Guardians of Stone (The Relic Seekers)

by Clenney, Anita

  Sometimes she had a hard time knowing if he was teasing, serious, or trying to distract her. “Forget sex, but I wouldn’t say no to a steak. Too bad we aren’t here under nicer circumstances. I would love to explore Italy. There’s so much to see. The Colosseum and the Pantheon. The Sistine Chapel, Saint Mark’s Basilica. And I’ve love to see Venice. I’ve never ridden in a gondola.”

  “We can always come back after we get this mess sorted out.”

  Did he mean as a couple?

  They arrived at the airport where Andy, one of Nathan’s closest guards, met them and helped unload Kendall’s bags.

  “Go ahead to the jet,” Jake said. “I need to use the restroom and make a call. I’ll meet you there.”

  No he wouldn’t. He was lying to her.

  He put his hand on her back, and a sensation shot through her body. She saw three bodies in a room, eyes blacked out like the thieves’. She didn’t know who the third body was, but the first two were Nathan and Jake. They were going to die.

  Shaken, Kendall managed to keep her voice steady. “OK.” She waited until he disappeared and turned to Andy. “I’m not going.”

  “I beg your pardon,” he said.

  “I’m staying here.”

  “I can’t let you do that.” Andy was tall and strong and more than capable of physically forcing her onto the jet. But he was kind. She’d always gotten along with him.

  “Please, Andy. Nathan’s in trouble. So is Jake. I can help them.”

  “I know about your gift, but if you’re not on the plane, it could be my job.”

  “If you make me go, it could be Nathan’s life. I know you have to report to Nathan, but just give me a few hours. Please.”

  After she’d convinced Andy, she hurried outside in time to see Jake getting in the Audi. She hailed the first taxi and opened the door. “I need you to follow that car.” She crammed her bags inside and jumped in. “Don’t lose him.”

  The car shot forward, throwing her against the seats. The driver stayed back but kept Jake’s Audi in sight. He stopped at a car rental company. He must be switching cars again. Kendall’s taxi stayed out of sight, waiting for him to leave. After a few minutes, she heard rumbling, and a dangerous-looking motorcycle pulled out of the parking lot. The rider wore a helmet, so it was impossible to see his face, but she would recognize that body and backpack anywhere.

  “Follow that motorcycle.” They tailed Jake to a hotel. She had the taxi driver stay back as Jake pulled into the parking garage. He swung a leg over the bike and stood. He pulled off his helmet and turned in her direction, as if he sensed he was being watched, but the taxi was hidden behind several other cars. Carrying the helmet and his pack, he started inside.

  She tipped the driver well, took her bags and followed at a distance. When he reached the counter to check in, she swept across the floor toward him. “Hello, darling. Sorry I’m late.”

  The muscles in his shoulders tensed, and he slowly turned. The look of surprise had faded by the time he fully faced her, but a storm was brewing behind those steel-gray eyes.

  She dropped her bags and threw herself into his arms. Standing on tiptoe, she pulled his head down to hers and proceeded to kiss the daylights out of him right there in the lobby. His hand had come up automatically, gripping her arm, and she felt his touch soften. With him sufficiently off-kilter and the clerk certain she belonged here, Kendall moved her mouth close and whispered in Jake’s ear. “If you sneak off again, I’ll dig inside your head and uncover every underhanded, embarrassing thing you’ve ever done.” She leaned back and gave him a bright smile, and then an even brighter one for the benefit of onlookers.

  “Ah, young love,” the clerk said, patting his heart.

  Jake’s answering smile barely lifted one corner of his mouth. He gave her a penetrating stare that would have withered her if she wasn’t already so pissed. “There aren’t words to express how I feel seeing you here,” he said, running his tongue over his bottom lip. He took the key from the clerk and picked up both duffel bags, throwing them over his shoulder. She tried to get hers back, but he brushed her off. He picked up his backpack. With the other hand he grabbed her arm in a pretend lover’s grasp and pulled her toward the elevator.

