by Cerys du Lys
“All I cared about was getting back and making sure you were okay.”
“You just saved my life. You’re amazing.”
“I love you,” she said.
I shook my head, stunned. She had said it before, but it seemed much more real this time. She had crawled through a narrow black tunnel and shot a guy for me. She must mean it. Something welled up in me, strong and a little bit scary. I loved her too. I hadn’t known her long, but damn, somehow or other she had slid into my heart.
I’d forgotten about Metin, who was efficiently cleaning things up. From somewhere he produced a couple of pairs of handcuffs, which he snapped on the wrists of Nigel and Sinan. Then, still waving his weapon, he herded everyone toward the entrance of the cave. “You will all come with me,” he ordered. He proceeded to pull out an official-looking I.D. stamped with the star and crescent that symbolized the Turkish nation.
While I blinked at him, stupefied, Metin continued, “I am an agent of the Turkish Customs Bureau, working undercover. I regret to inform you that I must arrest the lot of you—except Ellie—for crimes against the Republic of Turkey.”
“Metin?”
“Sorry, Nick,” my friend, associate, and sailing partner returned, not meeting my eyes. “That includes you.”
Chapter 44
Ellie
“I’d like to have a chat with you, Metin,” said Nick.
We were in Nick’s bedroom at the compound, where I was taping his ribs. A helicopter had arrived on the island with the Turkish authorities, who had already rounded up Nigel and his cohorts and taken them back to the mainland. Metin and several other agents had been assigned to clean things up here, and both Sir Avery and Nick had been left in their custody. Nick had insisted that he was too weak to travel and his grandfather too elderly and frail. Metin backed him up, while at the same time making it clear to everyone that both men were still technically under arrest.
Weak though he was, Nick was not behaving like a chastened criminal, I noted. He was treating Metin the same as ever, despite the younger man’s change in status. “Rob Hepburn threatened to put a man on me,” he went on. “That man was you?”
“You could say so. Our agency is cooperating with Mr. Hepburn, although I do not personally know the man.”
“Jeez.” Nick’s tone was a cross between annoyance and self-deprecation. “And here I thought I was livening up your uneventful life by giving you a much-desired taste of adventure. What a blind, trusting amateur I am.”
“I’m truly sorry, Nick,” said Metin who now admitted to the age of twenty-five and several years’ experience as a customs agent. His eyes looked anywhere but at his erstwhile employer’s face. Although Nick had initially been furious with him for his betrayal, he was already part of the way toward forgiving the kid now, simply because he looked so miserable. “I was only doing my job.”
“I know, and I can’t really blame you. You did it damn well. I certainly never suspected.”
“I’m sure Hepburn will come up with some sort of deal to get you off,” Metin said earnestly. “My agency owes his several favors. You won’t be prosecuted, Nick.”
“Even so, if there’s a deal to be made, I’d rather make it directly with you.”
“And is there?”
“Maybe. I presume, since you’ve shown no interest in the subject, that Ellie didn’t happen to mention the discovery we made?”
“No, I didn’t,” I put in. “I was preoccupied with getting you safely out of the cave.”
“What discovery?” Metin asked.
“The treasures of Troy exist, my friend. Jewelry and gold objets d’art, of rare beauty and ancient workmanship. My grandfather was right.” Nick paused a moment to let the news sink in. “There’s loot on this island, all right, and it’s been hidden for nearly three thousand years. Ellie and I are the only two people alive who know where these treasures lie.”
“In the cave?” Metin guessed.
“Did you see any indication of that?” Nick scoffed. “Be sensible, Metin. We would have found the stuff long ago if that’s where it was.”
I blinked over this blatant lie.
“I don’t think I’m going to give you any further hints, my friend,” Nick continued. “Let’s just say that somewhere on the island is a cache of extraordinary artifacts, including the golden dolphin after which the island was apparently named. But they are well concealed and will remain so.”
“Unless?”
“Unless the government of Turkey is prepared to deal justly with me.”
