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“Also, the day your mother came along, things changed.”
Clarity registered on her face and she felt a blush stain her cheeks. Of all the things she had imagined, a love triangle never really crossed her mind. Probably because she never thought about her Dad or Diamond being handsome, young men who chased after women. To her, they were always asexual, cantankerous, old pirates out searching for treasure. “Oh,” she simply said.
“And, then you were born and things really changed.”
“My mom left when I was three. If she had two men who loved her...” She let her words trail off.Why would she have ever left?
“Your mother abhorred our treasure hunts. She wanted to be comfortable and not worry about money. Ironically, Chaz hit pay dirt a year after she left.”
“Without you.”
“That, my dear, was the problem. I was part of the nearly 10-year search and contributed hundreds, thousands, of hours looking for that damn necklace.” A bitterness rose in his eyes. “But, he got to it first. And, along with that came all the glory.” Diamond let out a low sigh then lifted his gaze to Hollis’s and gave her a weary smile. “I guess all’s fair in love, war and treasure-hunting.”
Around the corner and out of view, Diamond’s son, Tony Burke, listened intently to their conversation. Though he searched for treasure like his retired father, Tony took a more liberal approach and, in the hunting world, he was known as a tombraider.
Anyone who got involved with Tony knew what they were getting into as his shady reputation preceded him. In the last five years since he had stolen the gold bars from the salvage company that stormy night, he had changed in one way.
Now, he was more ruthless.
“He never offered to share it with you?” Hollis asked.
“After the horrible things I said? No. I probably wouldn’t have either.”
“I’m sorry.”
He held a hand up. “Water under the bridge.”
“Is it, though? I feel terrible about how things ended between the two of you.”
“It’s not your fault, sweetheart,” he said, and gave her a small smile. “I suppose a part of me will always be pissed off, but what good does it do? I’m an old man and when I leave this world, I don’t want to be angry.”
With a nod, Hollis took a sip of her iced tea, thoughts in a whirl. “What if you could find a new claim to fame?”
“I’m retired.”
“Would the 13th ship tempt you to come out of retirement for a little while?” she asked, dangling the bait with twinkling eyes.
He cocked a bushy eyebrow. “First of all, I don’t believe in fairy tales. Second, deep sea salvaging is a bitch. You need R.O.V’s, onboard sonar scanners, magnetometers. That’s not cheap. Do you have investors?”
“No,” Hollis admitted.
He blew out another trail of pungent smoke. “Only one person has that kind of specialized equipment around here.”
Hollis sighed. “Dylan Ford, I know.” God, she felt like he had her by the balls and didn’t even realize it yet.Wait til he finds out,she thought.He’s going to rub your face in it and torture you to no end.
“He’s the best. But, he’s a pirate and pirates are dangerous.”
“He’s also a thief and a liar. That’s why I’m asking you for help. After he and Tony stole that gold, how can I trust him?”
“My son…” Diamond’s voice trailed off, but the disappointment in it rang loud and clear. “Tony’s a fortune-hunter with no honor, no loyalties. But, Dylan’s a wild card. And, that, my dear, means he’s unpredictable. You need to be able to trust your partner. I can’t emphasize that enough.”
Suddenly, Tony turned the corner, looking insulted. “No honor? No loyalties? That’s a little harsh, Dad. Even for you.”
Diamond and Hollis turned in surprise to see Tony who now leaned against the doorway, arms crossed, gaze hooded. It had been awhile since Hollis had seen Tony. Since he had dated her best friend Lia a few months ago and then left her crying on Hollis’s doorstep.
She had to admit, he was a good-looking man with dirty blond, sun-streaked hair and blue-gray eyes. Not as tall as Dylan, she noticed. Nor as muscular. An image of Dylan’s broad, bare chest rose within her mind and she distinctly remembered the large tattoo that had been inked on his pec. He also had a tattoo sleeve up his arm and that wrapped around to the back of his shoulder. The ink was a black and gray collage of nautical images, but she hadn’t been close enough to see any details. He’d been on his boat, working under the hot sun, and as she cruised through the marina, she had spotted him on deck. Sweating, pulling on a pile of heavy rope that made his muscles flex, he had glanced up. But, she had quickly turned away to avoid any interaction.
Hollis felt her traitorous stomach plummet at the memory.
