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Chapter 22
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Claiming His Treasure series Chapter 23
In sight of Willemstad, CuraçaoThey'd made good time to Willemstad, Curaçao, and Leo was pissed.He was pissed at the wind, which had been strong and steady the whole way across the open water. He was pissed at the boat, for being so inconveniently fast. He was pissed at a lot of things, really, and none of his complaints were logical. These last few days of sailing across the Caribbean with Xavier and Ruby had gone by too fast.It didn't help that he'd often caught Xavier grinning at him. Right now, his teammate looked like he was on the verge of laughter."Try not to break something, buddy," Xavier said. "Or hurt yourself. I'll need your help when we reach the marina."Leo muttered something noncommittal and turned back toward the water. Behind them, their teammates' boat was easily staying in their wake. Ahead of them, Willemstad, Curaçao had come into view. Just above the eastern horizon, the morning sun shone on them as cheerful as could be.He hated that fucking cheerful s
Claiming His Treasure series Chapter 24
Kissing Leo was like an explosion. It was the release of a week's worth of tension, a rush of sensations she wasn't aware she could feel.He'd said he didn't want to take advantage of her, but he shouldn't have worried. Right now, this was exactly what she wanted. What she needed.Her fingers tangled in his long hair, and her lips pressed against his with all of the desire in her heart. She'd felt his body against hers before, several times, but that was nothing next to what it felt like to be pressed against him now, clinging to each other in sheer hunger, trying to get closer to each other than humanly possible.She heard a soft moan and realized it was her. One of his hands was cupping the back of her neck, the other sliding down her body, and it felt so good to be held by him that she couldn't stand it.This past week on the boat had been agonizing. Every time he'd touched her during one of their lessons, every time he'd brushed against her in passing, or when showing her how t
Claiming His Treasure series Chapter 25
Leo took the long way back to the marina.It gave him time to think. Time to feel like himself again.Jackson had called him while Ruby was dozing. He'd replied with a text, trying not to wake her, explaining where he was and that he'd be back soon.He'd considered just sneaking out of the guest house. Leaving Ruby while she was peacefully asleep. But that felt like a scumbag thing to do, and he was never a scumbag with women. Always a lover.It happens to the best of us, he thought. Losing our minds over a set of pretty eyes. Xavier had been right when he'd brought up Jackson and Charlie - Leo had always been supportive of their relationship. But things were different in his own situation. There were certain things a man could control and certain things he couldn't. He trusted Jackson to take care of Charlie. But given his own past, he didn't trust himself with Ruby.He'd had his share of flirtations and lovers while on missions for Roth, but there had never been any expectations
Claiming His Treasure series Chapter 26
Despite the rollercoaster of emotions she'd been experiencing, Ruby was feeling surprisingly optimistic when she finally set off on her sightseeing adventures around Willemstad. She'd called all the appropriate people, assured everyone that she was alive and well, and though her mom had been hysterical and the cruise line was threatening to slap her with some additional fees for the expenses they'd incurred when she went missing, she at least got assurances that the Navy wouldn't hunt her down and drag her back to America. This trip might completely drain her meager savings account, but as far as she was concerned, it was worth it.She'd also alerted the local authorities in both the Turks and Caicos and the Dominican Republic about Cyrus Nash and his men, but she had no idea whether or not they'd be able to find them, let alone arrest them. Nash and his crew were obviously experienced criminals, and it was best to be on her guard.Over the next few days after Leo's departure, she vi
Claiming His Treasure series Chapter 27
Despite his best efforts, Leo couldn't stop thinking about Ruby.He'd had plenty to distract him, too. He and the others had spent the last several days exploring Curaçao, visiting every site on the island they thought might have even possibly interested Vincent Rinaldi. They'd even hired a local tour guide - a small, talkative woman named Delilah - to take them around the island, and they'd asked her every question they could think of without raising suspicions: Where do the rich tourists usually go or stay? Are there any "hidden" spots on the island where a traveler with money to spare might arrange for a more hands-on experience, away from the crowds? Charlie had suggested they ask about any especially romantic spots, too, since they were looking for the place he'd first declared his love for Alyssa. Delilah had happily driven them to every beach and romantic overlook she could think of - and a few less-than-romantic places, too - but nothing turned up any clue. Or anything even cl
Claiming His Treasure series Chapter 28
Ruby woke to the sounds of men arguing. And to the feeling that she was going to hurl.Her head hurt, too. Groaning, she attempted to roll over onto her side. And that's when she realized her hands were tied together behind her back. Panic seized her, and her eyes flew open.She was on a boat. Locked in a cramped bedroom, just like before. Her memory came back in pieces - Willemstad. A man in a hat. Running. The same gravelly voiced man who'd kidnapped her the first time had done it again, and now she was on Cyrus Nash's boat, in even worse trouble than before."I told you, there was nothing there!" someone was saying out in the main part of the cabin. "I searched the whole damn place. I tell you, she hid them somewhere. Or sold them.""I swear, Bruce, if she's given them to Roth's boys, Nash'll make sure you never see a penny of your share." She'd know Gravelly Voice anywhere."But there was nothing there!""This isn't the first time you've dropped the ball. You haven't been pul
