“Yes,” Drake said with a nod. “She has been cut down by the man who gave her life. A true villain by the name of Sebastian Callahan. Her father.”
“Miss Camilla was always nice to me,” Sam said in a mournful tone. “It isn’t right. She was kind to everyone. She never would have hurt a fly.” He glared at Sebastian.
“Go forth and tell all who will listen what has transpired this evening. Let every good citizen know that my beloved Camilla’s death has been at the hands of her own father. Sebastian Callahan.” Drake reached into his pocket and pulled out a gold coin. “Also, summon the undertaker on Baker Street so he can prepare a proper burial for Camilla.”
The child reached out and took the gold coin then bobbed his head before disappearing into the cloudy night.
Drake turned toward Sebastian and locked gazes with him. “I vow that from this point forward, none of your Callahan ancestors will ever touch this treasure, even if I have to bury it at the bottom of the sea.” Drake spit the words out as if they were poison.
“Be reasonable, Burton,” Sebastian said with trembling lips. “This needs to end right here on this pier. I never meant for this to happen. I was blinded by fury and righteous indignation. If I could turn back the clock and change things, I would.”
“Go! Before I slice you straight through,” Drake warned. Sebastian turned around and beat a fast path away from the pier. He began running as if his feet were on fire.
“Run away, coward,” Drake called out, wondering if he had let Sebastian off easily by not killing him. Oh, but he would make certain that Sebastian suffered for the rest of his days. He would not rest until the Callahan clan paid their debt to him and Camilla.
Drake bent over and placed a last kiss on Camilla’s warm lips. It was hard to process the fact that Camilla’s life had ebbed away in a matter of minutes. They had been on the precipice of a glorious future. She had slipped away from him like a fine mist dissipating. Already her face was pale and her lips had turned a bluish color. Pain unlike any he had ever known roared through him. How would he live without her? In truth, he couldn’t imagine a world in which she didn’t exist. The world was a much better place with Camilla in it.
At this point there was only one thing he was living for. Vengeance. An eye for an eye as the Bible said. They had taken his Camilla from him, and from this point forward he would take everything away from the Callahan family, starting with the thing they valued most—their treasure. It would be fun to keep it out of their reach. It would be a challenge to take more of it from them when they’d forgotten all about his vow to ruin them. He would emerge from the shadows when they least expected it and lay claim to their precious gold and jewels. He would make them pay!
Within the hour the undertaker had shown up and taken Camilla away after Drake had handsomely paid Mr. Smythe a large sum of money. He watched mournfully as Smythe and his assistant took Camilla away. There was nothing left for him here in Treasure Harbor. It had all been taken away from him, and his heart had been shredded to pieces.
As his ship sailed away from the pier and out of Treasure Harbor Bay, Drake shivered as the cold sliced through his body and settled into his bones. A huge part of his soul had been ripped out with Camilla’s passing. He was forever changed. Now—and for the rest of his days—his soul would be as black as the night that surrounded him.
Chapter One
Treasure Harbor, Est. 1705. The sign jumped out at Lara as she navigated her car over the bridge and into her hometown of Treasure Harbor. She let out the breath she’d been holding ever since she’d set out on this journey from Philadelphia. Her assignment to write a series of articles for her employer, The Philadelphia Times, had brought her all this way.
Home. It brought up so many emotions for Lara. Although she’d missed her family like crazy over the past few years, she had to admit that she hated some of the memories this place dredged up inside of her. There was no way of escaping it once she hit the town line. It was infused in the very name of the town. Treasure.
She slowed her car down as she passed her old high school, Treasure Harbor High. Although she’d graduated as valedictorian, most of her memories weren’t happy ones. Lara Callahan. Nerd. Freak. Bookworm. The labels had hurt her tremendously. Because she’d been off the charts smart and wore thick glasses, the cool kids had made her the object of their scorn. Somehow, with her family’s guidance, her sister Avery’s support, her best friend, Jade, and her strong relationship with God, she had made it past the cruel bullying. But she had never forgotten it. It had fueled all of her dreams and her desire to get out of Treasure Harbor. After getting a full scholarship at Princeton, she’d found her way out.
