Authors: Heaven
Bobbi Smith (34 page)
They slowed their pace and rode toward Corazon Sagrado with an almost reverent air. As they neared the main entrance, the church bells began to ring as if in welcome. Only a few people were about as they entered the main yard, but those who were, greeted them warmly. Other than that, little attention was paid to them as they crossed the plaza, for strangers rode in all the time.
“Where do you want to search first?” Matt asked.
“Let’s start with the church itself,” Winn told him, having taken a quick look around as they’d crossed the open area.
“And if there’s nothing there?” Alex wondered, trying once again to put herself in Lawrence’s place.
He slanted her a wry grin. “Your guess is as good as mine.”
They reined in before the church and dismounted. Together, they circled the tall and domed building, built the century before by the Spanish missionaries. It was a magnificent structure. The windows were sculpted from the heavy limestone and adorned with roses and symbols of the church. The main, wide double doors were made of oak. It was an impressive building, and they all took great appreciation in the work that had gone into its construction. They studied all the designs of the building, but could find no connection to the treasure they sought.
Their search of the exterior yielding nothing, they decided to go inside. They entered quietly, their manner hushed and respectful as befitted a place of worship. When the heavy oak doors closed silently behind them, they were immediately surrounded by a sense of heavenly peace.
The church was deserted. The only light came from the fading glow of the sunset through the small windows and the flickering of votive candles. The inside of the church was simple, but beautiful. Alcoves were carved along the thick, stone walls holding statues of various saints. Colorful paintings adorned the walls. The pews were of hardwood, and the kneelers were hard, but practical, and worn from the many faithful who’d knelt there in prayer. The altar and crucifix rose before them, reminding all who entered of the real reason for their being.
“Lift your eyes heavenward and you will see a sign, of perfect love and happiness, God’s only true design,” Alex repeated staring up at the crucifix.
“It’s not the crucifix,” Winn murmured in a reverent tone as they moved slowly forward up the center aisle. He let his gaze sweep the room, searching intently for the answer they sought.
It was then that Winn saw it for the first time. He’d been looking up at the statue of Mary, when he’d gone still. Without saying a word, he reached out to grasp Alex’s arm. Matt noticed how quiet Winn had gone, and he turned to look in the same direction.
Matt, Alex and Winn stared in awe at the statue of the Virgin holding the Child. It was a simple statue, not nearly as magnificent as those they’d each seen before in museums. No, what struck them speechless was the sight of the Virgin wearing the Crown of Desire. Illuminated only by the light of the candles and the last, dying glow of day, the gold gleamed softly, almost warmly, and the ruby heart shone pure red.
“My God . . .” Matt said in a hoarse voice. He had always suspected that the crown was a thing of beauty, but he’d never thought it would be this wondrous.
“Exactly,” Alex agreed, her gaze riveted on the statue.
They stood unmoving and enraptured as they stared at the treasured relic. Its beauty amazed them, and they were hard-pressed to believe that they were actually seeing the crown.
Tears stung Alex’s eyes as a great sense of relief filled her. She’d lived in fear that they would never find the prize and that her father would suffer the terrible consequences. Yet, here it was. They had found it! Now she could save her father from the Anthonys’ evil plan!
Alex glanced around to make sure there was no one else in the church. With no one about, it would be a simple matter to take the crown from the statue and go. No one would ever have to know that they were the ones who’d taken it.
“What do you want to do?” she asked, eager to be done with it so she could see her father freed.
Winn was still looking up at the crown, seeing the mother and child. He thought of what his uncle had told him of love, the perfect self-sacrificing kind of love, and he understood. He knew what the right thing was to do.
“Nothing,” he answered, not looking away from the statue that represented perfect, unselfish love.
“Nothing? What do you mean?” Alex turned to him. They had come this far. She couldn’t imagine what he was thinking.
Matt, too, was staring at the Madonna, and at Winn’s remark, he understood. “Of course,” he agreed. “It all makes sense now.”
“What does?” she insisted.
