From nowhere, the image of the unconscious leviathan he’d gotten into the fight with seeped into his brain. Motherfucker. He should have gone with his initial instinct and killed the ugly sonofabitch.
Furious over his shortsightedness and the events unraveling around him, Max grabbed Willa’s arm and dragged her toward the entry. She struggled within his grip, sobbing. “Let me go! We have to find Aurele.”
“Willa, we have to get out of here. Now.” He had no idea if Aurele’s kidnapper would be coming back to the scene of the crime, but he wasn’t going to allow Willa to remain here, a sitting duck.
Boone opened the rear passenger door, and Max unceremoniously dumped Willa onto the backseat. She tried to wiggle underneath his arm, presumably to dash back to the house, but he jumped next to her and restrained her against the seat. He fished the keys from his pocket with his free hand and threw them at Boone. “Get us out of here.”
Without wasting precious time asking questions, Boone hopped behind the wheel and sped them away from the quiet subdivision. Meanwhile, Willa continued to glare at Max, her eyes waterlogged with tears as he pinned her beneath him. “Baby, I know you’re scared for Aurele. But none of us will do her a damn bit of good if you end up falling into Reva’s clutches too. My number-one priority right now is keeping you safe.”
“You heard what she said. They’re probably going to t-torture her into revealing where the trident is.” A fresh sob broke from Willa. “Sh-she’s the only family I have left. I can’t lose her.”
“I know. But as long as Reva’s convinced that Aurele can lead her to the trident, she’s not going to kill her.”
Willa quieted, her desperate struggles lessening.
“Uh, guys, not to break into things back there, but I can only drive around aimlessly so long before we run out of gas.”
Max gave Willa a stern look. “Are you going to behave now, and not do something stupid like jump out of a moving vehicle?” She nodded and he cautiously released her before sitting up and meeting Boone’s gaze in the rearview mirror. “We need to find a secure location where we can put our heads together and come up with a plan on how to stop Reva.”
“You can’t get any more secure than the ducal manor.”
Max tweaked the bridge of his nose. “Let me get this straight. You’re suggesting we hole up at Justin’s house—the grandson of the psychotic bitch who’s out to annihilate us all?”
“You said yourself you trust him.” Boone’s focus shifted to Willa in the mirror. “Maybe knowing who Willa is will force Justin to use every trace of power at his disposal to protect her.”
Max stared at Boone. “How long have you known about Willa?”
“Ever since you mentioned Aurele’s name. I figured it was too much of a coincidence that two of the three missing murder victims resurfaced on the same day. I put two and two together and realized who Willa had to be.”
“Damn, you do take after your old man.” Max rubbed his jaw, considering their options. There was no doubt that taking Willa to Justin would be a huge risk. But as Boone pointed out, the duke came with a lot of powerful backing. Plus plenty of security guards. It didn’t automatically guarantee them safety, particularly considering how Reva had managed to massacre twenty of the royal soldiers pretty damn effortlessly. But it was better than what they currently had to work with.
Not to mention, if Reva ever did get her hands on the trident, she’d have to take it to the Altar of Atlantis in order to initiate her watery Armageddon. That meant accessing the royal palace. The quickest point of entry for them to intercept Reva would be through the portal on the duke’s property.
Everything pointed at the ducal manor being the most logical choice.
Max just hoped that choice wouldn’t ultimately backfire on him.
Chapter Seventeen
Despite her distress over Aurele, Willa couldn’t help gaping at the enormous Italianate mansion she glimpsed beyond the manned gatehouse they were currently parked in front of. After a brief conversation with the guard, Boone drummed his fingers on the wheel, his focus glued to the closed gate.
Max adjusted his seat belt. “Don’t be surprised if Justin refuses to let us in. With everything I’ve sprung on him today, I doubt he’s thrilled at the prospect of seeing my mug.”
No sooner did Max voice his concerns than the gate slowly opened with a silent, fluid grace.
“Well, I’ll be damned,” Max muttered.
“You need to have more faith in my ability to charm my way into anywhere.” His grin cocky, Boone shifted gears and drove past the gate. A long, straight driveway led to the house, immaculately landscaped gardens bordering either side. A large, circular fountain stood at the foot of the drive, its cascading spray trickling down the extended arms of the bronze mermaid rising from its center. Boone parked the Land Rover in front of the fountain, and they all exited the vehicle.
Max drew her close to him. “Stick by my side. Even though I’m pretty certain Justin isn’t involved in any of this, I’m not taking any chances.”
She tucked her palm against his, and he rewarded her show of solidarity with a light squeeze. They ascended the steps, and a uniformed butler let them inside the mansion. She lifted her gaze to the towering stained-glass skylight high above before checking out the numerous marine-life paintings decking the walls. Some of them were huge. Practically murals. The sound of approaching footsteps distracted her from the art, and she turned her head. A dark-haired man strode toward them. He looked to be a couple years younger than her. Definitely no more than twenty-seven, at the most. His features could have graced a GQ model, and he had the lean, fit build of someone who took great care of his body.
The man’s penetrating green eyes roamed toward Boone first, and a slight flush darkened his already sun-kissed complexion. Willa wondered at the cause for his blush. Before she could dwell on it too long, the stranger’s scrutiny moved to Max. His expression became decidedly chagrined. “It would seem I owe you an apology, Sheriff. My uncle came forward and admitted the part he played in the cover-up.”
“Right now all I care about is having your cooperation in stopping your grandmother.”
“You have it.”
Max cleared his throat. “There is another favor I would ask.”
“Anything.”
“We’re in need of a place to stay. Possibly for a few days.”
The man’s attention shifted to her, his curiosity apparent. Max gave her hand another subtle squeeze. “This is my friend Willa. She came in from out of town when all of this occurred.”
Okay, that was odd. Judging from the conversation between Max and Boone in the car on the way over here, she’d assumed they’d be revealing her true identity to their host. But apparently Max had a change of heart. For whatever reason.
The man flashed a friendly smile. “Justin Bellemuir. It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Willa.”
“Uh, thank you. Same goes here.” She winced at her complete dufusness. Obviously meeting the freaking Duke of Atlanta turned her into a word-fumbling ignoramus.
“You are all most welcome to stay for as long as you need.” Justin gave a charming bow. “Mi casa es su casa.”
Boone stepped forward and clasped the duke’s broad shoulder. “We appreciate your generosity, Your Grace.”
Another hint of color shaded the duke’s cheekbones. “Please, no need for formality. Within these walls, I’m simply Justin.”
Boone dropped his hand and moved away. Willa didn’t fail to notice the flash of hunger that briefly glimmered in the duke’s eyes as he stared at Boone’s profile. Willa blinked. Wow, so the Duke of Atlanta had the hots for Boone. Not that she blamed him.