Claiming His Treasure series Chapter 29
Aruba"That has to be their van," Leo said. "There's no one else out here."He glanced down at Jackson's phone in his hand. They'd been tracking his own cell phone for several hours, and it had led them here - to a wild stretch of wilderness on Aruba. Jackson had the wheel, and Xavier was in the backseat, ready for action. Alexei and Charlie were back at the boat. Charlie had protested being left behind, but Jackson had insisted. This was too dangerous.I have to reach her in time.Since the moment they'd taken up the chase, his mind had been playing through every scenario. Most of them didn't end well.I have to save her.His eyes lifted again, found the blue van they'd spotted a couple of miles ago. Jackson had been driving like a maniac, trying to catch up, but it wasn't nearly fast enough for Leo. The dinky rust-bucket of a car they'd acquired on such short notice didn't have much speed in her. Leo would have jumped out of the car and sprinted after the van on foot if he thou
Claiming His Treasure series Chapter 30
Yes, Ruby thought, men are definitely idiots. And not just the ones who cheated on her right before the wedding. The good ones could be idiots, too, especially when they had their eye on a prize.Like Leo, for instance. The minute she mentioned the California Lighthouse, all three men in the car decided they had to go there right away. Even Leo, who was still bleeding out all over the backseat."You need stitches," she pointed out."Stitches can wait." There was a fierce determination in his eyes, and he seemed to have forgotten all about his pain. "Don't worry, tesoro. I'll be fine until Rinaldi's treasure is in our hands."Idiot.Ruby had to admit, though, that if they wanted to beat Cyrus Nash to the treasure, they had to move fast. Cyrus had the letters. If, as Leo claimed, they were using the places Vincent mentioned to guide their search, then he and his remaining men would get to the lighthouse eventually. If they hadn't already. If they were hitting every location in Vince
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Sloane wanted to die of humiliation.She'd been willing to let Donovan tell the Set about them, but this was not the way she'd expected this news to come out.Donovan climbed off the bed, grabbing her bra and bringing it over to her."Thanks," she said, cheeks blazing. At least he looked as embarrassed as she felt. Whatever happened, at least they were in this together - in this and everything.There was something amazingly beautiful about that realization.She released a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. She still felt shaken, and physically weak, and she knew the gaping, gnawing pit in her stomach - with two holes, one for each of the children she'd never meet - would never truly go away. But there was something else there now, too. Something that made her feel stronger. She was no longer alone.Still trying to make sense of this strange new feeling, she finished dressing. Then Donovan held his hand out to her. "Shall we?"She would have much rather have hidden he
Claiming His Treasure series Chapter 69
When they reached the hotel, Donovan took Sloane to her room."I need to check your back," he told her as he laid her gently on her side on the bed.The moment she touched the mattress, a gray-and-white hairball bounced up out of nowhere, and Donovan bit back a curse of surprise. He'd forgotten all about the little furry demon.The cat hardly spared Donovan a glance. Instead, it went straight to Sloane and rubbed itself against her arm, then curled up against her belly, snuggling in as if the only reason she was here at all was to provide the little beast with a warm place to sleep.Donovan shook his head, chasing away the insults he wanted to hurl at the little beast."If the wound isn't deep, we can treat it here," he told her. "Otherwise, I'm taking you to a hospital.""Wouldn't it look suspicious, walking into the hospital with a knife wound?" Sloane asked, gently stroking her cat's fur.He frowned. "You think I care about that when your wellbeing is on the line?"That sile
Claiming His Treasure series Chapter 68
It all happened so fast that Sloane didn't have time to think. Just react.She was still reeling from her emotional confession to Donovan when she saw the glint of metal behind him. Her mind had only had a split second to scream, "Blade!" before she saw the knife arcing down toward Donovan's shoulder. She cried out, giving Donovan a hard shove out of the weapon's path.If she'd been a little stronger - or Donovan a little smaller - he might have avoided the knife completely. Instead, it caught the edge of his sleeve, slicing down his arm as he twisted out of the way.But despite the injury, Donovan was fast. His instincts took over quickly, and he sent his fist flying back toward his attacker.It was the tourist Donovan had nearly attacked earlier. But no ordinary tourist would carry a knife like that, let alone swing it at a stranger.But apparently he hadn't expected Donovan to fight back. Or maybe he'd thought that if he'd hit his mark Donovan would not have been able to defend
Claiming His Treasure series Chapter 67
