by Anna Hackett
God, he might annoy her, but she was damn glad he’d come for her.
Suddenly, the impact of everything hit her, all at once. She started to shake. She’d almost died—multiple times. She’d survived the plane crash, the jungle, bad guys after them, the helicopter firing at them.
A firm hand gripped the back of her neck. “Deep breath, James.”
She pulled in a ragged one. Tears pricked her eyes.
Dammit. She never cried. She’d done a lifetime of crying in her teens, and vowed to avoid it as a grown woman.
Seth moved closer and slid an arm across her shoulders.
“We’re okay. You’re holding up like a trooper.”
She gave a hiccupping laugh. “God, do not be nice to me, Lynch.” Or she’d fall apart.
He smiled again. It pulled at his scars, which did nothing to detract from the sexiness. January had never liked perfection, anyway.
“I mean it,” she said. “I’m two breaths away from a massive meltdown. Don’t be nice, or you’ll regret it.”
“Fine. Even though you’ve survived some really bad circumstances, and have a fucking core of steel in your spine, you’re still a harpy.”
The tension inside her eased a little. “And you’re a prick.”
His face turned smug. “Well, I do have a big one.”
She groaned. “An arrogant prick, too.” She gave him a small smile. “Thanks.”
He lifted his chin.
Then she froze. Not all the muck on his skin was mud. Some of it was red.
“You’re bleeding.” She scrambled to face him. “I can see blood on the side of your neck.”
“Got nicked by a knife earlier.”
“Oh, my God. Why didn’t you say anything? We need to stop the bleeding.”
“James—”
She grabbed his backpack. “Infection is a real risk here in the jungle.” She tugged the pack toward her.
He pulled it back toward him. “James—”
She shook her head. “Take your shirt, or armor, or vest, or whatever you call it, off.”
She gave another hard tug, knowing she sounded slightly hysterical, but she didn’t want Seth to die and leave her alone.
She caught his eye. “Please.”
He stared at her, eyes glittering, then he nodded.
She rummaged through his pack. “You have a first aid kit in here, right?”
“Right.” He sounded resigned.
She found the small, red kit and yanked it out. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw him set his armored vest down beside the log. When she had some antiseptic wipes in hand, she lifted her head. He was pulling his black T-shirt over his head.
She froze. Sweet Jesus.
He had a perfectly sculpted chest. Not bulky, more like a swimmer’s body. He was beautiful.
There were more scars on his right side, mostly covered by the black ink of a tattoo. They’d been done with a knife, she realized. Again, they enhanced his attractiveness, they didn’t detract.
They all had scars, which showed they’d lived, survived, conquered. She had her own. They just weren’t as visible.
The tattoo was some sort of bird of prey. It perched on his shoulder and bicep, its outstretched wings covering his hard pec and probably part of his back. It suited him.
January cleared her throat and shifted closer. The cut was where his neck met his shoulder.
She swiped at it, cleaning off the mud and blood. She tossed a dirty wipe down into his backpack and grabbed another one. Then she fished around in the kit until she found a bandage.
“You’re lucky it wasn’t deep,” she said.
She pressed the bandage against his skin. He was so warm under her fingers. Like he burned hotter than a mere mortal.
She smoothed her hand over the taut flesh of his shoulder. Then she did it again. He felt so good. She sucked in a breath. She was just starved for human contact, that was all. This was Seth Lynch, of all people.
He made a raw sound and her head jerked around. Their faces were only an inch apart. The air rushed out of her.
His blue eyes were blazing with something…heat. Desire.
God. God.
January’s brain turned off. She turned her head the last inch, and her lips brushed his.
He groaned.
“You tell anyone I kissed you, I’ll say you’re lying,” she said.
“Shut up, James.” He leaned forward.
“You’d better be a good kisser, Lynch—”
His lips cut her off, his tongue sliding into her mouth. Oh, yeah.
