The Treasure (6 page)

“And the redhead flashing it all over town. Also heard you turned her down when she asked for help.”

Unable to escape Galo’s dark, knowing gaze Brody walked over to the Land Rover and opened the back. “She was supposed to leave town.”

“Because you told her to?”

Brody bristled. “I suggested it.”

“She is much like her predecessor, then?”

“Too much,” Brody muttered.

“So it is true, there is a map?”

Brody pulled out Amelia’s bag. “It’s true.”

“Pandora drew it?”

Brody shrugged. “Supposedly.”

“Then she found it. Just like she said she would. Wonder if she found the buried treasure.”

“There is no buried treasure.”

Galo sent him a wise smile. “Still singing the same tune, are you?”

“Someone would have found it by now.”

“Many have looked.”

“And no one besides Pandora ever found
Paraíso
. Sounds like a wild goose chase to me.”

Galo joined him at the truck, his leathery face thoughtful. “Maybe she was meant to find it. And now her kin is destined to unbury the treasure.”

“That would be true if the whole town didn’t know about the map.”

“Ah,” Galo murmured with a nod. “You are her protector. I am glad you came to your senses. Imagine what would happen to her if you hadn’t.”

With a scowl, Brody closed the door. He already witnessed the consequences of his refusal. “I’m not fond of déjà vu and this feels exactly like six years ago.”

Galo shook his head, long graying braid swaying. “No, this is different.”

Brody knew better than to contradict the old Indian. He had a way of knowing things and he was rarely wrong. He was also the only man on earth Brody trusted. “Feels the same,” he said, but Galo was staring at the loft.

“She brings something different,” he murmured, then nodded and turned a grin on Brody. “Good luck, my friend.” With a wave, he turned and ambled toward the door.

Frowning, Brody glanced up at the loft to see Amelia standing in the window. When she saw him, she turned away.

Galo stopped at the door. “Any sign of your partner?”

Brody grimaced. “No. But his bookie promised to only bust one of my kneecaps if I paid him his money by the end of the week.”

“Maybe it would be wise to accept the redhead’s offer. Help her find
Paraíso
. She may be persuaded to split the bounty when you find the treasure.”

When they found the treasure.
Brody was tired of hearing about the damn treasure. Too many people had been hurt by this ridiculous quest for fame and fortune. He wasn’t adding Amelia Sawyer to the list. The last couple to go looking had never been found. The jungle had a way of swallowing people and never giving them back. Pandora was lucky her guide had a satellite phone and GPS, or else she, too, would have become a victim of the Amazon.

“The redhead might be the answer to your problems, my friend,” Galo said, and walked out the door.

Answer to his problems. Galo made a good point. Jeremy’s creditors weren’t going to forgive his debts and Brody was rather fond of his kneecaps. Miss Sawyer was in need of a bodyguard and he had experience in that sort of thing. She was a paying customer and he needed the work. She had a map. What would it hurt to follow it? One way or another, the mystery of
Paraíso
would be laid to rest. He may even come out a rich man and be able to pay off his partner’s debts.

What was the harm in that?

• • •

Oh, she was such a fool. Brody hadn’t been quiet when he went downstairs. His footsteps echoed through the small home. It wasn’t until she heard voices downstairs that she came out of the bedroom. Thinking it was the Torres brothers or Mr. Newton, she had to go see. Now, he knew she was eavesdropping even though she couldn’t hear what he and the leather-skinned man were saying.

Could this day get any worse?

In the bedroom again, she paced back and forth across the bare floor. How could she be exhausted and wired at the same time? Something thumped lightly outside her door, stopping her midstride.

She knew what it was, had seen it in Brody’s hands. She hurried to the door, took a deep breath, opened it, and prepared to face Brody. But he wasn’t there. Only her suitcase. With a sigh of relief, she grabbed it and set it inside the door before closing it.

She dropped down on the bed, exhausted. Brody Kern turned her upside down. She reached for her purse and pulled out the map so she could carefully unfold it on her lap.

Staring down at it, she spoke softly, “Oh, Aunt Pan, what am I going to do? I don’t know who to trust. So far, I’ve made the wrong choices and I don’t think Brody is going to help me. I don’t know where to go from here. I’m not like my sisters. Why did you give this to
me
?”