  “You’re supposed to be on the jet,” he hissed, baring his teeth in a fake smile for the benefit of a passing guest.

  “So are you. How dare you skip out on me?”

  “It’s too dangerous for you here. You heard what Nathan said.”

  “I’m getting sick of you and Nathan telling me what to do. I can think for myself.” She stalked along beside him while he found his room.

  He shoved the key in the lock and opened the door. “I don’t know what the hell you think you’re doing,” he said, stepping inside. “Do you have any idea how pissed Nathan is going to be?”

  “He’s not going to be any happier with you.”

  “You’re the one he cares about.” Jake dumped the bags on the floor.

  “I’m staying. Deal with it.”

  “You’re the most stubborn, irritating woman I’ve ever met.”

  “You’re a jerk.”

  He moved around the room, quickly checking under the beds, in the closet, behind the drapes, anyplace a speck of dust might be hiding. When he turned, he moved stiffly. “I’m going to take a shower.” He walked into the bathroom and slammed the door.

  “Humph,” Kendall said to the empty room. She moved the bags out of the way and blew out a sigh. What was she doing here? Jake was right. Nathan was going to be furious. Her head was beginning to ache and she was starving. She picked up the phone and ordered room service. Lasagna and a salad for her, the thickest steak she could get for Jake. Maybe that would soothe his temper. Then they could figure out how to keep Nathan from killing them and figure out what to do next. Including getting her a separate room.

  She stared at her phone, wondering if she should just call Nathan and confess. No, she would wait until morning. She lay back on one of the two beds and tried to relive her dream, hoping for some clues as to how she was supposed to save Nathan and Jake. She had no idea what good she would do, but was certain she had to be there. She’d almost dozed off when she heard a tap at the door. She peeked out and saw a bellboy with a tray. She opened the door and he pushed the cart inside. The aroma of food made her mouth water. The bellboy lifted the lid, but it slipped from his hands and clattered onto the tray.

  “So sorry...” His apology was cut short when the bathroom door burst open. Jake stood there, holding a gun. He was stark naked. Again.

  The bellboy’s eyes widened. He yelled and stuck his hands in the air.

  Kendall’s jaw dropped. It was an impressive sight, in more ways than one. Not the least, the bloody gash on Jake’s side.

  “You’re injured,” Kendall said, staring at the blood.

  Jake lowered the gun.

  The bellboy still had his hands in the air and was gaping at Jake. Jake snatched a jacket from a chair and covered himself while Kendall apologized and escorted the boy to the door, giving him a huge tip. They were going through Nathan’s money like water.

  “What happened to your side?” Kendall asked.

  “It’s just a scratch.” He walked to the bathroom door and grabbed a towel. He didn’t cover himself but dabbed at the cut, which was to the left of his belly button.

  “It’s not a scratch. Did you get that fighting at the inn?”

  “Brandi’s thief caught me in the side with his knife when I knocked him off you.”

  That explained the winces and why he’d changed his shirt. “Do you always get so many injuries?”

  “No. I think it comes from being around you.”

  “Really? How about that scar on your back? I wasn’t there for that. Or the one on—”

  “My ass?”

  Kendall gave him a haughty look. “At least put some clothes on while we try to keep you from bleeding to death.”

  “I’d planned on staying naked, b
ut if it’s getting you hot, I’ll put on a towel. Don’t know why it matters. You’ve seen this,” he ran his hand over his groin, “as much as some married people I know.” He kept his hand there, supposedly covering himself while he reached for the towel, but the gesture made her feel like she needed to stick her head in a freezer.

  “You should have left,” he said.

  “Nathan will die if I do.”

  “Is this one of your, uh...things?”

  “I had a vision.”

  He finished tucking in the edges of his towel. “And you’re willing to risk your life for him.”

  “Not just him. You’re going to die too.”

  His gaze was steady. “And you think you can save us?”

  “I have to try.”

  “It’s too dangerous for you to be here.”

  “You can’t make me leave.”

  “I can,” he said softly, and she knew he could. But he wouldn’t. “We’ll eat and get some rest, and then figure out what to do in the morning.”