She kissed him back, craving him, the kiss hard and desperate. His mouth. God, his mouth.
He groaned against her lips and his tongue stroked hers. He was beyond a good kisser, and heat shot straight through January. His arms locked around her, the kiss turning almost punishing.
All-consuming.
It was the distant boom of an explosion that made them both jolt and pull apart. January sucked some air into her burning lungs.
“Grenade,” he said. “It’s a long way off, but we should keep moving.”
She nodded. “Ah…yes.”
She cleared her throat as he rose. Then she gripped his hand, sorry to lose the crazy, intimate moment.
“Seth, I didn’t say it earlier, but thanks for the rescue. Thanks for coming for me.”
He stared at her for a moment. “You’re welcome, James.”
They’d made good distance, but Seth could see that January was clearly exhausted. Yet she hadn’t voiced a single complaint.
“Tell me about this dig site?” he asked, partly to take her mind off their punishing pace.
“Another Snake King site. It’s a crumbling pyramid. Josh—Dr. Andelman—has a small team, and they’re working out if we’re going to need a larger team to excavate the ruins. The rest of my team are at another, larger, site to the south. Where I flew out from.”
“And you found all these sites from scans?”
She nodded, her face lighting up. “Lidar scans. Advanced laser scanning. We uncovered previously unknown Mayan structures. Thousands of them. Buildings, defensive structures, farms, irrigation systems, pyramids. All hidden by dense jungle.”
“Incredible.”
January paused, her voice lowering. “The archeologist in charge of the scanning was on the plane.”
Shit. “Sorry to hear that.”
She nodded, then lifted her chin. “We know so little about the Snake King Dynasty. It’s only been during the last few decades that archeologists started piecing together information about them. Forty years ago, they were just a rumor. Twenty years ago, they were believed to be unimportant local kings. Now we are discovering that for a time, they ruled the most powerful Mayan kingdom ever. It started when their emblem, the grinning snake, was first noted at various sites. Then, a few years back, a magnificent, well-preserved frieze in a pyramid at the site of Holmul was discovered. It showed amazing images of the Holmul king, and there were lots of glyphs, including the Snake King glyph.”
“Why are they so special?”
“They came out of nowhere. Their center of power was at a site called Calakmul in Mexico. But there was no record of them in earlier times. The first snake glyph appeared at another site called Dzibanché. Here in Guatemala, lots of work has been done at Tikal, and we know that the Tikal kings dominated the Maya lowlands. Tikal is covered in exquisitely carved stelae documenting their history…except for a strange gap from about 560 AD to 690 AD. There were no stelae created during that period. Turns out, that was when the Snake Kings invaded and took over Tikal, intent on building their own empire. That ambition appears to have started with the Snake King called Stone Hand Jaguar.”
“Cool name.” Seth held some vines aside for her to pass through.
“The Snake Kings were obscured for so long, and we’re only just now realizing how powerful they were. They had advanced cities and agriculture. For several generations, they flourished. It was Stone H
and Jaguar who saw that Tikal was vulnerable. He spent years gaining allies at various sites surrounding Tikal. Unfortunately, he died before he could make the final move, so it fell to his successor, Sky Witness—who was likely his son—to make the final move.”
“They knew how to name their kings.”
She smiled. “Sky Witness was said to be big and powerful, and a great warrior.” Her nose wrinkled. “Sometimes these kings get exaggerated in stories, but a team discovered his tomb at Dzibanché. He was tall and strong, and had lots of scars from old battle injuries.”
“I know all about that.”
She paused. “I guess you do.”
“So, the Snake Kings wanted war.”
“Not exactly. The Mayan empire was made up of lots of city states, each with their own king. The Snake Kings envisioned an empire with themselves as King of Kings. It was unique for the time. The Mayans were happy with the way they had things.”
“But the Snake Kings were good fighters?”
