Chapter Eight
I squinted against the horizon to see a two-story log cabin with a green tin roof rise out of the middle of nowhere like a desert mirage. My aching feet suddenly felt lighter as I took a step towards the cabin. “I hope whoever lives there is willing to help us.”
“Yeah, well, we’ve got a little protection on our side.” He waved a shiny handgun.
“What happened to the shotgun?”
“Had to leave it behind.” At my worried expression, he chuckled. “Don’t worry, Lane. Between the pistol and the Glock, we’ll be fine.”
“I hope so.”
A cocky grin slunk across his face. “Besides the obvious weaponry, you’ve also got me to protect you.”
“Right. You with the gimpy arm from being shot.”
He laughed. “Trust me. It takes a lot more than a little scrape to do me in.”
“Oh please,” I murmured, as we left the grass for the cabin’s paved walkway. It was pretty obvious from the fact there was little landscaping or lawn sculptures that it was someone’s weekend home or a rental. I had a feeling from the distance we had run we were probably out of Gilmer County and somewhere in Blue Ridge, which boasted lots of out-in-the-middle-of-nowhere cabins.
“Nice place,” Maddox mused, as we walked up the front steps. When he saw there wasn’t a doorbell, he knocked. “Hello? Anyone home?”
Seconds ticked by without a response. He pounded again and then leaned his ear against the door. “No one’s in there.” I followed him off the porch and around to the garage. He cupped his hands around his temples and peered in. “No cars inside.” He paused, and his head dipped down. “No fresh oil spots or antifreeze puddles. Doesn’t look like anyone’s been here for awhile.”
“You sound like Dad’s Harrison Baylor character,” I laughed.
He turned back and gave me his signature grin—the one I knew was sincere and truly himself with none of the ego. “Let’s call it a combination of reading all your dad’s books along with my time spent with Uncle Sam.”
“That sounds like a scary combination.”
Maddox didn’t seem to hear my response. Instead, his gaze fixated on the Brinks Home Security sign that stood in the grass between the porch and the garage. His eyes trailed around the back of the house. “Come on.”
The back of the cabin had a small deck that boasted a hot tub. “Nice,” Maddox murmured before heading over to the glass sliding doors. He crouched in front them, running his fingers under the frame. Gently, he pulled out a thick white wire. “Do me a favor. Grab the flashlight out of my bag.”
“Guns, knives, and flashlights—you really packed for survival,” I said, as I rustled through the bag. “Got it.”
“Okay, now hold the beam steady on this wire.”
I peered over his shoulder. “What are you going to do?”
“Work a little magic I learned in Special Ops training.”
“In civilian terms please?”
He chuckled. “I’m going to disarm the alarm system.” Instead of digging in his bag for the epic knife from before, he took out his keys. A pocket knife hung on the chain along with a thousand other keys. Gently, he nicked at the white covering. When he had whittled some away, he pulled out a blue line. “Sure hope this is the right one.”
“And if it’s not?”
“Let’s just say we’ll get to decide about talking to the police a lot sooner than we thought.”
“Gotcha.”
Maddox cut the blue wire, leaving the green and red intertwined. “Okay. Hopefully that did it.” He pulled his wallet out of his back pocket and then fished out a credit card.
“Wait, you’re seriously going to try and shimmy into the door with that,” I asked, motioning to his card.
A short, contemptuous snort erupted from his lips. "Like it would actually work on glass sliding doors. It's for the front." When he started off the deck, I fell in step behind him. We trailed around to the porch and up the stairs again. Maddox shoved the credit card in the groove above the doorknob. He began working it up and down along the jam. Finally, a popping noise came from the lock.
Maddox turned back to me and grinned. “Bingo!” I didn’t quite share his enthusiasm, so I gave him a weak smile. Even though we didn’t have another choice, I still felt shady breaking into someone’s house.
He started to twist the knob, and I pinched my eyes shut, waiting to hear the blare of the alarm. When nothing happened, I opened them and watched him push the door open. “Hello?” he called, his voice echoing through the empty house. He turned back to me. “Looks clear.”
