The Treasure
Jennifer Lowery
Avon, Massachusetts
This edition published by
Crimson Romance
an imprint of F+W Media, Inc.
10151 Carver Road, Suite 200
Blue Ash, Ohio 45242
Copyright © 2012 by Jennifer Kamptner
ISBN 10: 1-4405-6423-X
ISBN 13: 978-1-4405-6423-9
eISBN 10: 1-4405-6424-8
eISBN 13: 978-1-4405-6424-6
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, corporations, institutions, organizations, events, or locales in this novel are either the product of the author’s imagination or, if real, used fictitiously. The resemblance of any character to actual persons (living or dead) is entirely coincidental.
Cover art © 123rf.com
This book dedicated to my sister Abby! This one’s for you, sis! Thanks for all your help plotting and coming up with Aunt Pandora! Your treasure is buried inside you, sis. I know one day you will find yours.
During a writer’s journey, there are many people who lend a hand and help bring a book to completion. For me, I never would have reached my dream without the loving support of my family. To my hubby, Mike, who works hard and supports the family while I lock myself in my writing cave for hours on end to make my dream come true! And my three wonderful teenagers who keep their rooms clean so I don’t have to spend time cleaning instead of writing! Thanks guys, I love you!! My sisters, Abby and Melissa, for their support and humor and fun times when we got together for coffee and great conversation. My mom for always being my biggest fan. My dad for being my biggest supporter. I still have the cards and kind notes, Dad! Thanks, guys, for being there for me.
To the fabulous Rom-Critters out there, you guys ROCK! If not for you I would never have tightened this manuscript so nicely that it sold!! Your critiques were awesome and I thank you for all the time and patience you put into my chapters. I have learned so much from you guys and value your friendships beyond words. Humbly, I thank you.
A special thank you goes out to my critique partner and friend, D’Ann Lindun. She served as beta reader, CP, sounding board, brainstorming partner and so much more. Whenever I needed her, she was there with a good word, ear to listen and solid advice. Without her, I don’t think I would have made it through the revision process! You rock, lady!
To Crimson Romance, thank you for taking a chance on me! I am honored to be part of the Crimson Romance family of authors.
And, to anyone I may have accidentally overlooked, please know you are not forgotten. I appreciate each and every one of you who helped me get through the writing of this book.
Last, but not least, I just want to send out a big THANK YOU to all my readers out there! Without you, I wouldn’t be here. My wish is to one day meet each and every one of you so I can personally thank you for your generosity and support!
All my best,
Jennifer
Prologue
My dearest nieces,
It is on my deathbed that I am writing this to the three of you. I’m afraid my journey has come to an end in this beautiful place, as the old ticker decided to stop ticking right and I won’t be returning home. It is with regret I write this and a pain in my heart that I will leave this earth with only three things to give you. It is very important that you take these gifts into your hearts and see their meaning as I intended. Only then will you understand the lesson I didn’t learn soon enough. Please, do not ignore the beauty of these gifts, for they will change your life as they should have mine.
For Amelia, dear, sweet girl, I leave you a map crafted by my own hand. It is time for you to blossom, my little flower. Trust in yourself and I promise you will not be sorry. Follow the map, find the treasure buried inside you.
For Brittany, my precious double, I leave you my travel bag. It has journeyed with me from one end of the earth to the other and has always been there for me. Like a comfortable old friend, it has been my pillow, my life. Let it show you the way to true happiness, my free-spirited girl.
And for Caroline, my strong, incredibly lustrous beauty. For all your hard work, I leave you a jewelry box. It is a special box with a simple trick; you must open it with two hands. It has baffled and mystified me since the day it was given. Let its mystery show you the way to your secret place, my beauty.
I leave you with one last thought, my dear girls. I lived my life as I chose and would not trade one day of it. But remember, still waters run deep and they run inside all of you. This is my legacy I leave for you. Live free, beauties, for life is what you make it. I love each of you as the daughters I never had. I will miss you.
Love always,
Pandora
The hairs on the back of Brody Kern’s neck bristled. He lifted his head, his half-empty beer bottle forgotten. Glancing over his shoulder, he scanned the crowded, run-down bar for the cause.
His gaze landed on a pretty, red haired woman standing inside the door. Her strapless dress hugged slender curves and displayed a pair of shapely legs. She scanned the room with purpose, apparently looking for someone in particular. Whoever the lucky bastard was would have a fight on his hands if he didn’t claim her quick.
Since no pretty redheads were looking for him, Brody returned his attention to his beer. His eyes strayed to the mirror behind the bar where he could see her weaving her way through tables toward the counter with determination. What the hell was a woman like her doing in a place like this anyhow? He — and every other red-blooded male in the joint — noticed her. All five-foot-five inches of soft, decadent female wearing clothes completely inappropriate for this environment. And he wasn’t talking about the jungle outside the doors.