“Yes, but that’s only one piece of the puzzle. They were statesmen, as well. We know that they also used diplomacy, and made alliances with neighboring city states. They wanted allies. And they increased agriculture to feed their people. They came out of nowhere and flourished.”
Seth’s gaze moved to the backpack and what it carried. “You think they flourished because they had tech that helped them do that?”
She shrugged a shoulder. “Possibly. Although good times do encourage scholarship and research. Maybe they invented the tech. Two more ambitious kings ruled after Sky Witness: Scroll Serpent, and then, arguably their most successful king, Shaker of Cities. He consolidated the Snake King rule of the cities of the lowlands, and did it for more than fifty years.”
“So why’d they disappear?”
“Too much of a good thing. After Shaker of Cities came his son, Claw of Fire. He didn’t quite live up to his badass name. By then, the kings and ruling elite lived too well. They became overweight and had diabetes. After Claw of Fire, their dominance deteriorated, and they lost Tikal.”
It certainly sounded like there could be more to the power of the Snake Kings. “You think the jade spheres are dangerous?”
She shrugged a shoulder. “I just don’t know.”
“Ty will work it out.” Ty could solve any problem. But first, Seth and January needed to get out of the jungle alive.
They trekked along in companionable silence for a while, when he saw January start to get slower and slower.
“We need to rest,” he said.
“No.” She shook her head. “I can keep going.”
Until she crashed. “Take a break, James.”
“No.” Her chin got that stubborn tilt he was starting to recognize.
“So damn stubborn.”
“And you’re an asshole.”
“I’m trying to take care of you.”
“I take care of me. Always have. I know my limits.” She pushed her hair back. “Besides, if I rest now, I might not get back up.”
He took a deep breath. “You’ve survived a plane crash, days in the jungle, attacks by several bad guys before?”
She lifted that chin another inch. He wasn’t sure if he wanted to deck the stubborn line of it, or kiss it.
Shit. He and January were like oil and water. Or maybe explosive chemicals and fire.
“Give yourself a break,” he said.
“Fine.” She pulled out her water bottle, wrenched off the lid, and took a bad-tempered sip. “There. Can we go now?” She set the bottle back in her pack.
“Sure.”
“Good.” She stomped off through the trees. “I want a shower. Even a cold camp one. I have mud…in places I don’t want to think about.”
Seth fought a smile. Damned if he didn’t admire her. “Thought you liked mud.”
She glared at him.
Suddenly, a howler monkey leaped out of the vines with a screech. January cried out and fell backward. Seth lunged and caught her under the arms before she hit the ground.
She closed her eyes, dragging in a deep breath.
“You’ve got this, January,” he murmured.
“Oh, my God. A pep talk from Seth Lynch. Hell has frozen over.” She pulled away from him.
He found himself sorry to let the curvy feel of her go.
“I’m not going to wilt,” she bit out, before striding onward.
He shook his head. Even covered in mud, she was pretty damn cute.
Chapter Five
Every muscle in January’s body was aching and her legs felt like jelly.
When they paused for a moment, she stared through a gap in the trees, and spotted a familiar hill ahead. Relief flooded her.
“See that?” She pointed.
“The hill?”
“That’s the top of the pyramid.”
Seth frowned. “It doesn’t look like a pyramid.”
“It’s crumbling and overgrown, but it’s a pyramid.”
They continued on, and finally pushed out of the trees. The sun was setting, coating the jungle in shades of gold. As night approached, the sounds of insects were increasing in volume.
“Who the hell are you?”
The sharp, male voice made her spin. Dr. Josh Andelman approached, with two of his team behind him. Josh was tall, with wide shoulders, and trimmed, blond hair. He was dressed in flawless khaki, with a dark-leather belt. Even on a dig, Josh styled himself, pressed his clothes, and accessorized.
“Josh.”
“January?” The man’s eyes widened in shock.
A young female graduate student, and an older, male archeologist flanked Josh, staring at her and Seth.
“What the hell happened to you?” Dr. Andelman demanded, turning to eye Seth. “And who are you?”
