The Treasure (3 page)

Turning around to backtrack and recheck each doorway, he saw a group of locals blocking the alley. The tattoos covering their arms and necks indicated they were gang members. Tahua might be a small town, but it wasn’t without trouble. Facing them, Brody widened his stance and crossed his arms over his chest.

The leader of the group lifted his chin, eyed him boldly. Brody waited to see what he would do.

After a moment, the guy spoke. “You lookin’ for the redhead?”

Brody nodded, stomach clenched. He hoped to God these hoodlums didn’t want her. He’d hate to have to use the Beretta M9 he carried. All that would do was bring the law down on his head. Since the law was in Tito’s pocket, it would mean very bad things for Brody.

“She went in there.” The guy nudged his chin toward the open door of the bar at the end of the alley.

Brody resisted a groan. “
Gracias
.” Better not to ask why they helped him. Debt wasn’t something he did well. Gearing himself for a small war, Brody headed for the bar. There were only two in town and she had to pick the one he’d been banned from.

“Hey,
amigo
, you ought to keep your woman on a leash. It’s not safe ’round here.”

The warning followed Brody into the back entrance of the bar. He learned a long time ago to stay away from women wanting things that would get them both killed. Lessons hard learned weren’t often repeated.

Brody walked into the bar and immediately saw the woman he was looking for. She wasn’t alone.

He approached the table with a glance at the bartender who hadn’t noticed him yet and overheard the man sitting there say, “I think I can help you, pretty lady. How much did you say you were willing to pay?”

Brody scowled at Don Newton, who sat too damn close to Amelia. He came to a stop in front of the table, drawing their attention. Her green eyes lit with surprise and her partner rolled his.

“Get lost, Kern. We’re in the middle of a business meeting.” Don scooted his chair closer to Amelia’s.

Brody glared at him. “I’ll deal with you in a minute.” He pinned Amelia with a hard stare. “I won’t let you do this.”

One auburn brow rose. “Excuse me?”

She had showered, Brody realized, her skin glowing without the aid of makeup except for the gloss she applied to her lips and a bit of mascara to her lashes that made her eyes appear luminous. Her hair fell in soft curls down her back and over her shoulders. The panama hat sat on the table next to her purse. Damn, she was pretty.

Setting his thoughts right, he said, “You’re not going anywhere with him.”

“I take offense to that, Kern,” Don said.

Amelia held his gaze. “I can take care of myself. Besides, this is none of your business, Mr. Kern. Now, if you’ll excuse us, we’re in the middle of something.”

Brody heard the bartender curse his name. “I don’t have time to argue.” He grabbed her by the elbow. “Let’s go.”

“I’m not going anywhere — ”

Brody didn’t let her finish. He pulled her out of her chair, sent Newton a look that dared him to follow, and headed for the nearest exit. Don didn’t follow. Instead, he grinned like a fool, enjoying the show. He knew exactly why Brody wasn’t allowed in the bar and what the owner would do if he got his hands on him.

“This isn’t over, Kern,” Don called after them.

“Let me go,” Amelia hissed. “People are staring.”

Brody ignored her until they reached his vehicle. Tossing her inside, he closed the door and climbed in the other side.

“You can’t keep doing this.” She glared at him. “What was my aunt thinking sending me to you?”

“Aunt?” he repeated, turning slowly to look at her. “Pandora was your aunt?”

“Yes,” she answered, still glaring. She pressed against the door, purse and hat clutched to her chest. “I’m Amelia Sawyer.”

Sawyer. Of course. Her connection to Pandora made more sense now. He should have seen it. The red hair, the same obsession with
Paraíso
, the stubbornness. God help the man that grew old with this woman because if she continued to follow Pandora’s example, she’d be even more stubborn and fanciful at sixty.

“Well, Amelia Sawyer,” he said, rubbing his aching forehead. “This is your lucky day. You’re getting a free ride to the airport and someone to carry your bags.”

“Is someone coming with us?” she asked sweetly.

Brody smirked. “No, Miss Sawyer, there is no one else. I’ll drop by the hotel for the rest of your things.”

“You’re determined to see me go, aren’t you? Did you treat my aunt this way, too?”