  “I’ll go down and get a room.”

  “No. As long as you’re in Italy, you’re sleeping where I can watch you.”

  She didn’t feel like fighting him, and it was safer to be in the same room. Safer in some respects, not others. At least the room had two beds. After that kiss at the inn, it wouldn’t be wise to sleep in the same bed. “I don’t suppose you’re going to have a doctor look at that cut.”

  “No. I’m going to eat. I smell steak.”

  She blew out a frustrated sigh. “You’re not eating until I look at your injury. Where’s the first-aid kit?”

  He grimaced. “In my pack.”

  The cut was surrounded by lots of hot, toned muscles. Far different from bandaging his head. She was feeling warm all over by the time she put the gauze in place. “Where’d you get all these scars?”

  A ripple moved across his flesh. “Different places.”

  There were a couple on his chest, one on his stomach that looked like a bullet wound, and one on his thigh that was visible through the gap in his towel.

  “Checking out the package? Figured you’d have it memorized by now.”

  “I swear, sometimes I want to hit you.”

  “It’s a misplaced sexual urge.”

  “Why didn’t you tell me you’d gotten hurt at the inn?” she asked, ignoring his attempts at distraction.

  “I knew you’d never leave if you found out. Can you hurry? My steak’s getting cold.”

  “You need a doctor.”

  He grinned like a Cheshire cat. “Why see an old man when I can have your hands all over me? It’d be better if you slipped them a few inches lower.”

  “Give it up. I know you’re trying to distract me.”

  She was learning his tactics. He used flirting to put up a wall and keep her from asking questions. The bad boy wasn’t as bad as he seemed. After she finished bandaging his side, she checked his other injuries. His forehead was looking much better, but he still had a black eye from the fight with Nathan. She put the bandages away. “You’ll live. You’re too ornery not to.”

  She hoped.

  He dressed and they sat down to eat. Kendall tried to plan their next moves, but Jake didn’t have much to offer. Strange for someone who was usually so quick. Maybe he was just starving. He was eating with gusto. “You’re not very helpful,” she said.

  “It’s been too long since I’ve had steak.” He glanced at the bed. “Not to mention other things.” He gave her a look that made her body sizzle again.

  “Behave.” She grabbed her drink and downed half.

  He picked up his beer and studied the liquid, his expression sober now. “Why do you think Nathan’s so desperate to get his hands on that spear?”

  “It’s the Spear of Destiny! Have you seen his relic collection?”

  “Some. But he has other relics, objects museums would die for. Hell, he lends stuff to museums. Why is he so desperate for this one? Maybe he believes the rumors and he wants to rule the world.”

  “Nathan isn’t like that.”

  “How do you know?” He looked irritated. “Don’t you think it’s strange that you can’t read him? He could be evil.”

  “I can’t read lots of people.” She didn’t tell him she suspected Nathan was blocking her. “But he’s not evil. I just...know.”

  “People are good at hiding what they want kept secret.” An edge of bitterness crept into his voice. Jake set down the beer.

  “Who betrayed you?”

  He frowned at her. “Damn, that’s annoying. Don’t you get tired of dealing with what’s inside everybody else’s head, not just your own?”

  “You have no idea, but that wasn’t my sixth sense. Anyone could connect those dots.” She watched him and waited. After a minute of rubbing the scar on his thumb, he spoke.

  “I don’t know who betrayed me. That’s the worst part of it.”

  “What happened?”

  “One of my assignments went bad.” He put his elbows on the table and rubbed his temples. “People died.”

  “I’m sorry. What kind of assignment?”

  “The one in Iraq.”

  “Who hired you? The government?”

  “Some rich guy. We never met him. Never knew his name. He worked through a middleman. I figured anything to help counterterrorism was a worthy cause. After a few days, I knew something was wrong. Things weren’t adding up. The prince claimed we’d stolen something from him. It was starting to look like our assignment was a cover for something else. I started looking into it, that’s when I found them.” Jake closed his eyes. “It was the night before we were supposed to fly out.”

