from him, looking as unsteady as he felt.
“No, Jesse,” he said, reaching toward her. But she spun away, gripping her stomach, and staggered a few steps before she began to run, back to camp. “Jesse,” he gasped, trying to get his breath, as he sank to his knees.
He stared at the ground.
“Oh my god,” he muttered. “What have I done?”
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Frederico throttled the engine back.
That was his boat all right. He angled toward it.
The Zodiac was tied off at a muddy embankment. The rope was stretched taut as the swollen river tried to take the boat away. He looked up at the jungle behind it.
This was an area he’d always meant to explore. But the rich finds that surrounded it were more than enough to keep him busy.
What did that gringo find?
“Ernesto,” he barked. “Get the rope and tie off the boat.”
As the two boats bumped, Ernesto jumped into the water and quickly waded ashore.
Frederico jockeyed the boat as Ernesto tied a knot and then he killed the engine. He picked up Ernesto’s rifle and tossed it to him. Ernesto caught it with both hands. Then he took his pistol from its holster and tossed him that too, followed by the burlap sacks.
Then, he stepped from his boat to the other.
Two life jackets.
That’s right. The woman had been with him this time. He smirked. This might actually be fun.
He pulled his hat down tight, stepped onto the edge of the boat, and jumped all the way to the mud.
Ernesto immediately handed him the pistol. He thumbed the cylinder open out of habit, checked the bullets, and snapped it back closed before holstering it. His other hand went to the handle of the machete.
He pushed past Ernesto onto what looked like a small footpath.
“Follow me,” Frederico said.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
Jesse stifled a sob with her hand as she stumbled back into camp.
What an idiot.
She came to a stop, her eyes full of tears, staring at the tent. Had she and Brett only been here a couple of days? It felt like a lifetime. She and Brett had made love in that tent only yesterday.
She angrily shook her head.
“Fool,” she muttered.
She’d really deluded herself this time–a guy like him and someone like her. Here he was, on the verge of the most important archaeological discovery of all time.
And she was a Jittery Jessica.
His stricken face hung in the air in front of her when he’d realized they couldn’t be together. The words he’d said rang in her ears. She pushed her hands down over them and shut her eyes.
‘We can’t be together.’
Now she did sob.
He’d looked as pained as she felt–as though a knife stabbed deeply into her chest. She clutched it as she staggered toward the tent. Inside, she fell on her bed, still crying, and instantly curled into a ball.
She had completely fallen for him–had even been on the verge of saying it. And for a moment, for just a moment, she had thought he loved her too.
And maybe he did– but not more than he loved the site .
• • • • •
Brett remained on his knees.
Still breathing hard, he stared down at the Jester God on the blue jade tablet in the plastic bag. Then he looked in the direction of the other six caves. Not one hundred yards away lay the most fabulous burial of all time and, in his hand, he held the clue that would unlock it.
Thanks to Jesse.
He looked in the opposite direction, across the main plaza of the Maya ruins, back toward camp.
Jesse .
He didn’t want them to be apart. It was the last thing he wanted. And he hadn’t intended to hurt her either. But that’s exactly what he’d just done. His one hand clenched into a fist and the other gripped the jade tablet.
What kind of ass am I?
It was his obsession, he told himself. The burial in the seventh cave was going to make his career–set him on an upward trajectory like a rocket. He’d sacrificed his marriage for it. He’d risked everything. Brought them through a freaking monsoon.
He took the tablet
“No, Jesse,” he said, reaching toward her. But she spun away, gripping her stomach, and staggered a few steps before she began to run, back to camp. “Jesse,” he gasped, trying to get his breath, as he sank to his knees.
He stared at the ground.
“Oh my god,” he muttered. “What have I done?”
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Frederico throttled the engine back.
That was his boat all right. He angled toward it.
The Zodiac was tied off at a muddy embankment. The rope was stretched taut as the swollen river tried to take the boat away. He looked up at the jungle behind it.
This was an area he’d always meant to explore. But the rich finds that surrounded it were more than enough to keep him busy.
What did that gringo find?
“Ernesto,” he barked. “Get the rope and tie off the boat.”
As the two boats bumped, Ernesto jumped into the water and quickly waded ashore.
Frederico jockeyed the boat as Ernesto tied a knot and then he killed the engine. He picked up Ernesto’s rifle and tossed it to him. Ernesto caught it with both hands. Then he took his pistol from its holster and tossed him that too, followed by the burlap sacks.
Then, he stepped from his boat to the other.
Two life jackets.
That’s right. The woman had been with him this time. He smirked. This might actually be fun.
He pulled his hat down tight, stepped onto the edge of the boat, and jumped all the way to the mud.
Ernesto immediately handed him the pistol. He thumbed the cylinder open out of habit, checked the bullets, and snapped it back closed before holstering it. His other hand went to the handle of the machete.
He pushed past Ernesto onto what looked like a small footpath.
“Follow me,” Frederico said.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
Jesse stifled a sob with her hand as she stumbled back into camp.
What an idiot.
She came to a stop, her eyes full of tears, staring at the tent. Had she and Brett only been here a couple of days? It felt like a lifetime. She and Brett had made love in that tent only yesterday.
She angrily shook her head.
“Fool,” she muttered.
She’d really deluded herself this time–a guy like him and someone like her. Here he was, on the verge of the most important archaeological discovery of all time.
And she was a Jittery Jessica.
His stricken face hung in the air in front of her when he’d realized they couldn’t be together. The words he’d said rang in her ears. She pushed her hands down over them and shut her eyes.
‘We can’t be together.’
Now she did sob.
He’d looked as pained as she felt–as though a knife stabbed deeply into her chest. She clutched it as she staggered toward the tent. Inside, she fell on her bed, still crying, and instantly curled into a ball.
She had completely fallen for him–had even been on the verge of saying it. And for a moment, for just a moment, she had thought he loved her too.
And maybe he did– but not more than he loved the site .
• • • • •
Brett remained on his knees.
Still breathing hard, he stared down at the Jester God on the blue jade tablet in the plastic bag. Then he looked in the direction of the other six caves. Not one hundred yards away lay the most fabulous burial of all time and, in his hand, he held the clue that would unlock it.
Thanks to Jesse.
He looked in the opposite direction, across the main plaza of the Maya ruins, back toward camp.
Jesse .
He didn’t want them to be apart. It was the last thing he wanted. And he hadn’t intended to hurt her either. But that’s exactly what he’d just done. His one hand clenched into a fist and the other gripped the jade tablet.
What kind of ass am I?
It was his obsession, he told himself. The burial in the seventh cave was going to make his career–set him on an upward trajectory like a rocket. He’d sacrificed his marriage for it. He’d risked everything. Brought them through a freaking monsoon.
He took the tablet
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