I nodded and then followed him into the foyer. From the small beam of the flashlight, I could see the living room had an open floor plan that extended to the kitchen. The ceiling was high with exposed wood beams, and the far wall was made up of floor to ceiling windows. It was really impressive.
“You stay here while I go check the place out.”
I nodded. As Maddox trailed down the hallway, my eyes scanned the wall of pictures. Whoever the owners were, they were seriously obsessed with themselves. There weren’t any family pictures, like of grandparents or children or cousins. Every picture was of the same couple. The man was fifty something and balding while the wife looked about thirty. She was practically a Barbie—fake blonde hair, ridiculously sized implants, and from her toothy grin, capped teeth as well. The pictures did give me a little comfort in the fact that it looked like they enjoyed traveling and hopefully wouldn’t be arriving here anytime soon.
With my feet killing me, I decided to take a load off in one of the leather chairs. It made an unattractive whooshing noise just as Maddox reappeared. “So what’s the verdict?” I asked.
“Doesn’t look like anyone has been here for a while.”
“There are a lot of people who just have winter cabins. Think that’s what this is?”
Maddox’s gaze honed in on a picture of the owners on a boat. “Looks like it.” He stepped over to one of the windows and peeked through the wooden blinds. “I’m thinking that even though it doesn’t look like anyone is close by, we better keep the lights off. You know, so nothing looks suspicious.”
“Should we look for some candles or something?”
“When I was scoping out the garage, I think I saw some Coleman lanterns. I’ll go get them.”
I nodded. Since it had gotten darker, the part of me that was a chicken didn’t want to be left alone, but at the same time, it had been a long, long time since I’d been to the bathroom. With my flashlight, I searched the open room for doors that might lead to one. I found one and dipped inside. I had just finished when Maddox returned.
Before I could say anything to him, my phone rang in my purse. I fumbled for it and glanced at the ID. “Oh shit, it’s my parents.” I looked up at Maddox. “What should I tell them?”
“Nothing unless they ask. Just pretend that everything is fine.”
I widened my eyes. “But I’m a horrible liar. I never get away with anything,” I protested.
Maddox rolled his eyes. “For Christ sake, Lane, you’ve spent two years in college, and you still can’t lie to your parents?”
“That’s not who I am and you know it.”
“Well, you better put on a good act.”
“Easier said than done,” I grumbled. With shaky hands, I pressed the button and brought the phone to my ear. “Hello?”
“Hey sweetie, it’s Mom.”
“H-Hi. Did you guys just land?” I cringed when my voice cracked.
“We sure did. It was such a smooth flight. Your father is tracking down our luggage as we speak. I told him not to check a bag because of our luck with lost luggage, but you know him.”
Even though Mom continued rattling on, I began to tune her out. It was too painful hearing her voice. More than anything, I wanted to be with her—to have her wrap me in her arms so we could cry together about Maudie. And I wanted to be with Dad so he could protect me from all of Jensen’s craziness.
“Lane? Are you still there?”
“Oh, um, sorry. Yeah.”
“Everything okay at home?”
I gulped and met Maddox’s eye. As he cocked his eyebrows, I said, “Yeah. Sure. Everything’s just fine.”
“That’s good. Now don’t stay up too late. Remember to set the alarm—”
I gripped my phone tighter. Honestly, the last thing I needed right now was Mom being overprotective. I had to fight myself from saying, You know what, Mom? I’ve been chased by thugs, and I even shot a man today, not to mention leaving Maudie behind in a pool of blood. I think I’m a little past alarm systems and a bed time. But instead, I replied, “Mom, would you please remember I’m nineteen. I’ve lived in a dorm for goodness sake.”
“I know, sweetie. It’s just the over-protective mom in me. I worry no matter where you are—Oh, you’ve got the bags, Stephen? Wonderful. Lane, honey, I’ve got to go. We’ll talk tomorrow, okay?”
