“That’s on her father’s head. But she loves him anyway. I don’t get that.” He stood and rinsed his plate off, then put it in the dishwasher. “Be careful on the drive home, okay?” He kissed her cheek. “And thanks for saving me, even though I didn’t need it.”
Dani’s right brow arched. “You still need it.” She patted his chest. “There’s a big heart in there, if you’ll just allow yourself to use it fully. Gabby needs you, Jake. And maybe it couldn’t hurt to need her a little bit, too.”
“I don’t need anyone but myself.” Besides, Gabby was going to hate him if he had to turn her father in. Rock. Hard place.
But he had a feeling Gabby might just be worth the trouble. She had good intentions. He liked that. And he liked her. So he’d focus on keeping her safe.
Gabby hung on to Jake for dear life as he navigated the ATV over rocks and around low scrub and trees. The bright sun was out and melting what was left of the snow. Dani’s black boots, knit hat, and gloves complemented by jeans and her own coat kept Gabby cozy and warm. And Jake was like a furnace plastered to her chest. It wasn’t a hardship to feel his muscles shift as he drove them to the site, guided by her phone.
She needed to buy Jake a new phone because she’d smashed his to bits. His had been an older version, so she’d upgrade him to the latest and greatest. It was the least she could do for him. Especially because she was secretly relieved that he’d insisted on helping her get the statue. She wasn’t sure she could outwit her father’s men while searching for it alone. And the hunt for her had begun just a few hours ago.
Jake braked hard and then cut the engine.
He unstrapped his helmet and said, “We’d better walk the rest of the way. ATV noise is fairly common around here, but we don’t want to get too close. If someone beat us to the site, we don’t want to let them know we’re here.” He swung his leg off and hung his helmet on a nearby tree branch. Then he grabbed his rifle and his backpack.
She got off and shed her helmet, too. Then she reached for her bag that had what she’d need to dig. “If we accidentally run into my father’s men, I know it will pain you to be quiet, but let me do the talking. Your life could depend on it.”
Jake shook his head. “We aren’t going to accidentally do anything. I was in the military and know how to sneak up on the enemy. You need to listen to me and do as I say. Or your life might depend on it.”
“My father’s men won’t hurt me.”
“What if it’s Dean who’s out there? And he’s operating alone? I bet he’d shoot us in a heartbeat rather than go to jail for stealing the statue and map. Or, what if your father hired strangers who know what they’re doing to dig that statue up and have no clue who you are? We don’t know if we’ll find dear old Dad or his minions, so you aren’t safe, Red. Is that clear?”
“Perfectly.” Interesting—Jake had been a cowboy and then went into the military. “But you don’t have to be so bossy about it,” she mumbled as she reached into her bag and pulled out her gun.
Jake’s eyes grew wide. “Whoa, there, Red. What the hell is that? And do you actually know how to shoot it?”
“It’s a nine-millimeter semiautomatic with a built-in silencer. It has a fifteen-round magazine. Pick a target.”
“May I?” He held his hand out for the gun.
“Sure.” She carefully handed it to him, the way she’d been taught.
“This looks like something out of a science fiction movie.” He flipped the safety and aimed at a tree. “See that big knot on that trunk straight ahead?” He pulled the trigger, and a loud pop sounded. Jake didn’t even flinch. Suppressors didn’t really make guns silent like in the movies, and he hadn’t been surprised by that. Which surprised her a bit.
He handed her the gun. “Can you hit that, too?”
She lifted it and aimed. “Above or below your shot?”
“Getting cocky, huh? Above.”
She shot, flipped the safety, grabbed her things, and started walking toward the tree. Jake caught up and matched her long strides. As they got close, he said, “I’ll be damned. You’re good, Red. And that’s some gun. Suppressors are illegal in some states. But then I guess your father knows all about that.”
“Yeah. I grew up with guns lying around the house like knickknacks. And was taught to shoot one as soon as I could handle the kick. How did you know about suppressors?” She tucked the gun into the waistband of her jeans at her back.
“Hello? Military?” He hitched up his backpack, pocketed the ATV’s keys, and tucked his rifle in the crook of his arm, pointing down as a hunter would. “Let’s roll.”
She followed behind him. The sunshine was intense at the higher altitude, the light layer of snow just thick enough to cause resistance, and the air super thin. She huffed a little trying to keep up with him. When he got too far ahead, he’d shorten his stride for her to catch up, but the man seemed to be in a bigger hurry than she was.
He finally slowed enough so that they could walk side by side. “Tell me about this statue we’re after.”
She sucked in enough air to talk and run-walk at the same time. “Are you familiar with the Inca of Peru?”
He sent her a smug look. “Ancient civilization wiped out by the Spaniards about four hundred years ago?”
“Yes.” She smiled. It pleased her that he knew about the tribe that fascinated her. Maybe there was more to him than met the eye. “Then you might know that there were thirteen emperors according to most historians, the first seven the most important and well known. They were warriors, constantly attacking other nearby tribes. In the case of our statue, the son killed his own father for control of the tribe, stealing his father’s statue, too. That’s where the curse part comes in. Legend says the first time they were paired together, the Inca were invaded by the Spaniards shortly after that. The second time, World War One happened.”
