She stared out the windshield as she gathered her thoughts. A few cypress trees cut into flat landscape. Snow made everything seem peaceful, and a full moon was just starting to rise, adding a certain atmosphere to the moment.
“Magnum has been following us,” she finally said with a shake of her head. “Any sign he’s still here?”
Brody stretched an arm across the back of the seat, wishing he had better news. “Not that I can tell.”
“He could have been just waiting, watching us—or having his men do it for him.”
He cast a quick glance her way. “Kind of like the sentinels that Blackbeard was said to have left behind to guard over his treasure?”
She gave him a curious look, surprised at how much he knew about history and pirates. “You know about that?”
“Anyone who’s ever loved Blackbeard does.” He grinned, the moonlight illuminating his strong profile.
At once, she had the urge to run her fingers down his cheek, to feel the scruff of his beard, to inhale the scent of leather and spearmint that she associated with him.
Her cheeks heated as she realized her thoughts. She had to focus on their conversation. “Maybe that’s true. But I think you secretly like to read.”
He shrugged. “Maybe back in the day.”
She shifted to better face him. “Why did you take leave from the Coast Guard, Brody?”
A shadow fell across his face. “I’ve been running for the past ten years, trying to keep myself busy. Trying to keep myself focused on my work and everything else, just so I would forget my guilt about what happened to Andrea. In another way, I was punishing myself, thinking maybe I could somehow make things right. I finally realized I couldn’t go on like this, that I needed to deal with it. I know, ten years seems like a long time, but all that time, I was never really sure if she was alive or not.”
“I get that.” Pain overstayed its welcome all too often.
He rubbed his jaw. “As long as there was hope she was alive, I couldn’t let it go, no matter how hard I tried.”
“Has your time off helped?”
“I’d just started it when you found me nearly buried in the snow outside your home. But I know if I can focus on spending some more time in prayer that will be a good start.”
Her heart panged with hope. “You really believe in prayer, don’t you?”
He turned toward her. “Don’t you?”
She shrugged. “I used to. My parents did. It was practically a Southern rite of passage to go to church, you know? But I’ve fallen away from it.”
“And has life been better since then?”
She thought about it a moment before shaking her head. She thought about the pain she’d held onto so tightly. The sleepless nights. The ways she’d felt utterly alone. “No, it hasn’t been. Not at all.”
He didn’t need to say anything else. His words remained with her, echoing in her mind. Her life wasn’t any better now. In fact, she felt emptier than ever.
“Maybe it’s time for me to make some changes also,” she whispered.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Brody’s hand, once across the back of the seat, now rested on the back of Felicity’s neck. Their gazes caught, and, for a moment, she wondered if he was going to kiss her.
Before he could—or perhaps before he could think about it, she blurted, “How’d you get the bullet wound on your chest?”
Something hard crossed his gaze and he looked away. “By being destructive.”
“What do you mean?”
He let out a small sigh. “I told you how I beat myself up after Andrea was abducted. I almost felt like I should punish myself. That meant volunteering for any missions that needed my help. The more dangerous, the better.”
She waited for him to continue.
“We’re under the Department of Homeland Security now, and sometimes we’re called outside of what our expected areas are. I was asked to accompany some marines on a mission off the coast of Africa. Somalia, to be exact.”
“I had no idea the Coast Guard did that.”
His expression remained stony. “We do. Not very often. But there’s an international group designed to help combat piracy in that area. The Coast Guard helps there when necessary. Usually, the military will do their job, and the Coast Guard will step in to collect evidence and act more as law enforcement.
“The mission went south when the pirates tried to completely take out our ship. I thought for a minute that the pirates were going to take us all as hostages.”
“That really sounds scary.”
“There was a gun battle. I got hit. But we won. In the end, that was what mattered.”
“How bad was your wound?”
He frowned and stared out the window. “I was in the hospital for a week. They didn’t know if I was going to pull through or not.”
“Oh . . . wow. When was that?”
His eyes crinkled on the sides as he seemed lost in thought. “It was a year ago. Shortly after that, evidence resurfaced in Andrea’s disappearance. All in all, it made me realize that something had to change. I wasn’t handling her death in a healthy way. With the help of my friend Joshua, I started going to church and found a meaning deeper than myself.”
“I see.”
He turned to face her. “What happened with you? With your parents?”
She shivered. When she did, he reached behind the seat and found a blanket. Carefully, he draped it over her legs, and warmth began to spread through her, easing away some of the cold.
But the memories hit hard and fast. Sometimes the thoughts of that day felt so fresh, like everything had just happened yesterday. “A month before I was supposed to leave for college, my parents were killed in a plane crash.”
“Oh, Felicity. I’m so sorry.” He wiped some hair away from her face.
She nodded, ignoring his touch. She had to if she was going to finish her story. “It was all over the news. You probably heard about it. Flight 237?”
He nodded. “I do remember that.”
