One evening, the private army of the Pharoah followed her, and their affair was discovered. The young warrior did everything he could to rescue her. He grabbed his father's shield and spear and went to save her. He made it all the way to the young bride's chambers before the Vizier presented himself. The Vizier stepped in front of the bride to intercept the warrior. The warrior attacked with his spear, but the Vizier yanked it out of his hands. Only when he did that, he accidentally stabbed the girl. The warrior cried out in devastation and tried to attack him. The dagger and its scabbard were suspended from the Vizier's waist. When the warrior attacked him, the Vizier killed him with it."
“That is a sad story,” Ben actually frowned.
“Of course, it is. It’s supposed to be sad,” she giggled.
“So how does the ancient Egyptian dagger and its scabbard end up with the duck guy?”
"I believe there was an archaeological dig in the 1970s. I can't remember the exact spot, but the tomb of the Vizier was found. Security is pretty lame at these digs, so grave robbers took as much as they could get away with. Historians, collectors, and enthusiasts have spent the past few decades searching for the entire treasure of the tomb. There are about 18 pieces in total that we're aware of and the rest in private collections that will probably never see the light of day, let alone be displayed in a museum. Mr. Mallard was actually responsible for funding a lot of the expeditions to recover the missing pieces of the collection."
"So why would he give it up? What does he get out of it?"
“What do you mean?”
Ben shook his head, "If Mr. Mallard spent money finding multiple pieces of this treasure, why would he sell it off?"
Tara shrugged, "I just assumed he liked giving things away to keep his reputation as a generous philanthropist."
“No, something else is going on here.”
“Are you really this cynical about people’s generosity?”
"I'm not when I believe it's authentic," he chuckled, "Mr. Mallard is infatuated with ducks, right? Wouldn't he be more interested in funding expeditions that discovered something more suitable to his tastes? He could spend his money funding expeditions that recover artifacts around his duck obsession?"
“It’s possible that there isn’t a lot of evidence pointing to the existence of such things,” she suggested.
Ben refused the notion, “The only time you spend a lot of money for something you’re not truly interested in is if you plan to make money flipping it. He didn’t donate the artifacts. Anyone can donate pieces of their private collection and have it returned to them. He doesn’t want these back? Items made of pure gold with a cherished history behind them? He intended to flip them all along. Shoot an email to Rork if you can, asking him to look up the financials of Mallard, Dr. Barrett, MoVA, and any other possible connections between them. Maybe there’s a way we can figure out how the money’s moving and follow that trail instead. Following the money always leads to someone in charge.”
“Okay, I sent the email, but I don’t have a signal. It’ll probably send once we snag a roaming tower or someone’s wi-fi.”
Ben craned his neck to see the upcoming exit sign. It’s for a rest stop a few miles ahead. They exchanged a look, a smile of a discovery that may just end that tense feeling of doom yet to rain down on them. The chaos is about to be quieted. That much, Tara was certain.
9
It took about 40 minutes to reach the gas station, but seeing the giant sign gave Ben a feeling of relief. He pulled up to a pump so he could refill the truck. Tara hopped out of the passenger seat, stretching her entire body that made Ben imagine her being stretched under him.
He smiled at her.
“What’s that look about?” She laughed while waving her finger in a circle at his face.
"Vivid dreams," he told her, which made her smile just as wide.
"I'm going inside to grab more snacks and to use the bathroom. Do you want anything in particular, Ben? Slim Jims? Candy? Fruit?”
"I'll take a sandwich if they have it, turkey and cheese. If not, see if they have some bread, peanut butter, and jelly. We can make our own sandwiches along the way. See if they have Wi-Fi so you can send that email to Rork.”
“Aye, aye, Captain,” Tara snapped her heels together and gave him an aggressive salute.
Ben laughed at her antics, but couldn’t hide the desire in his eyes as she walked away. They’d gotten closer over the past few days. The more time he spent with Tara, the more he liked her. He knew he wanted to be more than friends, but at the same time, he thought if the infatuation wore off, he might see things differently.
The only trouble remained with waiting until they returned to the East Coast. He didn’t know what she wanted. Hell, he barely knew what he wanted. There wasn’t any way to be sure of what the future held for them until they had the time to dedicate to whatever it was blooming between them. He yearned to turn his fantasies and vivid dreams of Tara into reality. When he wondered if she’d felt the same way, a dreadful feeling settled on him.