“Yes.” He turned over the key and maneuvered onto the street.

“Liar.”

“What did she tell you?” The hotel was only a block away. It took them five minutes to get there with the foot traffic. He parked and turned to see her smiling at him. That smile was more dangerous than pulling a 4G turn in the air. He felt the sudden urge to grab a G-suit to protect him from all his blood pooling in his lower extremity. “Why are you smiling?”

“Because I can prove you’re lying.”

“Oh, yeah? How’s that?”

She dug through her purse and pulled out a folded, yellowed piece of paper. “With this.” She handed it to him.

Brody took it, his gut telling him he shouldn’t. He unfolded the paper and stared at the worn, handcrafted map, recognizing parts of it. This was not good. Not good at all.

“See?” she said. “If you’d turned my aunt down like you did me, she never would have been able to draw this map. You took my aunt to
Paraíso
, Mr. Kern, and this map is proof.”

Blood pounded in his ears as he carefully refolded the map. “I never took your aunt to
Paraíso
.” But he had almost died flying in to rescue her when she’d fallen and broken three bones during her search for the elusive place.

“Yes, you did. She drew that map so I would find it, too.”

“There is no
Paraíso
.”

“Why are you being so stubborn? It’s right there.” Her finger tapped the paper in his hand.

“I repeat. There is no
Paraíso
.”

She snatched the map away. “Fine, Mr. Kern, have it your way. There is a
Paraíso
and I’m going to find it. With or without your help.”

Brody’s gut churned. He remembered when Pandora wanted him to do this very thing. And he remembered what happened when he did. Pandora may not have told her niece how she almost died trying to find
Paraíso
, but he wasn’t going to give history a chance to repeat itself.

“Did you show that map to anyone else?” There was no telling how much danger she’d be in if anyone found out she had a map leading to
Paraíso
and its buried treasure.

“Not yet. You interrupted my meeting with Mr. Newton before I could show him.”

“Put it away,” he ordered, looking around.

“Okay, okay. You know, you can catch more bees with honey, Mr. Kern.” She put the map in her purse. “And you don’t have to babysit me. I won’t be staying.”

Relief flooded through him. That was music to his ears. He wouldn’t have to stay awake tonight with images of Amelia, her body broken like Pandora’s had been.

“Well, I guess I better get going. Thank you for the ride. Again. Goodbye.” She climbed out of the Land Rover and walked into the hotel with a backward wave. Brody nodded in return, watching her disappear inside.

The best thing Amelia Sawyer could do was leave the country. And with any luck, she’d never come back.

A dark-haired waitress placed a plate of
pollo en salsa de huevos
in front of Brody, who inhaled the delicious scent of chicken, eggs, onion, and garlic. His mouth watered and his stomach rumbled.

Thanking the waitress, he picked up his fork. The day was looking up. He was going to enjoy his lunch, then pick up a part for his Cessna he’d been waiting a month for. Amelia Sawyer should be on a plane back home, he’d gotten some sleep last night, and early this morning a group of scientists had booked a charter into the jungle. Some kind of research trip. The pay would come in handy since his accounts were empty. It wasn’t enough to pay off Jeremy’s bookie, but it would buy him some time and get Tito off his back until he figured out what the hell he was going to do next.

Taking a bite, Brody pushed thoughts of his business partner away. One day at a time was how he was handling this. Until he found Jeremy, he had no choice, no matter how much he wanted to kick his friend’s ass to the curb.

“Hey, Brody, what are you doing here? Figured you’d be out joining the hunt.”

Brody looked up to see the owner of the restaurant standing across the table from him. A short, gaunt man with a toothless smile who could cook better than Emeril. “What hunt?” he asked Felipe around another bite.

“Didn’t you hear? Some American woman has a map to
Paraíso
. Guess that woman you rescued a few years back drew it. The one who took that fall off the cliff. She was a redhead, too, come to think of it. She must have found it, yes?”

Food curdled in his stomach. Brody set his fork down on the edge of his plate. “Run that by me one more time.”

Felipe leaned in. “You know her. The American with the red hair.
Ella es bonita.
”

Brody couldn’t argue that. Amelia was a looker.

