Uncharted

by Robyn Nyx

  Rayne’s response was urgent and desperate. She moved her hands over Chase’s body, grabbing, stroking, dragging her nails across Chase’s skin. Trails of heat remained wherever Rayne’s hands had passed, and Chase became so lost in the kiss that she was barely cognizant of where Rayne’s hands were at all. So deep was their impact that it felt like they were everywhere at once.

  Chase slipped her hand beneath Rayne’s shirt and squeezed her breast. Rayne gasped and dug her nails into Chase’s butt.

  “Harder,” Rayne whispered, her breath light against Chase’s neck.

  Chase sighed hard into Rayne’s hair and as she happily obliged, Rayne murmured louder. Chase unzipped and opened Rayne’s pants with her other hand, before she pressed the heel of her hand against Rayne’s clit. Chase absorbed Rayne’s moan and slipped her finger between and inside the wet lips of Rayne’s pussy. Rayne gripped the back of Chase’s head with one hand and her ass in the other, silently encouraging her to drive deeper. Chase let her tongue explore Rayne’s mouth, and Rayne sucked on it, before she broke away and put her mouth on Chase’s neck. Rayne bit down hard, and it was all Chase could do to stop her own scream.

  “More,” Rayne whispered.

  Chase did as requested, and her three fingers filled Rayne, making her whisper curses and threats into Chase’s ear. Rayne hitched her leg onto a low hanging branch, and she opened up even more. Chase’s final finger entered the warm inner folds of Rayne’s sex, and Rayne bit her again, this time surely hard enough to draw blood.

  “Fuck.” Chase growled into Rayne’s mouth. But it was everything Chase wanted, a woman who knew what she wanted, a woman who liked it hard and deep, rough and instinctive. Rayne. The woman Chase had fought her desire for since they’d first met.

  “Please, Chase. Harder. Fuck me like—”

  “It’s the only time we’ll ever get to do it?” Chase gave Rayne exactly what she wanted. She twisted her hand in Rayne’s hair and thrust into her with everything she had, gave Rayne all that she was, physically. As Rayne rose and fell with the power of her orgasm and muffled her scream on Chase’s chest, Chase knew this couldn’t be the last time. She’d hesitated too long for this, and Rayne had waited too long to reveal her true self to Chase. The fates couldn’t conspire to give Chase everything she’d ever wanted in a woman only to take it away after the briefest of tastes.

  Chase withdrew her hand and clutched Rayne tight to her body, shuddering with her as she drifted down from the peaks of her pleasure. For some reason, Chase thought of the three old women who’d just visited her and their similarities to the Greek Fates. It didn’t matter if it had really happened or if it was just in her head. They’d implored her to continue, to protect the Golden Trinity, to stop Turner. Chase closed her eyes. They were asking a lot of her. But right now, after what she and Rayne had just done, she kinda felt like she could do anything, felt invincible almost.

  “This journey will lead to a personal discovery,” the old woman had said when they first met. Was this what she meant? Chase looked into Rayne’s eyes and searched for the bond she believed they’d just sealed, an unbreakable connection only realized through a strong and intimate meeting of bodies, minds, and souls. Did Rayne feel the same? Her soft expression implied that she did. And if that was the case, maybe together they were enough to do exactly what the indigenous Amazon people needed them to.

  Chapter Twenty-seven

  “You’re the one with the tools. You should do it.” Rayne put her hands on her hips and looked at Chase, before she glanced over Chase’s shoulder to see the water moving with a carpet of anacondas. There was no way she was going anywhere near them or the tree.

  Chase raised her eyebrow and leaned against a tree after dropping her pack to the ground. “We need the second piece of the puzzle.”

  “Screw the second piece of the puzzle. It’s probably only another chunk of wood anyway.” Rayne twirled her buck knife in her hand. “Chop a tree down, and I’ll whittle a replica right now.”

  Chase laughed. “The amazing Rayne Marcellus actually has a weakness.” Chase clapped Pablo on the back. “How much are you going to pay us to keep quiet and not tell the world that you’re scared of snakes?”

