Page 13 of Risky Obsession

“If I was lucky, Pops would have survived that cancer.”

Viper made a noise like he’d swallowed gravel.

“Viper. Cut it out.” Aria gave him a warning look, then turned back to me. “Tell us about the clue.”

“Like I said, I inherited Pops’ antique shop and all the contents. I loved that shop, but it wasn’t the same without Pops there. It lost its purpose, I guess.”

Aria’s expression remained stony, but sympathy flickered in her eyes.

“I sold what I could, but saved many items that I couldn’t part with. But the clue I found wasn’t in Pops’ shop. It was somewhere else.”

“So, what’s the clue?” Nick asked.

I ran my hand over the table, trying to assess their thoughts.

“First of all, I want to say that I understand why you’re hesitant to share the information you have with me. But I believe we’re both after the same thing—the truth about the stolen Nazi gold bars. Maybe sharing our information will give us a better chance of finding that missing gold.”

None of them responded. The thought of working alongside such a skilled and formidable team both intrigued and intimidated me. My time in the Navy had transformed me from a reckless boy to a disciplined man, but Aria and the rest of her operatives were on another level altogether.

“There are two reasons why I agreed to this meeting,” Aria said.

“I assume one of them is because I helped Indiana and Kingsley when they were stuck on that island,” I said. “What’s the other?”

“I checked your military record. You served in Afghanistan and a few other places where the sun doesn’t shine. Your superiors thought highly enough of you to let you go with a good record. Then you floated around Rosebud for a while before you went off-grid for many years and have made a reputation for yourself in treasure hunting and dealing in antiquities.” Aria leaned back, folding her arms. “You’re a bit of an enigma, but you’re not stupid. You wouldn’t be here unless you had something that was both worth our time and something that you couldn’t solve, or else you would already have that gold. So, it seems you need us.”

I chuckled. “Okay, you got me on all counts. Except it’s not one clue I found; it’s three.”

“Prove it,” Xander said.

If it hadn’t been for my grandfather’s illness, I probably would have stayed in the Navy. Instead, I lost the only man I ever trusted, inherited a fortune, and have spent nearly a decade chasing clues that Pops chose to hide from me for some reason. It was time tofind out why.

“The lion’s journey begins at dawn,” I said. “The train must reach the castle safely. May Emmy guard the treasure.”

The other men in the room sat forward, and I tried to stop the smile curling on my lip.

“What does that refer to?” Aria asked.

“That was on a handwritten note that I found dated March 12, 1945. And I can tell by your reaction that it means something.”

Aria flicked her gaze to Nick and back to me. “You have our interest, but we are a long way from trading information. Let us have a discussion, and we’ll get back to you.”

Viper marched from the room.

“Don’t get your hopes up, Kane,” Aria said. “We have been burned before.”

I nodded. “Me too. I want to prove that you can trust me.”

She stood and offered her hand. “If we want to progress, I’ll be in touch. Don’t call me.”

I shook everyone else’s hand except Maya’s, and Maya guided me to the exit.

“Don’t worry about Viper,” she said. “He’s a hard ass.”

I chuckled. “I can see that. I have to say that I was surprised he knew about my grandfather’s shop. It’s been closed for ten years.”

“Viper used to be in the diamond industry. Platypus Diamonds. You ever heard of them?”

I searched my memory, then shook my head.