Tracing the delicately drawn lines on the map, she let out a soft breath. There really were only two alternatives. Go home or stay and find a way to the red crescent moon marked on the map. Amelia smiled. Aunt Pandora didn’t mark
Paraíso
with a red X like most; she marked it with a symbol. Everything her aunt did strayed from the norm. It was what Amelia respected most about her. She had always gone her own way, regardless what anyone thought.

“Why can’t I be more like you?” Amelia whispered. She traced the shape with her fingertip. If she went home, it would prove her sisters right; she was chasing a pipe dream, and Aunt Pandora really was a crazy old woman. If she left now, she would never know if she could do it. She would once again fail in her attempt to be strong and adventurous. And she so wanted this adventure. To let go, to
live
. Not go back to her ordinary life with her ordinary routines. She had the strength to get on that plane. Did she have what it took to finish this?

“Yes, I do,” she said to the empty room, spirits rising. She could do this without the help of anyone. It couldn’t be that hard to follow a map. The markings were very clear. She had a jungle survival book in her suitcase and everything she needed in her bag. A plane would get her to the first landmark faster than on foot, but she was in no hurry. This was her vacation. Caroline had David, Amelia’s back-up, as acting chef until Amelia returned and Brit would be home soon to help out at the B & B, so she wasn’t on any time constraint.

Confidence rising, Amelia refolded the map and jumped to her feet. First thing tomorrow morning, she would begin her journey.

Amelia came down the stairs the next morning with a bounce in her step. Her decision to venture out on her own had changed her whole outlook.

Shifting her bag from one hand to the other, she landed lightly on the cement floor. Sunlight shone through the windows and improved her mood even more. The rain had stopped. She wouldn’t be delayed and navigating the jungle would be easier.

Since Brody hadn’t been upstairs when she got up, she assumed he was down here somewhere. A half pot of coffee had been waiting for her and she enjoyed a cup before gathering her things. It might be her last cup for a while, since she had no instant for the trail.

Brody stood beside a red and white plane, tool in hand, dark head bent as he worked on the engine. A white panel lay on the floor beneath the wing along with a battered toolbox. He was concentrating so hard on what he was doing she didn’t think he heard her come down. Her breath caught seeing him so intent.

Blushing, Amelia decided not to bother him. Maybe if she was really quiet, she could sneak out the back door. Then she’d be out of his way and he could go on with his life. He made it clear he didn’t want her there anyway so this was best for both of them.

Halfway to the door, his voice rang through the hangar. “Where are you going?”

Amelia froze mid-tiptoe. “Out.”

“Out where?”

“Outside.”

“It’s dangerous outside.”

“Yes, I know that. But I have places to go.” And she really wanted to get to them.

“Without saying goodbye?”

“Goodbye.”

Silence followed so she assumed that was all he wanted and continued on her way toward what looked like a garage door. When she reached it, she called over her shoulder, “Oh, and thank you for your hospitality.”

There was a side door next to the garage door so she chose that one. Hefting her bag and purse, she turned the lock and twisted the handle. The door opened after a few tugs. Regaining her balance, she lifted her chin and walked outside.

Straight into the jungle.

It enveloped her, heavy, and eager to swallow her up. She batted away giant, saw-toothed leaves across her path. Her purse got tangled in a vine and she tugged hard. It bounced free and knocked her further into the fray.

“Ouch!” A branch swiped her cheek. She touched the spot, surprised to find blood on her fingers. Not a big thing for a woman who spent her life having mishaps that often ended with her bleeding. She tried to free herself, but the jungle was so dense she couldn’t move. Like being in quicksand.

“Miss Sawyer?” A dry male voice interrupted her struggles.

Frustrated, Amelia pushed forward, only to dig herself in deeper. “Leave me alone, Mr. Kern. We said our goodbyes,” she muttered, untangling her hair one-handed when it got wrapped around a limb.

“
Paraíso
is in the other direction.”

Amelia froze. She hadn’t taken the GPS out of her purse. Of course, she hadn’t planned on entering the jungle quite this soon, either. Not sure if he was gloating or making fun of her, she replied, “Okay, thank you.”

