Uncharted (Treasure Hunter Security Book 2) (13 page)

They stared at each other for a moment and Dani felt her mouth go dry. She realized just how much her admission revealed about her feelings for this man. God, she couldn’t really be falling for him in the middle of this hellish mess, could she?

She cleared her throat. “Do you think Jean-Luc and the others are okay?”

Cal pulled in a deep breath. “I hope so. Silk Road seemed focused on you and me. If they can get out of here, and get Jean-Luc to a doctor, he’ll be fine.”

Then Cal straightened, and tapped her shoulder before pressing a finger to his mouth. She went as stiff as a board and peered down through the branches at the small clearing below. She couldn’t see anything.

Cal moved just his finger to point off to the left. That’s when she saw the shadows creeping along at the edge of the tree line. There were three of them, all dressed in black, moving silently through the vegetation.

As the men got closer, she heard them murmuring amongst themselves. There was enough light now to make out the guns in their hands.

It only took them seconds to move over to the hollow log and look inside. Dani closed her eyes and thanked God Cal had vetoed her dumb idea.

The Silk Road men did another loop of the clearing before melting away into the trees again.

Cal moved a little and she felt his lips press against her ear. “We need to stay here a bit longer. Make sure they’re really gone.”

She managed to nod, hunching her shoulders.

“Why don’t you get some sleep?” he suggested.

“Sleep?” she whispered. “After all this, you think I’ll be able to sleep? In a tree?”

She saw the flash of his white teeth. “I won’t let you fall.”

No, he wouldn’t. She knew that deep in her marrow. She knew Cal would give his life to take care of others, to take care of her.

Dani snuggled closer to the safe hardness of him. She was sure that there was no way that she would fall asleep.

But exhaustion and the dying adrenaline rush proved too much for her. Her eyelids grew heavy, and when Cal tucked her face in under his chin, the steady beat of his heart under her ear soothed her.

Sleep dragged her under.

Chapter Nine

Despite their situation, Cal was enjoying holding Dani in his arms. He sensed when she finally drifted off, trusting him to look out for her. He stroked a hand against her hair, watching the steady rise and fall of her chest.

She’d done damn well in the insanity. She hadn’t fallen apart. She’d fought back.

That horrible moment when he’d seen her get shot… He squeezed his eyes closed. He saw Marty’s bloody face as Cal held him in his arms. The SEAL, the
friend
, whose back he’d always vowed to watch out for.

The friend who’d died in his arms.

For a second, the thick, jungle trees around him dissolved into memory, and he heard the rat-a-tat of automatic gunfire, felt the desert sun on his face, heard the frantic shouts. Felt the sticky slide of Marty’s blood on his hands.

Cal’s hold tightened on Dani, and she made a small sound and moved her face against his chest, burrowing deeper. Cal released a shaky breath. She was alive. She was okay.

He needed to get her out of the jungle and back to safety. He wished like hell he still had his satellite phone. Still, when he didn’t check in with Darcy, she’d know something was up. All Treasure Hunter Security team members had a tracking device buried in their watches. It would lead the guys straight through to them.

But it would take a long time for Logan and Morgan to reach them. Too long.

He stroked her hair again. Fucking Silk Road. For so long they’d been just shadows, only vague rumors, whispered about in dark corners. There’d been digs where artifacts had gone quietly missing, and artifacts that had mysteriously walked out of museum exhibitions. People had really known nothing about Silk Road.

Well, it looked like they were out now—loud and proud.

Cal turned his wrist over without waking Dani and looked at his watch. The sun was rising, and they wouldn’t have the cover of darkness to help them evade their pursuers. Best case, the bastards would go and leave them alone now that they knew they didn’t have the cintamani.

But Cal’s gut told him there was no way that was going to happen. They didn’t want to leave witnesses.

Logan and Morgan would come. For now, Cal and Dani just had to stay hidden and hold on until then.

When the temperature rose and more sunlight filtered through the trees, he shook Dani awake. “Time to go, beautiful.”

She blinked sleepily. She looked damn sweet, with her flushed cheeks and sleep still sliding out of her eyes. That prickly exterior of hers was down. Her hair was a mass of dark tangles around her face, and she had a streak of mud on her cheek. Cal wondered why he found her more beautiful than ever before.

