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Chapter Thirty-One

I ’d forever be grateful for my knees pressing into the seat in front in economy class, for most pants being too short, for every “how’s the weather up there” joke kids made in middle school, because right now my long legs were propelling me upward one step at a time. Breathless Brie, with her petite frame, lagged way below me. For every push I did, she had to do two.

After entering the opening in the wall, we had crawled on all fours several yards before it took a ninety-degree turn and went up. It was tricky to hold the flashlight and creep up, spreading all four limbs, my boots constantly sliding down smooth surfaces. Halfway up, my shoulder screamed bloody murder from the weight I was putting on it. Every minute, I had to take a break, but the further I went, the closer and more visible the opening at the end became, and the louder the sound of water grew. In my gut, I knew that it was the waterfall from Augustine’s sketch. Involuntary bursts of laughter escaped me.

I’d found it.

We’d found it.

Because of the loud rush of water, I couldn’t hear anyone’s voice, but I hoped—I begged—Andrew and William were up there.

With another push, my hands gripped the edge of the opening and the flashlight clattered onto the stone floor. I pulled myself over, belly crawled out, and rolled onto my back. Cool droplets gently beaded on my skin. Catching my breath, I willed my heart to slow down. Another dark cave but hopefully at the same level as Andrew and William.

I’d made it.

Hot tears ran down my face. God, I was tired.

“Can you help me?” Brie called out. “I can barely hold on.”

Did I have to?

I kneeled near the hole. If I leaned in, she would be within arm’s reach.

“Stop staring at me and help me.”

Fuck her.

I scooted away. I didn’t want to be a nice person to Brie. She didn’t deserve it. She was mean the entire time, she dragged my brother here, and she broke Andrew’s heart when he was at his most vulnerable. I should have let her dig her way through that door.

“Please,” she said with a whimper.

Clamping my eyes shut, I cursed, then rolled on my stomach and held my good arm out to her. Her cold palm pressed into mine, and my long fingers gripped her hand. I pulled her out, and she collapsed on the floor. I shifted away from her, back leaning against the wall.

After several minutes, I picked up the flashlight and studied the large underground chamber with a tall single waterfall plunging into a sizeable pool. I grinned until my cheeks hurt. Across the body of water, one corridor led to a possible way out. There were no guarantees though.

A feeling of fatigue penetrated deep into my bone marrow, but I had to find Andrew and William. I had to keep going.

“I don’t think I can move,” Brie moaned.

“You know six languages, but you can’t say thank you in any of them?” I grumbled.

“Thank you,” she said, with so much scorn I was better off without it.

I scoffed and shook my head. Perhaps spending time alone with Brie was my karma’s best joke.

“I think you and Richard are a perfect pair,” I said. “I wish you two life-long happiness so you can spare other people from ever getting involved with either of you.” She wrinkled her forehead, showing deep creases in her skin. She needed to invest in Botox. Because once her looks faded, what would be left of her?

The tunnel began to glow with flickering lights. I inhaled a sharp breath and staggered up on my feet. My heart twisted uncomfortably, not knowing who was about to walk out. I was sure I’d heard Andrew’s voice, but it could have been a prank of my fatigued mind.

The time seemed to drag on, suffocating me.

A tall, broad figure wearing a Fedora emerged from the tunnel.

“Andrew!” I yelled, waving my hands. Even though I could hardly see his eyes in the darkness, I felt our gazes connect.

“Adriana.” He threw his backpack off and sprinted toward me around the water’s edge.

Heart pounding, I wobbled to him, my knees shaky and my boots slipping and gliding on the slippery stone. Nothing could stop me. Every fiber in me wanted to feel Andrew against me. Hug him. Kiss him. Press my face into his neck. Tell him I would risk everything for him. Tell him I would move. Tell him that I loved him.

My body slammed into him, and his strong arms wrapped around my back, hoisting me. My legs circled his waist, and my arms looped tight around his neck. I buried my face in the side of his face, his stubble scratching against my skin. Warmth coursed through my bones and I let myself cry.

“You’re safe,” Andrew whispered, voice catching on words, his hold on me tightening. “I thought I’d lost you.”