“This, Alex.” Winn gestured around the church. “Corazon Sagrado. The mission is an oasis in the middle of the hill country. Where else on our ride did you see such lush crops? Where else have you ever felt this sense of contentment? Don’t you see? The crown represents perfect love and happiness. There is no greed here. There’s only love.”
“The curse has been conquered, Alex. The crown has blessed this place,” Matt added.
Alex turned her gaze to the treasure that meant her father’s life. She knew deep in her heart that they were right, yet the terror of the Anthonys’ threat lingered within her soul. There was no escaping it.
They remained silent, studying the elusive treasure they’d pursued across continents. The peace of the mission surrounded them in a loving caress and filled them with reverence.
“I think we have only one choice,” Winn stated, knowing what they had to do.
“I know,” Matt agreed.
“What’s that?” Alex asked, expecting to hear their plan for taking the crown and readying herself to take action.
“The crown should remain here,” Matt said quietly.
“No!” she protested automatically, fear seizing her heart. “We came all this way to find it . . . We can’t just leave it here . . .”
“Alex,” Winn spoke this time. “This is the place of perfect love. Look around you. Where better to showcase its majesty and beauty? Locked in a museum, people can only come and stare at it. But here, at Corazon Sagrado, it’s bringing joy and creating good works. It’s blessed this place. The people are happy. The crops are bountiful. This is where the crown belongs. It should stay here.”
Alex stared at him in bewilderment. She saw the earnestness in his regard and heard the quiet resolve in his voice. Her thoughts grew chaotic. She tried to concentrate on her father, but the truth about Winn was swirling around her, leaving her dizzied and confused.
Winn actually wanted to leave the crown behind? Winn didn’t want to take it back?
Winn actually wanted to leave the crown behind? Winn didn’t want to take it back?
The realization of what a fool she’d been hit her hard. The Anthonys had lied to her about Winn and she’d believed them! She groaned inwardly as she thought of all the doubts she’d harbored about him since she’d listened to their evil ramblings.
“Alex? Is something wrong?” Winn was watching her, and he saw that same haunted expression in her eyes that he’d seen before. She looked worried, almost frightened, and he couldn’t imagine what was causing it. They’d found the treasure they’d sought. She should be happy. “Surely, you aren’t upset about leaving it here, are you? It will be safe. No one really knows what it is and those who do, respect it and love it enough to keep it from harm.”
Suddenly, Alex wanted to tell Winn the truth. She couldn’t bear the deceit she’d been a part of any more. She wanted no lies between them. She loved him and knew now that she could trust him. It had been foolish to ever doubt him. With Winn by her side helping her, she could defeat the Anthonys and save her father, too.
“Winn . . . You don’t understand. There’s so much I have to tell you, so much I have to explain . . .” she began.
Winn gave her a gentle smile. He felt good, better than he had in as long as he could remember. His heart swelled with tenderness as he lifted his hand to caress her cheek. “Ah, Alex, let’s just settle this about the crown and then head back. We’ve got the rest of our lives to talk.”
“No, Winn, listen to me. You, too, Matt!” She looked frantically between the two men. “I have to tell you about my father—and about the Anthonys!” She saw Winn’s expression darken at her mention of the sons, and she rushed on, needing to tell him the truth. “I know you hate them and think they’re evil. Well, believe me when I say I know how evil they are, too, for I know firsthand.”
“What are you talking about?” Winn gave her a puzzled look.
“Winn, I . . .”
“There’s no need for you to go on, my dear,” Philip’s voice boomed through the quiet church as he and Robert emerged from their hiding place in the shadows in the back.
“Philip! Robert!” she gasped their names.
“Yes, Alexandra, we’re here,” Robert announced.
“Alex?” Winn looked from them to her and saw the guilt and shame in her eyes. His hand dropped away from her as if he couldn’t bear to touch her any more.
“Thank you for doing such a fine job for us. We appreciate all your guidance. It would have been a much more difficult ordeal without you,” Philip said smoothly, watching Winn’s expression with interest and gloating over the fury that was etched on his stony features.
