Amelia June The Ruby

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.You looked sad, and lonely.You seemed to feel the same way I did, like things could be so much better if someone else was by your side.”Daniel tried to extricate himself from Hawk's embrace but Hawk held tight, and honestly, he didn't fight that hard.“I don't think I was longing for a criminal partner who would put me in danger of being shot.You're projecting.”“Maybe so.No one's perfect, are they? Can you say you are totally uninterested in finding ancient pirate treasure? Come on, you can't possibly say that.” He gave Daniel a hopeful look.If the man hadn't been such a bad liar, Daniel would have thought he was being played.He'd seen Hawk lie, though, and he wasn't lying now.He meant what he was saying.Pirate treasure.Seriously?“No, I suppose not.Still, Hawk --”“I know.I did bad things.Trust me, I know.But please let me show you what I do, why my job is worth the risk.Please?”“All right, all right.You look like a drowning kitten for God's sake.”Hawk grinned and took Daniel by the hand, dragging him to his room.They packed their things into backpacks and Hawk pulled Daniel from his room far sooner than he wanted.He gave one last, longing look at the pile of books he'd intended to read, then followed his would-be protector out into the jungles that surrounded the resort.Chapter 3Heat and bugs.The jungle was full of both.Daniel wiped a bead of sweat out of his eye and grunted.Up until the crazed adventures of Hawk and the stolen ruby, Daniel had kept to the resort grounds, the small island town, and the beaches.The jungles that loomed on all sides of the resort held no interest for him.Adrian, the resort manager, led tours up the dormant volcano; rumor had it he liked to scare the tourists by driving recklessly on barely-there roads.Daniel hadn't wanted that kind of excitement in his vacation.Now here he was, traipsing through undergrowth and dwarfed by towering tropical canopies that nearly blocked out the light altogether.There was a path, sort of, but Hawk stayed a few steps ahead, swinging his machete like a crazed serial killer of greenery.“How far is it to this magical jewel-filled wonderland?” The bitterness put an edge on his voice.“It's a long walk, I'm afraid, and some of it is uphill.You're in pretty good shape though, you should be fine.”Good shape? Daniel spent his days sitting in an office listening to rich people whine about their first world problems.He wasn't in any kind of shape.He did walk a lot at home and hit the gym once in a while -- though mostly that was to covertly stare at the hard bodies that always seemed to be there.Walking through a jungle and up the side of a volcano wasn’t the same thing at all.He was already breathing hard, thanks to the thick, wet air.Once in a while a monkey would chatter overhead or throw a stone down.Sounds and smells Daniel had never even imagined invaded his senses.He had to admit -- the island was beautiful.Time fell away as they walked, Hawk checking constantly to make sure Daniel was drinking enough water and resting frequently.They made slow but steady progress.Daniel had no idea where they were going.He was putting his trust in a man who had nearly gotten him killed.He was smart; his mother had always said so.At last, with his lungs burning and his thighs begging for mercy, Daniel followed Hawk through a cluster of trees and stepped unexpectedly onto a beach.“Woah.”“This is where we camp for the night.” Hawk puffed up like a peacock, his chest out and his hands on his hips.“I found this little cove right after I got here.Isn't it beautiful?”“It really is.” Unlike the other beach, there were no people or lifeguard stations.There was no trash, no clutter of beach towels and umbrellas.There was only a small strip of beach and the two of them.The sand was brilliant white, and when Daniel went to wash his face in the ocean, colorful fish and other wildlife swam away from him in a surprised frenzy.Hawk joined him, letting the warm water lap at his toes.He looked fantastic, not at all like someone who had tramped through an island wilderness all day.How did he do that?“The locals call it Pirate Cove.Back there in the jungle there are some graves and things.It was an archaeological dig site for a few years, even.But now they've all cleared out, and the beach never sees people.At least, it hasn't since I got here.Too difficult to access.”The sun was setting on the opposite side of the island and turning the sky a magnificent purple red that softened Hawk's face.He looked at Daniel with that enthusiastic puppy look again.“It's very nice,” said Daniel.“Also, I'm exhausted.”Hawk gestured to a spot in the sand.“You sit down, and I will make us some dinner.Food tastes so much better when you're worn out and starving, don't you think?” Hawk busied himself setting up a campsite while Daniel rested his aching muscles.The sand crept its way in between his toes and various other places, but it was comfortable seating otherwise.Plus the view was spectacular - -a rising moon shining over the pearl white beach and Hawk stoking a fire while shirtless.Daniel's anger subsided.It could have been he was too tired to be all that mad, or perhaps he was feeling a bit more forgiving as he watched the unexpectedly sweet thief make dinner and set up bedrolls for both of them.Soon, a small pot was boiling with stew from a can.Hawk was right; it smelled delicious.He beckoned Daniel toward him, showing him a spot out of the fire’s smoke but well within the little circle made by bedrolls and discarded backpacks.It was a homey little arrangement.Hawk's flurry of activity came to rest, and he sat across from Daniel.They both huddled around the fire although the night was balmy.It seemed like the thing to do while camping on the beach.Flickering firelight made the scene as clichéd and romantic as Daniel could have imagined.The ocean breeze cooled the air enough to take the oppressive heat down a notch, and the stars twinkled overhead.He closed his eyes and took a breath of clean, clear air.Enough stalling, he told himself.It was time to get some answers.“You're a strange guy.You seem awfully sweet for a criminal with gunmen after him.”“I've been trying to tell you.I am a thief.That's how I was raised, but most of my work is legit now.I do a lot of work for rich businessmen like Sato.They collect rare and pretty things, and I know how to find these things.My methods might not be the most.legal.but I'm not a criminal.I don't steal things.”Daniel's job was to point out the contradictions between people's self image and reality.He tried not to do it to friends, but this was different.“I've yet to see you pass a watch you didn't steal.”Hawk's eyes flashed as he gave Daniel a look that wavered between embarrassment and frustration.“I told you! Bad habit.You never forget your roots, you know? I used to be a poor street kid.If I ever get that poor again, I have the skills to feed myself.”“That's a pretty lame excuse.And it doesn't seem like you're in the most legit situation right now.You owe that guy Sato money, for who knows what reason, and now you’re stealing from him.Why take the risk?”Hawk frowned and looked away from Daniel.He might have been angry or evading the question, but in a moment he answered.“I borrowed money to pay off some debt.I’m trying to clean up the best way I know how.” He whirled to face Daniel again, his face ablaze with firelight and defensiveness.“I want out of the game altogether, okay? I sort of want to go to school [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

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