And why did Jackson care? “Why are you asking?”
“Just making conversation.”
“Oh.” I paced a few more steps, my gaze scanning the landscape around us. Was Siegfried out here? Was he watching us?
I shivered at the thought.
Even if Siegfried was here now, what did that mean for Cora? Where was she?
“Where do you think Siegfried took Cora?” I asked Jackson, careful not to trip over a root.
“I have some officers looking into his background to see if anything turns up. Hopefully they’ll find something that will offer some clues.”
“I hope she’s okay.”
“Me too.”
Words seemed to lodge in my throat as I glanced over at Jackson. “Thanks for letting me come along, by the way. I know this probably wasn’t your first choice, considering some of my past . . . mistakes.” Was that the right word? I wasn’t sure. “I’m going to prove that I’m more trustworthy. I promise.”
“Things are always interesting when you’re around, Joey.”
I continued to shine my light on the path, hoping for some clue. If we found Siegfried, we could find Cora. I prayed she was okay.
“We should be getting close,” I said. “At least, we should be if what Zane told me is correct. He said to start looking right after the railing ends. It just ended.”
I stopped by a live oak. “This is the tree Zane mentioned. It has the bench also.”
“This is where we go off-roading.” Jackson glanced at me. “You ready for this?”
“Of course.”
I immediately missed the safety of the well-marked trail, as underbrush crept around our ankles, tree roots hid just out of sight, and decomposing leaves made certain areas of the ground soft.
Jackson stayed close. That was the one good thing about all of this. I also knew that other officers were out here searching for Siegfried as well. If anything happened, we weren’t alone.
Jackson placed one hand on my back. Just as a safety precaution, I reminded myself. It was so dark out here. So dark and isolated. It was the perfect place for a crime.
“Where do you see yourself ending up, Joey?” Jackson asked.
His question threw me. He was probably just trying to keep me distracted from the fears that kept wanting to surface.
“I’m not sure.”
“Do you see yourself settling down somewhere away from the limelight?”
I moved closer to him as the trees squeezed together more closely. “Those are questions I’ve asked myself many times. I don’t know. I won’t know until I have some answers about my father. He’s really my only concern at the moment.”
“Do you miss Hollywood?”
Again, another unexpected question. “If I were to be honest, there’s something addictive about fame. It’s like a drug, and you keep wanting another hit. Yet I know how unhealthy that is.”
“They say that to whom much is given, much is expected. Your star power is a big responsibility.”
My heart squeezed at his words. Wasn’t that the revelation I’d been having lately also? I might not have worded it that way, but what he’d said was true. “I know. I want to make the most of each opportunity, but I don’t want to lose myself in the process.”
“That sounds smart.”
Just then, Jackson’s light hit a tree in the distance.
“That’s it,” I whispered. “That’s the tree.”
We rushed toward it. As Jackson shone his light on the tree, I touched the image carved into the bark decades and decades ago.
“It looks like the image Ryan showed us, doesn’t it?” I asked.
“It sure does.” Jackson paused. “Shall we?”
“Let’s.” He handed something to me. “Hold the flashlight for me.”
He pulled a small camping shovel from his belt, where he’d attached it. He’d had the shovel in the back of his car, which didn’t surprise me. He was a grown-up Boy Scout.
I held my breath as he dug into the dirt below the tree. A small pile formed near my feet as Jackson plowed deeper and deeper. Finally, the tip of his shovel hit something.
I sucked in a breath. A root?
Jackson got on his hands and knees and began shoving the dirt aside. A moment later, he thrust his hand into the darkness and emerged with a rusty metal box.
Our gazes connected.
I could hardly breathe as he broke the rusted lock, flipped up the latch, and pulled it open.
I knelt beside him, still holding the flashlight. A burlap bag was folded inside. Jackson gently pulled the top open. Something glistened in the depths of the fabric.
Purple diamonds.
“We found them,” I said, releasing my breath. “I can’t believe it. I feel like Indiana Jones.”
“This was kind of fun, wasn’t it?”
We shared a smile, and for a brief moment I felt like we were partners.
“We should get out of here,” Jackson said.
No sooner had the words left his lips did gunfire shatter the peace around us.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
“Get down!” Jackson jerked me closer to the ground and pulled out his gun. “Get behind the tree!”
On all fours, I scrambled across the sandy landscape. My knee hit a root, and pain pulsed through me. I ignored it and ducked behind a large oak tree. Jackson followed behind me, his gun in one hand and the treasure in the other.
“I’m calling for backup,” Jackson whispered. He pushed the metal box toward me and grabbed his phone to report that shots had been fired at our location. Before he ended the conversation, he stiffened. “What? Okay. Let me know what happens.”
My fingers dug into the bark of the tree as I waited for the shooter to make his next move. “Everything okay?”
Jackson shoved the phone back into his pocket, still crouched beside me with his gun raised. “Besides the fact we’re being shot at?”
“Yes, besides that.”
His gaze searched the distance as he peered out from behind the tree. “Detective Corbin found out that Siegfried’s dad owned a hunting cabin in the area.”
“What?” My voice rose in a hushed whisper.