I shook my head, tears stringing down my face. “I found my way back to you.”

“I don’t ever want to be parted from you again. I’ll move to Atlanta,” he said, chest rising, his breath hot on my neck. “I’m in love with you.”

I drew back and cradled his tired face with my hands. “And I’m in love with you.”

My mouth covered his, and my tongue swept between his lips. I weaved my fingers into his thick hair. The raw, husky sound in his throat made me shudder in his arms. He angled his head to deepen the kiss. I moaned from delirious pleasure.

Andrew nibbled on my bottom lip before his hot mouth traveled to my jawline, down my neck, leaving a trail of kisses and shivers in their wake. I was as close as I could get to Andrew, and yet it was still not enough. I pressed myself harder into him. His heart hammered wildly in his chest. Mine was on the verge of exploding.

From somewhere behind Andrew, William’s gentle voice dragged me into reality. “Adriana?”

My gaze landed on him and I was overcome with mixed feelings of relief he was okay and guilt that I hadn’t noticed his slim figure earlier when my focus had zoomed to Andrew.

Andrew carefully released me to the ground, and I rushed to my beautiful, exhausted brother.

“Hi, handsome.” I embraced him, pressing my head into his shoulder and relaxing into his warm brotherly hug. And I cried. Again.

Christ, I need to get my shit together.

William’s chest shook. “I was so scared.”

My nose ran. “Me too.”

“I thought you were gone.” He sniffled. “I thought, ‘fuck, now I have to go over all her crap in my condo and see what I want to keep and what to donate.’”

I burst out laughing and looked at his dirty face, then kissed his gruff cheek. “Keep the wine. Donate the rest.”

“Heavens to Betsy. You’d need a week’s worth of facials to fix this.” William circled my face with his finger.

“Pff. You should see yourself.”

William rolled his eyes. “Oh, I know.” His stare went over my shoulder. “Yech. I was hoping not to see her again.”

I turned. With my flashlight in hand, Brie wobbled towards us. Her leg slipped when she was near Andrew. She swayed in his direction. He caught her arm and pushed her to stand straight.

“Thank you, Andy,” she said breathlessly, her eyes hooded.

I cursed inwardly.

William leaned in. “She did it on pur?—”

“I know,” I whispered to him, clenching my fists.

Brie shuffled past us without making eye contact. Did I want to shove her? Hell yes. But I resisted.

Brie continued to where Richard sat on a rock, his head leaning against the wall. She sat on his lap and hugged him, pressing her forehead into his shoulder.

Brandon stood on the other side of the waterfall, studying its crest. Two people were noticeably absent. Not that I wanted to see them ever again.

“Where are Igor and Vitali?” My eyes ping-ponged between William and Andrew.

They exchanged glances, and Andrew cast his gaze to the ground, shaking his head.

“It was sad but also very touching,” William said in a low voice. “Did you know they were brothers?”

I figured they were related. They had a similar ugliness to them.

“What happened?” I stared at Andrew, remembering his threat to Vitali that he wouldn’t make it alive. My hand went to my throat. “You didn’t…?”

“When you and Brie went down,” Andrew said, “the floor under Igor’s feet collapsed too, leaving him hanging on by his fingertips. Vitali rushed to him and tried to pull Igor up, and they just… fell over. We couldn’t save them.”

“You should look at this,” Brandon called, standing behind the waterfall’s curtain.

We walked to him and faced a large ship’s steering wheel at the base of an elaborate pulley system that rose about fifty feet. I craned my neck, my gaze following the thick cables that looped over massive beams and disappeared into the ceiling.

“It looks like ship parts.” I ran my fingers over the helm.

“They used them because they knew they were corrosion resistant,” Richard said, coming up behind us.

Andrew studied the complex network, then moved over to the right side of the helm. He gripped the handles and pushed on them. The wheel didn’t move. Andrew blew out a breath and cut his eyes to Richard.

“For once, you can help.”

“I don’t do heavy lifting unless I’m asked.” Richard stepped over to the other side. Together, they yanked harder on the wheel. They made two more attempts, each making inhuman groans, before the wheel whined, gave in, and rotated a few degrees. The pulleys returned to life with creaks and screeches. My sweaty hands clutched William’s forearm, my muscles going tense all over, expecting the worst. Based on everything that had happened since we’d arrived at the ruins, I was allowed to think something was about to misfire.