May as well slap a “tourist” label on her forehead because only someone lost would come in a shady bar like
this
wearing a dress like
that
. She stuck out like a sore thumb among the hard-edged, rough types that hung around here. Types that wouldn’t bother saying please before they took what they wanted from her.
Through narrowed eyes, he watched her stop in front of the bartender, Hector, who stood stacking glasses behind the counter. He heard her fumble through a few words of Spanish. Except for two. Two words rang clear.
Son of a bitch.
He was the lucky bastard she was looking for.
He glanced at the two-hundred-fifty pound Hispanic and shook his head in warning. But Hector pointed at him with a sly grin Brody wanted to wipe off his ugly face. Payback for the poker game the other night. Hell, he hadn’t cheated, but the big man didn’t like to lose and was obviously still sore.
The woman turned her smile on him and he vowed to settle up with Hector later. He had bigger problems right now and she was headed in his direction, drawing attention she wasn’t aware of. He was. He knew exactly the kind of attention she was gaining. None of it good.
Damn it.
He wasn’t looking for a fight tonight.
Brody stared straight ahead and took a sip of his warm beer. Ignoring her was impossible. She shone like a ray of sunlight in the dark room many called home. The sweet scent of vanilla drifted past his nose, stirred things inside him he didn’t want stirred.
A finger tapped his shoulder.
Brody white-knuckled his beer. Maybe if he didn’t turn around, she’d go away before he had to fight for her honor. He didn’t like the way the group in the corner were looking at her.
Another tap, firmer this time. “Um, excuse me. Brody Kern?” More insistent. Determined.
With a scowl at the men in the corner, he looked over his shoulder. She was even prettier up close. Her light green eyes sparkled beneath red-tipped lashes and her skin glowed with natural beauty that didn’t come from a bottle. He dared not look at her lips.
The front door opened and four men walked in. The leader, a linebacker in leather, stopped to survey the room. His dark eyes zeroed in on Brody.
“Brody Kern?” she repeated. “The pilot?”
He met her hopeful gaze. The color of her eyes reminded him of the waters of Fiji after a storm. “Not anymore.” At least not until he found his missing friend and the money Jeremy stole from their business account. Hard to run a charter business when you couldn’t afford to put gas in your plane.
“The bartender told me who you are.”
Brody scowled.
She drew in a deep breath. In the mirror behind the bar, he saw the four men shove their way through the crowd directly toward him. The beer he drank churned in his stomach. “Lady,” he said, wrapping his hand around the neck of his beer bottle. “You might want to get out of the way — ”
She spoke at the same time. “ — I’m Amelia. I’d like to hire you to take me to
Paraíso.
”
Holy hell.
Brody’s stomach dropped to his feet. Those words he never wanted to hear again. And sure as hell not right now. The four men were almost on him.
Shit, when it rains it pours.
“Look, lady. I don’t have time for this right now. Go home and forget you ever heard of
Paraíso
.”
Javier and his men approached. The woman had bad timing. He wasn’t about to help her join the ranks of the many fools who went searching for a place that didn’t exist. Fortune and fame. What a crock.
A finger tapped his shoulder.
“God almighty, lady — ”
A wrinkled piece of paper appeared beneath his nose. He shouldn’t look. Didn’t have time for this.
Damn it.
“I wanted to do this on my own.” She nudged her way in beside his elbow and smiled an apology to the man she bumped over. “But you leave me no choice.”
There was her scent again. It hadn’t been that long since he’d been with a woman … ah, hell, yes it had. He’d been so wrapped up keeping the business running and trying to find Jeremy that he shunned his personal life. No wonder she was messing with his head.
He tipped his head back so he could read the paper.
To find Paraíso go to Brody Kern. Tell him Pandora sent you. He will help you find your treasure.
A band clamped around his chest. Good God, could this night get any worse? Javier’s men closed in. He didn’t have time to deal with Amelia or her death warrant.
Brody pushed off his stool and grabbed her elbow. “Come with me,” he growled, as he dragged her through the crowd and out of the bar. Javier cursed behind them and the thugs bumped into each other trying to change direction.
He pushed through the door with such force it bounced off the wall before slamming shut. She pulled against his grip. He kept on going, weaving his way around vehicles. Stopping next to an old, battered Land Rover, he jerked open the door. “Get in,” he ordered with a glance over his shoulder to see if Javier had followed. They had a minute, maybe less, to get out of there before they discovered he left. No time to see if she had a car.
“Are you kidding?” the redhead asked, looking from him to the SUV.
Javier and his men were in the parking lot now and heading straight for them. “Would you just get in, damn it?”
“I don’t think I will.”
He couldn’t blame her, really. She didn’t know him from Adam, even with Pandora as a reference. But now wasn’t the time for second thoughts.