  “Found what?”

  He swallowed, and she knew that whatever he was remembering cost him dearly. “The girls.” Jake opened his eyes and looked at her. The pain he’d buried had hardened to bitterness. “Young girls. Some not even teenagers. He kept them in a private part of the palace. Locked up like prisoners in two little rooms. The look in their eyes...” His face tightened.

  “Oh, Jake.”

  “He wasn’t dealing in weapons, but human trafficking. He was selling sex slaves.”

  “What did you do?”

  “I didn’t have much time, but I couldn’t leave them there. I got them out and led them away from the palace.”

  “You got them to safety?”

  “I don’t know. We were attacked on the way. I got shot.”

  That’s what she must have experienced when she touched the drop of Jake’s blood. “Who shot you?”

  “Thomas Little.”

  “Thomas shot you?”

  “He was aiming a gun at me, and when I woke up, I had a bullet in me.”

  “Are you sure it was Thomas?”

  Jake nodded. “I only saw him twice before the attack. Both times at the palace. I never talked to him. He looked different then. His hair was longer, and he didn’t have the beard. But it was him. I recognized him in the grave, without his hat and beard.”

  “You didn’t see him again?”

  Jake shook his head. “When I woke up I was in the palace and the prince was next to me, dead.”

  “You killed him?”

  “I don’t know that either. I can’t even remember how I got there after the attack. But the Iraqis thought I killed him, that’s what counted. And they accused me of stealing.”

  “Stealing what?”

  “Antiques, I think. They kept asking what I’d done with them. I gather the prince collected unusual things.”

  Like young girls. “What about your team?”

  “Killed. They were waiting for me in the helicopter. Someone fired a rocket launcher.”

  “I’m sorry. At least you got those girls out.”

  His face lost all expression. “Not all of them.” She knew he was finished talking about it.

  She didn’t blame him. Her memories were haunting enough. She couldn’t imagine living with his. She wondered if one of the girls had owned that litt
le wooden doll.

  “My God, Jake.” That explained so much about him, the protectiveness, not wanting her there in the first place. She gave his shoulder a light squeeze. “I won’t hold being a jackass against you anymore.”

  He almost smiled.

  “At least you got out of prison,” she said.

  “Yeah,” he muttered, with a sardonic twist to his mouth. “Since we’re baring our souls, tell me one of your secrets.”

  “I’m in love with a ghost. How’s that for a confession?”

  Jake stared at her, the look on his face impossible to read. Kendall would have given a lot to know what he was thinking, but this time she drew a blank. He finally looked down at his hands. “Adam?”

  She nodded. “I don’t know what kind of love it is, but I can’t get free of him. The terrible thing is I don’t want to be free. I feel like he’s alive. I had one boyfriend who accused me of cheating on him. He said he knew there was someone else.” Kendall shrugged her shoulders. “I never told him my heart belonged to a dead twelve-year-old.”

  “Tell me about him?”

  “We both lost our mothers when we were young. Our fathers met at a museum. Mine was an archaeologist; Adam’s was a rich collector. They were both obsessed with relics, so they started working together. Adam and I went everywhere with them. Museums, fancy parties, but most of the time we lived in deserts and jungles. Maybe that’s why we got along so well. We didn’t have anyone else. No real friends. Just each other. Sometimes Adam and I helped, sometimes we got in trouble.” She smiled. “A lot of trouble. Adam’s father had this incredible collection. I never actually saw it. He kept it hidden. Adam and I plotted ways to find it. I think they were moving it when they died. My father had gone with them to help. Adam was supposed to come with me, but at the last minute he went with his father.”

  “Did you have your sixth sense when you were a kid?”

  “A little. It tormented me afterward that I didn’t know the accident was going to happen. If I could have just warned them...My abilities became stronger after Adam died. I used to think he must be helping me from the other side. My guardian angel.”

  “Did he know about your gift?”

  “Yes.” He was the only one she’d been able to be herself around. Even her father seemed uncomfortable with her sixth sense.