“You look a bit upset, Bradford. Didn’t you know she’s been working with us all along?” Robert taunted.
“It looks like your concerns about your acting ability were unfounded, Alex,” Philip said with a reptilian smile. “You fooled the both of them completely. Bravo, my dear. Well done.”
Alex wanted to scream at him to shut up, but she held her tongue. Her father was still at their mercy. She couldn’t ruin things now, not when she was so close to saving him. Tears of helpless frustration burned in her eyes. Just moments before she’d thought to be free of them, and now . . .
“Get the crown, Robert,” Philip directed, drawing a gun from his pocket and directing it straight at Winn and Matt. “I’ll keep watch over McKittrick and our friend, Bradford, here, while you do.”
Twenty
“Alex, why don’t you come over here by me? As soon as Robert gets the crown, we’ll be leaving,” Philip said not looking away from the two men. “It seems you fared the trip from Galveston quite nicely.”
Philip saw Winn’s expression harden and his jaw tighten as Alex moved slowly to do his bidding, and he smiled.
Matt watched all that was happening, and his anger grew. “The crown stays,” he declared.
“No, I don’t think so, Mr. McKittrick,” Philip said haughtily. “You know, we haven’t been formally introduced yet, but Alex has kept us informed of all your adventures. It’s nice to finally meet you face-to-face.”
“I wish I could say the same,” he growled, his cold-eyed regard fixed on the gun that was pointed at him.
“Just slide your weapons down the pew here toward me.”
Winn and Matt were enraged, but did as they were told. They watched Alex, trying to read her expression, trying to understand what was going on, but she wouldn’t look at them.
“That’s fine. Now, Robert, if you’ll hurry with the crown, we can get out of here before any unexpected company happens in on us.”
Robert had dragged a chair to the side of the statue and finally managed to snatch the crown from the Virgin. Jumping down, he put it into a cloth bag he’d brought with him, then turned back to his brother with a big smile. “Let’s go.”
“Let me take care of these two, and we’ll be on our way,” he said evilly.
Alex heard the note of viciousness in his voice and paled. She didn’t put anything past this man and she feared for Winn’s and Matt’s lives. “What are you going to do?”
“You don’t need to concern yourself, Alexandra. There will be no bloodshed in church.” He waved his gun toward the front of the church directing Winn and Matt into the small windowless room next to the altar. “I’m going to lock them in here, so we’ll have a comfortable lead on them before they can start any trouble.”
“You aren’t going to get away with this, Anthony,” Winn snarled. He looked back at Alex. He saw her pale, strained expression, and for one poignant, heart-stopping moment their gazes met. In the depths of her eyes, he saw all the pain and agonizing fear that she’d long tried to hide from him, and in that instant, he knew the truth.
“Move it, Bradford. I’d hate to have to go back on my word to Alex.”
Winn moved ahead reluctantly into the room. “I’ll see you pay for this.”
“Would you like to place a wager on that, Lord Bradford?” Philip sneered. “I’m afraid it’s a losing one for you, though, for I already have the crown—and the woman.”
“We’ll be coming after you.”
“When you get out of here you can try. The walls are so thick, I think they might be soundproof and the door is certainly at least six-inches thick, too. I think you two will have a nice rest this afternoon. Perhaps we’ll meet again someday, perhaps not.”
Fury was etched in every taut line of Winn’s body, but the knowledge that there was a loaded gun pointed at his back kept him from launching himself at Philip in a savage attack. He cast Matt a sidelong glance and knew he was having the exact same thought. Anger pounded through him.
“So Alex has been in on this with you since the very beginning?”
“How else do you think we traced you here?” he asked with fake innocence. He knew Winn was angry, and he was enjoying every minute of his discomfort. It was a pleasure to torment him. The feeling of power emboldened him. “She was more than eager to lead us to the treasure, considering the share she’s going to get once we leave this Godforsaken country.”
“I don’t believe you,” Winn argued.
