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He emerged from the cabin of Devil’s Fortune with a smug grin plastered across his face as he swaggered down the ramp. Just the sight of him made me grit my teeth.
As Kane disappeared into the café, I raced down the dock, keeping to the shadows. My pulse raced with adrenaline as I approached Devil’s Fortune. The massive yacht’s sleek lines gleamed in the morning sun.
I raced aboard, and praying he hadn’t locked the door, I tugged down the handle.
Yes!
I opened the door and slipped into the main cabin. Luck was on my side today. First, the weather gods provided the perfect conditions to finish a dive I’d started weeks ago. Now, this door was unlocked. It was also a miracle Kane was still hovering around Rosebud Wharf. Then again, he’d been promised a meeting with Aria, and whatever he wanted to talk to her about was obviously important enough to keep him here.
Navigating my way through the luxurious interior, I tried not to jaw drop over how beautiful every aspect was as I searched for my next piece of luck . . . finding the keys to his boat. If I was right, he still kept his keys in the stupid trinket that he used all those years ago.
After scanning that room for the trinket without success, I peeked out the massive windows, searching for him. All clear.
I ran across the expanse and into the open door which had been shut the last time I was on Devil’s Fortune. I skidded to a stop. My jaw nearly hit the floor.
The room looked like a scene from a Hollywood treasure hunter movie. One entire wall was covered in ancient-looking maps, yellowing pieces of newspapers, and handwritten notes. One map was dedicated to Hamburg in Germany, and a red circle was drawn around a place called Schleswig-Holstein, which I couldn’t even pronounce.
His wall of notes looked similar to the wall of research I’d had on Rhino, except my wall also had a pile of overdue notices. Most of my research was ruined or lost when my boat sank.
In the center of the room stood a massive mahogany desk, which was cluttered with maps, charts, and scrolls with frayed edges. On one corner of the desk sat an ornate compass, its golden needle gleaming in the dim light. He even had a large magnifying glass resting on one of the maps like the room was staged for a photo shoot.
The urge to rummage through everything and see if he was searching for the same ancient wrecks as me was strong, but I didn’t have time. I needed to find his key and get this boat moving.
The wall opposite the maps was lined with polished timber shelving that housed leather-bound journals and weathered books and artifacts that looked priceless.
Jesus! The son of a bitch really is a treasure hunter.
At the far end of the room, a massive globe stood atop an intricately carved pedestal. Dotted all over its shiny surface were tiny gold star stickers.
With a ticking clock booming in my head, I marched to the bookshelves, scanning for the ugly clam-shaped box that he’d bought at a seaside market a decade ago.
“Yes.” I pulled up the lid, and grinning, I plucked out his keys.
I can’t believe that was so easy.
I allowed myself a small smirk as I sprinted back to the bridge, and holding my breath, I turned the key. His fancy new yacht hummed to life with a tiny shudder that seemed way too delicate for such a large boat.
Letting the engine idle, I sprinted outside, and checking that Kane wasn’t racing along the pontoon toward me, I released the bow mooring line. My muscles strained against the weight of the massive luxury yacht as I pushed it away from the shore.
The yacht creaked as I raced along the side deck to the rear. I released the rear mooring line, and with one final push, the yacht drifted away from the pontoon.
Fuck yeah! I couldn’t believe I got away so cleanly.
I scanned the dock, and my heart launched to my throat. “Dammit.”
Kane raced along the dock toward me, waving his fist over his head. His open mouth confirmed he was yelling at me, but I was too far away to hear anything.
My clean getaway vanished like the early morning breeze.
I stood on the rear deck with my hands on my hips, ready to face Kane. I didn’t have time to waste convincing him to give me his boat. This was the only option. Pineapple Reef didn’t have perfect weather for diving very often, and the promise of treasure was waiting for me.
Lucky for me, Devil’s Fortune was in an outer pontoon, so I didn’t need to worry about her crashing into anything. The rear deck was too far away for him to jump back onboard.
“What the hell are you doing?” he yelled across the water.
“Borrowing your boat.” I couldn’t waste another minute debating with the man who oozed lies.
“You’re fucking stealing it!” He pumped his fists.
