“Where did Becki park? We might be able to snag something there when he drops her off,” Sean said, putting the small black gadget back in his pocket.
“Good call,” Royce agreed. “Did you have any luck picking up the coin’s frequency?”
“No, but Joanna will be here tomorrow. I need her to pull the cloak off if she can. We will need a few seconds with a clear view. If she can’t do it alone, she is going to have to call in Tammy.”
Royce rolled his eyes, “That’s just what I need; both of them breathing down my neck.”
“Just wanted to let you know; don’t shoot the messenger,” Sean returned in an irritatingly chipper way.
Royce hoped Joanna could do what needed to be done. He certainly didn’t need Tammy and his father in the mix right now. Joanna got mouthy when she was mad, while Tammy always cried big fat tears that made you feel like a heel, even if you hadn’t done anything wrong. And just for the record, he hadn’t-- done anything wrong that is. He didn’t ask to be zapped, crated up, and dumped in the ocean for two years. But that wouldn’t matter to Tammy; she was protective, as fierce as a tiger if someone messed with her cubs. He hoped she would someday realized that he was all grown up and quite able to take care of himself. Although, when he thought about it further, this might not be the best time to make that point.
“Let’s get back to the condo. We need to tap into City Surveillance and see if we can find out where Trevor has taken Becki. I should have known something wasn’t right. He was spouting off like a silver-tongued devil, feeding her a line of shit a mile long,” Royce said, “and she was eating it up.”
He muttered the last part under his breath. Sean heard, but wisely pretended that he hadn’t.
“Sure thing, Boss; uh-- just so I’m clear, are we tracking Trevor or Becki?”
Royce leveled a look at Sean that would have crumbled a lesser man, “Don’t start this shit with me, Sean. I’m warning you, don’t start.”
Seeing the opening he had been waiting for, he threw caution to the wind, took his life in his own hands, and went for it, “Royce you deserve to be happy,” he said quietly. Since Royce didn’t come at him swinging, Sean found the courage to continue, “Losing Tara was hard on all of us, man, but, she wouldn’t want you to mourn for the rest of your life.
Tara requested the assignment, she accomplished her mission. You and I both know if she hadn’t gotten that Tiara out, this world would be an entirely different place. It went down exactly the way she had planned it, Royce.
Tara knew that she could only transport one object at a time. Her telekinetic ability had weakened substantially. She made the call, Royce; she chose to send the Tiara rather than herself. It’s the call any of us would have made. Let her go man, and stop blaming yourself. She wouldn’t have wanted that.”
“I should have known she would take the mission; hell, I did know she would take the mission,” Royce finally admitted to himself as well as Sean. “We fought about it before I left for Rome; she promised to wait for me. I was only gone three days. She was supposed to wait until I got back so I could go with her.”
Royce scrubbed his face with both hands. It was hard to finally face the truth.
“She knew she wouldn’t make it, Sean. We all knew going in alone was too risky.”
“Look at her other option, Royce,” Sean said quietly. “It wasn’t much of an option if you ask me.”
Tara would always hold a special place in his heart. Her death was hard to handle, but Sean was right. It was time to let her go.
“I know,” Royce agreed, his heart still felt the pain of losing his wife, but it was less intense than it had been in the past. “Tara didn’t want us to watch her slowly fade away; she was too full of life to accept that fate.”
It made no sense. As many advances that had been made in medicine and technology, the cure for cancer kept eluding everyone. Tara’s tumor had been discovered during a routine physical. After extensive testing, it had been deemed untreatable. The doctors had advised that she had two years at best before the cancer claimed her. For the better part of a year, Tara had kept her illness a secret from everyone including Royce.
“She loved you, Royce. Respect her sacrifice for what it was. She saved the Tiara,” Sean reminded. “Hell, she saved the world, and died a hero… in her time and in her way. What more could we ask for, any of us?” Sean concluded quietly.
“I wished she had told me the truth sooner, but I guess it wouldn’t have made things any easier.”
“Her time, her way,” Sean reiterated.
