Tell them the truth, Roxana had said about his daughters. What the hell. Maybe it would work on Aunt Tatiana, too.
“I…I stole them because I thought it was the only way to get you to come all the way to Las Vegas. I wanted Iris to meet her family, to see for herself that craftsmanship with gems is her heritage.” Hell, he never had been any good at telling the truth. Maybe this lie would do the trick.
“I would love to meet my grand-niece. All you had to do was ask.” She bounced her forefinger off her chin a few times while a distant smile lit her eyes. “Ahh, but the great Cosmo Fortune never asks, does he. He takes. Like you took my Irina.”
“She was your niece, not your pet,” he said testily.
“She was the best jeweler born to our family in three generations. She came to America, and she never looked back.” Tatiana pursed her lips as she shook her head sadly. “She loved you. She said you made her happy.”
Cosmo’s throat tightened. Eight years hadn’t lessened the pain of losing Irina so suddenly. “I did my best.”
“Very well, give me back my gems, and all is forgiven.”
“As to that-” Cosmo leaned forward, “-how about if I bring Rissie by tonight?”
Her features grew sharper with suspicion. “Last night you said we could meet this morning.”
“Yes, well, um, Iris was engaged this morning.”
This lit Tatiana’s face. “She is to be married?”
Another slip of his tongue, but Cosmo ran with it. “Yes, as a matter of fact, she’s engaged to marry an attorney. He’s planning to go into politics.”
“Then I am glad I came. There are traditions. As her family, we must prepare her a bride gift.”
“I don’t recall you giving Irina a bride gift.”
“You ran away with her. You didn’t deserve a bride with a bride gift. You’re lucky we let you keep your bride.”
Cosmo suspected if Tatiana ever got wind that he’d already had two other wives when he married Irina, he would have been lucky to keep his genitals.
She attempted to rise. “Take me downstairs to see her shop. I want to meet her.”
Cosmo hopped to his feet while she continued to struggle. “Oh, Aunt Tatiana, reconsider. Her first meeting with you shouldn’t be in a public place, not while she’s working. Iris will have clients, orders, merchandise. Mondays are very busy days for her.” Perspiration moistened his brow, but he didn’t dare draw her attention to it. Damn, the old girl always had made him break out in a sweat. She was as close as he’d ever come to having a mother-in-law in his three marriages. He’d make this right for her-for Irina’s memory and for Iris’s future.
After some consideration, and probably because she refused to ask for his help standing, Tatiana relaxed back onto the sofa. “Very well, I’ll arrange for dinner here tonight. You will bring Iris and her fiancé.”
“Right, yes. Of course, I’ll have to check and see if he’s available. Thank you.” He backed himself out of her presence as if she were royalty, then made a tactful dash for the door. Opening it, he found Marko waiting outside.
“You will bring the gems with you when you return,” Marko said.
Cosmo smiled with all the self-assurance that had long since jumped ship. As he walked toward the elevators, he tried to calculate the odds that he’d ever get the gems back in his hands, much less return them. What had been even money was looking more and more like a long shot.
“What was his story?” Marko asked Tatiana when he entered the suite’s living room.
She struggled to her feet before he could reach her. Waving him off, she leaned on the cane and walked slowly to stand tiny but erect and stare out the large window at the view.
Marko knew the delay allowed her to catch her breath, so he didn’t press her.
“He claims he stole the alexandrite to bring us here to meet Iris. A lie of course, and not a very good one.”
“He is slipping.”
“I think he is frightened.”
“Then why does he not return the gems?’
“He fears something or someone more than he fears me.”
Marko considered the sadness in her words. His aging aunt still grappled with the loss of her power to intimidate men with a single look. They were all getting older. “What may I do?”
She turned and walked unassisted to the sofa where she eased down. Though she fought to hide it, she still tired easily, and the long flight had worn her strength to a thin veneer. Still, her faded yet sharp eyes met his. “I think we will get more honest answers from Iris. You and Viktor fetch her from her shop and bring her to me.”
“I thought Cosmo was bringing her here for dinner tonight.”
She shook her head. “I predict he will make an excuse. Besides, I think it’s better if we talk to Iris alone.”
Chapter Thirteen
Mickey strode across the pedestrian bridge that connected Bally’s with the Bellagio. Hunter had taken the collar to have the gemstones authenticated at the UNLV geology lab. But Mickey didn’t care about the gems anymore. His main concern was to stop Turner and the Boss before either of them could harm Iris.
He tried to blame the black coffee for the unsettled feeling that gripped his gut, but quickly faced the truth-he wouldn’t be content until he learned what Iris was really up to. She’d kept an important secret from him, and now she’d broken off her engagement. Was it just the stress of this situation with her father’s disappearance? Had their lovemaking made her see things differently? He wanted to believe it, but he couldn’t overlook the possibility that she’d broken up with David because she’d planned to disappear with those stones and meet up with her dad.
If that were the case, she wouldn’t be any happier to learn that Mickey was a cop.
Boldly, he marched along the corridor of shops, into her store, past all the twinkling displays, straight for her workroom in the back. She sat at her table and peered through a large magnifier, so engrossed in her work, she didn’t hear him. She wore her customary tailored jacket and skirt, this time in a golden shade. But Mickey couldn’t help noticing she wore her hair down, the loose curls tickling her shoulders. Was it an omen?
The sight of her jolted him and conjured other images of her in his mind. That cool reserve of hers had melted to a puddle in the intense heat between them. The sound of her laughter still rang in his ears. Recalling it, his lips flirted with a smile.
It was the happiest sound he’d heard in six months. A sound that touched his soul, gave him hope life wouldn’t always be the bleak landscape he’d sentenced himself to since Brian’s death.
Mickey’s smile slid into an easy grin, recalling how she’d looked naked, russet curls mussed in wild disarray, eyes gleaming with need, bow-shaped lips urging him, “Now, now.”
“Iris.” He spoke her name softly.
She swiveled her stool around, those brandy-colored eyes wide as she searched his face. Hope and fear warred across her features for brief moments before she hopped off her stool to approach him.
Then she struck like a tornado, both hands slapping at his chest and face. He nearly had her under control when her pointy-toed shoe connected with his shin.
“Dammit, cut it out.” He retreated three steps, wary of her next move.
She held her ground like a vengeful goddess as she controlled her breathing. “Get the hell out of here.” As quickly as her anger had erupted, it evaporated.
Mickey watched her in silence, the grim reality of what he’d done to this woman settling upon his shoulders. Gone was the magic of last night and, from the look of her set jaw, there was no hope of rekindling it.
“I had to make sure you were all right.” Damn, he hadn’t meant to sound defensive.
“Cut the crap, Mickey. You haven’t cared about anything except those stones from the word go. You’ve got your copies, and now you’ve got the real thing. What more could you possibly want from me?” She turned away from him. “I’ve got nothing left.”