Another minute or two went by as she struggled to free herself from the tentacles holding her, frustration mounting. Sweat dripped down her back.

“Amelia?”

“I know, I’m going the wrong way,” she snapped, slapping a big, ugly bug on her arm and yanking on her bag when it got stuck again. She tried to change direction but it was impossible to move through this stuff. Why did Brody care anyway? He wanted no part of
Paraíso
.

Something whistled through the air behind her. She didn’t even want to know what it was. There were deadly snakes in the Amazon, among other things. If it was a snake she’d rather not know about it. She’d seen enough snake corpses lined in jars on the counter of the hotel to last a lifetime.

Managing another step, she hitched her purse up higher on her shoulder. This would take months to get through. There had to be a better way. A road. A trail. Anything.

Something landed on her shoulder and she jumped, expecting a snake. She spun around and bumped her nose on Brody’s chest. “Ouch.” She rubbed her nose. “You nearly scared the life out of me. Why are you following me?”

One of his dark brows rose in reply, his gaze dropped to her bags, which lay in a tangle of bushes at her feet. “Isn’t it obvious?”

“I know what I’m doing. You don’t need to worry. Just go back to whatever it was you were doing. I’ll be fine.”

“I’m not worried.”

He smelled really good. His scent was burned into her memory for life. The men she dated had never smelled as good as Brody. Their cologne and aftershave had smelled nice, but something about Brody’s raw, masculine scent made her belly tighten. Made her think intimate thoughts. Things she shouldn’t be thinking about a man who wasn’t interested in her.

“Then why are you here?” she asked, a little breathless. The jungle seemed even more suffocating with him standing so close. Until now, she hadn’t realized how tall he was. She was nose to chest with him and what a glorious sight it was. His T-shirt clung damply over hard muscle.

Amelia swallowed past a suddenly dry mouth. Why a scoundrel like Brody was making her hormones pop into overdrive was beyond her. She never responded to a man like this before. Not this strongly. Not this vividly. Brody was just so … manly.
Not my usual type of man at all.

“Do I need to spell things out for you?”

Especially when he speaks,
she thought and sobered immediately at his tone. “No,” she said, drawing herself up. “I know why you’re here.”

“Oh, really?” Amusement colored his tone. “And why is that?”

“To prove a point.”

“Which is … ?”

“That I don’t know what I’m doing. You think because I made two bad choices since I got here that I’m going to do it again,” she said, on the defensive.

“Two bad choices?”

“Yes. You and Mr. Newton. I should have done my research first.”

“Me?”

His eyes clouded, his expression going taut so she couldn’t read him. A muscle jumped in his jaw.

“Yes, you. You’ve made it clear you don’t want to help me. I was just giving you what you wanted. And what I want. So, it all worked out for the better anyway. So, if you’ll get out of my way I’ll be going now.”

He didn’t budge.

“Please move.” She gave him a little nudge.

“Not until we get one thing straight.”

“There’s nothing left to say.”
Now he wanted to talk?
Where was he when she needed someone to talk to? “I’m going to
Paraíso
on my own and I can’t do that with you standing in my way.”

Amber eyes bore down into hers. “I’m not standing in your way. I’m going with you.”

“No, you’re not.”

Who did he think he was, changing his mind? He had refused her. He couldn’t agree now. Not after she’d already made a decision to do this on her own. She
needed
to do this on her own. If he helped her, it wasn’t really
her
success. He would only step in and take over.

“I’m not arguing over this.”

“Neither am I.”

He sent her a look that said that was exactly what they were doing. Judging by his expression, he wasn’t backing down. And neither was she. This was too important to her.

“You’re a frustrating woman.”

“And you’re an infuriating man.”

It wasn’t like her to be so argumentative or stubborn. Her sisters would be shocked to see her going head to head with a big, muscular, gruff man like Brody. Maybe because she knew beneath that tough exterior was a generous man who helped women in jeopardy. She was proof of that.

“It seems we’ve reached an impasse,” she said in an effort to plead her case. “Yes, I came to hire you. Yes, I needed help with Mr. Newton. Yes, I’m grateful you were there to … are you listening to me?”