“It’s on one of those islands in the Roanoke Sound. It’s really more of a shack. We have guys going out there to investigate now. It’s our best lead.”
Hope rose in me. Maybe Cora could be found there. Maybe all of this would be worth it and not just a lesson in futility and greed.
But there was one thing that was bothering me. What was it? The thought hovered in the back of my mind.
A twig snapped in the distance, and another bullet bit into the tree in front of us, sending wood chips raining down. The shooter had changed directions.
“We’ve got to keep moving,” Jackson whispered. “Stay low, okay?”
“Okay.”
“Hold these.” He thrust the box into my hands.
This was no time to question whether or not he trusted me with the jewels. I’d do that later—once I knew we would survive this.
He grabbed my hand and tugged me into the thick trees around us. I hugged the box to my chest, praying I didn’t somehow screw this up. He’d trusted me with one task, and I didn’t intend on letting him down.
He pulled me deeper into the forest, remaining low. Out of sight. Quiet.
That unknown, unable-to-put-my-finger-on-it thought continued to nag at me as we ducked through the woods. When we paused behind a tree, Jackson put a finger to his lips, indicating I should stay quiet. He needed to listen to telltale signs of our shooter, I guessed.
All I could hear was my heart furiously pounding in my ears. The Goat Man could charge me now, and I doubted I’d hear him.
That idea continued to circle in my mind. What was it? What was wrong and signaling alarm in my brain? Before the idea could emerge, footsteps charged from the darkness.
Another bullet hit wood and sent splinters raining down on us again. I sunk down, suddenly feelin
g exposed and like a deer being hunted.
“Shouldn’t we run?” I whispered.
“We can’t,” Jackson said. “We’re at water.”
I sucked in a breath. The water. The murky swamp water. Water probably filled with leeches and snakes and other creepy crawlies.
I’d rather take my chances with a gun.
“We can’t just stay here.”
“Backup should be here at any time.” He pressed into me—covering my body with his—as we stood behind the tree. “Just stay calm. I’ve got this.”
Suddenly it hit me what was bothering me. I knew who really was behind this. We were looking at the wrong person. I peered out from my shelter, desperate for a glimpse of the truth.
“Jackson, I don’t think Siegfried—”
My voice caught as the moonlight illuminated a figure in the distance.
And it wasn’t Siegfried.
No, it was . . . Ryan.
Realization flushed through me. That was right. Ryan would have known about that family hunting cabin, but he hadn’t shared the information with the police. Plus, he’d offered information on Siegfried a little too freely.
Ryan was setting his brother up to take the fall.
He paced closer toward us, his gun still raised. “There’s no need for hiding. We all know what’s going on here, don’t we?” he said.
“You don’t have to do this, Ryan,” Jackson said, his gun still trained on the man, in a Mexican standoff.
“You couldn’t handle your brother getting all of the glory while you were jobless and poor, could you?” I asked.
“Just hand over the diamonds, and we can end this.” Ryan paused three feet away.
“It’s not that easy, Ryan,” Jackson said.
I was still hyperfocused on his betrayal and feeling empowered by Jackson’s presence. “You set him up. Your own flesh and blood.”
“He’s only ever looked out for himself. I’ve seen cell mates look out for each other more than he ever looked out for me.”
“He discovered the diamonds through one of those journals he was reading,” I said. “But you weren’t about to let him find all the diamonds. You wanted a piece of the pie. You wanted the whole pie, for that matter.”
He didn’t deny it. “There were two burial sites. Cora found the first one. And now you just found the second one.”
Even in the dark I could see the sweat across his face.
“Speaking of Cora . . . where is she?” Jackson asked.
“She’s fine. She wasn’t ever supposed to get involved in this.” The gun trembled in Ryan’s hand. This wasn’t his jam, but he was going to force the issue, I realized. The money was that important to him.
“How did she get involved?” Jackson continued.
If we could wait him out, backup would be here soon. I hoped Ryan didn’t do anything foolish in the meantime.
“Cora overheard Siegfried talking to some people at the party about those markings on the trees. He didn’t mention treasure. He made it sound like they were historical markers. I knew the truth.”
“And?” Jackson tugged me back behind the tree.
He’d take a bullet for me, I realized. But I’d known that before.
“And then we started talking. I thought she liked me. But my brother stepped in and asked her out. She said no. That’s when I knew I liked her.” He smirked—I could hear it in his words.
“A little competitive with your brother?” I muttered.
“Cora and I started talking about Nags Head Woods, and it turned out she had spent a lot of time exploring the grounds. I saw an opportunity. I told her that Siegfried had a silly theory about those tree markers, that pirates supposedly buried treasure there. A lot of treasure.”
“You put out some bait,” Jackson said.
“As soon as I said it, I could see her wheels turning. She was going to go look for herself, and I decided to follow her. She found the first set of diamonds. I couldn’t believe it. And I knew she wouldn’t walk away from the find, so I grabbed her.”
“You tied her up at your dad’s hunting cabin in the middle of an island,” Jackson said.
