Rewarding Redemption (The Redemption Series Book 5)

by Bonnie R. Paulson

  He wanted her, but not for the thefts. For the briefest moment she let herself believe he wanted her. Just her. But then reality slammed through her hope, curling it into a tight rope and throwing it away. Jenny stiffened, pulling her arms from his grasp. “Right, you’re after the treasure. Well, I don’t have —”

  “—it. I know.” He reclaimed her arms and drew her closer to him. She couldn’t fight the magnetism in his eyes or the heat in his touch. His lips moved as if in slow motion as he spoke. “I want to help you. Let’s meet with your sisters.”

  If he didn’t stop pushing those women on her, she might kick him in the shin. “Quit calling them that. I don’t even know them.” Jenny bit her lip. She couldn’t claim people she didn’t know, even if she met one or two before.

  Anger was an emotion easy to hold onto.

  Embarrassed because her thoughts had immediately jumped to the dream that he wanted her for more than a friend added fuel to the fire of her mounting frustration. “And, what? You’ll help me find the treasure so I can run away with it?” If she could, she would scoff extra hard at that one, but she couldn’t because the thought of more running tightened her throat.

  He rubbed his thumb along the tender skin of her inner wrist. “You know, technically some of the treasure is mine and your sisters’.”

  Jenny focused on him. Where was he going with that? “You want to split it?”

  Jason’s laugh was warm and entrancing, like a mug of hot chocolate. He shook his head. “No. The insurance finder’s fee would be a big enough sum. I work in law enforcement, so I have to turn it in. But have you ever considered what finding it and returning it to the rightful owners would do for our names? I wouldn’t have to be ashamed of my last name.” He held her gaze. “And you and your sisters wouldn’t have to run from yours.”

  He had more at stake than just treasure.

  No matter which way she rode it, someone would have to come up short. If he got the treasure, he wanted to return everything.

  She watched a police documentary once about a bank robbery where the police found the treasure, documented it, and then turned everything they found over the bank and the insurance company. The owners didn’t see the items for years while things were itemized and checked and even then, they didn’t get everything back.

  No. If Jason got it, he’d turn it in.

  Jenny couldn’t chance losing her part of the treasure that had more value than all the gold in Montana, even if she did want to drown in Jason’s eyes.

  Chapter 10

  Jason

  Touching Jenny wreaked havoc with his senses.

  She cringed as his words sank in. How could clearing their names not appeal to her?

  Jason continued, his thought process clear and concrete from years of planning how to save them from the shame of being children of the Caracus gang. “I’ll admit the finders’ fee sweetens the deal.” As long as the remaining Caracus gang members didn’t get to the treasure first, everyone’s names could finally be cleared.

  For the first time in a long while, Montana folk wouldn’t shirk from his name as he tried to help them. He could go into a café and not face stares and whispers behind his back because of the name on his badge.

  Although who was he kidding? He’d wanted out of the service for a long time. The hours pulled at him and he longed for his own land with a horse and a break-action shotgun to help secure the place.

  Jenny’s lips puckered and her eyes narrowed. Of course, his claim to the finder’s fee wouldn’t sit well with her.

  Jason rushed on. “The amount of money isn’t important. We can split anything we find.” His leave from work ended next week – a hoarding of vacation hours over the last few years – he didn’t have anyone to vacation with. If he didn’t utilize the remaining time before returning to work and redeem his name, Jenny’s and the girls, and convince Jenny to give him a chance at getting to know each other better, then the entire time was wasted and he might as well give the treasure to Bear Claw and the rest of the gang with a bow on top.

  Her clear blue eyes watched him, and he couldn’t look away. Waiting for her answer, or some kind of reaction, Jason couldn’t believe he was finally in front of her. He loved her as long as he could remember.

  Losing her wasn’t an option, even if he had to be mean about the ways to keep her around.

  “Split the finder’s fee between you and me?” Jenny pointed at her chest, leaving an indent in the soft t-shirt material when she poked her finger. She arched an eyebrow, challenging him. “What about the other girls?”

  Jason shrugged. “Sure, it’s a lot of money split between the two of us. I doubt it will be after we split it six ways.” He really didn’t care what they did with the money. He’d planned on securing it away so he could quit work, but his dreams weren’t wrapped up in the money he couldn’t fully claim as his own.

  “Do they know about the treasure?” Jenny crossed her arms over her chest and tucked her chin, watching him like he might pull a fast one.

  “Yeah.” Jason didn’t add ‘but so does the rest of the gang and they’re closing in on you and us and we don’t have much time and I love you’. Nah, he kept his mouth shut because what sensible person wouldn’t run from a confession like that?

  “You realize this causes a lot of problems, right?” Jenny tapped her finger on the armrest of chair.

  “Why? I think you could all work together and figure out where Devlyn put it.” She hadn’t actually confirmed there was a treasure, but the way she spoke, there might as well be a signed document with her testimony on the table.