“Sure Mom.”
“I love you bunches. Daddy sends his love, too.”
“I love you, too.”
When I hung up, I met Maddox’s questioning eyes. “She thinks everything is fine.”
“Good.”
“Yeah, it’s good she thinks that, but it’s the farthest thing from the truth.”
“So?”
I threw my hands up in exasperation. “So? I just totally concealed everything that’s happened today. My parents are up in Charleston on their way to their hotel room with no idea that Maudie’s been shot and could be dead, and we’re on the run from gangsters who want our treasure map!”
He stared at me for a moment before giving a slight shake of his head. “You look like hell. You better get a shower. Even though this place seems like it’s all closed up, I better keep a watch out while you get cleaned up.” He motioned down the hallway. “The first door on the right is the guest bedroom and bathroom. The next door is the master bedroom and bath. Pick either one you want.”
Now it was my turn to stare in disbelief. I mean, no words of comfort or even an acknowledgement for my feelings or for what had happened to Maudie? Instead, he’d gone full-on jerk by taking a jab at my appearance. I balled up my fists and fought the urged to give him a punch in his perfect face.
He’d bent over and started rifling through his bag. When I remained rooted to the floor, he whirled back around. “Dammit, Lane, are you deaf? I said go get cleaned up.”
“Stop it!”
“Excuse me?”
“Stop acting like some Drill Sergeant barking out commands. I have feelings, you know, and I think in spite of everything, I’m doing a pretty decent job of keeping my shit together! But you just can’t ignore what happened today.” As Maddox’s expression darkened, I said, “Yes, we have to keep it together, but I know you have to be upset about Maudie—”
“I don’t want to talk about her!” he shouted, his face reddening.
“And why not? I know how much you love her—she’s been a mother to you.” Maddox took a step towards me and held up his hand as if to silence me. But I quickly blurted, “I love her too, you know. I can’t help thinking about her every second—like, if she was already gone when the paramedics got there, or if they were able to help her. And I’m sure you can’t help doing the same thing.”
Maddox closed his eyes as if he was trying to count to ten to remain calm. “Lane, I’m not discussing this anymore.”
“But—”
“I swear to God if you don’t get your ass down the hall right now, I’ll drag you to the shower myself!!”
“You wouldn’t dare,” I countered.
With a low growl from deep in this throat, Maddox stalked over to me. The intensity of his glare made me shudder. “You have always been and always will be an epic pain in my ass,” he roared before grabbing me around the waist.
“Stop it,” I screeched, trying to wriggle out of his grasp.
Despite my protesting and thrashing around, he threw me over his shoulder in one swoop. My chin banged against his shoulder blade as he adjusted his hold on me under my butt.
“Put me down!” I pounded his back with my fists before sending a stinging smack along the curve of his backside.
“Ooh, Lane, I didn’t know you could be so kinky,” he mused as he hauled me through the bedroom and into the dark bathroom.
“I’m not kinky, you a*shole. I’m pissed off.”
Shifting my weight on one of his arms, he used his other to turn the shower on. “Maddox, no—”
My cries were drowned out as he plopped me onto my feet directly under the stream of water. I screamed as the icy pellets stung against my skin. When he started to pull away, I fisted his shirt with both hands and jerked me to him. We stood there, inches apart, my chest heaving, and me shivering so hard my teeth chattered as we gave each other death glares. “Y-You’re a f-f*cking c-caveman!”
He inched closer, his mouth hovering precariously close to mine. The heat from his body slightly warmed my freezing one. Memories of our one night together assaulted my mind—the way his lips felt on mine, the way his strong hands had worked over my body. Cocking his head to the side, he smirked down at me. “You know you’re kinda sexy soaked to the bone like that.” He licked his lips. “It highlights all your delicious curves.” With his breath scorching against my cheek, he said, “It makes me want to kiss you.”
Be strong, Lane. Don’t fall for his bullshit like before. “You know what you throwing me in the shower makes me want to do?”
“What?”