“It was hard, to say the least. I think I reacted the opposite of you. I didn’t punish myself as much as I tried to stick my head in the sand and pretend everything hadn’t happened. I went to college, as planned. I did everything I could to forget about what happened. I tried not to think about it. I never came home.”
“But you still had your family’s house, right? And what about holiday breaks?”
“My aunt volunteered to take care of the house for me. My parents and I were only there at that house for a few years anyway, so I wasn’t terribly attached. I took anything I wanted before I left for college—a few pieces of jewelry, an old clock. Things like that. As far as holidays, I was always the first to volunteer to build houses for the poor or to move new students into the dorms between semesters. Whatever I could to avoid the hurt.” She shrugged. “In some ways, I even became a different person.”
“What do you mean?” He played with a piece of her hair again, twirling it, wiping it from her face.
His touch was becoming harder to ignore. “I used to be a free spirit. But, after my parents’ death, I tried to control everything I could. That included my appearance and my actions. It was never really me. Nothing was—not my stuffy career. Not the way I worked on my PhD. They’d never been my goals. I just had to keep myself busy. Honestly, I always call my aunt Bonny crazy, but, the truth is, there’s a part of me that’s like her.”
“What did you really want to do?”
She shrugged and stared at the moon as it hung higher in the sky. “I do love old things, and history fascinates me. But I’d love to work at a museum. Do something hands-on. I don’t know.”
“I see.”
She turned toward him. “We’ve talked about faith and church a couple of times. All of this has made me realize I miss having faith in a higher power. Turning my back on God was my biggest mistake of all. I need to get back to my roots, to my faith.”
Brody’s hand cupped her c
heek, and he gently wiped her tears away with his thumb. “That’s great news.”
Her heartbeat quickened when she glanced up and saw the look in his eyes. The desire. The longing.
Before she knew what was happening, their lips met. It was soft, at first. Tentative. Questioning.
But when neither hesitated, the kiss deepened. Their lips tugged at each other’s. Searching. Prodding.
They pulled back—though barely. Their foreheads still touched.
That kiss had been unlike any that Felicity had ever experienced. Even with Ricky. When the two of them had kissed it seemed so formal. Just like their relationship.
Nothing about it had ever been comfortable, though she hadn’t been able to see it at the time. Until this moment, for that matter.
“You surprise me, Felicity,” Brody rasped.
“Is that good or bad?”
“It’s good. Very good.”
With that said, he reached under her. Swept her legs up. Pulled her over the console that separated them.
She let out a laugh. She didn’t question him. No, she trusted him. Brody wouldn’t hurt her.
Nestled snuggly against his chest, their lips found each other’s again, this time not as tentative. Her fingers grasped his neck, played with the curls of hair there, traced the edge of his slight beard.
His lips trailed down her neck, sending fireworks exploding through her.
They both seemed to sense they needed to stop and pulled back.
Brody looked just as breathless as she felt.
He pulled her hand to his lips and kissed her knuckles.
“I should probably move back to my side of the seat, huh?”
“I don’t mind if you stay here.” He grinned and his arms tightened around her waist.
She realized she was halfway on his lap. And, if she stayed here, they’d only want to kiss more. She’d never felt such a jolt of attraction and longing. It scared her. Thrilled her. Fascinated her.
Just then, a noise caught their ears. Both of them jerked their heads toward the sound. It came from the river.
It was a boat. Speeding by. No—it was slowing down. Near them.
They had to check it out.
“Stay behind me,” Brody whispered as they trekked through the high grass.
He was careful to keep them in the shadows. The moon was already shining high in the sky, casting sufficient light for them to be spotted. That was the last thing he wanted.
Finally, they paused behind the old shack, just out of sight.
The men on the boat yelled in the distance, though he couldn’t make out any words. One voice stood out above the others. One with an Australian accent.
“Magnum,” Felicity whispered beside him. “Is my aunt with them?”
Brody peered around the corner and spotted the boat on the water. They’d stopped on the shoreline, and it looked like they were throwing something overboard. He saw the silhouettes of three men, but that was it. “It doesn’t look like it.”
“Can you tell what they’re doing?”
Brody squinted, wishing he could get close enough to hear without giving away their location. “Not really. Magnum must have seen that same message on the side of the cabin doors. I’m not sure why he’d come back in a boat, though.”
“He’s waiting for the moonlight to reveal something. But you’re right—why by boat?”
“Your guess is as good as mine. Quite possibly.”
Brody glanced around, hoping for some kind of clue to jump out at him.
Wait until dark. The moonlight will be your guide.
What if none of this had anything to do with Blackbeard? What if it was some kind of old fishing cliché that whoever had last used this cabin had carved?
Though the moon illuminated the area, its glow was spread evenly. Nothing was highlighted or spotlighted to offer any answers.
The men in the boat continued talking at the shoreline. They were doing something. Dropping something in the water.
But why?