  “Because I don’t want to share anything with them.” She pushed herself from the chair and paced back and forth in front of the futon. After four or five passes she stopped moving and stared off at the rafters, her finger pressed to her lower lip. She started pacing again, shaking her finger like lecturing at a podium. “But I still need something from Mary. I’m not sure how I can get it without them knowing.”

  “You’re not making sense. You need something from Mary but you don’t want them to know about the treasure? And you did know you have sisters.” Jason grimaced. He fell for her shocked tears like she hadn’t known. He couldn’t even be angry with her.

  Jenny stopped in front of him, sadness dimming the light in her eyes. “I knew about Mary. I actually met her once when my mom was really sick and Da – I mean, Devlyn took me to see her. Then a couple years later, I found out about a little girl whose mom was real sick like my mom. I already left the gang by then, so I couldn’t chase down any information. Any time I asked about the name Caracus I was quickly on the run again. So I stopped trying.” She shrugged, pasting on a smile. “But anyway, the finder’s fee won’t be as much as the real amount, right? The true value of the treasure?”

  What was she getting at? He learned a long time ago she could be resourceful. Over the years of tracking her, one thing stood out more than anything else – her extreme lack of resources. She wouldn’t be human, if she didn’t want that money for herself. Not after being poor for so long.

  He spoke slowly, in case she was trying to trap him. “Right, only like two percent. But that’s a large amount considering how much the gang stole.”

  She sat down again in the chair, purposefully placing her knees close to him. She leaned forward. “I’ll split the main pot with you and take you to it as early as I can.” She reached for his hands, holding them, pleading with him with her eyes. “I haven’t gotten it yet, because I need one last thing from Mary. One last thing. She’ll give it to me without even needing to know what it is. I’ll just ask her one question and I’ll know what to do with her answer. The treasure never needs to be brought up.”

  Jenny would split the entire pot with him, all of the treasure the Caracus gang had looted and hoarded for their nearly twenty-year reign of terror across the Montana, Idaho, Washington, and Wyoming states. She had no idea how enticing the thought of her and Jason riding off into the sunset on
gold-laden horses was.

  Studying her, he waited for his heart rate to slow. If he wasn’t careful, he would grab the chance and ride off into forever with her and never look back. He squeezed her fingers, slowly dropping them. But he owed himself and the memory of his mother so much more than just disappearing with Jenny. He owed any of his future children more. He owed Devlyn Caracus’s other daughters.

  What would Jason need to do? What would he need to give up to be the things she asked of him? The potential for everything he ever wanted sat before him. If she turned out to be different than he remembered, which was very likely, so much of who he was would be lost. One of the drawbacks of chasing a woman you’ve tied your dreams to.

  She sat back in the chair, shrugging while she studied him. “I’m not helping if we’re giving it back. Pick now what you’re willing to do, now so I can go if I need to. I can’t let anyone else have that treasure. I need it more than you know.” She shook her head, lips curled in a frown. “Can you agree to that?”

  Jason gritted his teeth. She wasn’t a selfish person. Her motives came from a different place than his did. He couldn’t let her get in the way of everything he planned. He loved her too much for that. She didn’t see the bigger picture because she didn’t know about everything and he didn’t have the time to fill her in.

  What else could he do to get everyone what they wanted?

  He lied.

  Chapter 11

  Jenny

  His short nod screamed reluctance, but Jenny couldn’t give in. Honestly, the money was more enticing than she let on, but the money didn’t matter when a letter from her mother was supposed to be in with the treasure. She didn’t care what happened to the money – okay, so now she was lying to herself. But she always planned on giving back any valuables, especially if they might be family heirlooms. She would try, anyway.

  The box of letters Devlyn had hidden was the real treasure for her. She couldn’t remember exactly what else he’d squirreled away into his hiding place, but those letters.

  Her mother’s letter.

  She wanted the box of letters so bad some nights it haunted her dreams. There was no question, she had to have it. Getting her mother’s letter drove her for years to plan the treasure hunt. Lately though, money had been harder to come by and the need for the money usurped her need to stay away from Colby. Stay away from the danger being in Colby would bring.

  Nothing tempted greed and shirked safety like poverty.

  Poor Jason’s grimace didn’t hide his struggle but he finally agreed. Jenny admired him for trying. The wall she erected a long time ago to protect her trust crumbled more. They might not have corresponding plans, but it wasn’t every day that she came across someone from her past with good memories of her, or she of them.

  No matter how much she liked Jason, or the memory of him, she couldn’t give up the treasure. Her demons demanded she be the one to find the letters. That she be the one to determine how to fix the legacy her father had left her.

  So why then didn’t she just tell Jason she didn’t care about the money? All she wanted was Ellsbeth’s box of letters and her diaries. Why couldn’t she share the image in her mind of the gold glinting on her mother’s box as it disappeared into the darkness?

  Because he might taunt her. But he wasn’t like that.