“You’re right; she got the golden ticket in the end, didn’t she? It’s hard to let go, but I know it’s time.” Royce breathed deeply and felt the tension and guilt of the past slip away on the ocean breeze.
“You know she would kick your ass right now,” Sean said referring to the fact that Royce had just watched Becki drive away with the enemy.
Royce laughed outright, a big full laugh that had been missing for several years.
“In a heartbeat,” Royce agreed. “Maybe I need my ass kicked.”
“Um, I think I can help you out with that. Let’s go find your girl,” Sean clapped Royce on the back and walked ahead with a goofy swagger.
“Don’t push it, Jones,” Royce growled.
Sean was right. It was time to stop living in the past with regrets and what if’s. It was time to start living in today, and enjoying life again.
As he and Sean walked back to Fort Sumter House, he thought about the girl he had just let get away. Let -- hell. Pushed was more accurate, he admitted. She was out there riding around with a Warlock who’s suspected of murder. And to think he had told himself he was pushing her away because his life was too dangerous. Go figure.
Royce walked down the oyster shell pathway through the gardens enjoying a new feeling of freedom. Unencumbered, he absorbed the huge majestic Oak trees, garden rooms, statues, memorials, and even families picnicking in the grass. He couldn’t keep from thinking of the history represented by this park. The many people who passed through for pleasure, those who had served during war-time, even the gentleman pirate who was rumored to be hanged from one of these very trees.
Royce realized that time has a way of moving on. He was finally ready to move along with it. Living in the past wasn’t living. He would learn from the past and focus on the future.
# What a perfect antidote for a shitty day: loud music, wind blowing through your hair, and an unhealthy amount of speed. As Trevor raced down Highway 17, wind blew through Becki’s hair and the radio blared. She began to feel the stress, brought on by her latest encounter with Royce, melt away. Trevor had arrived at the exact moment she needed to be rescued. Royce had turned out to be first-class alright: a first-class jerk, a first-class pain in her ass, a first class- kisser. Becki leaned her head back against the comfortable leather seat and attempted to push him out of her mind. Royce was obviously not interested, and Becki had plenty of offers anyway. Becki promised herself there would be no more tears wasted on that first-class idiot.
She felt as if she had spent the entire day on an unending, emotional roller-coaster. Royce sent mixed signals. She didn’t know what to think or feel. He pushed her way, then pulled her close, and then pushed her away again.
For someone who was supposedly in town tracking down art, he acted like he was tracking down state secrets or something. Becki decided that when she got home, she would get on-line and do a little investigating of her own; she loved a good mystery.
“Hey doll, where are you?” Trevor asked, catching her hand across the console. He flashed a wicked grin and took a wild guess, “Imagining all the delightfully wicked ways we could spend the afternoon?”
“Ha,” Becki chuckled, “yeah, that’s it, you caught me.” He raised her hand to his lips dropping a kiss on her knuckles, “You want to buzz on up the coast and find a nice quiet stretch of beach? We could skinny-dip. You could be my sea nymph.”
Becki squeezed his h
and and pulled hers away to drag long strands of flying hair out of her eyes.
“Trev, you are crazy,” Becki observed laughingly.
“Can’t blame a guy for trying,” he shrugged.
“Why’s a guy like you still single anyway? You’ve got the whole package: great car, killer smile, charm and good looks.”
“Don’t stop, princess, keep it coming. I’m all ears,” he grinned and pointedly dropped his gaze to his crotch, “well except for--”
Becki reached across to clamp her hand over his mouth, effectively stopping whatever outrageous comment he had planned to make.
“OK,” he mumbled from beneath her hand, “too much information.”
Becki removed her hand and turned in her seat to face him.
“What is the down side, Trev?” she asked.
“No down side,” he bragged, “I’m the perfect male specimen.”
“Nobody’s perfect. Tell me something about the great Trevor Simmons that would make me want to run and hide,” Becki teased, resting her chin on her hands, elbows propped in the middle of console. Her eyes danced as she pressed him for information. “Tell me all your deep, dark secrets.”