The tank was nearly full, and he hadn’t seen her walk by the glass of the convenience store once. His heart began to race while his eyes scanned the gas station. There weren’t any cars when they pulled in. The station wasn’t anywhere near civilization. It was nestled on the side of a mountain road.
The longer he searched for Tara, the louder his heart thrummed against his eardrums. He checked his gun and pulled an extra clip out of his bag to slide in his back pocket. He clipped the SAT phone to his hip and pulled the SUV into a parking spot in front of the store. Ben couldn’t keep his mind from thinking the worst as he jogged inside. There was one guy behind the register who looked mad at the world to be there that day.
“Hey!” Ben shouted to him.
"Hey, yourself, buddy," the cashier replied back.
"Did a girl come in here? Real pretty? She's got long brown hair, like ice blue eyes. Um, she had on a white t-shirt and a pair of blue jeans?"
The cashier grinned wide like Ben offered him some money, "Yeah. She was here a few seconds ago. Maybe? I know she sat all this stuff on the counter and ain’t paid for it yet, said something about the restroom.”
“Okay, so where is it?”
“Where’s what?” the cashier asked.
“THE BATHROOM!”
“Sir, I’m going to have to ask you to calm down. No reason to yell at me if your lady takes too long in the toilet.”
“You’re right,” Ben sighed. “Can you please tell me where the bathroom is?”
“Sure thing, it’s round back,” he nodded toward a hallway near the back of the store.”
“So, you just walk out that way to get to the restrooms?” Ben asked more to calm himself rather than trying to be obnoxious.
“That’s what I just said, Sir,” the cashier huffed and rolled his eyes.
Ben walked for a few steps before letting it turn into a jog. At the end of the hallway was an exit door. Just outside the exit was another set of parking spaces not visible to the road. There was only one car parked back there, which he figured belonged to the guy inside. His heart beat louder and louder, with his chest getting tighter and tighter.
He banged on both bathroom doors and didn’t hear a word in either of them. Deep breaths forced him to breathe like he was hyperventilating. He probably was.
“TARA!” he banged on the door, and nothing. “TARA!”
He couldn’t stand it as he nearly yanked the door off its hinges. There were two stalls in each bathroom, and every single one of them was empty.
It wasn’t until Ben heard the sound of tires squealing against the pavement that he ran to the front of the store. He caught a glimpse of the car, but couldn’t be sure if Tara was in it. He searched every square inch of that property and nothing! Tara was gone.
About the Author
Alexandra Maxwell is an author of sexy, smart romance books. She tells greats stories that SIZZLE and things get HOT.
Alex
andra Maxwell and her sister Kara Maxwell are the Romance Sisters. Alexandra is the naughty older sister and things get steamy in her books. Kara is the nice baby sister, with some spice of course. They are both hopeless romantics. Both love to write with electric chemistry between the characters, great settings and twist and turns of the plot and between the sheets. Fall in love with Alexandra and Kara and stay in touch with them to get behind the scenes nibbles, appetizing insider information about upcoming books, free gifts, and special offers. www.romancesisters.com
Also by Alexandra Maxwell
Book 1 Dagger of LUST
Book 2 Dagger of DESIRE
Book 3 Dagger of DANGER
COMING SOON:
Book 4 Dagger of Obsession
Book 5 Dagger of Love
COMING SOON:
The Billionaire and the Beauty Series:
Book 1 Secret Pleasure: Control
Book 2 Secret Pleasure: Domination
Book 3 Secret Pleasure: Power
Book 4 Secret Pleasure: Respect
Book 5 Secret Pleasure: Passion
Meet Kara Maxwell
I adore my sister Kara. I hope you will too. We’ve been scribbling stories since we learned to write. We both love writing romances for you. I’m the naughty one. Warning my books have some juicy scenes. Some heat and steam are good for your health! Kara is the nice sister with some spice of course. Get to know both of us! Join us for a fun ride!
Love,
Alexandra
www.romancesisters.com
A FREE GIFT from Alexandra Maxwell
My Dear Readers,
You are the reason I write romances. I am thrilled to share this gift with you.
https://dl.bookfunnel.com/v3famee2n4
Forever yours,
Alexandra
www.romancesisters.com
By Kara Maxwell
COMING SOON :
Book 1 Made For Him
Book 2 Made For More
Book 3 Made For You
Book 4 Made For Love
Book 5 Made Forever
COMING SOON :
Book 1 Return to Love
Book 2 Return to Passion
Book 3 Return to More
Book 4 Return to Me
Book 5 Return to US
Dagger of Danger Page 4