A part of her had been running ever since. And it hadn’t just been the labels she’d been escaping. There had been something far more hurtful she’d been trying to get away from.
Lara let out a sigh. She’d spent the past ten years since high school reinventing herself. Lara had chucked the glasses for contacts. Her green eyes now were hailed as one of her best features. She’d switched up the overalls and plaid shirts for designer clothes. All on sale of course. Lara still enjoyed finding a good bargain. She now wore her hair in loose waves rather than the ponytails of her youth. Her brown hair was now a shade lighter with golden highlights. When she walked into a room these days, men tended to stare rather than snicker. And she never had a shortage of guys asking her out on dates. But she’d never found her soulmate. She’d almost given up on ever finding him. Most days she wasn’t even sure she believed he existed.
But deep down inside she still hoped…and prayed he was out there waiting to meet her. She still believed in finding “the one.”
The sound of her stomach growling drew her attention to the fact that she hadn’t eaten in a few hours. She was starving! As if on auto-pilot, Lara found herself driving down Main Street, past all the shops and eateries. Her sister Avery’s place, Bounty Books, caused her to grin with happiness. Avery and books went together like peanut butter and jelly. She drove past the local newspaper, The Daily Treasure, and Gems, the jewelry store owned by the family of her best friend in high school, Jade Sims. If Jade hadn’t been out of town on business, Lara would have popped in to greet her old friend. Soon enough they would meet up over chocolate shakes and fries, just like in the old days.
Then she spotted Pirate Pizza! Mmm. Pizza. Hot, cheesy, mouth-watering pizza. It would really hit the spot right about now. Perhaps she would just stop for a couple slices and then be on her merry way. She’d promised to meet Avery in an hour at the condo by the beach her employer had rented for her to live in during her stay in town. Perfect timing for her to grab a quick bite, then meet up with her sister.
The moment she walked through the doors, the smell of baking dough and tomato sauce tantalized her senses. She could practically taste the pizza in her mouth! She looked around, waiting for someone to seat her in the dining area.
Suddenly, her stomach did a tremendous flip flop. Her mouth swung open at the sight of the handsome, dark-haired man sitting at a booth not twenty feet away from her. Despite the years that had stretched out between them, she would recognize him anywhere.
Ryan Burton.
She sucked in a deep breath at the raw impact of Ryan and his raw masculinity and good looks. Of all the people to run into the moment she hit town. Why did it have to be him?
Steady, she told herself. This wasn’t high school and she was no longer the outsider who’d been ridiculed for her appearance and bookishness. She was a poised grown-up now, she reminded herself. Just breathe. Everything will be fine.
The years had been extremely kind to Ryan. His boyish good looks had morphed into an adult masculinity and raw power. With his chocolate brown hair and Caribbean blue eyes, Ryan was a looker. His face had a rugged appeal. A strong jawline and chin gave him a look of strength. Lara had to give it to him. He’d aged like a fine wine. A little sigh slipped past her lips. Not that she was surprised by the magnificence
of Ryan Burton. He’d always been golden.
Her heart began to beat in a fast rhythm inside her chest. What if he recognized her? She felt awkward about seeing him on her first day back in town. No way he’ll recognize you, a little voice buzzed in her ear. It had been years since she’d last seen him. Some days she barely recognized her own self in the mirror. She had transformed in a major way, according to her sister.
“Take a seat wherever you like, honey,” a white-haired waitress told her. The woman waved to the dining area where Ryan was seated.
In order to take a seat, she had to walk by Ryan, who was sitting in his booth calmly looking at his menu. Phew. At least he wasn’t looking in her direction. Studiously avoiding looking his way, Lara began walking down the aisle, past customers who were happily chowing down on large plates of food and mouth-watering slices of pizza. Her stomach grumbled noisily as the smell of sizzling meat wafted under her nose.
Just as she walked past Ryan, she felt a slight grasp on her arm. With her heart in her throat, she stopped in her tracks and looked down at him.
