Drake Sisters 03 - Oceans of Fire

remember every detail of the coastline she’d traveled. She snapped her fingers. “Wait a minute. I don’t know why I didn’t think about this before, but there is a place south of here. It’s a distance, but if I were going to hide a boat from everyone, that’s where I’d hide it. It isn’t a cave, Sasha, but you see how the tide comes in and the waves can be rough. This is calm for this coastline. Hiding a boat in a cave is dangerous even for a short time. I’ll bet they hid here and then moved the boat as soon as they thought it safe.”
    “They’d want someplace not easily seen from either a beach or the sea.”
    “There’s a cove just north of the town of Elk. It sits between two fingers of Cuffeys Cove. The beach is sandy and stays dry at high tides unless there’s a storm. A boat could be hauled back up into the brush and trees. Sport fishermen might see it, but a coast guard cutter wouldn’t because the cove faces south.
    Even the highway curves away from the shore and that would make it possible to hide it there. Normally they have a caretaker who runs anyone off when they try to go through private property, but Inez told me a couple of weeks ago that they found him injured and he’s in the hospital.”
    “Let’s go check it out.”
    “You know we can’t do it today. Look at the swells.” She gestured out to sea. “This coastline can be very rough. Let’s head in and we’ll do it another day.”

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    “I still need you tonight. I’m heading over to the Caspar Inn and will need you to go with me.”
    “Why would I have to go with you? The inn is perfectly safe. Everyone goes there just to hang out.”
    “I need you to go with me. I don’t have a partner, remember?”
    “Take Jonas,” she hissed through her teeth, paddling furiously to try to get away from him.
    He easily kept pace. “Everyone knows Jonas. I think I’ve located Ilya Prakenskii. He works for a man named Sergei Nikitin and I told you, he’s a very dangerous man. If you’re with me, it might be a peaceful meeting. Without you there, they’ll think I’ve come hunting them and someone could get hurt.”
    She scowled at him with open suspicion. “I cannot imagine you wanting me with you if there’s the least chance of danger.”
    “Ordinarily, that would be true, but I think your presence will deter violence and there are too many innocents there.”
    “Do you think Prakenskii and Nikitin are involved in the theft of artifacts?”
    “That’s what I intend to find out.”
    Abigail sighed. She should just say no. It should be easy, but instead she shrugged, trying to still her pounding heart. “What time?”

Chapter 9
    ABIGAIL could hear a loud chorus of giggles as she walked down the stairs. Her aunt’s voice said something and then a solemn chant followed. Her sisters were definitely casting and not one of them had called her in on the fun. Irritated, she stomped into the living room.
    Hundreds of candles flickered, throwing dancing shadows on the walls. Her sisters and her aunt formed a circle in the middle of the floor where seven red candles were arranged, one in front of each of them.
    Abigail gasped. “Oh, no! What are you doing?” She took a step closer and to her horror a pair of red lace panties lay in the exact center of the circle. “Those had better not be mine!” They looked like hers.
    They looked exactly like hers. “You wouldn’t dare !”
    The women looked up, grinning from ear to ear, dissolving into laughter at her outraged expression.
    “I know you didn’t steal my underwear out of my drawer!”
    “Of course not,” Hannah said righteously. “We’d never go into your room.”
    Abigail put her hands on her hips and glared. “I’ve never worn them. I bought them months ago when I Generated by ABC Amber LIT Conv erter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
    was determined to get over Aleksandr, but I decided I wasn’t ready. You can’t claim you found them in the laundry.”
    “We’re almost finished.” Hannah held up her finger and turned back to the circle. Six of the seven red candles were lit. Only the one in front of Hannah remained. The women intoned the ritual words solemnly.

    Scarlet lace fans passion’s flame
    Summons the man of studly fame
    Lusty love on floor and chair
    Tabletop and vixen’s lair
    The fires engulf, set senses aflame
    With pulsing desire, he calls your name

    As