“This,” I replied before lightly kneeing him in the balls.
“Ummph,” he muttered.
“Now, if you’re done with your little tirade, I’d like to take a shower.”
After huffing and puffing for a few seconds, Maddox staggered out onto the tile. I followed on his heels, soaking the floor. “Where are you going?” he asked through gritted teeth.
“I need one of the lanterns.”
“I’ll bring you one.” When I opened my mouth to protest, he held up his hand. “You don’t need to be dripping all over the house.”
“Okay.” While he was gone to get the lantern, I poked around under the counter for shampoo and soap. Luckily, I was able to come up with some good stuff by the time he returned.
“Here,” he grumbled before shoving the lantern at me.
“Thank you,” I replied sweetly.
When Maddox rolled his eyes, I slammed and locked the door behind him. I then made the mistake of glancing in the mirror. Dammit, he was right. I was a mess. My hair was matted and tangled, not to mention I had to pick out a few stray leaves. Dirt streaked across both of my cheeks, and my clothes were caked with mud. I quickly disrobed and then hopped back into the shower.
As I slipped under the stream of steaming water, I moaned. After a full day at work coupled with being on the run, my muscles screamed in agony. I turned the water on full force and let it pound my body. I closed my eyes to try to shut out the events of the day. Instead, they crashed over me again and again.
The thoughts caused a boulder-sized lump to lodge in my throat as the sobs built in my chest. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t get the image of Maudie crumpled on the floor out of my mind. Sobs began to roll through me, and I didn’t bother fighting them. Instead, I clung to the sides of the shower and gave in to the desperate heaving of my body. I knew with the water on Maddox couldn’t hear me. I shouldn’t have cared what he thought, but I was tired of appearing to him like a total and complete emotional weakling.
When my sobs finally dried up into hiccupping sighs, I scrubbed the mud off my body and shampooed the grit out of my hair. I could’ve stayed in the shower forever, but then I remembered that Maddox needed hot water too. After I turned off the water, I stepped out and eyed my muddy, torn, and soaked clothes. I guess I would have to check the closet for something to change into. Of course I was a little scared of what I would find in there after the pictures in the hallway of the owner and his trophy wife.
I was contemplating wrapping the towel around me when I spied a robe hanging behind the door. I pulled it off the satin hanger and cocked my head. It was a slinky, red silk robe. It looked like something you would see in a Victoria’s Secret window.
Reluctantly, I slid it on. A glance at my shadowy reflection in the mirror reiterated how little skin the robe actually covered. But it would have to do until I could find something to wear.
I opened the door and smacked right into Maddox outfitted only in his boxer shorts. I jerked the barely there fabric tighter around me. “W-What are you doing?”
“While I was waiting on you to finish, I thought I’d hit up the master closet for some clothes.” He held out his arm where he’d draped a pair of jeans and a polo shirt.
I barely heard his response. Instead, my gaze trailed over his broad chest. While he’d boasted the chiseled abs before, the multicolored tattoos were new since the last time I had seen him shirtless. Suddenly, my mouth ran dry. I glanced up to see he was smirking at me.
“Nice robe,” he mused.
“Whatever,” I grumbled, pushing past him. Knowing his eyes were still on me, I tugged at the hem to keep my ass from showing. Thank goodness for the dim lantern lights. I had a feeling the shadows were keeping me covered from his leering gaze.
I stopped for a tissue on the dresser. “You’ve been crying,” Maddox noted.
The sudden tenderness in his voice caused me to freeze. I refused to turn around to let him see my face again. “No, it’s just the steam got to my eyes.”
In an instant, he appeared at my side. “Listen Lane, I, uh, I shouldn’t have talked to you that way before. And I sure as hell shouldn’t have thrown you into the shower like that. I’ve been kinda programmed to handle my emotions a certain way in the last few years.”
I snorted. “The last few years? Try your entire life.” When he didn’t respond, I glanced back at him over my shoulder. In the shadows, he didn’t look like the hardened jerk-face I usually saw. Instead, he had the puppy dog expression he used to wear when we were kids and he truly wanted me to accept his apology.