“Please. That’s just a coincidence.” Jake checked her phone to gauge their location. “Was our guy one of the important seven?”
“No. He was further down the road, right before their civilization was left in tatters by the coming of the Spaniards. The value of all that stolen booty was so great, it altered the whole European economic system. It caused a recession.”
“Probably what they deserved for stealing all that in the first place.”
She chuckled. “You’re really big on right and wrong, aren’t you?”
“Yes. You need to remember that, if we run into your father’s men or Dean.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” She lengthened her stride again to keep up.
“Nothing. I’m curious about something, Red. How did you manage to date in college if everyone thought you had a live-in boyfriend?”
Dani must’ve told him about that. “There’s the nosy chatterbox I’ve come to expect. I thought I’d left him back at the cabin.”
Jake abruptly stopped. “You did for the most part. This is serious stuff we’re doing, Red. You’re not from around here, but disturbing Native ancient burial grounds is not a laughing matter. We could go to jail if caught. But I have to admit, this is a clever place to hide the statue. No one would ever mess with it here.” He started walking again.
She caught up. “I’m aware of the consequences. That’s why I was trying to do things legally, until my father made it impossible to save the statue unless I went rogue. It’s the only way the world will ever see that artifact in a museum again. Once in private hands, it’ll be gone for good.”
She tripped on a root, but he caught her before she fell flat on her face. He said, “It means that much to you? To risk so much for a statue?”
“Yes.” She regained her footing, but he still held her arm. She’d have thought he’d let it go like it’d been on fire. “It’s important for generations to learn from previous ones. And museums play an important role in that. I think it’s sad that it’s so hard to obtain funding for preservation of international treasures.”
Jake nodded. “I see yo
ur point. Now, back to the dating question.” He finally released his grip on her arm.
He was like a dog after a bone when he wanted to know something. “I’d meet guys at parties, and if they called, go out with them. I’d tell them that I’d just broken up with my boyfriend, but he hadn’t moved out yet so we couldn’t go to my place. If after some time I liked a guy, I’d sleep with him. If things got too serious, I’d tell him I’d reconciled with my ex. You’d be surprised how many guys just wanted to have sex and didn’t care I had a boyfriend at home.”
Jake laughed. “Men are dogs. Didn’t any of your guards ever try to hit on you?”
“No. My father made sure all my guards knew I was off-limits. Why are you so interested in my sex life?”
He slowed his pace and checked the phone again. “Maybe I’m trying to figure out how dangerous it’d be to my health if you decided you wanted to have sex with me. We’re almost there. Keep your voice down.”
The only sound emitted from her mouth was “Ack.” The man threw her off-balance like no one else. No men had ever told her they were weighing their options in case she decided to sleep with them.
She cleared her throat and tried again. “News flash. Not every woman instantly falls for your charm and good looks.” Although she had, surely not all women would.
“Ouch. So that’s a no to sex?” He crouched down behind some rocks and dug binoculars out of his bag.
She wouldn’t mind having sex with him, but he was never serious about anything. He was probably just teasing her, as usual. Besides, sex with Jake would most likely be a bad idea.
She whispered, “You can be so annoying, Jake.”
He smiled as he peered through the binoculars. As if it made him happy he’d flustered her. “But in a sexy way, right?”
“Stop.” She shook her head in exasperation. “What do you see?”
“You said you missed the nosy chatterbox. I aim to please.”
She leaned closer, trying to see what he was seeing. “I didn’t say I missed it. Can I have those please?” She held her hand out for the binoculars.
“It was implied.” He handed the glasses over. “Looks like we’re not the first ones here. The snow’s all beat up and muddy. Bet we’re too late.”
Dammit!
Had her father gotten the statue first?
Chapter Six
As he peered through high-powered field glasses, Jake asked, “Why do you want to go out there, Red? Judging by all the footprints, surely the statue is gone.” After spotting disturbed snow at the dig site, he checked the perimeter again to see if they were alone.
He’d asked Gabby about her escape from home and her sex life to see how closely her father guarded her. Looked like she’d been locked down tight. Her guards could be lurking nearby, so they’d have to stay on their toes. He couldn’t let the thugs get her back before she got her statue.
Gabby picked up her phone from the rock where he’d laid it. “I need to see if whoever was snooping around here dug in the right place.”
It was a risk, but she was right. They didn’t know who the footprints belonged to. It could’ve even been someone from the tribal police patrolling the area now that they’d seen the request to dig. “Okay. Follow me and stay close.”
He scanned the trees that surrounded the clearing one more time and then slowly set out across the lightly snow-covered ground.
Gabby laid her hand on his back as she followed behind. It bugged him a little. But she’d been nervously chewing on her bottom lip a moment ago, so he’d let it pass. She usually had bodyguards who protected her 24–7. And she worked in a dusty, guarded museum all day, so she was clearly out of her element. Like a lamb facing a lion. Of course, she was afraid.
He glanced over his shoulder to check behind them, and Gabby held her gun at the ready. “Put that away before you accidentally shoot me.”
“But”—she stopped walking—“what if I need to use it?”
