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“He planned and executed secret missions for the military. He did his twenty and is now retired. After that first night, he found out about Sebold’s attack on the medical clinic and reached out to the local police. They’ve been trying to figure out how to arrest Sebold for years. They never had any hard proof, anyone who would agree to testify against him. They had even sent in a man to join his crew, hoping they might be able to catch him in something. Then last night, we found the gold.”
“And?”
“Ethan. He went back to Declan’s place, angry, drinking, and told Hunter everything.”
“Seriously?”
“Don’t be too hard on him. Hunter went to his contact at the police and put together a plan. Called their inside man and set up the kidnapping.”
She blinked at him. “I was kidnapped onpurpose?”
His mouth tightened. “According to Hunter, that wasn’t part of his plan. He was supposed to take the gold. But it was guarded so...”
She wanted to be ill. “Keon had agun, Doyle.”
He nodded.
“And all I could think of was?—”
“Your sister. And how she’d been kidnapped, and how afraid you’d always been that it would happen to you.”
Her eyes rounded.
“I have been paying attention. To you.” He touched her hand. She looked at it. Then drew it away.
“What was the big plan?”
“To give the fortune to Sebold.”
“Brilliant. That’s awesome. Just think of all the ways a man like Sebold might spend sixty mil.”
“Except, it doesn’t belong to him, does it? According to Ethan—and Declan’s lawyers, and the Treasure Hunters’ Rights and Compensation Act—Mariposa owns fifty percent of the treasure. Which means... he has now stolen from the city.”
It took a second. “And they can arrest him?”
“For grand theft. And since he used a gun against the deputized agents of Mariposa, that’s armed robbery.”
“That group back there was the local police?”
“On their way to arrest Raging Rodrigo Jr.”
Huh.
“God works in mysterious ways.” He reached for her hand again.
She shook her head.
“Right. Tia. Please forgive me—I didn’t mean to?—”
“I know.” She held up her hand. “I really do know. It was a mistake—you were tired.Wewere tired. And who doesn’t occasionally call someone by the wrong name?”
“Yes—”
“So of course—I forgive you. But that’s not the real problem.”
He stilled.
“You still have half your heart in Minnesota.”