He rocked back and forth on his heels as he tried to get the words out that always gave him so much trouble. “I know that. But anyway, uh, I’m sorry.”
“Thanks. I appreciate it.”
He gave a slight nod and turned to head to the bathroom, but I reached out for his arm. “Maddox?”
“Yeah?”
“I’m here for you whenever you want to talk. Okay?”
Instead of acknowledging me, his gaze honed in on something on the ceiling. He cocked his head. “I’ll be damned. I’ve never actually seen one of those in real life before.”
Craning my neck, I peered up to see a mirror. I gasped when I realized it was directly over the bed.
He collapsed onto the mattress, gazing up at his reflection. “That’s hot.”
“Ugh, I think it’s disgusting—it and the obvious sex fiend people who live here.”
“Of course you do, Princess.” He propped up on his elbows and grinned at me. “But I agree with you on the owners being freaks. I mean who still owns a waterbed?”
For the first time, I noticed he was swaying on the rolling bed. “Ew, is it really?”
“Yep.” He patted the spot next to him. “Wanna try it?”
“No thank you.”
He chuckled. “No matter how long I’ve been gone from home, some things never change. You’re always going to be the cautious good girl.”
Wanting to wipe the smirk off Maddox’s face, I stalked over to the bed and hopped on. My exertions caused both of us to sway back and forth like we were riding ocean waves. When I had steadied a little, I turned to him and smiled sweetly. “Don’t underestimate me, Maddox. I’m not the same girl you left three years ago.”
The corners of his lips quirked up. “Is that right?”
“Yes, it is.”
His gaze left mine to scan down my body. “You know, I think you’re right. Your tits have seriously grown since I left.”
I huffed with exasperation. “I shouldn’t even dignify that statement with a response.” Rising up on my elbows, I motioned to his crotch. “Of course, I’ve always got another knee ready and waiting.”
Maddox grinned. “I think you have an unhealthy obsession with my balls, babe.”
“I’m well acquainted with your balls, and I can’t say I was too impressed.”
The next thing I knew Maddox had rolled over to straddle me. I hissed in both aggravation and the fact that only a thin pair of boxers and my panties underneath the flimsy robe separated us. Memories of our lovemaking assaulted me, and I fought to mentally escape them by thrashing against Maddox’s chest. His hands quickly swept to pin my wrists above my head. His exertions sent us rolling on the water-filled mattress. My chest rose and fell with pants of angry and sexual frustration. Stop it right now with the feelings, Lane. Just because you’re alone in the middle of nowhere with a guy who possesses a righteous bod, and who you used to love, does not mean you need to get all hot and bothered. I screamed at my traitorous body. Yeah, Maddox might’ve saved your life today, but he is still the epic douchewad who broke your heart.
Maddox stared down at me with a cocky gleam in his eyes. “Not impressed with my balls, huh? I call bullshit because if I remember correctly, you came twice that night—once when I was inside you, which is pretty impressive for a first timer.”
Pursing my lips, I fought myself from countering with, It’s a little creepy that you have an almost photographic memory of our sexcapade. Instead, I replied breathlessly, “And what does that have to do with your balls?”
He rolled his eyes. “Duh, they’re attached to my dick—the epic love wand that gave you that orgasm.”
I busted out laughing. “Oh come on. Do you normally wow chicks by calling your…” I swallowed hard before I could even say the word, “penis a ‘love wand’?”
Maddox grinned. “No, not really. Usually they don’t need any verbal persuasion or summation of my sex skills to want me.”
I snorted. “Ugh, if you consider banging bimbos a challenge, than have it.” I pushed against him. “Let me up.”
“Nope.”
My eyebrows shot up in surprise. “Excuse me?”
He shook his head slowly back and forth. “Not until you fully acknowledge that I’m a sex god.”
“Oh please, we were together one measly time.”
