The Crown is Not Enough (Love on the Run Book 3) Read online

  This is a work of fiction, and the views expressed herein are the sole responsibility of the author. Likewise, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are represented fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events or locales, is entirely coincidental.

  The Crown is Not Enough

  Book design and layout copyright © 2018 by Dragons & Fairy Tales Press

  Cover design copyright © 2018 by Dragons & Fairy Tales Press

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means whatsoever without written permission from the author, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

  Copyright © 2018 by Jaclyn Hardy

  Printed in the United States of America

  Year of first printing: 2018

  Table of Contents

  Acknowledgments

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Epilogue

  About the Author

  For those who want the simple life. May you find a little adventure along the way.

  Acknowledgments

  Every book I write comes from a different source. Before I started this book, I knew who I wanted to write about, but I didn’t know what the story would be. That was until I realized that Carlie still didn’t have her scepter or her crown—thanks to help from my daughter, Ashley, and a couple of reviewers. So thank you!

  I also want to thank my awesome beta readers. Thank you for helping me polish this story. Thank you to my mom, Amy Petrowich, Sarah Gardiner and her awesome mom, and Lisa Racette. You’re the best!

  D ani sighed as she finished the last of the dusting with a flourish. Dee and Carlie were off on yet another mission, and she was stuck here in the antique shop. Again. But the day was done, and she had a small carton of ice cream and a movie waiting for her at home. The glamorous life for sure.

  The “Open” sign buzzed in the background as she set her duster down and slipped on her jacket. There were several things she needed to do before Dee’s wedding in a few weeks, and Dani hadn’t had a chance to work on them because of working overtime here. The buzzing stopped with a flip of a switch. If only it was that easy to turn off the thoughts swimming around in her brain.

  The warm Arizona weather welcomed her, enveloping her after the frigid air conditioning she’d had to deal with all day. One day this place would be hers and she could turn the AC to something other than Arctic temperatures.

  Her phone buzzed, and she had to fumble with her keys and purse to find it. “Hey, Dee. How’s Italy?”

  “Amazing. Found you a dress.” Dee’s voice was faint, but it was good to hear. Ever since that first adventure, Dee and Ben had been gone almost constantly.

  “Sweet. I can’t wait to see it.” She grinned when her phone buzzed again. “I assume you sent a picture just now?”

  “Ben did.”

  Dani pulled her phone and pushed the text button. They’d sent a picture of a blue dress, but next to it was a huge book of Italian architecture. She squealed. “Please tell me you got that book for me.”

  Dee laughed. “Of course I did. And trust you to get more excited about a book.”

  “What can I say? I’m a nerd.” Dani unlocked her car door and climbed in. “Any idea when you’re coming home? You have a wedding to plan.”

  “I’m not sure. We’re so close to finding the vase, but so is another group.” When she spoke again, her voice was lower. “I actually had to use a gun this time. I’m so not okay with that part.”

  Dani sighed. “I warned you. Did you actually hit someone?”

  “Nope. Thankfully they ducked.”

  Dani laughed. “I don’t think that’s what you wanted to have happen.”

  She pulled out onto the road and headed for her apartment. Her apartment. So strange. After renting for so long with Dee and Carlie, she finally had her own place.

  Shouts sounded in her phone. “Oh, hey, we’ve been noticed. Gotta go.”

  The phone went dead, so Dani dropped it on the passenger seat. This wasn’t the first time the call had ended like that, but it still scared her to death every time. She pulled into the apartment complex and parked under the carport, then grabbed her bag and phone.

  Even the thought of her ice cream and movie didn’t stop the ball of worry from settling in the pit of her stomach. She was going to end up with gray hairs because of her two best friends. Dani bent down to pick up a package on her front porch and frowned. She hadn’t ordered anything . . . at least not that she could remember.

  “Hey, Dani.” Hunter’s voice made Dani jump and hit her head on the doorknob. They’d been next door neighbors for long enough that she should have expected him to be standing there by now. They knew each other’s schedules by heart. They met while she was moving in and had been best friends ever since.

  “Hey, Hunter.” Dani rubbed her head. “How was the final?”

  He shrugged. His hair fell into his brilliant green eyes and he pushed it out of the way. “About how I expected. I passed, so that counts, right?”

  “Right. You probably aced it.” Dani opened her door and held it open so he could come in. “Did you see them drop this off?”

  “No, it was sitting there when I came in.” He took the box from her and read the label. “It doesn’t have a return address.”

  Dani nodded as she opened the fridge. “I noticed. Want one?”

  Hunter grabbed the orange juice out of the air that she’d tossed at him. “You going to open it?”

  “Of course.” Dani grabbed a knife off the counter. “When have you ever known me not to open a super creepy package?”

  “Never. I just figured I’d check to make sure this wasn’t one of those rare times.”

  Dani laughed and sliced open the box. Another box sat inside. She carefully pulled it out and opened it. Inside, a set of plates and a crown sat nestled in Styrofoam. Dani gasped. She searched every inch of the box, but there was no note or any indication of who it was from.

  Hunter whistled. “You must have one awesome secret admirer.”

