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Before I can answer, Wyatt steps in front of me. “We don’t know.” He crouches next to him. “I can’t believe I ever looked up to you. I can’t believe you were ever anything more to me than the selfish fuck who’s groveling before me right now.” I swallow at his words. He deserves this moment. He deserves it and then some for the way Lance talked about these guys. I hope everything Wyatt gets off his chest is getting through to him, but I doubt it. “We’re all so much better off without you.”
Wyatt shoves him, and Lance topples over, splashing into the stream before flailing about and finally stumbling out of the water with a gigantic breath. His fake hair is plastered to his head as he struggles to his feet. Ninja and Pete hang back, waiting for our orders, and honestly, I’m not sure what to do. I’d like to never see him again. I’d like to never have to lay sight on this man who’s done so much more damage than he probably even realizes.
He gazes between all of us. “What are you going to do to me?”
Wyatt and I glance at each other. As much as I want to see him dead, I can’t take that decision away from Stone. Lance would’ve done it to us in a heartbeat—hell, he tried to multiple times—but if we turn around and do the same to him, what does that make us?
Justified, obviously. But I don’t want to be anything like Lance fucking Jacobs.
I want to be so much more. I want to surround myself in love, not power. I want to make decisions for the good of the people around me, not for the benefit of myself. I want to have a life filled with happiness, not money.
That’show I want to live.
That’s what my guys have been trying to tell me this whole time. When they were trying to get me to live, this is what they meant.
Gold or no gold, I can choose to be the person I want to be in this moment. Wyatt nods at me as if he and I are on the same wavelength. A minute ago, I wanted Lance dead. I still kind of do. He doesn’t deserve anything more.
But also, I’m not sure I can pull the trigger on that decision right now. He’s practically shaking in his boots. He’s no harm to me nor anyone I love right now.
I might regret this but.... “We’ll take him back to Clary. I can tell the police how he kidnapped me and walked me up the mountains to make me find the treasure for him. Unless Stone wants something else by the time we get there.”
“If Stone’s alive,” Wyatt growls.
Okay, so he and I are definitely not on the same page.
“We have some time to think about it,” Ninja hedges. “Looks like we’ll be hiking back to the main road.”
I nod, and we start making our way down the mountain. I look back before the valley goes out of sight. It sucks to be walking away from the next clue, but I can’t be selfish. Stone, Lucas, and Wyatt helped me get this far. I can’t go off finding it without two of them, can I?
First, I need to make sure they’re okay.
We meet up with the trail and about halfway down, we hear ringing. Wyatt and I both stare at Ninja as he digs a SAT phone out of his pocket.
When we stop, Lance practically slumps against a tall shrub. He’s been slowing us down this whole trip. Ninja kept shoving him forward until Lance started falling to his knees every time. He’s far from the man who ordered Lucas shot. He’s pathetic.
Ninja answers the phone, squinting. A strong voice yells from the other end. He takes the phone away from his ear. “Where are we?”
Just as I’m about to tell him, the whooshing of helicopter blades echo down the mountain. Ninja turns and looks toward the sky. “We hear you. We’re headed back toward the trailhead.”
The metal beast starts as a tiny object dotting the horizon until it flies closer and closer before hovering above us again. We shield our faces from the wind, then Ninja yells, “Yes,” into the receiver before ending the call. The basket lowers, and we all move toward it, Pete pushing Lance forward.
When Wyatt and I are inside, I hold onto the rope as we raise into the belly of the helicopter. My hair swirls around my head, tangling. Ninja, Pete, and Lance get smaller and smaller until we’re hefted onto solid ground. I scramble out as fast as I can, and the basket lowers again right afterward.
A hand closes around mine. I turn to find Stone sitting in one of the bucket seats, belted in, and I dive toward him. He wraps his arms around me as my cheek comes to a rest against his stomach. Relief washes over me. My head rises and lowers with his every breath, and my throat works. I dig my nails into his side, and he grasps me with the same force, his fingers tangling in my hair. When I finally take the time to peer up at him, he has a fresh, professional-looking bandage around his head. He’s clearly already been to the hospital and released.
How handy helicopters must be for transportation.
Someone shoves a helmet on me from behind. “Babe, you there?” Stone’s crackly voice asks.
I nod at Stone as I’m helped to my feet and shown the seat next to him. Hands belt me in just as another black-clad man is doing the same for Wyatt across from us. Cole sits next to him.
I raise my arms so they can secure the fasteners. “What’s going on?”
“Pretty boy, here, wanted to come back up.” The connection isn’t clear, but it’s evident Cole is the one who responded.
“Shouldn’t you be in the hospital?” I scold, looking to my right.
“I hit my head and split the skin open. I got some stitches. I’m fine.”