He was gazing up at her quizzically. “I’m sorry. You look really familiar, but I can’t place you. I thought so the moment you walked in here. Do I know you?”
Lara shook off her nerves. After all these years she refused to be intimidated by the sheer gorgeousness of Ryan Burton. It was bad enough that he’d mesmerized her in high school. But then again, Ryan had done that to everyone. As the golden boy of Treasure Harbor, Ryan had been every girl’s dream. And the weight of the Burton name had made him King of Treasure Harbor.
She swallowed past the huge lump in her throat. “Hi, Ryan. It’s me. Lara. Lara Callahan.”
She almost laughed out loud at the way his eyes popped wide open and his face twisted into an expression of disbelief. He looked like he might bust a blood vessel or something. It was almost painful to suppress her giggles. She had to admit, she’d gone through a transformation in the past few years. Sometimes she didn’t even recognize herself.
“L-Lara? I can’t believe it!” he said in a raised voice. He stood up abruptly and enveloped her in a tight hug, one that took her completely by surprise. Although Ryan had been a classmate of hers going all the way back to nursery school and they had once been the best of friends in elementary school, they hadn’t shared a close relationship once adolescence hit. Matter of fact, she couldn’t remember a single conversation they’d ever exchanged during their teen years. Back in grade school they’d been best buddies, but their families had put a stop to that relationship. But, considering the fact that the Callahan and Burton families had always hated each other, it was understandable. At the time it had been excruciating for Lara to lose Ryan’s friendship.
Everyone in Treasure Harbor knew that the Burton and Callahan families had bad blood between them. Yes, indeed. There was nothing quite like centuries-old pirate’s treasure to divide two families.
By the time Ryan let go of her, she’d managed to mask her facial expression to one that was cool, calm and collected. Or at least she hoped that’s how she appeared to Ryan. As a journalist, she’d had lots of practice schooling her emotions.
“It’s good to see you,” Lara said, keeping her voice even. “How long has it been?”
Ryan scratched his jaw. “Well, it’s been ten years since graduation. I think we ran into each other after college, so maybe six years or so.”
“That sounds about right,” Lara said, shifting from one foot to another.
“Hey, why don’t you sit down. I haven’t ordered yet. We can catch up on old times,” Ryan suggested, gesturing toward the booth.
Old times? There hadn’t been any old times since they were ten years old, Lara thought with a laugh. What with the Burton-Callahan feud, it was a minor miracle that they’d ever been friends in the first place. Although it seemed like a lifetime ago, at one point in time Ryan had been her very best friend in the world. Until he wasn’t.
She opened up her mouth to say no thank you, then reconsidered. Ryan Burton was a native of Treasure Harbor. As far as she knew, he’d never strayed far from town. No doubt he was now employed in the lucrative Burton import-export business.
He knew the town like the back of his hand, as well as the story surrounding the treasure. After all, for generations, the Burtons had fought with her family, the Callahan clan, over ownership of the legendary riches. Each family truly believed the bounty, if recovered, should belong to them. And since Nor’easter Igor had churned up gold coins and jewels on Bounty Beach, everyone had gone into treasure seeking mode.
Ryan could be a great asset for her series about the treasure. One of the drawbacks of not living locally any longer was that she wasn’t up to date on local gossip. Although her sister, Avery, had given her a little bit of information, she couldn’t help but think that Ryan would be a wonderful resource. A possible foundation of information. As a member of the prestigious Burton family, Ryan had to be aware of any and all theories regarding the treasure.
“Sure. Why not,” she said, taking a seat at the booth table. Ryan sat down across from her, gifting her with a pearly smile. She willed her heart not to do flip-flops. This man possessed charm and good looks in abundance. Her eyes traveled to his long, graceful fingers. He was idly tapping them on the table in front of her. No wedding ring! Hah! She knew that if Ryan Burton had walked down the aisle, Avery or Jade would have called to tell her every last detail. It probably would have been the wedding of the decade in Treasure Harbor.