He reached out and started gently untangling her hair.

She was watching him. “We can’t stay here?”

“It’s safer if we keep moving. All we have to do is put some distance between us and Silk Road, and hold on until my team gets here. I thought we’d find a safe place to clean up and rest.”

She gave a small nod. “How will your team find us?”

He lifted his wrist. “Tracker in my watch. If anything happens to me, you take this with you.”

Her face paled a little. “I’d prefer if nothing happened to you. You promised me a comfy hotel bed with fresh sheets.”

He reached out and touched her chin, gently stroking her jawline. “So I did. I’ve got lots of things I want to do to you.” He dragged his thumb over her lips. “Naughty, dirty things.”

She watched him steadily. “Oh?”

“And after those things…” After a job, Cal liked to head into the mountains and go climbing or skiing. For some reason, he couldn’t imagine leaving Dani alone in a bed to rush off and do that. “Well, let’s just say I’m planning to not step foot in the jungle for a really long time.”

She laughed. “I hear you.”

They shimmied down the tree and Cal swung his pack on his back. The light weight of it made him frown. He was very aware they had limited supplies and food.

One thing at a time, Ward.
He nudged Dani ahead of him and they set off into the trees.

It was easier going in the daylight. Cal watched and listened for any sign of Silk Road. Nothing.

“I’d really like to wash this mud off.” Dani was looking down at her boots and legs. She was caked with mud and Cal’s clothes hadn’t fared much better. “Do you think they’re gone?”

He knew who she was talking about. “No. Silk Road is stubborn. They’ve set their sights on the cintamani, and they’ll keep looking until they find it. Rumor is that the Silk Road bosses don’t tolerate failure.”

Dani shivered. “And who are the Silk Road bosses?”

“No one knows.”

“Well, I’ll be happy to never set eyes on anyone from Silk Road again.”

After a few hours, Cal fished nutrition bars from the backpack and made her eat. The deeper they went into the jungle, the hotter it got and more mosquitos buzzed around. Soon, Cal felt perspiration gathering on his forehead and soaking the back of his shirt. At least there hadn’t been any sign that Silk Road was following them.

“What’s that?”

Dani’s sharp voice made him turn. She was pointing off to the right through the trees.

He pushed ahead of her and could just make out a flash of white against the vibrant green. He pulled his SIG out. “Stay behind me.”

They moved cautiously through the trees. Cal pushed back some vines and his eyes widened.

Then he heard a
click
.

Dani moved past him, her camera held up. “Oh my God, it’s amazing.”

Nestled amongst the trees, tangled with vines, was the wreck of a plane.

By the look of it, it had crashed a long time ago. The main part of the fuselage was still intact, but the tail was long gone and the wings had been shattered. The jungle was doing its best to claim it back. Trees, shrubs and vines were growing through the broken windows and the large hole torn in the side.

“It looks like an old transport.” It was too damaged for him to tell the make and model. “Looks pretty old, though.”

Dani made a small noise but was already absorbed with taking her photos. Cal shook his head. God forbid anyone get between Dani and her shot.

After she was finished, Cal carefully climbed inside. It looked like it had been picked over a long time ago, but he took a quick look around. There might be something they could use.

He found a blanket still in a plastic wrap folded under a seat. It wasn’t much but it would do. He tucked it into his backpack.

“Let’s keep moving,” he said.

She gave the plane one last wistful glance and they moved off. He could see the tiredness etched on her face. They needed to rest soon.

Cal tried to judge their location and arc of the sun, and circle them back to head in the direction of the closest village, but the trees made it damn hard to stay on track.

But as long as they were nowhere near Silk Road, he was happy.

Not long later, Cal heard a faint noise and stopped.

Dani tensed. “Is it them?”

He ran a hand down her arm. “Nope.” He smiled. “It’s something else. Follow me.”

He moved a little quicker now, and a moment later they broke out of the trees. A shallow river lay ahead of them, and just beyond a small bend, Cal heard the soothing rush of a waterfall.

Dani’s brow furrowed. “Is that…?” A smile broke out on her face and she pushed ahead of him at a jog.