Something unreadable flashed across his face, and then it was gone in an instant.
“I’m bad to the bone, doll,” he shot back. “No secret about that.”
Becki sat back with a sigh, “Trevor, you are no fun.”
Flashing his bad-boy grin, he countered, “Oh, I’m as much fun as you can handle. Let’s find some dinner, maybe take a walk on the beach, and if you’re really good, I’ll take you home and show you my art collection,” he finished with a broad wink.
“I’ve heard enough about art collections today to last a lifetime,” Becki said as Trevor watched the sparkle diminish in her eyes.
“Sorry doll, didn’t know you had something against art,” Trevor apologized.
“Oh, it’s not so much the art itself. I’m just in a bad mood.”
“Pissed at the guy you were all wrapped up with back there? Who is he?” he asked suspecting he already knew the answer.
“Oh, just...it doesn’t matter. I’m so over it.”
Playing along, Trevor asked, “Do I need to beat him up for you?” He didn’t really want to press her, but he needed to know. “Give me a name and address; I’ll take care of him.”
“Just someone I met. I don’t have any idea what Royce’s address is and truthfully don’t care.”
So her companion at the seawall had been Royce St. John. Shit! Trevor would have to alert the others and then figure out how to keep Becki off the radar. The coin must be nearby if ART was swarming the city.
“Go faster! Please Trevor,” she suddenly pleaded. “Make my heart race.”
“Always happy to oblige, Darlin’,” he grinned as he punched the gas pedal to send them flying.
“Ahhh, yessss,” Becki breathed as the wind whipped around her and the scenery turned into a blur of color.
He blinked once, and a stealth-cloak settled over the car. No need to risk getting pulled over. Fortunately, it was a quick and easy spell that Becki couldn’t detect from inside the car.
“God, this is great,” Becki said with a laugh as they raced down the open road. Trevor swerved at the last minute to avoid a car that suddenly pulled onto the road in front of them. Swerving was not necessary. They could have just driven right through the other vehicle with another bit a magic, but where was the fun in that?
“Ahh!” Becki screamed and then turned toward Trevor laughing. “Trev, you are a very bad boy. You’ll be the death of me.”
“Not a chance doll,” Trevor said in sudden seriousness as he slowed the vehicle to a more reasonable speed.
Becki wrinkled her nose at him, “Kidding Trev, just kidding.”
Pulling her hair up to secure it in a pony-tail, she said regretfully, “I have strict orders to be at my uncle’s house tonight. Can I have a rain check for dinner and the beach?
I do have to admit that I would sooo rather walk on the beach tonight. I love my family, but I’m not in the mood for a crowd tonight. Surf and starlight sound like heaven.”
“I could kidnap you,” Trevor offered.
“My uncle and Landon would hunt you down,” she laughed. “We’ll do it sometime soon. I promise.”
“I’ll sweep you off your feet yet, sugar. Just wait,” he threatened.
“You don’t have a big enough broom, Trev. These feet are firmly planted,” Becki said lifting her leg to put one foot on the dashboard and wiggle her painted toenails.
“Doll;” Trevor drawled, “my ‘broom’ is more than big enough. I’ll be glad to demonstrate--anytime you say the word.”
Laughing Becki straightened in her seat and said regretfully, “You had better take me back Trev, I still have to get ready. I haven’t seen the girls for a few days, so I want to spend some time with them before dinner. Since they always seem to run away somewhere right after we eat, I need to corner them before the food is ready. I guess hanging with us is just not cool enough anymore. Oh, to be that age again.”
“Yes, because you are soooo old,” Trevor teased.
Leaning her head back and turning to watch the scenery outside the passenger window, Becki said softly, “Some days I feel old, Trev, old and tired.”
“Come on doll, what’s up? Talk to me.”
“Nothing really. Today has been one of those days. I just--” Becki took a deep breath, and heaved a heavy sigh. “I don’t understand it, so I can’t begin to explain it to anyone else. I just seriously wish I didn’t have to put on my happy face and do this thing tonight with my family.”