Waggling his eyebrows, he countered, “I bet ya I’m still the best you’ve ever had.”
As much as I hated to admit it, he was right. Sex with Eli was sweet and tender, but it was nothing like what I had had, although briefly, with Maddox. How can you ever top sex underneath the stars with the love of your life?
But instead of giving him the satisfaction, I narrowed my eyes at him. “Do you really want me to take another stroll down memory lane? I don’t think our versions of what happened that night will exactly match.”
His expression became almost quizzical as he stared unblinking and unmoving at me. “You think I stole your virginity, don’t you? That I took something I never should have.”
“I didn’t say that.”
He grunted. “You didn’t have to. It’s written all over your face.” Shaking his head, he replied, “Regardless of what you think happened, you wanted it just as much as I did.”
I huffed out a frustrated breath. “Yeah, I wanted it because I loved you, and loving you meant I was willing to do anything for you—including losing my virginity to someone who would never appreciate it.”
The color slowly drained from Maddox’s face as his expression turned wounded. He stared so intently at me that I finally had to look away. “Jesus Lane, I’m sorry. I’m a f*cking a*shole, okay? I was just teasing you before. I guess I got a little carried away. I didn’t mean to hurt you—not now and not then.”
I snapped my gaze back to him. “You never knew when to stop when we were kids, and you still don’t. I’m sorry if the truth hurts, but yes, you hurt me.” Under my breath, I murmured, “Worse than you could ever imagine.”
“I’m just a callous douchebag who can’t handle emotions.” His hands released mine, and he rolled off of me. “I’m too like my mother, and I hurt the ones I love.”
Maddox’s pain was palpable. Even though it pained me, I scooted a little closer to him. “Listen, it’s been a long day, and we’re both worn out physically and emotionally. So we can’t really be held accountable for what we’re saying. Let’s just forget all this happened, okay?”
“You mean, call a truce?”
I nodded.
“Sure.” He rose up to a sitting position. A genuine smile curved on his lips. “Even if we’re calling a ceasefire, I’d like my apology to be noted. You know, for the record.”
“Apology accepted and noted,” I replied with a grin.
“Good. I’m glad to hear it.” He held out his hand to help me up from the bed. “I better get cleaned up.”
“Okay. As soon as I find something to wear, I’ll go see if there’s anything in the kitchen I can cook for us.”
“Sounds awesome,” Maddox replied as he headed into the bathroom. When he closed the door, I took my lantern into the closet. Just as I had suspected, Trophy Wife’s wardrobe left much to be desired that wasn’t spandex, bedazzled, or midriff. I finally slipped on some black yoga pants and a T-shirt that no lie read, I Got Shucked at Nooky’s in Panama City, which I gathered was an oyster bar. I also grabbed up a pair jeans that would probably be tight on me along with the one non-halter shirt in case I needed something for tomorrow.
Then I made my way to the kitchen, which thankfully seemed to be the most normal room in the cabin. The fridge was wiped clean, but the pantry was pretty stocked. After checking the expiration date on a jar of spaghetti sauce, I grabbed some noodles and got busy. I was used to cooking at home from time to time, but it was a new experience cooking by lantern light in a stranger’s kitchen. I guess in the end it was a little like camping out.
Maddox appeared behind me just as the sauce started bubbling on the stove. He sniffed the air appreciatively. “That smells awesome. Man, I’m starving.”
I glanced over at him. His hair was still wet from the shower, and he had only thrown on a white “wife beater” undershirt with a pair of boxers that had hot red peppers all over them. “Nice shorts,” I mused as I drained the water off the noodles. The truth was although the design was pretty funny, he looked practically edible in them, and I certainly didn’t need to be having those thoughts about him.
He chuckled. “Yeah, these were about the only pair of clean underwear I could find that weren’t tighty whitey’s or a Speedo.” He shuddered. “I don’t even want to think about what that dude is doing wearing a Speedo.”
I giggled. “Of all the cabins we have to break into, we pick one owned by trashy perverts.”