“It doesn’t matter to me what you believe. Alex is with us. She has been since the first, and when we ride out of here in a few minutes, she’ll be riding with us.”
Winn’s hands clenched into fists at his sides. He had never before in his life wanted to hit a man as badly as he wanted to hit this one. His frustration was nearly overwhelming for Philip was standing triumphantly in the doorway with the gun at the ready.
“Enjoy your rest, gentlemen. It’s been wonderful dealing with you.”
“You’ll be sorry for this,” Winn threatened.
“No, Bradford, I don’t think so.”
When he slammed the door, Winn and Matt both reacted. They threw themselves at the heavy portal, but their efforts were to no avail. They could hear the bolt slide home as Philip locked it from the outside. Disgust filled them for they knew they were trapped until someone came and let them out. They pounded on it with all their might, but there was no response.
Philip returned to where Robert waited with Alex. “Are we ready to go?”
“More than ready,” Robert replied. “The sooner I get back to London the happier I’m going to be.”
“What about my father?” she demanded.
“What about him?”
“When are you going to set him free?”
Philip took Alex’s arm in a firm, unyielding grip. “When we reach London, so I suggest you not try to delay us in hopes that your friends will rescue you. If you want your father out of prison, you’ll stay with us and do what we say until we get there. Do you understand me?”
“Take your hands off me!” she ordered, feeling sullied by that single touch.
“Oh, no, my dear Alex. I’ve waited a long time for this. We’re going to be traveling together for quite some time. I think you had better get used to my touch.” His gaze went over her in an insultingly familiar way that made her skin crawl.
“I’ll never get used to your touch. I don’t want anything to do with you Philip. All I want is my father out of jail. You’ve gotten what you wanted, now it’s time you hold up your part of the bargain.”
“Oh, really?” He gave a soft menacing laugh. “Did it ever occur to you that I hold all the winning cards in this game of ours? I have the crown, and you, Alex, have nothing.”
“I have your word,” she said as a tremor of terror shook her.
“Don’t worry,” he said in a tone he hoped calmed her fears. He couldn’t risk her making a scene as they were leaving. He would keep his plans for her secret until they were well away from town. “We’ll see your father a free man again.”
He continued to smile as he led her from the church through a side entrance. He loved being in control this way, and now that he had the crown, nothing could stop him. Once they sold it, he would have more money than he’d ever dreamed possible.
“Let’s be on our way. The faster we travel, the faster we get back to your father. Don’t you agree?”
No one was around as they emerged from the church. The plaza was deserted. Philip still wasn’t completely sure that he could trust Alex, even though she had the most to lose.
“Let me make myself clear,” he said as he paused just outside the doorway. “If you look nervous, if you make any move or noise that lets someone know what we’re about, you’ll never see your father alive. Do you understand?”
“Perfectly,” she answered tersely.
Philip and Robert led the way to where their horses were tied. They had no doubt that Winn and Matt would come after them just as soon as they were freed from the room, and they needed a big lead.
“Mount the black horse, Alex. We’ll be riding double,” Philip instructed as he moved to untie the reins.
Alex felt as if she were alone in the world as she climbed on the horse. She remained tense as Philip mounted behind her. He deliberately pressed himself against her and drew her back tightly to his chest. He felt the resistance in her and laughed softly in her ear. The hair prickled on the back of her neck at the sound.
As soon as Robert was on his horse, they rode out. They kept their pace casual as they left the mission. They did not want to draw any undue attention to their passing.
Once they were clear of the mission, they raced like the wind in a direction away from San Antonio. Alex wasn’t familiar with the area, but she sensed they were going in a different direction.
“This isn’t the way to San Antonio,” she said, sitting stiffly before Philip in an effort to avoid physical contact with him. It was next to impossible, but she was fiercely determined.
“Why would we want to go back there? That’s the first place Bradford will look,” Philip chided.
“We’ve made other plans.”
“But you don’t know this area. You’ve never been to Texas before.”
“And, God willing, I’ll never come back again,” Philip disparaged. “It’s a wasteland. I can’t wait to get back to London where civilized people live.”