  Rayne pointed her knife at Chase. “Oh, okay then, Mister. I suppose you’re not afraid of anything?”

  Chase’s grin slowly disappeared and she looked contemplative. “I wouldn’t say that.”

  “So…what are you afraid of?”

  Chase pushed her ball cap back and wiped her forehead with her scarf. “Failure.” She pushed off the tree and began to dig around in her pack.

  “Drop the mic, why don’t you?” Rayne gave Chase a playful shove, realizing that she’d never intended for Rayne to tackle the tree.

  Chase looked up and smiled. “It’s the truth.”

  “Nothing else?” Pablo asked. “Spiders? Heights? Small spaces?”

  Chase shook her head. “Nope, no, and no. My mom was fearless, and she raised me to be the same.” Chase put her tools into a smaller bag and strapped it across her chest. “Life’s too short to waste it being scared of things. Face it all head-on and never back down. If I had a tag line, that’d be it.”

  Rayne smiled, but the mention of Chase’s near-perfect childhood stirred the memories of her contrasting formative years and reminded her that Pablo wouldn’t have the chance to raise his children at all. She glanced across at him and saw the faraway look in his eyes that probably meant his thinking aligned with hers. A change of subject was required. “This is a good opportunity for you to be all heroic then, isn’t it?”

  Rayne didn’t miss the boon of satisfaction in Chase’s expression. She loved being the hero, and strangely, Rayne was happy to let her. Rayne had spent a lifetime working hard to be taken seriously, to not be treated like the little woman unable to do the heavy lifting. And it wasn’t just the typical men she had to convince. It was female colleagues and lovers too. Challenging deeply embedded, socially intrinsic misogyny was sometimes harder with the women who propagated it than the men who initiated it.

  Chase did it differently. Chase clearly understood and acknowledged that Rayne was more than capable of doing whatever she needed to do. It was just that Chase seemed to want to look after Rayne. And last night, when Chase had taken her, possessed her, loved her, brief though it had been, she’d promised much and the encounter resonated deeply within Rayne in a place she’d believed she was built without.

  All they had to do now was get out of this alive. And save Tonyck, Ginn, and Effi. And discover the Golden Trinity. And protect it from Turner and Owen.

  One thing at a time. Rayne wasn’t sure quite what to make of Chase’s tale regarding the old women in the night, but she did hope what they’d supposedly said was true. If G&T were alive after Turner and Owen had found them, maybe Owen wasn’t such a sadistic swine and wouldn’t make good on his threat to kill Rayne if they crossed paths again.

  “Will you suck the venom out of my body if I get bitten?”

  Chase’s question sounded far away and echoed in a distant part of Rayne’s mind. She came back to the moment and placed her hand on Chase’s chest. “Of course I will. But don’t let that happen just because you think that’s what it’ll take to get my mouth on you.” She leaned in closer and whispered, “I’ll suck on you any time you want. All you have to do is ask nicely.” Rayne smiled when Chase’s eyes half-lidded and she let out a low and long sigh. Rayne liked the sound of that. She longed to hear what other sounds she could make Chase elicit. “Now go. Get the next chunk of ancient wood so we can stay ahead of Turner and his goons.” Rayne smacked Chase on the ass after she’d grinned and turned to head toward the moat. “Do shout if you need any help.”

  Pablo shook his head. “Some might ask how you two could be so distracted with each other under the circumstances.”

  “But not you?”

  “Not me, Ms. Rayne. When the threat of death looms large, the need to celebrate and cherish all that is g
ood about living is strong.”

  Rayne patted Pablo on the back. “I do love your jungle philosophy, Pablo. You should have your own YouTube channel, like a Brazilian version of Jason Silva.”

  “I have no idea who that is, but you make it sound like a compliment. I will take it.”

  “It is a compliment.” Rayne looked over to Chase, who was already halfway up a tree. She watched, engrossed, impressed, and turned on, as Chase snagged the lupuna tree branches with the climbing rope she’d fashioned into a lasso. She would’ve made a damn fine cowboy in the Wild West. Chase swung across the moat with consummate ease and landed on the strange man-built island that hosted only the lupuna tree. The moat of anacondas didn’t seem in the least bit interested. Chase looked across and waved, obviously wanting to ensure her audience was being suitably attentive to her prowess. Rayne clapped and blew her a kiss, before she sat on a nearby branch to watch the rest of the show.