“No joke,” he murmured, pouring a glass of water.
After spooning a heaping helping of spaghetti, I handed Maddox a plate. By the time I’d fixed my plate and poured something to drink, he had gobbled most of his down. “Um, hungry much?”
“I told you I was starved not to mention after all that running, I need to refuel with some carbs.”
“Go on and sit down. I’ll fix you another plate.”
I measured out a decent portion for myself before pouring the rest for Maddox. In the dim light of the lantern, he hunched over the coffee table. He had unfolded the map and was staring at it as if he hoped it would suddenly all make sense. I guess whatever doubts he’d had about the map’s validity had been erased with Jensen’s arrival on the scene. I passed him his plate, and for a few minutes, the only sounds in the room were scraping silverware and chewing. I took a swig of water. “So what happens in the morning?”
He shrugged. “I was going to ask you the same thing.”
I twirled some noodles on my fork. “Call me crazy, but I never thought I’d have to make the decision of going to the police or going treasure hunting.”
“Tell me about it,” he murmured, his fingers running over the faded letters. “If we just had someone who could read this shit...”
“Yeah, that one shouldn’t be too hard. Last time I checked, Cherokee wasn’t on the list of possible foreign languages I could choose to take in school.”
Maddox snorted through a mouthful of pasta. “We did as little as possible on the Native Americans when I was in school. I think my teacher, Mr. “Bug-eyed” Boyer was secretly a racist.”
We fell into silence for a few minutes. Neither one of us could stop staring at the map. “What do you think Maudie would want us to do?” I questioned softly.
Maddox’s jaw tightened as he tried to keep his emotions in check. “Hell, she put herself in harm’s way just to keep the stupid thing, not to mention how much she wanted us to get it!” He jabbed his fork into his bowl, spearing some more noodles. “She’d want us to find the gold. Use it for college or something like that.”
I smiled at the thought. But before I could argue with him about how dangerous it would be, a thought flashed in my mind, and I almost dropped my plate. “New Echota.”
Maddox stared at me like I’d lost my mind. “What?”
“I can’t believe I didn’t think of it before. It’s the former Cherokee capitol, and now it’s a state park…I think we went there in Eighth grade on a field trip. It’s not too far from here. It’s over in…uh, Gordon County where those outlet malls are.”
“How in the hell do you know that?”
I grinned. “Let’s just say my 8th grade Georgia History teacher had a serious jonesing for Native American tribes.”
Maddox looked like he was trying not to laugh. “Did you actually just say jonesing?”
I cocked my head at him. “Why, yes, I did. So why don’t you laugh your ass off at me and get it over with?”
That was all it took to set him off. His laughter rolled through him, and it made me remember what it was like when we were kids. “Oh, Lane, you never change.”
“Thanks…I think.”
Straightening up, Maddox said, “So Gordon County can’t be too far from here, right?”
“I think it’s about an hour or two.”
Maddox appeared lost in thought. “Damn,” he muttered, shaking his head. “It might as well be on the other side of the country considering we don’t have a car.”
“Good point. I mean, we’ve got access to vehicles, but they’re directly in the line of fire.” For some reason, that was oddly comforting. There was a pretty vocal part of me begging to forget about the map. It pleaded with me to get to the nearest police department and put out an all-points bulletin for Jensen and his men. It wanted to be able to call my parents and tell them to come home because Maudie could be dead. More than anything, I wanted to forget anymore excitement by going back to the world I knew was safe—one that didn’t involve hidden treasure and men with guns.
Maddox’s next question brought me out of my internal struggle. “How much money do you have in the bank?”
“Huh?”
“We’re going to need some cash for a car. I wanted to know how much you had.”
“Nothing substantial enough for car—even a clunker.”
“Great,” he huffed, crossing his arms over his chest in frustration.