January felt Seth step closer to her. He had a closed look on his face as he took in the archeologists. She knew he was cataloging everything about them. She noted that Seth was several inches taller than Josh, and even splattered with mud, looked way more impressive.
“He’s with me. Seth, this is Dr. Josh Andelman.”
Andelman nodded, a disgruntled look on his face. Seth just lifted his chin. They gave January the faint impression of two dogs squaring off over a bone.
“Thought you flew out to Guatemala City,” Josh said.
“I did.” She dragged in a deep breath. “The plane crashed.”
There were gasps all around.
Josh took a step forward and grabbed both her arms. “Are you okay?”
Seth moved closer, his chest pressing to her back. When she looked up, she saw an unhappy scowl on his face. She turned back and caught the pinched look on the grad student’s face. January barely stopped her eye roll. Looked like someone had a crush on her dig leader.
January moved her gaze to Josh’s square jaw. Or, it was Josh up to his old tricks.
“I’m fine.” She stepped back, which pressed her harder into Seth’s body. “We need to use your satellite phone.”
Josh nodded. “The artifacts?”
“Fine.” She tugged on the strap of her backpack.
“Good. Good. Let me introduce you to everyone. You know Eric.”
Eric Martinez nodded. He was a few inches shorter than January, with a stocky body, and dark hair threaded with gray.
“And this is Victoria Jenner.”
The young woman nodded, fiddling with the end of her blonde braid. “Most people call me Vickie.”
“And Rachelle is out on the other side of the pyramid,” Josh added. “You’ll see her later.”
January had worked with Dr. Rachelle Spencer on numerous occasions. The archeologist was several years older than January, and never bothered to hide her disdain for Josh and his grandstanding. January just bet the pair were getting along like chalk and cheese.
“We have a spare tent.” Vickie glanced at Seth, her gaze settling on his scars with a look of mingled horror and curiosity. “Uh, but we only have one.”
Janua
ry was too tired to let the thought of sharing a sleeping space with Seth Lynch worry her. “Lead the way.”
Soon, they were standing at the cluster of tents and camp chairs near the base of the pyramid.
Seth reached out, helping January slide her backpack off. “You going to take that shower now?”
She swallowed a moan. “Oh yeah.”
“I’m going to use Dr. Wonder Boy’s sat phone to call my team.”
She choked on the nickname he’d given Josh. “Dr. Wonder Boy?”
“He clearly thinks he’s above the rest of us mere mortals.”
“Definitely.”
They went their separate ways, the shadows deepening beneath the trees. January grabbed a set of clean clothes from her backpack. She wanted a long, hot shower, but a short, lukewarm one was also pretty good after a plane crash and a day in the jungle.
Dressed and feeling much more human, she joined the archeologists around the campfire. She gave the short-haired Rachelle a hug. She accepted a plate of food, aware that there was no sign of Seth. The others talked about how their work had gone for the day, laughing quietly.
Then Seth prowled out of the darkness, and Rachelle gasped from beside January, before speaking in a loud, high-pitched whisper.
“Sweet Mother Mary.”
Seth grabbed a plate and dropped down beside January, either ignoring the comment, or unaware of it. January assumed it was the former.
“Rachelle, this is Seth.”
“Hey,” Seth said.
Rachelle stared at him. “I bet Andelman just loved seeing you.”
Seth’s brows drew together, and January forked more food into her mouth, fighting back a laugh.
Across the fire, she watched Vickie edging her chair closer and closer to Josh. January fought the urge to roll her eyes again.
Seth glanced at January. “So, mud-free, huh?”
“No mud jokes, Lynch.”
“My people will pick us up in the morning.”
“And who are your people?” Josh demanded, not bothering to hide his eavesdropping.
Seth lifted his bottle of water, took a sip, and stayed silent.
“Seth works in…security.” January decided they needed a distraction. “How’s the dig going?”