  Or worse, not trust her.

  Who would believe all she wanted was a box of personal letters? When the money value alone could buy her a home on land that spanned half the state of Montana?

  She had asked Devlyn for the box. Begged him for it. But he’d been too far gone, too far lost into the devil he became at the end.

  Empowered by Jason’s agreement, she nodded with a firm jerk. “Okay, we need to convince those women there’s no treasure.”

  “That’s going to be hard. All of Montana talks about the Caracus treasure.” Jason cleared his throat. “I’ve been demanding the sisters get together for a while now. I have them convinced they’re in trouble with the law. Meet with them, I’ll clear up anything about that and the treasure never needs to be brought up.” He turned his head to the side. “Unless you have to mention it to Mary to get what you need from her?”

  The weight of lying to women she didn’t know pressed on her shoulders. She shrugged. “No. I don’t need to mention it.” She didn’t know where she was going to go, but she had to get out of there. Jason was fighting her on every level and she couldn’t deal with it right then. She hadn’t fully accepted Redbird’s rejection and the last twenty-four hours ate at her energy.

  She stood and moved to push past Jason, unable to even look him in the face. He followed her up, blocking her way.

  His strong fingers circled around her biceps and he pulled her back. “What if they want more from you than a few questions and answers?”

  If the Redbirds didn’t want her, why would she assume the Caracus girls would? “Why would they? They don’t have any reason to want to get to know me.” She didn’t struggle from him. A tingle in her arms forcibly brought her attention to his touch and she inhaled at the pleasant sensation. She honestly didn’t have anywhere to go. And she hadn’t had anyone to talk to in ages. Even if she did have a phone. Even if she talked to herself and sometimes spoke sporadically to random people about random things.

  Jason knew the girl she used to be. For the moment, he might as well be family. He studied her face, like working to memorize each feature for a test. He nodded, slowly releasing her. “I’ll set up a meeting. Are you sure you’re ready now? You weren’t ready earlier.” Odd that he was suddenly so concerned about her readiness. He hadn’t stopped pushing a meeting on her since they met.

  And no. She wasn’t ready. But the sooner she got to the girls the sooner she got the treasure and could escape the expectations in Jason’s eyes. She would hate to let him down. “Yes. I just… I need to shower and put on clean clothes. Would you mind?” Oh, please say yes, please say yes.

  If she was going to meet other daughters of Devlyn’s, she had to feel normal or at least human.

  “No, I don’t mind. You’ve got to be tired. I’ll set up something for tomorrow. How about I run some errands while you clean up?” He smiled politely.

  Jenny needed time to cool down after their conversation. Between wanting him to take her in his arms and balancing her words so carefully, she was close to combusting.

  “I’ll be back after a while. While I’m gone, take a shower and get some rest.” He moved the few feet to a door semi-hidden in the wall behind Jenny. Opening it, he revealed a bathroom with a shower. Pointing to a wicker hamper, he added. “There are towels in there and, if you’re not too picky on what kind, soap, shampoo, and conditioner are in the shower.”

  Picky? She didn’t care if she ended up smelling like a man afterwards. She couldn’t wait to get in the water – even cold would be welcome.

  He ducked his head and stepped away to the stairs. “I’ll be back.” And he was suddenly gone, like a whisper, like he’d never been there.

  Jenny glanced around, grabbing her backpack. She didn’t waste one more second getting into the bathroom.

  Locking the door, she shed her clothing, keeping her underwear and bra in her hand to take into the shower with her. She learned a thing or two being on her own and one of the easiest lessons was if your undergarments are clean, then you can tackle anything.

  The thought of her underwear in Jason’s shower brought a blush to her cheeks. Forget her underwear, she was naked in his apartment. He could return any time.

  He wanted to clear their names. Didn’t he see that it didn’t matter what they did, redemption wasn’t for those associated with the Caracus gang?

  Using a hook on the shower caddy, she draped her two articles of clothing and turned on the water before stepping into the standing-only cubicle. Her skin tingled where he’d touched her.

  So much had happened since he’d found her. Why couldn’t she shake the feeling that they’d never parted?

&
nbsp; Hot water hit her back and she closed her eyes, leaning her head into the spray. If nothing else, Jason gave her a hot shower and security. A man like him would be taken, if women were smart. Thankfully, they weren’t. Jenny wanted to claim him.

  How could she want him while planning on disappearing after finding the treasure?

  He said he’d followed her. How long? And why? If he really knew the things that she had done over the years, and it didn’t bother him, maybe he could have feelings for her. Maybe… she stifled her mounting excitement. Maybe, she could convince him to give her a chance. Time didn’t stand still. Her emotions were tender, but she wasn’t easily fooled.

  And her feelings for him from when they were children hadn’t faded. Given enough time, she might be able to say that she loved him.

  He’d struggled with what he wanted and then agreed to give her what she wanted instead. That had to be hard, but he did it for her.