When he had spotted Becki with one of the ART members earlier, his heart sank. How in the hell had she managed to get hooked up with St. John? They had seemed pretty cozy, but Trevor was willing to place money on the fact that Becki’s melancholy mood was directly related to the scene earlier. He had been surprised when she asked him to give her lift and even more surprised when she had practically jumped into the car.
Becki embodied everything a man could ever wish for: an enthusiastic zeal for life, ingrained honesty, goodness, and sexy as hell. Becki was the type of woman who made a guy believe in white picket fences.
Trevor loved to hear her laugh, and see her eyes sparkle with joy at the simplest things. In contrast, those things had no place in his life; he merely existed. His life was a lie. He wasn’t honorable. Truthfully, he did not deserve to breathe the same air as Becki. He hoped that he could track down the coin, keep her from getting hurt in this tangled mess, and get out of town before she found out how undeserving he was of her friendship. The coin was his main concern, and he needed to get on with it.
Trevor had just missed the coin in Savannah, but had managed to stumble onto evidence pointing toward Charleston as the new location of the coin. He had scouted around the city for a while and then decided to take a drive to blow the cobwebs away. A few miles from town, he had stopped at a local pub for a sandwich and drink.
Becki was waiting tables that day, and he immediately fell in love with her big chocolate brown eyes, dimpled smile, and infectious laugh. She had walked over to take his order and whispered that the ‘Reuben was the safest bet’ because their cook had called in sick that day.
Trevor had closed his menu and immediately ordered the Reuben. They had ended up having a drink at the close of her shift, and she was now the closest thing to a friend he had ever known. Still, his mission was to recover the coin, and he had orders to eliminate anyone who got in the way-- friend or foe. Not that he would personally take care of the deed. Trevor drew the line at taking a life, human or otherwise.
“So, your mystery man is just passing through?” Trevor prompted.
“Here on business, something about finding missing coins. He acts like it is such a big important thing; he’s so secretive about it. Do you remember hearing about a coin collection that got stolen a few years ago?”
“No,” Trevor said
blandly.
“I figured I would Google it tonight. You can find anything on the net. Want to treasure hunt with me? Maybe we could find it and collect a reward,” Becki said with a laugh.
Trevor forced a smile and choked out a reply, “I can think of many more interesting things to do together, sweets. Let’s leave treasure hunting to the experts.”
As they pulled into the parking garage, Becki leaned over and kissed Trevor on the cheek. “Thanks for everything Trev. I really needed to blow off some steam.”
“The offer still stands, doll face, dinner, dancing, moonlight and a little magic?” he tempted.
Becki kissed him again, a smacking kiss on the lips. “Magic, my ass,” she grinned.
“If only you knew,” he answered with a grin of his own.
Climbing out to walk toward her car, she looked back and promised, “Some other time for dinner, my treat.”
“You got it doll face, but I buy. Let me know when.”
“Ok, I’ll see you at the Pub later this week.”
“Yea, you can let me do a body shot,” Trevor said with a wink, and then he roared out of the parking garage at full speed.
Becki laughed shaking her head; he was a trip. Too bad she didn’t feel the same attraction to him that she felt for Royce.
Great, where had that thought come from? Hadn’t she just spent the last couple hours getting him out of her head? She checked her phone, and she saw a missed call from Nat undoubtedly reminding her of their dinner plans. She would talk to her at Kurt’s house. There was just enough time to run home, shower, change clothes, and stop at the market. Becki didn’t want to be late.
# “Got him,” Sean said. They had rigged a receptor module in the parking garage close to Becki’s car, knowing that Trevor would bring Becki back to pick up the little yellow thing sooner or later. The security camera had shown them entering the garage, and Sean had been able to remotely verify the DNA capture.
Sean had wisely kept any and all thoughts to himself, appearing to be busy with very technical computer stuff, when the camera captured Becki kissing Trevor. Sean had expected Royce to explode, but actually the opposite occurred. Royce had observed the situation in deadly silence, which in Sean’s opinion spoke volumes.
Treasure Tides (The Coins) Page 8