"This is it," Toshi said, rubbing his hands together as they stood in front of the Alcazaba. "The final stretch, you guys!"Donovan wished he felt as enthusiastic as his teammate. Instead, he found himself fighting a lump of unease.It's this damn city, he thought. Malaga was a beautiful place, but it twisted his judgment around until he could no longer tell up from down.He hadn't slept at all last night. He'd just kept thinking of Sloane in the next room. Even Toshi's snoring on the other side hadn't been able to drown out the heat of his desire. And it certainly hadn't eased the fire in his loins.But that wasn't the only thing bothering him. He'd been on edge ever since their near-miss with the suspected arms dealer back in Ponta Delgada. They'd escaped, but something about that scenario still niggled at him. Why hadn't Alyssa warned them? For that matter, why would Vincent Rinaldi hide a clue on the property of a man like that? Had he truly been as naive as Alyssa claimed? Or
Claiming His Treasure series Chapter 66
Malaga, Spain - The Next DayIs this some sort of punishment? Sloane wondered, stepping out onto the balcony of her hotel room. A reminder of my past sins? Yesterday had shaken her in more ways than one, but returning here, to Malaga, was unsettling in a different way. This couldn't be simply a bad coincidence - the universe had to be testing her. Why else would it bring her back here? Now?She hummed a reassuring song to herself as she stepped out onto the balcony of her room, trying to ease the wild restlessness that had taken up residence in her heart ever since they'd arrived here last night. This balcony was larger than the one where she'd stood the last time she was here. Below her, the mid-morning sun cast the street in bright light, and the buzz of voices floated up as locals and tourists went about their day.She held Valiant in her arms, and the cat purred and snuggled closer to her chest, clearly enjoying the cuddles and the soft singing. He was becoming quite the wandere
Claiming His Treasure series Chapter 65
Donovan held Sloane tightly against his chest, trying to keep her from making too much noise as she wriggled and twisted in his arms."Sloane," he rumbled in a low voice, "it's just me."She stopped struggling, and he released her mouth, then her arms. She twisted around, looking up at him in surprise."Way to give a girl a heart attack," she whispered back."I didn't want you to scream and draw attention to us.""Have you ever heard me scream?" she asked. She didn't look angry, though - just concerned. "What's going on? You guys didn't give me very much of a warning.""A man came out of the house," Donovan told her in a low voice. "Carrying a rifle. I think you were spotted." Beneath the surface, he was fuming. He knew they shouldn't have let her take this risk on her own. When that man had come stalking out with that big gun...something inside him had snapped. He still wasn't entirely sure how he'd managed to keep himself from attacking the man on sight.He angled himself to t
Claiming His Treasure series Chapter 64
Sloane dropped into a crouch behind one of the large, manicured shrubs. Then she wiped the raindrops off her glasses, taking stock of her surroundings.The coast was clear, and her path was straightforward enough. If she hugged the wall, the shrubs would cover her nearly all the way to the pohutukawa tree. Then she could hide herself among the tree's large, twisted branches until she'd found her prize.She could still feel the imprint of Donovan's fingers on her sides, as if his touch had burned her through her T-shirt. But she couldn't think about that right now, just as she couldn't think about that intense look in his eyes as he'd watched her slip away. Or the fact that, not two hours ago, he'd kissed her. And she'd kissed him back.She had a mission.It should be easy, she told herself, creeping along through the mulch and damp soil along the wall, humming under her breath. She kept one eye on the house, just in case. It still didn't look like this Mr. Beaufort was even home, a
Claiming His Treasure series Chapter 63
Donovan watched Sloane flee, rubbing his bottom lip.He'd told himself he'd heed Cruz's advice and control himself around her. This was not the time to indulge his carnal urges, not when the fate of the Set was at stake. Not when it might push Sloane away again. And yet when she'd looked at him, when she'd caressed his cheek with such tenderness, he'd been unable to stop himself from tasting her again.He didn't drink. He'd never been interested in alcohol, not after what had happened to his parents and sister. He'd often bitterly prided himself on his sobriety; how anyone could willingly partake of something that destroyed so many lives was beyond him. But he'd heard people speak of addiction - of that incessant, agonizing yearning, of that craving that was impossible to deny, no matter how much you knew you'd regret it in the end.That's what he felt around Sloane. He'd spent his entire life avoiding addiction, and he'd stumbled into it anyway. Thrown himself into it, consequences
Claiming His Treasure series Chapter 62
If Sloane was being honest, she'd always been a little intimidated by women like Alyssa Berry - beautiful women who never seemed to have a hair out of place or a wrinkle in their clothes. Women who knew how to command men with the flash of a smile or a practiced giggle. It was some sort of sorcery that Sloane had never understood, and there was a time in her life she would have given anything to know its secrets. Women like Alyssa felt like an entirely different species.Which is why, when Alyssa declared that she was tired of waiting and marched toward the doors of the hotel - not even wobbling the slightest bit on her tall heels - Sloane had no idea what to do.Toshi had tried to stop her. But Alyssa had simply batted him away. So Sloane had gone after her, catching her right as the woman had managed to hail a taxi."You can't go," Sloane said."I can and I will. I'm a free woman, aren't I?" Alyssa paused with her hand on the taxi door. "I don't wait around for men, love, and nei