  “Yeah, right.” Dani brushed a hair back off her cheek and leaned forward. “If these are authentic, the plate set alone would cost a fortune. Question is, why send them to my apartment? Why not to the shop?”

  “Unless who ever sent them doesn’t want you to sell them.” Hunter picked up one of the plates to examine it. “I think they’re the real thing. Check out the inscription on the bottom.”

  Dani whistled. “This is insane. I can’t just keep these things here.”

  “Whoever sent them must have thought you could.” Hunter gently laid the plate back into the box and picked up the crown. He whistled. “This has to be solid gold. And these stones are real emeralds. Looks Egyptian to me. African at least. Look, it has those same marks as that necklace Carlie has in the museum.” Hunter glanced up at her, his eyes filled with concern. “I don’t suppose you have any of those fancy guards hanging out around here?”

  Dani’s eyebrows shot up. “Guards?”

  “Dani. Come on. We’ve been friends for months now. You don’t think I wouldn’t notice that you have guards outside of your door whenever your friends show up?”

  “I . . .” Dani blushed. She’d hoped they’d stay hidden. It had been Carlie’s idea, and no matter how many t
imes Dani protested, they still showed up. “They’re not mine. Not really. My friend hires them.”

  Hunter pointed at the plates. “I don’t know what else is going on, but I do know that if I had plates and a crown that are worth millions of dollars sitting in my apartment, I’d have security all over the place.”

  Dani stared at him for a moment before pulling out her phone. “Fine. But I’m making you pay for the guards.”

  “Fine.” Hunter went to the door. “Be right back.”

  Dani waved and turned back to the package. It couldn’t have been from Carlie or she would have had some kind of clue to go along with it. Besides, it most likely would have gone to the museum in New York. She punched the number for Carlie into her phone.

  “Hello?” Carlie answered on the third ring. Her voice was quiet and raspy. “Dani? Is everything okay?”

  “Sorry. I forgot it was the middle of the night there.” Dani dropped onto her couch and picked up one of the throw pillows. “Did you send me a package?”

  “No. Why?”

  Dani sighed. “I didn’t think so. I came home to a box on my step. Carlie, this stuff in here . . . You need to see it. There’s a crown that looks almost . . . Egyptian.”

  Carlie gasped.

  “I’ll be there in the morning.” Carlie’s voice became muffled as she tried to wake Braden. “I’m calling one of my guys. He should be there in less than an hour. And Dani? Don’t leave the apartment.”

  “Yeah, yeah. I know.” Dani tossed the phone on the cushion next to her and stood to get some food. There wasn’t much she could do for now and even if Carlie hadn’t warned her, Dani wouldn’t have gone anywhere. She checked the silverware drawer to make sure the small pistol was still there. A birthday gift from Dee.

  The doorbell rang. Dani hesitated before shutting the drawer. If someone was coming after her, they wouldn’t just ring the doorbell. She checked the peephole just to make sure, then opened the door for Hunter.

  He stood there with a pillow and blankets. “Hey. Did you get ahold of your friend?”

  “Yeah, she’ll have someone here soon. Going somewhere?” Dani gestured to the items in his arms.

  “I’m not letting you stay here alone with that stuff in the house.” Hunter pushed past her and set his things on the couch.

  “I told you that someone was coming.” Dani shut the door and went back to the kitchen. So much for ice cream and a movie. “Don’t you have a final tomorrow?”

  He shook his head. “All done.”

  Dani frowned. “Are you sure? I thought you had one more computer science test.”

  “That was a project and I handed it in after my other final.” Hunter grabbed an apron off a hook. “What are we making?”

  “Pasta, I think. Haven’t decided.” Dani checked her freezer and pulled out some chicken. “Want to make the alfredo sauce?”

  “Yes, ma’am.” Hunter took the bag of chicken from her. “Find anything else out about the package while I was gone?”

  Dani shook her head. “Nothing except that Carlie didn’t send it, but she’s going to be here by morning to check it out.”

  Hunter looked over at her in surprise. “She’s just heading here? I thought she was in Europe or something.”

  “She is. That’s what has me worried.” Dani jumped at the sound of the doorbell. Wow, she was popular tonight. She checked to see who it was before she answered. A young woman stood outside in a business suit, her blonde hair tied up in a bun. Dani opened the door and grinned. “Sarah. I figured you’d be piled high with Carlie’s finals.”

  “I was working on them when she called. Can I come in?”

  Dani opened the door wider and moved out of the way. “Sarah, this is my neighbor, Hunter. And this is Sarah. She’s Carlie’s aide for her classes.”

  “Nice to meet you.” Hunter shook her hand. “So how does that work anyway? You teach all the classes and she gets paid for it?”

  Dani shot Hunter a warning look. “Ignore him. What’s up?”

  Sarah headed straight for the box sitting on the table. “This is it?”

  “Uh . . . yeah.” Dani stood next to Sarah, ready to step in if she tried to take anything. “Do you know where it came from?”