Cal followed, and as they rounded the bend, he saw a pretty little waterfall tumbling over some rocks. It wasn’t very high, maybe as tall as he was, but it was glorious fresh water.

The huge smile on Dani’s face made him feel like a hero. She glanced up at him. “Is it safe enough to wash?”

The river wasn’t very deep, and after a quick look around, he nodded. “Go for it.”

She gave a long groan. “I can’t wait to get clean.” She set her camera down and then pulled her tank over her head, leaving her in a simple, black bra.

Cal cleared his throat. “Go wash. I’ll do a quick sweep of the perimeter.” No one was getting close to Dani.

She grinned at him over her bare shoulder. “Thank you.”

With a nod, he headed back into the trees. He was not going to think about her stripping those clothes off. Of her in the water naked, water slicking over her smooth skin.

“Fuck.” His cock went hard.

He huffed out a breath. She’d had a rough night. He wasn’t going to take advantage of her. Once they were out of here, though…well, then all bets were off. But right now, he was going to pull himself together and not be an asshole.

Cal forced himself to walk the perimeter. He saw no signs that anyone was near them. No sounds, no distant voices. They’d put some distance between them and Silk Road, enough that they could rest a little, but he wouldn’t be completely happy until he had Dani out of the jungle.

He found a spot, hidden by denser vegetation, on slightly higher ground. He spread out the blanket and set his backpack down. It was the safest spot.

Dani should’ve had enough time to wash and get clean by now. He headed back toward the waterfall. He stepped out of the trees and froze.

The air lodged in his chest and his blood started pounding. A raw, primal beat.

She was completely naked under the water, her face lifted up to the spray. She’d washed her clothes, and they were neatly laid out on a rock nearby.

But Cal couldn’t drag his eyes away from her.

She was long, with gentle curves and slim, toned legs. Her hair was slick—a mass of dark, wet curls down her back.

Need slammed into him. He couldn’t ever remember wanting with an urgency and a hunger like this.

***

Dani washed away the horror and tiredness of the night.

The cool water felt wonderful on her skin, slicking away the dirt, mud, and blood. She lost track of how long she’d stood there, the water pounding over her head.

Then she felt two strong arms wrap around her from behind, and she gasped.

She didn’t have time to be afraid. She recognized him in an instant—his lean, dependable strength, and the warm scent of him.

His lips pressed against the side of her neck and she arched back into him. In a second, her body went from cool to molten. Desire flared like a spark hitting gasoline.

She spun and pressed her mouth to his. She heard a greedy, feral sound and realized it had come from her. She’d spent so long being afraid of her desire and now, it seemed this man had thrown the floodgates wide open.

He kissed her hard, his tongue sliding into her mouth to tease and taste. Her hands dug into his shoulders, kneading the hard muscles. She felt ridges under her fingertips—scars, she realized. Later she promised to take the time to explore them.

But right now she needed more. So much more. She felt reckless, out-of-control and she loved it. His kiss took on a hard, savage edge.

Then he tore his mouth from hers, setting her back a bit.

She glanced up, seeing the desire on his face, and the visible control he was exerting.

His hands fisted. “Dani. You’ve had a rough night. You’ve been shot—”

“Grazed.”

He raised a brow. “Oh, so now it’s a graze?” He shook his head and blew out a breath. “Your defenses are down, Dani. I won’t take advantage of you.”

She watched him back up a step. She spotted his gun resting on a rock nearby and he’d taken his shirt off—holy hell, that chest of his was biteable—but had left his trousers on. His cock was a hard, thick outline against the dark fabric.

He took another step back and her chest tightened. Callum Ward, the man who’d told her he was all about a hot, temporary good time was acting unbelievably thoughtful and noble. She felt his need throbbing off him.

She stepped up to him and stopped, only an inch between them. “Cal, I’m fine.”

He shook his head.

“I’m alive. Thanks to you. We made it out of there alive, and I’m damn happy about that.” She reached up and cupped her breasts.

His hot gaze zeroed in there. Torment lined his face. “God, you are so beautiful. Long and lean, those pretty breasts topped by those pretty pink nipples.”