Ryan ran a hand through his hair. “It was never supposed to go this far. But I couldn’t leave town with her. People would get suspicious. They’d know I was behind this.”
“Is your brother involved?” Jackson asked.
Ryan frowned, like he wanted to lie but knew there was no use. “No, he knows nothing about this. He’s back at the house. I had to tie him up so he wouldn’t come after me.”
“There’s no need to draw this out,” Jackson said. “Put the gun down and let’s end this.”
“Why would I do that? Right now we both have a fifty-fifty chance.”
“You know you’re not going to shoot me,” Jackson said. “It’s not in you.”
“Of course it is.” Ryan’s voice trembled.
“We just need to end this, Ryan.”
“You’re right. Let’s end this.”
A bullet rang out.
I froze. Unsure where it had come from. If I’d been hit, for that matter. If Jackson had been hit.
Before I could react, Ryan grabbed his arm and let out a gasp. Red bled out onto his shirt. Officers rushed from the woods to apprehend him. And Jackson pulled me into his arms before I collapsed.
“You knew the officers were there, didn’t you?” I asked.
“Of course I did. I wouldn’t have let it go on that long otherwise.”
I let out an airy, relieved laugh and let my head fall against his chest. That had been close. Too close.
Loose Lips Danny emerged from the swarm of officers and approached us. “We found Cora.”
I held my breath. “And?”
Please don’t let her be dead. Please.
“She’s okay but is on the way to the hospital to be checked out.”
Relief filled me. Good. That was all that mattered. That another life hadn’t been destroyed by selfish people.
Cora was safe. Ryan had been apprehended. People had answers.
Now that those details had been settled, I had another realization.
I had to get ready for my red-eye flight to LA. Because I was leaving. Tonight.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Despite all the excitement of the evening, I had other obligations I had to focus on right now. Hollywood.
The good news was that Cora had been found and was safe. The blood found on the mermaid tail was there because she’d cut her foot—nothing that wouldn’t heal. Ryan had been arrested. The diamonds were secure. And the job was done. I could concentrate on finding my father.
Right after Family Secrets hit the big screen.
I glanced at my watch, realizing I had to leave for the airport in thirty minutes.
I could do this. I was going to do this. I’d fly solo during the press junket, and Zane would be at my side for the movie’s premiere. Everything was going to be fine.
Someone knocked on my door. I glanced at my watch. Was Zane here early?
I paced to the door and opened it. To my surprise, Jackson stood there. I drew in a deep breath.
“Jackson. I wasn’t expecting to see you here.”
“There’s something I wanted to tell you before you left for your trip.”
“Oh yeah? What’s that—”
Before I could finish the question, he pulled me into his arms. His lips covered mine.
I froze. Then relaxed. Then wrapped my arms around his neck.
And lost myself in the moment.
Every passionate moment. Who knew that the brooding Jackson could have so much passion inside? I wasn’t going to think about it now.
Finally, he pulled away—though barely. Our faces still touched. Just our foreheads. Our arms still entangled around each other. His around my waist. Mine around his neck.
My heart raced. My lips were swollen. And my head spun. In the clouds. Hazy with emotion.
Neither of us said anything f
or a moment.
I ran my fingers along the hair at his neck. And his stubble. And back to his neck again.
I could still taste him. Spearmint. I wanted a replay. I wanted to run. I didn’t know what I wanted.
I was in so much trouble.
I cleared my throat and tried to pull myself together. “Do you . . . want to come inside?”
Jackson didn’t say anything, so I opened the door. Still facing each other, we gravitated inside, almost as if neither of us ever wanted to let go. Jackson shut the door behind us.
This was the time we should talk. Where I should ask questions. Where I needed to put my head before my heart.
I forced myself to step back. I tried to speak, but my tongue didn’t cooperate. All I could think about was that kiss. That very unexpected yet delightful kiss.
Thankfully, Jackson said something. His voice was hoarse with emotion. “You drive me crazy, Joey.”
Okay, not really what I wanted to hear. “I suspected that.”
He grinned, his fingers pressing into my skin as he pulled me closer. “Crazy in a good way. I can’t stop thinking about you. I wasn’t looking for any of this.”
“Any of what?”
He shook his head, a dark emotion coming over him. I knew. He wasn’t looking for a relationship. Not after Claire.
I really had nothing to say, even though I knew I should.
Instead I reached up, and I kissed him this time. Softly—but only for a couple of seconds. Then all of that pent-up passion unleashed again. And I felt like I could kiss him and keep kissing him and never walk away from this moment.
When we pulled away, we were breathless. I could feel his heart. And reality hit me.
“I’m a mess, Jackson,” I whispered.
“What do you mean?”
“I mean, I make messes out of everything I touch.”
“I don’t believe that.”
“You should. I don’t want to make a mess of you too.” I stepped back, regret lodging itself in my chest.
Jackson didn’t let go though. “Joey . . .”
“You deserve someone who’s . . .” Who’s what, Joey? “Who’s . . . unblemished.”
“There’s no one who exists like that.”
I licked my lips. “Well, there are people who are closer than I am.”
Safety in Blunders (The Worst Detective Ever Book 3) Page 17