That’s when I stopped to allow the other annoying voice in my head to take precedence. It was the one that in spite of everything crazy and sad that had happened today still wanted to see this through. And there was also that nagging drive for once in my life to have an adventure. I mean, between my dance schedule and school, I never really had tried to let loose—not to mention I was the ultimate rule follower. Lying to my parents, hunting for buried Cherokee gold, and potentially being chased my armed men definitely was an adventure.
“Wait a minute…” I picked up my purse and started rifling through it. When I pulled out the stack of cash, Maddox’s eyes widened. I handed it over to him.
“Where did you get that?” he asked.
“Maudie’s safe.”
He flipped through the bills. “There’s at least five thousand dollars here.”
“Enough for a car,” I said, my voice a mixture of hope and fear.
“Exactly.”
I gulped. “So we’re really doing this, huh?”
He gave a short shrug. “I guess. Why not?”
I plopped back against the couch cushions in exasperation. “You guess? Please tell me at least your Army training is making you a little conflicted about all this.” At his blank expression, I shook my head. “Maddox, this is way too serious a decision for just guessing. We’re talking about throwing caution to the wind, saying screw you to Jensen and his armed thugs, ignoring all reason that tells us to go to the police, and potentially putting our lives in danger.”
A slow grin slunk across his face. “Well, when you put it that way, I would have to say hell yes, we’re really doing this!”
I couldn’t help rolling my eyes to the ceiling at his response. “Fine. We’re doing this.”
Maddox leaned over me, his face inches from mine. “Come on Lane, you know you want to find the treasure. Your head might be telling you that it’s scary and dangerous, and you could get hurt or even killed. Just like me, I’m sure your heart is telling you to do it for Maudie.”
I could barely breathe with him so close. “Maybe,” I murmured.
His eyes honed in on my lips before darting back to meet my gaze. “Even though you loathe and despise my company, you’re willing to stick it out because this is about the most excitement you’ve had in your little perfect princess world, and you like it.”
We stared each other down for a moment. He was right, and we both knew it. But I couldn’t bring myself to admit it. “Oh, don’t tell me it’s not exciting for you too, Rambo?” I countered.
The gleam in his eyes faded and was replaced by a sad, haunted look. “This is the most excited I’ve felt since they told me I was being medically discharged from the Army.”
My heart ached for him and the wounded expression on his face. Now I had another reason for wanting to find the treasure. I wanted to do it for Maddox and for whatever feelings I still had for him.
“Okay, okay, I sure as hell want to do this too,” I replied, with a smile.
He grinned. “Good. Glad to hear it!”
It was when we lapsed into silence that I realized how close were sitting together. To examine the map, we were plastered together on the couch. Maddox’s warm breath fanned across my cheek. My gaze dipped to his mouth as my own tongue darted out to wet my parched lips.
I froze when Maddox reached out and brought his hand to my face. His thumb brushed the corner of my mouth. “You had a little tomato sauce,” he explained.
“Oh,” I murmured. Thinking I might be a mess, I swept my own hand to my face. “Did you get it all?”
Maddox stared at me for a moment before putting his thumb in his mouth and sucking off the sauce. “Got it all.”
That one gesture sent my heart beating faster as heat burned below my waist. Leaning forward, Maddox drew himself even closer to me. Just when I thought he was going to kiss me, the sound of his phone going off caused us both to jump away from each other.
“F*ck,” he mumbled before digging it out of his back pocket. When he glanced at the caller ID, he grimaced. “Shit, it’s my sister.” He brought the phone to his ear. “Hey, Neely. What’s up?”
She started speaking frantically…and extremely loud. So much so that Maddox had to pull the phone away from his ear. Even though I couldn’t make out most of what she was saying, I did hear, “Where the hell have you been? Been trying to reach you!” to which Maddox responded, “Yeah, I’m sorry. I’ve been in the backwoods, and the reception sucks.” Then out of nowhere, the blood drained out of his face, and he dropped the phone. It clattered onto the hardwood floor.
“What? What is it?” I cried.
Without responding, Maddox groped for his phone while my hand flew to my chest to still my erratically beating heart.
“Did you just say Maudie’s alive and in a coma?”