Alex considered asking him what he thought was civilized, since he seemed lower than the lowest animal life form to her, but she refrained, not wanting to risk his anger. Her position was not a good one, and she had to make sure her father was freed.
“For once, you and I are in complete agreement,” Robert said, looking forward to the pleasures of London once they returned with their pockets full and their future guaranteed.
He thought his brother’s plan to skirt San Antonio and ride straight for the coast was brilliant. They needed a big headstart to get away from Bradford and McKittrick, and this was the perfect way to do it. With any luck, they’d be sailing for England before the other two figured out what they’d done.
As far as the girl was concerned, Robert didn’t quite like the way Philip was treating her. He, personally, would have preferred to leave her behind, but he didn’t want to argue with his brother at such a critical moment. For now, he had given in on that point.
They traveled until dark, slowing their pace only after they’d put a good distance between them and the mission.
Philip was feeling Godlike in his power. Not only had they gotten away with murder twice, but they now had the crown and the girl Bradford wanted. He smiled to himself and tightened his hold on her pulling her closer against him. He felt the steel in her as she resisted, and out of pure spite, he forced the issue, letting her know right then that she couldn’t refuse him anything without paying a price.
It was almost completely dark when they finally found the small stream that the man at the stables had told them about. They made a rough camp there with a small campfire.
Alex sat as far away from the two as she could, for she was dreading what the night might bring. Philip disgusted her. He might have delusions that she found him attractive, but he made her skin crawl. She didn’t know how she was going to defend herself against him all the way to England. Somehow, though, no matter what, she would find a way.
Alex thought of Winn and wished with all her heart that he was there with her. Then she remembered his look of disgust as he’d watched her in the church with Philip and Robert, and she knew he would never want to see her again. Pain stabbed at her. Even knowing that he despised her, she wanted him. She loved him, and she regretted that she hadn’t had the time to tell him the truth. She hated that they had parted as they had.
“Here. Eat this,” Philip called as he tossed her a hard roll.
Alex ate it quickly, then took a deep drink from the canteen he came to hand her.
“You are one pretty woman,” he said in a low voice as he took the canteen back.
Alex just glared up at him, hoping her look would discourage him. To her dismay, he only smiled back down at her.
Philip returned to sit beside his brother on the other side of the campfire. “Give me the crown,” he demanded. He hadn’t gotten a good look at it yet, and he could hardly wait to get his hands on it.
“Here, but be careful,” Robert dictated as he handed the bag over.
Philip shot him an ugly look. Robert always managed to irritate him. He took the bag and opened it, his expression avid and hungry with greed as he took out the treasure.
The Crown of Desire gleamed hot, molten gold in the firelight, and the ruby darkened to a deep blood-red.
Philip smiled at his brother. “This was worth every minute. Do you realize how rich I’m going to be?”
“
We
’re going to be, dear brother,” Robert censured.
We
’re going to be, dear brother,” Robert censured.
Philip felt his agitation with him grow. “You needn’t worry that I’d forget you.”
“I would hope not. As soon as we get back to London, we can contact that other collector and then we’ll be set for life.”
Alex sat silently as she watched and listened to them talk. Philip’s face looked positively satanic, cast as it was in the red glow from the flames, and the wild look in his eyes frightened her.
“ ‘Set for life,’ I like that.” Suddenly, Philip began to laugh. It was a maniacal sound that echoed eerily through the night.
“What’s so funny?” Robert asked, a little uncomfortable with his brother’s behavior.
“What’s funny is we won! Father’s no doubt turning over in his grave right now.” Philip turned his crazed gaze on his brother. “And I’m glad!”
“We did outsmart him, didn’t we?”
“He thought he was so clever hiding the crown and writing those stupid clue books! Hah! We didn’t even have to suffer through solving the old man’s ridiculous riddles. We were smart enough to let someone else do it for us, and all we had to do was walk in and claim the prize in the end! Sometimes my brilliance is amazing,” Philip complimented himself.
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