew he was in Vegas, but I had no clue we would end up at the same place at the same time.”
Destiny simply shook her head, like she was disappointed in him for some reason. It hurt, because he was telling the truth. Well, mostly. He had planned to figure out a way to run into MacKenna, maybe see if there was a spark of recognition. From the few photos he’d been able to find, and from his memories, he knew he looked a lot like his biological father.
“Were you planning on telling me or was I going to be blindsided when I came face-to-face with the man who might have murdered your father?”
“Destiny—”
“I deserve better than this, Dane. I’ve done everything you’ve asked. I even told you there was a contract on your life. I researched, stuck my neck out, too. Shiloh might fire me for the stunt I’ve pulled, and for what? So you can cut me out of the loop and go rogue?”
“Can I talk now? It was not my intention to shut you out. Yes, I knew MacKenna was in Vegas. He’s here working on a business takeover, another one of his many over the last ten years. Apparently, he’s decided to try his hand at real estate. My source told me MacKenna thinks the market in Vegas is hot, one of the hottest in the country, and he’s planning on acquiring one of the largest real estate firms in Nevada and turning it over to his son. Another arm for MacKenna-Duncan International.”
“Lemme guess, you were going to barge into his meeting and confront him.”
“Really? Do you think so little of me?”
She reached across the table and grabbed his hand. “I think you’re running on emotion right now, and not intellect. You’re thinking about getting up and going over to his table right now, aren’t you?”
He gave a sheepish shrug because there was a part of him that wanted to do just that. It was a stupid move, he knew, but it would be satisfying to watch the older man grow pale, knowing that the one loose end he’d left dangling after murdering Dane’s parents was alive—and looking for revenge.
“A knee jerk reaction will only get you in trouble. Or dead. How do you know the person who’s trying to kill you isn’t sitting at the table with MacKenna right now?”
“I don’t.”
“Exactly. Let’s be smart about this. We’re close to having the information you’ll need to bring MacKenna down, financially and criminally. But if you jump the gun, it will backfire, I promise you. Not only will he walk away looking like the aggrieved party, but you’ll look like the villain.” She squeezed his hand, and Dane sighed, knowing she was right. He didn’t like it, but she made sense.
“Fine. Let’s finish our dinner and head back to the hotel. Maybe we can find out if there’s another reason MacKenna is in Vegas.”
Destiny smiled, and he knew she’d forgiven him. Something deep inside unfurled, a warmth spreading through him like sunshine on a summer day.
“You know, somehow I hadn’t pictured spending my wedding night on the computer, looking for dirt to bring down a killer.”
“Destiny—”
“Just kidding. Dane, lighten up. It’s all part of why we’re here, right? Getting married is simply a business arrangement. The sooner we find the evidence you need, the sooner we can get an annulment and things can go back to normal.”
“It seems strange, we’ve been married for less than two hours and we’re already talking about going our separate ways. Seems kind of, I don’t know, weird.”
As he spoke, Dane felt an itch between his shoulder blades, along with the overwhelming feeling of being watched. He stiffened imperceptibly, but obviously enough Destiny noticed. He watched as she scanned the restaurant, looking for any threat.
“See anything?”
She gave a brief shake of her head, then added, “Nothing obvious, but Matthew MacKenna keeps glancing at our table. Do you think he recognized you?”
“He would if he’s the one who’s been trying to find the missing Duncan boy. Somebody is. I’ve gotten alerts on several websites over the past three days.”
“Me too. I meant to ask, do you have any idea why somebody started looking for you in the first place?”
“They aren’t looking for me. They are looking for Thomas Elliot Duncan. Missing son of Peter and Marjorie Duncan of Denver, Colorado. Nobody should know Thomas Duncan and Dane Boudreau are the same person, except for the person trying to find the six-year-old who disappeared the night his parents were killed.”
Destiny surreptitiously reached for his cell phone and clicked on the camera app. Pretending to take a picture of him, she focused on the table behind him and over his shoulder. She quickly snapped several photos, then placed the cell back on the tabletop.
“Smart. Hopefully we can identify the other men at the table with MacKenna.”
“I recognize one of them. His son, Owen.”
Dane started to turn, wondering why he hadn’t recognized Owen when he walked in. Destiny’s hand on his arm stopped him. She shook her head and pointed to his cell phone.
“Don’t turn around, it’ll only draw attention. Look at the phone, like you’re checking messages. Owen’s the one in the Navy jacket, no tie. Top couple buttons are undone. Brown hair and brown eyes. Doesn’t much resemble his father, at least in looks.”