  The shrill sound of her sat phone ringing took some time to place. They’d been just over a week without technology and unnatural noise, and Rayne hadn’t missed it one iota. Only two people had this number though—Jenny back home and Tonyck.

  Rayne pulled it from her pack and closed her eyes for a moment before checking the number displayed, not a hundred percent sure who she wanted it to be.

  “Tonyck?”

  “Your not-so-gentle giant is currently in no position to make a phone call, Ms. Marcellus.”

  “Turner.”

  “Second time lucky. Yes, it’s me.”

  “What do you want?” Stupid question. He wanted the Golden Trinity. He wanted Chase to get him there.

  “So many things, Rayne. Too many to go into over the phone… I’d much rather talk in person, if you’re agreeable?”

  Rayne jumped up and turned three hundred and sixty degrees to scope the trees. Were they already here? Were they watching them? “No. I’m not agreeable.” She slumped back onto the thick branch. “I’d very much like never to see you again.”

  “Then perhaps you shouldn’t have drugged my people, assaulted me, and stolen my property…You could simply have declined my very generous offer, Rayne, and I could have employed someone else. No harm. No bad feelings.”

  Rayne scoffed. “And let you ride through the Amazon in a tank, crushing everyone and everything in your way? I couldn’t let that happen, Turner. Even I have to draw lines in the sand.”

  “You didn’t draw a line. You kicked the sand in my face.” Turner dropped his conversational tone. “You took what was mine, and I want it back. If you want what’s yours back, you should wait for us to find you, and we can make a civilized trade.”

  “How do I know they’re all still alive?” Rayne didn’t want to entertain the notion that G&T or Effi had already been dispatched by Turner, or more likely, Owen. And she was sure he’d know they were currently more valuable to him alive than dead. But she wanted more proof than the whispered words from Chase’s hallucination-cum-dream-cum-freaky vision.

  “You don’t trust my word? That’s rich after what you did, Rayne. But I’ll play along if only to fulfill the crazy idea you’ve gotten in your head about me being the bad guy and you being on the side of good…as if you ever could be.”

  Rayne heard muffled grunts and the flat, crunching thud of fists on bodies. She shut her eyes to stop the sounds from initiating an accompanying movie and reminded herself that G&T had both spent time in enemy hands. The twins were no strangers to brutality, but Effi was another matter entirely.

  “Hey, lady boss,” Tonyck said. “Don’t worry about us. This is a picnic.”

  More noises that she didn’t want to match with actions followed before Turner coughed into the phone.

  “Satisfied?” He gave a short laugh. “Owen is having so much fun with your bodyguards that he’s joked he won’t need to be paid for this job.”

  Rayne swallowed against the sickening thought of what the twins and Effi were going through. She tried to focus on the bigger picture, the greater good. It was a noble sentiment until it was put to the test with the people she cared about. They were beginning to feel like a chosen family, and Rayne had allowed them to fall into the lap of a psychopath.

  The distant sound of Chase’s saw reminded her what they were doing here and that the twins knew when they were signing up that being in Rayne’s employ could be dangerous. She looked up and saw Pablo had crouched in front of her. He said nothing, but the look in his eyes indicated he understood who she was conversing with. No doubt he was feeling the same guilt about bringing Effi to this shit show.

  “Have I lost you?”

  “I’m here,” Rayne said. Her mind was flicking through the range of possible actions and plans. She wished Turner had called when Chase was down here.

  “Do we have a deal?”

  Turner’s question implied they were talking about stocks and shares rather than people’s lives. What was she supposed to do? Half the reason she and her team were here at all was to protect the indigenous tribes. They’d done that by warning them. The communities had communicated, and they were all safe and out of Turner’s way. Rayne had wanted the glory, of course, of being the treasure hunter who led a team to discover the largest and most iconic treasure haul in history. That wasn’t a consideration when it came to three innocent lives. But what had those old women meant when they’d told Chase that Turner’s disappointment would lead to destruction? It didn’t make sense. How was she supposed to make a decision based on nonsensical information?