He felt Felicity shiver beside him. The night was biting cold, and damp to top it off. He knew if he tried to convince her to go back to the truck she would only refuse. Instead, he put an arm around her shoulders, trying to forget their kiss.
There was no way he’d forget about that any time soon.
But, right now, he had to focus.
He watched the men, trying to figure out what they were doing. Was there anything at the shoreline worth exploring?
“Was this area on the map?” Brody whispered.
Felicity glanced up at him, her eyes wide with questions. “I think so. Why?”
“The waterline is always changing. What was once land could now be under water.”
Her jaw slackened with realization. “You think Magnum and his men are going to search the water? That maybe they think the treasure is now hidden there?”
He nodded. “Yeah, I think they might.”
Just then a bullet sliced through the air.
“They know we’re here!” Brody said, his hand on Felicity’s back. “We’ve got to get back to the truck. Now!”
Chapter Twenty-Six
Bullets continued to fly around them as they raced across the uneven terrain. Felicity’s lungs burned as she gulped in the cold air. She had no choice but to continue. They had to get to safety.
Why would Magnum shoot at them? They’d never find the second half of that stupid map if they were dead.
She’d guess he didn’t want to kill them. Maybe he just wanted to scare them away so he could search the area himself.
Certainly he’d known they were going to be here. He’d been following them, after all.
This was a power play. He wanted them to know he was still in charge.
She should recognize that easily enough after her encounters with Ricky over the past couple years.
She hated being manipulated or strong-armed. But right now she had to stay alive. She had no choice but to run.
She dove into the truck. Brody did the same, right behind her. He pulled out his keys and stuck them in the ignition, cranking the engine.
“I don’t want to get into a gun battle right now,” he said. “Not for no good reason. I say we get out of here.”
She couldn’t agree more.
He sat up just enough to put the truck into reverse and hit the accelerator. Just as they reached the street, a bullet shattered the back glass.
Brody muttered something indiscernible under his breath. He wondered if Joshua’s insurance would cover such damage.
They were going to need to find this treasure themselves, just to pay for all the extra expenses they’d incurred. Felicity knew she should offer to help, but since she was out of work that would be a challenge.
She’d have time to worry about that later.
“They’re ruthless,” she said instead.
“You don’t have to tell me.”
“Where are we going?” she asked as the truck righted itself on the road and silence stretched around them. The contrast to the earlier scene was stark, so stark that her heart pounded in her ears at the sudden change.
“I say go back to your place. It’s just as close as the cabin where we were. Plus, my guess is that Magnum won’t try to track you down there. He’s still holding out hope you’ll find that map.”
She crossed her arms and sighed. “I’m running out of ideas.”
“Let’s talk out the clues,” Brody said. “What do we know?”
“We know that there’s a key leading somewhere. A door, most likely, based on the size of the key itself. It’s too big for a box.”
“Okay.”
She took a deep breath, trying to focus. “We know there’s half of a map. I’d guess it’s at least from the 1800s. Maybe older. Maybe Blackbeard’s.”
“Agreed.”
“My ancestors also may have a connection with Blackbeard. We found a deed leading to that property. At that property, there were messages carved in t
he wood saying, ‘Wait until dark’ and ‘The moonlight will be your guide.’”
“Right.”
“I think that’s all we’ve got.”
“I say we search your attic more. Maybe pull out those file drawers. I don’t know. Maybe there’s something.”
“For my aunt’s sake, I guess we don’t have a choice.” She glanced at Brody. “I’m sorry I dragged you into this. I know I’ve said it before, but it bears repeating. Especially after everything that’s happened.”
“If the stakes weren’t so high—if your aunt’s life wasn’t on the line and you hadn’t almost been killed, I might say this was fun.” His expression sobered. “But there’s too much at stake.”
Felicity nodded in agreement. “Aunt Bonny is a tough, old broad. I’ll give her that. But I have no idea what kind of conditions they’re keeping her in . . .”
He squeezed her hand. “Let’s think the best. Okay?”
She clutched his hand and nodded. “Right.”
“We’re not going to give up hope yet.”
For the first time in years, she closed her eyes and prayed, long and hard.
Lord, be with us. Lead us. Guide us. And protect my aunt.
Some time during the night, Felicity had drifted to sleep on the couch at her grandma’s house. When she woke up, a blanket had been draped over her.
Brody, she realized.
When she thought about him, her cheeks warmed. Their kisses yesterday had been . . . amazing. More than amazing.
Brody had stirred something deep inside her. She couldn’t believe he was real.
Even though she’d initially had her reservations and they’d butted heads, she’d come to respect his opinion, to look to him for his comfort and strength, to depend on his advice.
But her aunt was still being held captive.
She sat up and blinked as everything rushed back to her.
What time was it? When had she fallen asleep? How had she managed to rest with everything going on?
Her gaze finally found the clock on the mantel. She jetted up. It was almost noon.
Wait Until Dark: Carolina Moon Series, Book 3 Page 17