“She has a map of
Paraíso
that’s supposedly genuine. She hired Don Newton after you rejected her. It’s the buzz all over town.”

No, he broke up that meeting. Amelia was on her way home. She said so last night. “Thought she left town,” Brody said, his tone casual, though he felt like a coil ready to spring.

Felipe shook his head. “Oh, no. She’s leaving with Don this afternoon. Not the wisest choice if you ask me. That man is crooked. It’ll take them longer to get there on foot than by your plane if the map is accurate.”

“How many people know about the map?” Brody asked softly.

“I don’t know how many actually
saw
it, but many are talking about it.”

Brody cursed. “That’s what I was afraid of.” He rose to his feet and threw a couple
sucres
on the table to cover the bill. “Thanks, Felipe,” he said and strode out of the restaurant.

Instead of getting in his Land Rover, Brody walked to the hotel a few doors down. With luck, he would catch Amelia before she met with Newton. He pushed through the door and approached the front desk. The attendant looked up from his magazine. It took Brody all of one minute to get the information he needed. The “pretty, young American” had already left and her room was paid until the end of the month.

Back outside, Brody squinted in the bright sun, cursing the “pretty, young American.” He should have driven her to the airport himself. Made sure she got on that plane. Now, she was in a shit heap of danger. There was no telling who knew about the map and what they would do to get it. Christ, word would spread like wildfire.

Tahua wasn’t a big town. He would find her. And when he did, he was personally escorting her to the airport, putting her on a plane, and staying until he saw it leave the ground.

• • •

Amelia looked around the small bar and let out a bored sigh. She’d been waiting for Mr. Newton for over an hour.

Her bags were packed, his fee in her purse. Where the heck was he? Don Newton didn’t seem the type to be late for a meeting. Especially one that he was so eager to join. After Brody dropped her off yesterday, she waited until he drove away to call Mr. Newton and arrange another meeting. He’d been more than happy to meet her in the hotel lobby. She figured if they met in public, Brody would show up and try to stop her again. Little did he know she had waited her whole life for an opportunity like this and she wasn’t backing out.

Darn. Maybe Brody had gotten to Mr. Newton after all. That would explain why he wasn’t here.

She uncrossed her legs, then crossed them again. Why was Brody Kern so determined to see her fail? He made it clear he wanted no part of her adventure. And the damnable man did nothing but scowl at her and try to boss her around.

She never thought she was one of those women who liked men like that, but his scowl made him sexy. He did have striking amber eyes and she liked the way his short-cropped hair was tousled on top, as if he had just climbed out of bed. Not to mention the aviators and leather flight jacket.

Why Pandora sent her to him was a mystery; one she wasn’t going to ponder. She had more important things to think about. Like, where was Mr. Newton? They needed to get started before the day was gone.

Glancing around the small, dingy room, she caught the eye of a couple men sitting in the corner. They’d been staring at her for the past hour. She looked away and shifted uneasily in her seat. She was the only American in here. Maybe she should order something so the bartender didn’t kick her out. Opening her purse, she dug around for her wallet.

A hand landed on her shoulder, startling a gasp out of her. She looked up to see Don Newton standing beside her. His gaze darted around the room.

“Sorry I’m late,” he said. “Come on, we can take care of business in my car.”

Amelia frowned. He seemed awfully nervous. “I have a couple things I’d like to discuss before we leave.”

“The more time we waste here means less time finding our destination. Everything is set, if you’ll just come with me.”

He seemed anxious to get going so Amelia gathered her things and rose to her feet. “Okay. Lead the way.”

Walking with him out of the bar Amelia noticed the two men in the corner got up also. Frowning when they followed them out, she leaned in and asked, “Do you know those men?”

Don glanced over his shoulder and quickly turned back around. “Just a couple locals. Don’t worry about them. Here’s my truck.”

Amelia looked at the older model SUV and hesitated. What did she really know about this man? It didn’t matter; without him, there was no
Paraíso
so she climbed in when he opened the door. He all but ran around the front to the driver’s side. Seconds later, they shot into the street.

“You have the map, right?” Don asked, taking a corner too fast.

“Yes.” She gripped the dashboard for balance.