Andrew and Richard continued turning the helm. The gush of the water over the crest of the waterfall lessened and soon turned into a dribble.

“Adriana,” Andrew said, his voice strained. “See that rope?” He jerked his head to his left. “Pull it to me.” I jumped into action, my feet slipping on the moist rock. I dragged the cable to him. “Loop it and tie it into a bowline knot.”

I gave him a blank stare. “How would I know how to do that?”

“I’ll do it.” Brandon’s hands quickly worked the rope around the wooden spoke. When he was done, he stepped back. Richard and Andrew let go of the wheel at once. The line strained, holding the helm in place.

“Now what?” I asked, my flashlight bouncing from wall to wall in search of a new portal or the reason for cutting off the water. Everything looked the same.

“I see it!” William shouted, pointing down into the pool. I scrambled to him, and my heart skipped a beat when multiple chests and crates came into view at the base of the pond.

“We found it!” I yelled, catching Andrew’s eyes across the cave. He beamed, and I mirrored his grin.

“We split it fifty-fifty,” Brie said, her voice chafing my raw nerves the wrong way.

The floor beneath us trembled, causing my breathing to cease.

“You feel that?” William turned to me, wide-eyed. I nodded.

The pond bubbled, gurgled, and rapidly dropped, exposing all of Augustine’s loot. Gold bars in open crates reflected light from our flashlights. Chests were stacked three high.

Unblinking, I stared at the twenty or maybe thirty wooden trunks, the shock of it all rooting me to the ground. Were they all full of gold? If so, my goodness, the find was priceless.

When the water had finished draining, Dickhead slid on his ass to the bottom, whooping at the top of his lungs. William made a step towards the treasure, but I placed my hand on his shoulder, shaking my head.

“Don’t,” I said in a low voice.

I worried Richard could pull a last-minute dick move. He didn’t seem to have his gun with him, but that didn’t mean he didn’t have a knife strapped to his ankle.

With the tail of his flashlight, Dickhead struck a padlock, then threw the lid open. He made another whooping cry, spreading his hands over the shimmering gold coins, then digging his fingers in. He threw open another chest, exposing gemstones and jewels. He placed an emerald tiara on his greasy head and looked up.

“Dr. Jones, I have a new proposition for you,” he said. A creepy feeling rose inside of me. “Fuck the Russian billionaire. Forget the Octavian group. How about you and I keep it all? With my contacts, we can double our profit. No, we can triple it.” Richard roared with laughter, looking like the Joker—minus the frightening make-up.

“I’d rather get kicked in my teeth by a horse than work with you,” Andrew said, his hand on his hips.

“I have a question.” I raised a finger. “How are we going to move all of this?”

“We leave it and return with a new crew,” Brie said.

I threw her a skeptical look. “Like I’d trust you not to return on your own and steal it.”

“You are welcome to stay and guard it.” She sneered, baring her fractured smile.

“Your tooth is still broken.”

Her mouth clamped tight.

A loud crash of stone reverberated in the cavern, sending a shock through me, and a surge of muddy water erupted from multiple directions overhead. Rocks and sharp stalactites showered us and as a stone graced my shoulder I cried out and stumbled backward.

“Find cover,” Andrew shouted.

“Adriana, move.” Brandon yanked on my arm and pulled me to safety in the passage they’d come from, just as several chucks of the ceiling fell. William and Brie rushed to us too.

Andrew yelled again, but over the roaring chaos, Brie shrieking, and blood pounding in my ears, I couldn’t hear what he’d said. Richard scrambled up onto a slithery rock, losing the emerald tiara in the process, and Andrew grabbed his hand and helped him out of the pool. They pressed their backs into the wall opposite us, near where Brie and I had entered the cavern earlier, shielding their heads with their arms.

Another crack thundered and an enormous ceiling slab caved and plummeted onto the chests. Daylight split the darkness. My eyes connected with Andrew’s, and I saw fear in them for the first time. Hairs rippled down my back. What if it was about to entirely cave in and bury us all?