Metin grinned, his dark eyes sparkling. “You devious dog. What do you want?”
“It’s obvious, isn’t it? I want my grandfather’s freedom. He’s too old and ill to spend his remaining days in prison.”
“And your own freedom? Surely that, too, is important to you?”
“Well, yes, of course,” Nick acknowledged with a smile.
“How do I know you’re telling the truth about this?”
“We have little reason to trust each other, perhaps. But I’m not lying this time, Metin. The treasures exist.”
“I believe you. Still, if you found them, so can I. Now that I know they’re not simply a figment of your grandfather’s imagination, I can order a troop of men to comb the island until they turn up. Then you will have nothing to deal with, Nick.”
“You can do that, yes.” Nick met Metin’s eyes implacably. “But I don’t think you will. You owe me something, at least, for the entertainment I’ve provided you with during the past six months.”
Metin flushed. “It was more than entertainment! You have been my friend.”
“Yes, I thought so, too.”
“I had a job to do,” the young man repeated mechanically. “I haven’t always liked it, but there was no choice.”
“Metin.” Nick’s voice was gentler now. “We are friends still, as far as I’m concerned.” He extended his hand. “Indeed, you are my brother, my kardesh.”
Metin grasped his hand and held it hard. “I will go downstairs and consult with my superiors.”
“I’d appreciate that,” said Nick.
“He’s in a quandary, I think,” I noted as I wrapped the last piece of tape around Nick’s chest, hoping I was doing it properly. We could hear Metin bounding down the stairs. “He’s rather proud of having accomplished what he set out to do, yet he’s sincerely fond of you.”
“I know. Poor Metin. I wonder if he’s tough enough to last at this job.”
“Will he make the deal?”
“If his superiors don’t balk, yes, I’m sure he will. He doesn’t want to see me go to prison, particularly since he knows my motives were relatively noble all along. Frankly, I’m not too worried about myself. The Turkish government isn’t unreasonable. Once the facts come out, they’ll be lenient.”
“It’s Sir Avery you’re worried about.”
Nick nodded, his expression grim. The old archaeologist had been philosophical about his probable fate, but Nick was taking the prospect of his grandfather’s incarceration very hard.
“It’ll be all right, Nick,” I soothed him. “Metin will fix things. I have a feeling everything’s going to work out okay.”
“Inshallah.” God willing.
I helped him into bed, and then sat beside him on the mattress, stroking his golden hair. “It’s odd about Metin, isn’t it? I’ve always thought of him as a kid. But he’s older than I am. When I made it safely to the yacht and asked for his help, I had no idea he would return with me to the cave and arrest you.”
“How could you know? I spent six months in virtual seclusion on the yacht with him and certainly I had no idea.” He looked up at me and grimaced. “Some undercover agent I turn out to be. You’d built up this fantasy of me as a rough, tough criminal, with lethal talents in the martial arts and the brain of a corrupt intellectual. So how do I end up? Beaten to a pulp by my cousin, rescued from death by a woman, and outwitted by a kid!”
“You did that ki
ck-ass thing with your feet while your hands were tied behind your back. And your amorous talents are considerable,” I teased him.
“Yeah, well, do I look like I’m capable of hauling you into bed? The only thing I’m going to be able to do right now is sleep.”
I put my arms around his shoulders and kissed—very gently—the sore spot on the crown of his head. “I must love you very much, because I want you to sleep. I want you to rest and get better. You can worry about impressing me with your devastating sexual prowess at some later time.”
He smiled. “With that as my incentive, I’ll start resting immediately.”
“I personally would rather see you human and vulnerable than the cold, controlled scary guy you seemed to be when first we met.”
“Mmm,” said Nick, closing his eyes.
He was nearly asleep when Metin burst into our room. “You’ve got your deal, Nick. We’ll trade the gold for you and Sir Avery.”
Nick jerked back to a sitting position, rubbing his eyes and swearing.