  She had to trust. For the first time in her life, she had to have faith in other people and rely on someone other than herself. So how did that go exactly?

  “We’re going to keep moving, Turner.” Rayne ignored Pablo’s quizzical expression. “The map is leading us to other trees, and we’re collecting artifacts that may or may not help when we get to the Golden Trinity. I’m not a patient woman, and I have no intention of sitting around in this humid hellhole that time forgot, waiting for you.” She took a breath, waiting for more words to come out rather than thinking too hard about what to say. Everything sounded good thus far. “We’ll press on, finding the trees, and heading inexorably toward the Golden Trinity. At some point, you’ll find us because all you’re having to do is follow our tracks. What we’re doing will take more time. When we find the Trinity, we’ll exchange the knowledge to access it for our friends.” Rayne imagined power animals, peaceful brooks, anything to prevent the panic that was trying to bang down her calm visage and take over. “That’s the deal, Turner.”

  “Mm. So you’re proposing to do all the heavy lifting, and we can just walk in when it’s all done?” Turner cleared his throat. “Owen will be disappointed, but I’ll take the deal, Rayne. Don’t try to fuck me again. I’m a forgiving man, but you’ve gone way beyond what I could possibly endure. Another transgression and I’d have no choice but to allow Owen to…do what Owen does best.”

  Rayne rubbed her hand over her face and tried to stop herself from thinking about that in graphic detail. “You need to keep your dog under control, Turner. I want my people healthy and unharmed.”

  Turner chuckled in a way that made Rayne want to rip out his throat.

  “Your people? From what Owen tells me, you have no people. I’ll see you very soon, Rayne.”

  Turner ended the call, and Rayne looked to Pablo for his reaction, choosing not to analyze Turner’s “no people” comment until later. Later as in, never.

  “‘Humid hellhole that time forgot?’ This is my home, Ms. Rayne.”

  Rayne smiled, relieved for a little levity but still tense and on edge. “Have I done the right thing, Pablo?” It seemed alien to ask for justification for her actions. She never had before.

  Pablo patted Rayne on the knee softly. “When there are so many pieces on the board, the right play, the right thing, is different for each of them, Ms. Rayne. This is another impossible choice, just as it was for your Ginn.” He shrugged and shook his head. “You have managed to kee
p the people you don’t know safe, but they still need more from you. I do not understand what it is they mean by ‘protecting’ the Golden Trinity, and I do not know how you are supposed to achieve that and rescue our friends. But you are a formidable woman, Ms. Rayne.” He motioned toward Chase. “And she is extraordinary. Together, you will fix this.”

  Rayne tilted her head back and looked toward the sky peeking through the canopy of trees. It seemed a richer shade of blue here, deeper than any sky she’d seen in the many other parts of the world she’d visited. She pondered Pablo’s description of them both. She agreed with his assessment of Chase; she was extraordinary and could do anything she applied herself to. Maybe that would be enough, even in the face of Turner and his little band of merc men. She hoped Pablo was right. She couldn’t foresee how this played out, how they were supposed to save everyone and get the treasure…the “disappointing” treasure. This was one of those situations she’d spent her whole life avoiding, one that couldn’t be planned for or fully controlled. She had to trust the solution would present itself when they really needed it.

  Rayne took a deep breath of the freshest air on earth and focused on Chase. She was still hard at work on discovering what secrets this lupuna tree had held in her belly for many hundreds of years. If Rayne had to rely on other people, Chase Stinsen would always be her first choice.

  Chapter Twenty-eight

  “I know hunting treasure is supposed to be hard, but I think the Mayans took this particular one a little too seriously.”

  Chase grinned at Rayne’s comment as she stepped to the edge of the ravine and looked down. Six hundred feet, rocks, and white water…and a lupuna tree halfway down the cliff face. Nothing like this had ever been found in the Amazon, and no satellite imagery had hinted that anything like this was possible. And yet, here it was, and here they were, facing the final challenge to get the third artifact before the map led them to the cave.