Glancing at his phone, Dane studied the photos Destiny had snapped. A man probably in his early forties sat beside MacKenna and instantly drew his focus. He vaguely remembered Owen MacKenna from when he was a kid. Owen had been about nine or ten years older than him. A memory of them playing hide-and-seek while their fathers worked in their home’s study popped into his mind. He remembered Owen hadn’t treated him like a nuisance or a brat, instead of spending time coloring and doing puzzles with a precocious six-year-old. The man seated beside Matthew MacKenna barely resembled the teenager who’d put up with him tagging along and constantly getting underfoot.
There was nothing relaxed or calm about this Owen. Though he’d removed his tie, he still exemplified the astute businessman, right down to his highly polished shoes. Dane intuitively knew Owen MacKenna wasn’t a man he’d want to cross, at business or play. He’d be a ruthless, cutthroat opponent.
When the chef laid a couple of loaded plates in front of them, Dane glanced down at the steaming hot entree, realizing he’d missed most of the show, occupied with figuring out why Matthew MacKenna was here at the same restaurant he’d chosen to bring Destiny.
He’d meant for tonight to be special, a treat for Destiny. She’d played along with everything he’d asked, helping him uncover information on MacKenna and his associates. She hadn’t once moaned or complained, even at his outlandish demand for marriage to protect his family. Instead of showing gratitude for her help, he’d let his obsession with his father’s former partner cloud everything except his desire to bring the man to justice.
I’m an idiot.
“This isn’t the evening I had planned, you know.”
“Really? I’m not complaining.”
“That’s because you’re a saint. And I’m a jackass. Let’s try and forget about MacKenna, at least for tonight, and enjoy our meal. We can start fresh in the morning and look at things with clear heads. Deal?”
She studied his face, and whatever she saw must have convinced her, because she held out her hand. “Deal.”
Wrapping his hand around hers, he felt the chill of her fingers, and reached for her other hand, and began rubbing them, warming them with his touch. She didn’t resist, simply allowing him to hold her hands within his. Showing a level of trust he wasn’t sure he’d earned—yet. But he would.
Reluctantly, he released them and picked up his chopsticks, and popped a whole shrimp in his mouth. He remembered one of his friends in school had introduced him to teppanyaki. Invited over for dinner, his friend’s mom had prepared a Japanese feast. Dane had been fascinated, watching her quick and assured movements with the knives and hot template. Throughout dinner, she’d taught him the proper way of eating a teppanyaki meal, including putting your chopsticks down between bites, and never to point with your chopsticks. It’s considered impolite.
“So, Mrs. Boudreau, how does it feel to be a married woman?”
He watched color flood her cheeks turning them a delightful pink, and his grin grew wider. The chunky shortcut of her deep brown hair curved around her face, and he couldn’t help thinking how beautiful she looked in the filtered light of the restaurant. The warm glow couldn’t hide the startling blue of her eyes, or her full, kissable lips.
The kiss at their wedding, he hadn’t planned it. All he’d contemplated was a brush of his lips against her cheek. But when the minister said the words he could kiss his bride, he’d wanted—no, he’d needed—to kiss her. To feel what her mouth felt like beneath his. He’d caught her gasp when he’d parted her lips with his, yet he couldn’t have stopped himself if the roof had crashed atop his head. Hunger drove his need, and all he could think about was wanting, needing, to kiss her again. And again.
“Well, so far, Mr. Boudreau, I can’t complain.”
“I hope we get a chance to see a few of the things Vegas is famous for before we head home. Maybe catch a show.”
She ducked her head, hiding her gaze, and he wondered what she was thinking. Was she filled with regret for helping him? He’d asked a lot from someone who was basically a stranger, yet she hadn’t balked or complained. It wasn’t because she was a pushover, either. He knew from talking to Ridge and Shiloh that Destiny gave as good as she got. She didn’t have a problem standing up to them when she thought they were being jerks. So why was she willing to put aside her life, her career, to help him?
“That’s not why we’re here, Dane. We came to get married—which we’ve done. Finding Matthew and Owen MacKenna here presents a unique opportunity, one we should seize if we get the chance.”
“I know. I wish…” He trailed off, because what was the use of wishing for the unattainable. He couldn’t bring somebody else into his mess. Couldn’t think about sharing a life with anybody, not until he got justice for his parents.
“Don’t. Today we took a major step toward protecting the legacy your father established. Let’s enjoy our meal and worry about our next step in the morning.” She lifted her glass and met his gaze. “To justice.
“To justice.”