“There’s one proviso, though,” Metin added with a grin. “If you steal so much as a gram of the treasure before you turn it over, we’ll toss you into the deepest, darkest prison Turkey has to offer.”
Nick groaned. “Don’t worry, Metin. I swear to you I’m going straight from now on.”
“And you’ll accept full responsibility for that sly old fox, your grandfather?”
“My grandfather will doubtless spend his declining years writing a book about the treasures of Troy. Yes, I promise you, his relic-stealing days are over.”
Once again Metin clasped Nick’s hand. “Then it’s a deal.”
“What about Nigel?” I asked.
“He’s going to hospital first and then to a secure lockup,” Metin said. “He can expect a stiff sentence. Our judges are harsh with thieves who ravage Turkey’s cultural and historical heritage.”
“With any luck, he’ll be imprisoned for a long time.” Nick’s expression was one of pure satisfaction. “Rob Hepburn will probably suggest that the Turkish authorities search his boat. They’re likely to find all sorts of evidence there.”
“We’ll coordinate with Mr. Hepburn on Nigel,” Metin said. “I believe he is wanted by several agencies of several nations, but we will try to ensure that The Republic of Turkey has the first shot.”
I was glad I hadn’t killed him. My bullet had only grazed his hip, probably because my hand had been shaking badly as I’d fired. I wasn’t sure how I’d have felt about killing a man, even though he had been about to shoot my lover. But I had no trouble at all envisioning Nigel rotting for a few decades in a Turkish prison.
Chapter 45
The sun was high in the late April sky on the day I finally visited the ancient city of Troy. Nick and I sailed Voyager up the coast from the Aegean port city of Izmir, where the Golden Dolphin Island discoveries were being dated and appraised by experts. I felt more at home on the yacht now; Nick had taught me to crew for him.
I was at the helm, delighting in the responsiveness of the yacht as it skimmed over the bright water near Truva, the site of Troy. Nick came up behind me and placed his firm hands on my waist. I leaned back against him, tossing him a grin over my shoulder. Although the weather was warm in the Aegean region, the wind was strong, so he had changed his usual jean cutoffs for the sexy black leather trousers I’d discovered that first morning in his cabin. With a loose white shirt and the gold stubble of the beard he was beginning to grow, he looked more like a pirate than ever.
I felt his breath against my scalp as he leaned over and whispered, “You’re almost home, Helen of Troy.”
“She was Helen of Greece, actually. Not until after she was abducted did she become known as Helen of Troy.”
His hands slid down my arms and clamped my wrists to the wooden wheel of the yacht. “So? You’ve been abducted, too. You’re still my prisoner, hayatim.”
I laughed. “Am I complaining?”
“Haven’t heard one word of complaint lately, though in the beginning you sure spit fire at me.”
“In the beginning I was frightened of you, Nick.”
“I’m sorry for that, but I’m not sorry for the way it turned out. Those old-time heroes were no fools. Abduction is a great way of getting a woman. No awkward texting while trying to wrangle a hook-up, no plotting the chick’s seduction over an expensive dinner, no distressing scenes when the boredom sets in. When she begins to get on your nerves, you just grab the wench and toss her overboard.”
“Jerk!” I laughed, turning on him with a mutinous expression.
He kissed me on the throat, where I was still wearing my rope collar. I’d grown fond of the thing. Nick had woven it himself, and I thought it was much nicer than those leather slave collars they sell online. “Knew I could get you spitting fire again without much effort.” He took the helm himself. “Get your camera. I think it’s time you finished your assignment for that website back in Boston, don’t you?”
“I took some great exclusive photos of the treasure,” I reminded him. “Not to mention all those lovely shots of the artifacts you crooks stole. Or didn’t steal.”
“Coming about,” he warned, bringing the bow across the wind. “Mind the sail, will you, crew? We’re gonna bring this boat in for a landing on the ancient Trojan shores.”