A feeling of elation raced through her at the notion that he hadn’t made that particular leap of faith. Uh oh. Why did she even care if Ryan was married or not? It shouldn’t matter to her in the slightest bit. Just focus on your work and you’ll be fine!
The white-haired waitress—Terri according to her name tag—stopped at the table.
“What can I get you, honey?” she asked, mini notebook in hand.
“Some lemonade and two slices of cheese pizza would be great,” Lara said, her mouth salivating at the prospect. Lunch was her favorite meal of the day and she usually ate it at noon sharp. She was so not one of those girls who nibbled on salad and carrots. She could scarf down a meal with the best of them.
“The usual?” Terri asked Ryan, shooting him a wink.
“You got it, beautiful. I thought looking at the menu might inspire me to order something new, but there’s nothing better than a calzone and a chocolate shake.” Ryan’s smile made him look even more gorgeous, Lara realized. She felt certain that Terri’s face might crack wide open if she grinned any harder at Ryan. It seemed some things never changed. Ryan still possessed charm in abundance.
“Coming right up,” Terri said, darting her gaze between Lara and Ryan as she collected both of their menus. A slight smile tugged at the corner of the older woman’s lips. Something told Lara that Terri might be gossiping later on about her and Ryan. Small towns like Treasure Harbor tended to have a serious rumor mill.
So much for making an inconspicuous entry into town! Her name would be on wagging tongues all over town by nightfall. Such was life in Treasure Harbor. Gossip was a local sporting event.
Once Terri walked away, Ryan shook his head and let out a chuckle. “I think Terri is mighty curious about you joining me for lunch. She’s used to seeing me solo,” he said in a teasing voice. “By midnight, they’ll have us engaged.”
Engaged! Her heart pounded in her ears. Back in her teenage years the thought of being engaged to Ryan would have given her heart failure. Why in the world were her palms getting moist? It would be ridiculous for her to get in a tizzy over him all over again.
Dear Lord, please don’t let me fall for Ryan all over again. It was awful enough when I had a massive crush on him in high school and he barely knew I existed. I truly don’t want to travel down that road again. Not for anything in this world! I’m here in town to write a series for the Times. That’s it!
“This might be the first time Callahan’s and Burtons have broken brea
d together,” she teased. Still, after all these years, there was something about Ryan that made her feel like sunshine was shimmering down on her. She felt almost giddy under the weight of it.
Ryan shook his head and frowned. “Those old animosities are ridiculous. Believe it or not, our families are still at odds. And things have ratcheted up now that some remnants of the treasure have been discovered. I’m sure you’ve heard all about it.”
Terri came back to the table, lemonade in hand. She placed it down in front of Lara, then quickly headed to another table.
Lara thirstily sipped her lemonade. “It’s hard to miss it when it made national news. It seems everyone has gone treasure crazy.” Lara knew full well that people had traveled to Treasure Harbor from far and wide, descending on her hometown so they too could search for lost treasure.
It bugged her that there was so much greed in the world. Not a single one of them had altruistic motives.
Ryan grimaced. “Tell me about it. Treasure Harbor has been inundated with adventurers seeking instant riches. It’s going to get messy if someone does stumble across it. It’s the treasure of a lifetime. People are motivated by the fact that ten percent of the treasure’s value is being offered to anyone who finds it. Although as a Burton, I think it’s safe to say that my family would want to assert full ownership if we’re the ones to find it.”
She leaned forward across the table. “So you think the treasure actually exists. I’ve always been a bit on the pessimist side. It’s hard to believe in something you can’t really reach out and grab.”
His eyes widened imperceptibly. “Of course I believe in it. And the discoveries after Nor’easter Igor struck town prove it. The jewels, coins and relics found on Treasure Beach most likely date back to the seventeen-hundreds. It all fits with the legend passed down by my Burton ancestors.” Ryan winked at her. “I’ll have you know that I have my eye on the prize. Finding the elusive treasure would be amazing.”
Some Kind of Wonderful (Treasure Harbor Book 1) Page 2