  Sarah pulled out a piece of paper and handed it to Dani. “I don’t know if they’re related or not, but someone contacted Carlie’s office the other day demanding to talk to Dee. When we couldn’t reach her, they insisted that the matter was urgent. I did what Carlie told me to do in emergencies and sent a document containing whatever it was that they wanted.”

  “Carlie gave my address to some random person?” That didn’t make any sense, though. Carlie had made sure Dani was protected through all of this.

  Sarah wrung her hands as she paced the living room. “I’m worried I did something bad. Very bad.”

  “What do you mean?” Dani leaned against the counter.

  Sarah pointed at the paper in Dani’s hand. “I gave them that code like I was supposed to, but I’m worried that I gave them the wrong one.”

  It was covered with numbers and letters. “What’s this?”

  “It’s her list of codes. She made sure I memorized which code went to each emergency, but what if I messed up and gave the wrong one?” Sarah dropped onto the couch. “All I wanted was a job as an aide to make money for school. This whole spy thing was not what I signed up for.”

  “Tell me about it,” Dani muttered. She sat at the table and grabbed a pencil. Carlie and Dee had come up with the code together while Dani tried to ignore what they were doing. Maybe some of their code had rubbed off on her.

  She studied the numbers, applying different dates and places, but they were too random. “I guess we’ll have to ask her tomorrow.”

  “Wait, she’s coming here?” Sarah asked, surprised. “She wasn’t supposed to be back for another week.”

  “I know, but when she found out I got this package, she changed her plans.” Dani put a hand on Sarah’s. “Look, this isn’t on you. Carlie wouldn’t have put my address on any of those lists. Whoever sent this must have gotten it from somewhere else.”

  Sarah stared down at the paper. “Maybe. Can you have her call me when she gets back?”

  “Of course.” Dani opened the door for her. “Good luck with the test grading.”

  “Thanks.” Sarah waved and headed for the stairs.

  Dani shut the door and went back to the kitchen. Hunter was mostly done with the pasta already, so she took over finishing the sauce. “You don’t think she’d actually give my address to someone, right?”

  “No. Not in her line of work.” Hunter drained the pasta and separated it onto two plates. “Think I could take a look at the code?”

  “I . . .” Dani hesitated. Hunter was her best friend, but she wasn’t sure Dee and Carlie would be okay with her sharing the information. But still . . . maybe he could crack it. “Sure. But you can’t share it with everyone.”

  Hunter put a hand in the air. “I swear I won’t tell anyone. May all my hair fall out if I do.”

  “And we all know what a travesty that would be.” Dani grinned. She’d told him countless times how jealous she was over his perfect hair. Thick, curly, and exactly what every girl wants.

  “Exactly.” Hunter took two glasses out of the cupboard and set them on the table. “How’s the sauce coming?”

  Dani lifted the pot and poured the sauce over the pasta. “It’s done. Perfection if you ask me.”

  “Well, since I made most of it, I have to agree.” He took both plates and set them down on the table while Dani grabbed forks and juice.

  “I hope you don’t mind grape juice. That’s all I have for now. I really need to go grocery shopping tonight.”

  Hunter shook his head. “No leaving the apartment. We can do one of those home delivery things.”

  Dani raised her eyebrows. “You’re banning me from leaving my own apartment?”

  “While that package is in your care, yes.” Hu
nter swirled his fork in the noodles and took a bite. He closed his eyes and groaned. “Perfection is right. Oh man.”

  “So, what happens if the grocery delivery person isn’t who they say they are and robs us blind?” Dani took a bite of her pasta. Wow. It was as good as he said it was.

  Hunter paused mid-bite. “Hmm. Fine. We’ll get one of the security people to watch you and I’ll go.”

  Dani raised an eyebrow. “You want to get everything on my list?”

  He blinked, then blushed when he realized what she was talking about. “Um, no. You go with a security guard and I’ll stay here. I want to try to figure out that code anyway.”

  “Perfect.” Dani smiled and took another bite. She didn’t actually need anything except food, but he didn’t need to know that. “I won’t be gone long. No throwing a party in my apartment while I’m gone.”

  “You ruin all my fun.” He pouted.

  Dani laughed. “I know. I’m so mean.”

  Hunter picked up the paper that Dani had been looking at and studied it. “This is pretty complicated. I thought you said Carlie works in archaeology.”

  “Anthropology. Her husband is an archaeology professor. Her dad was a fanatic and taught her all kinds of crazy stuff in different languages.” Dani pointed to a few of the symbols on the paper. “Those are ancient Egyptian and those are Arabic, but I don’t know what they mean. As far as I know it’s just gibberish that Carlie used to throw people off her trail.”

  Hunter nodded, but he kept his eyes on the paper while he finished eating. Dani sighed and picked up his plate to take to the sink. She recognized the zone when she saw it, and it was no use trying to talk to him.

  Dani peeked out the window and found the telltale black cars across the street. Carlie’s guards really needed to blend in better. She grabbed her coat and bag and patted Hunter’s shoulder so he’d remember she was there.

  “Hey, I’ll be back. The guards are here. Please don’t forget to keep an eye on the crown. I’d hate to have them steal it from under your nose.”