Actually, since the site was a couple of miles inland, we had to hike a bit before we came to the ruins of the fabled city. And, after the wondrous inner chamber of the cave on Golden Dolphin Island, Troy was a bit of an anticlimax. The Turks had erected a replica of the Trojan Horse near the entrance to the site, but nothing was left of the city itself except some grassy mounds and the rough stone walls that marked the various levels of the excavations.
“How the mighty are fallen,” I said sadly as I focused my camera and photographed what little remained of Homer’s “holy citadel.” Hand in hand, we walked around the deserted grounds. “There aren’t even any tourists here.”
“No,” Nick agreed, slipping an arm around my waist and squeezing. “We have the place all to ourselves.” He pushed aside the hair at the back of my neck and nuzzled me. “Very tempting. Why don’t we stroll over to that grassy mound and rest for a while?”
“Rest?” I laughed.
“Yeah. I feel a headache coming on. Concussions take a while to get better, you know.” He feigned a look of lassitude and his hand moved up to brush across my breast. I felt my nipples harden instantly. “I need a lotta rest.”
“Stop. Someone might see us.”
“Who? The ghost of King Priam?”
“Think of it,” I said, swiping his hand away. “Lots of people died here.”
“Lots of people made love here, too, canim.” He took my hand and led me toward the grassy mound in question, which was sheltered by a scrubby bush. He dropped to his knees and pulled me down beside him. “It’s time, fair Helen, to show me what it took to launch those thousand ships. Your namesake must have had something more than a pretty face going for her to start a war that lasted ten years and destroyed one of the greatest cities in the ancient world.” He wrapped his arms around me and delivered a series of devastating kisses. “I’m going to fuck you in this ancient spot.”
“We really shouldn’t,” I said as he laid me back in the stubby grass and brought his golden body down on mine.
“Shame on us.”
“It’s not what I had in mind when I, uh—” I squirmed a little as he raised my skirt and treated me to the wicked enticement of leather against my bare skin “—planned this pilgrimage.”
“No? Well, pet, your Dom doesn’t give a shit about your plan at the moment; it’s time to follow mine.”
I laughed. He’d already taught me quite a bit about his kinky lifestyle, and I’d enjoyed every minute. Still, I protested a little, just for fun, as I felt my panties slip away. “Don’t.”
“Don’t?” he repeated, chuckling softly. “Wrong response, slave. Say ‘yes, master, harder, master.�
�“ He stroked me until I grew slick and hot and ready.
“Yes, master,” I whispered.
“Seni seviyorum,” he told me. I love you.
“Ben de seni seviyorum.” I love you, too.
Somewhat later, when we sat up and rearranged our clothing, I stretched and said, “You know, with my claustrophobia and all, I never thought I’d be so relaxed in the presence of anything vaguely resembling excavations. I asked my mother when I called her from Izmir why we’d never talked about that pyramid we were trapped in. She said she thought I’d been too young to remember. She felt guilty when she heard how anxious I had been, and for how long.”
“So the idea of puttering around in archeological excavations doesn’t scare you anymore?”
“Not after I faced crawling through that tunnel. I think that burned my fear away.”
“It’s always better to face things. To acknowledge the bad stuff in life.”
I suspected he was referring to his own stuff as much as mine. There was still a lot I didn’t know about the man who was now my boyfriend, but he was slowly opening up to me.
I hugged him hard. “I love you so much.”
“It doesn’t matter to you that I’m just an ordinary archaeologist, specializing in archaic linguistics, rather than some sort of badass criminal?”
“Not at all. I left home hoping for an adventure, but I got rather more than I’d expected.”
“We can still have adventures. Let’s just try not coming so close to getting ourselves killed.”
“I’ll raise a glass to that.”
He wound a long lock of my hair around his fingers and said, “We make a good team, don’t we, you and I?”
“The best.”
“I’m asking you to stay with me, Ellie.”
I laughed. “Wow, you’re asking? You’re not ordering me to stay with you? How times have changed!”
“Imp. There’ll be punishment coming for that.” He slapped my ass. I sighed. It felt good. “But we’d better return to the yacht first, before we get arrested again.”
