Page 126 of Risky Obsession

“So?” He sounded exasperated.

“The Elbe River is where the submarine that was used to transport three hundred bars of gold was last seen. Jesus. You need to follow them.”

He moaned.

“I’m serious. Just hang back and watch them, see what they do. I bet they lead you right to those missing hundred bars of gold. Cooper, imagine it. You will find gold that people have been hunting for, for eighty years.”

“It won’t be that easy. Look what happened last time.”

“This will be nothing like that. Last time you had to escape a military team who knew you. And look how well you did that! This time, it’s just a woman cop and a dumb treasure hunter.”

His silence screamed down the line.

“Imagine our lives when we have all that gold. Then we really can disappear and start over together. We can pay for plastic surgeons to permanently change our appearances. With all that gold, we’ll live like kings. We can move around the world whenever we want. It’s a great plan, Cooper. You trust me, don’t you?”

He heaved a sigh. “What do I do if they find the gold?”

“Kill them, of course.”

CHAPTER 25

Kane

The night pressed in around me, and in the faint moonlight, the dense foliage cast long shadows across the dirt path like demons. My mind was a fucked-up mess from Tory’s—no, Lacey’s—confession. Every step I took away from her was weighed down with her fucking betrayal.

I couldn’t believe I’d trusted her. Not just trusted her; I fucking fell for her. She tricked me. Made a fool out of me.

Behind me, her sobs echoed to me like all the trees were on her side. I clenched my fists and continued marching along the dirt track.

I had no idea if she was following me, and I didn’t give a shit either. She could find her own way to town. Hell, she could take her bullshit back to Australia.

My heart ached, and I hated that I’d let her in. I hadn’t met a woman yet who didn’t try to fuck me over.

Why had I believed she was different?

“Kane!” Her strangled cry sounded like she was underground.

Ignoring her, I marched harder, determined to put distance between us.

I stumbled into a dip in the track but found my footing and stepped onto a slightly wider, more prominent dirt road that was obviously used more than the one where we’d dumped the BMW. With a bit of luck, I would be out of this country before that car was found.

“Kane! Please!” She yelled so loud it must have hurther throat.

“Fuck you!” I roared at the trees around me.

Rage burned inside me like an inferno, dragging me back over twenty years to my sister’s brutal betrayal. I’d thought I could trust her, too.

Tory’s lies hurt a thousand times worse. I had started falling for her, and I’d thought we could become more than just treasure-hunting partners.

I reached the asphalt road, and the smooth surface felt hollow beneath my feet. Just like my heart. Fucking hollow.

Behind me, the drag of the suitcase wheels confirmed she was still on my tail.

“Kane, please! Stop!” Her pleas were desperate.

I didn’t respond. I’d said all I needed to say.

The half-moon was now visible over the tree line ahead, giving me a beacon to aim for. Dense vegetation lined the road and there wasn’t a single building in view. I’d only found this area by using the GPS and if I remembered correctly, I was about five miles away from the nearest homes.