When he stared her down, she reluctantly tucked her gun back where it was before.
“Thank you.” He started walking again. “Do you think you could shoot someone with that if you have to?”
“No. I was just planning to shoot near someone. I’d never be able to actually shoot a person.”
He dug deep for patience. She’d violated the first rule of gun ownership. “What are the chances your guards know that about you?”
She caught up, and her hand returned to the same spot on his back, right between his shoulder blades. “About a hundred percent. Are there bears out here, too?”
“Probably still hibernating. Don’t take that gun out unless you’re prepared to shoot someone. Or a bear. Promise me, Red.”
“Okay. I think I could shoot a bear. Maybe.”
They approached the dig site. It didn’t look like anything as special as ancient burial grounds to him. Just a bunch of muddy snow and an empty hole in the ground. “Looks like we’re too late.”
Gabby grabbed her phone from her pocket and checked the GPS location. “This is the spot, but seriously, how accurate could someone have been back then? It was buried during World War Two. They didn’t have the technology we do now.”
He continued to scan the trees and cliffs while she got down on her hands and knees and pulled out her shovel. He asked, “Did the map say how deep it was buried?”
“Yes, thankfully, but the blowing winds here and the sandy soil could affect that.” She glanced at the empty hole beside her. “That’s about the right depth according to what we’d guessed, darn it. But the man who buried it had used the length of his footsteps from that big rock over there to measure, so it could still be here. That’s not an accurate way to mark the spot.”
He examined the lone hole. “If someone hadn’t found it, wouldn’t they be doing exactly what you’re doing? Digging more holes?”
Gabby stopped her frantic digging and glanced up at him. “You’re right.” She tossed her shovel aside and stood. “Crap!”
He continued to watch for signs of movement while she stomped around the site, muttering to herself. She grew quiet midmutter and crouched to the ground.
“Jake, look at this. It makes no sense.”
He took one last look around and then knelt beside her. She had a piece of broken pottery in her hand. “What? This place is supposed to be full of artifacts, right?”
She shook her head. “Not from this tribe. This shard is from a tribe in the Dakotas. See this distinctive pattern? We have a ton of pieces like this back in the lab right now.”
Back in the lab? Where she and Dean both worked? “Gabby, if someone kidnapped you and told you to find the statue, what would you do when you got here?”
She frowned. “It depends on my motivation. If I wanted the statue, I’d dig it up. If I didn’t want to find it, I’d dig in the wrong place and say the information must be wrong. We had strong theories about two other burial grounds before the cartographer told us it was here.”
He nodded. “What if you didn’t want to find the statue but knew someone with some archaeology knowledge was going to be right behind you? Someone who could save it?”
Her eyes went wide. “Dean must’ve left this here for me to find.” She scanned the distance between the hole and where she’d found the pottery. “I wonder if the placement of the shard is another clue.” She laid the chunk of pottery down and ran to her bag. She pulled out some string, a metal spike, and a pen. “Could you hold this right here, please?”
He leaned down and held the string while she unraveled it. She lined up the spike with the big rock and then ran it into the ground. She marked the string with the pen and then wrapped it around the spike. Then she stood back to take a picture with her cell. “He might be telling me it’s right here, while he leads his kidnappers on a wild-goose chase.” She leaned down and started digging.
She dug hard and fast. He wanted to help, but her guards knew she’d visit the site, so he needed to stay alert. The shortest distance to cover
if anyone started shooting was a good fifty-yard run across open terrain. It made him itchy.
“Gabby, I imagine your dad owns a plane or two, right?”
She nodded. “One for domestic and one for overseas. Why?” She continued to dig at a breakneck pace. The anticipation on her face was amusing. Like a kid opening a present at Christmastime.
“How early this morning do you think your aunt confessed?”
“She said they woke her up. And she’s a pretty early riser usually, so I’d guess it was before six thirty.” Gabby flipped to the other side of the hole she was working on and widened it.
“How long does it take to reach the airport where your dad keeps his planes from your house?”
She stopped and laid her hands on her knees. “Oh, you’re calculating how soon they could be here. I already did that this morning. They’re two hours ahead, which doesn’t help, but I figure my guards couldn’t be here before twelve thirty or one o’clock.”
“That soon.” He glanced toward the trees again. All clear. “Maybe you should dye your hair a different color. Red is too easy to spot.”
“Good idea.” She looked up and smiled. “I’ve had red hair long enough. Maybe I’ll go blonde.”
“Blonde or red haired, you’ll always be pretty.”
She shook her head and started digging again. “Making myself more attractive to you isn’t the point, Jake. Brown or black hair is more common and would probably blend better.”
He smiled. Now she was thinking more like a cop.
He laid a hand over his heart. “No matter what color you choose, it’d be impossible for me to be any more attracted to you than I already am.” He wasn’t joking about that. Gabby was pretty inside and out.
“I’ve timed it, and you are evidently incapable of being serious for more than twenty minutes. Did you know that?”
“I think it’s more like nineteen minutes.” He shrugged. “Because that last thing I said was stone-cold true. Hurry please.”
Dealing Double (A Heartbreaker Novel Book 2) Page 8
