To Trust a Thief

by Michelle McLean

  He turned to her. “Where is she?”

  Min clenched her jaw. She had no desire to play this game with him. He knew exactly where to look. But something in his eyes pierced through the anger beating in her veins. Bryant was afraid. The realization hit her like a slab of ice. She pointed to the last sarcophagus. “I think it must be that one. There is no name, but look at the pattern on the lid.”

  Bryant bent closer. “Hoyas.”

  Min nodded.

  Rellik joined Bryant at the coffin. “What is the significance of the flowers?”

  Bryant pointed to a perfectly carved stone bloom. “Star-shaped flowers. Stars on the map. Stars in the passageways.”

  “And there are hoyas in Anne’s portrait and on her locket,” Min chimed in, though when Rellik’s gaze swung to her she wished she’d kept her mouth shut.

  “Gage.” Rellik gestured to his minion with a nod of his head.

  Gage walked to the coffin and elbowed his way past Min and Bryant. They stood back as he tried to shove the heavy lid of the stone box. It didn’t budge. He looked helplessly at Rellik and tried once again.

  Bryant went to the other end of the coffin and pushed in unison with Gage’s efforts. The stone cover yielded an inch or so, protesting with a dull grinding noise. A small opening finally began to appear as the men continued their progress. Motivated to redouble their efforts, they shoved even harder, groaning, spitting, and cursing under the exertion. The stone finally slid away from the coffin, falling with a grating, resounding thud. Min hurried over to Bryant and stared in wordless awe at the contents.

  Inside, Anne Benton’s skeleton was still covered by the thin wisps of gauze employed by her undertaker. Min shuddered, seeing nothing at first but the bleached bones. Something glittered in the faint light and Min looked past the horror of the body. At the skeleton’s neck, in all its glory, was the fabled Courtland necklace. It was magnificent, even more spectacular than Min had ever dreamed. Light from the windows fell into the casket and set fire to the faceted diamonds, emeralds, and sapphires. The tales of the treasure had been true; the jewels were utterly breathtaking. Min couldn’t even tell where Arthur’s grandfather had pried out a gem. He had certainly been clever about it.

  The quiet of the moment was broken by a shriek of greedy excitement from Katherine. She lunged at the coffin, pushing Min out of the way as she stared openmouthed at the fortune before her. She plunged an eager hand into the casket and yanked at the necklace, thoroughly unconcerned by the dusty bones she broke and scattered in her haste. She held the strand to the light and cackled in lascivious pleasure.

  Bryant collected Min from the corner into which Katherine had shoved her as Rellik moved to the casket. He, too, was mesmerized by the untarnished gems. During his moment of astonished reverie, Katherine lifted the jewels to her neck.

  Rellik seized her hand in a viselike grip. “Let’s not be so greedy, my dear. You need to share your toys.” He snatched the necklace from her.

  Rellik held the necklace toward the light and stared at it in ruthless appreciation before lowering it carefully into his pocket. Then he addressed Bryant.

  “Well, old friend, it took you long enough to complete your task, but I must say, I am very pleased with the results.”

  Bryant regarded Rellik with a face of stone that betrayed no hint of what he was feeling. “I’m happy to be of service, as always. Since we no longer have need of her,” he said, gesturing at Min with a contemptuous expression that stung like a slap in the face, “I suggest we send her on her way so we can be on ours.”

  Rellik turned to Katherine. “Go wait with the horses.”

  Katherine looked as though she’d like to argue, but a deep frown from Rellik kept her silent.

  “Katherine.” Bryant grabbed Min’s arm and shoved her toward the door. “Take your little friend with you. I have no use for her anymore.”

  “You lying bastard!” Min yelled at him, unable to keep still any longer. “I’m not going anywhere.”

  “I must agree with Miss Sinclair,” Rellik said, waving everyone away from the door.

  Bryant shifted slightly, his body blocking Min’s view of Rellik and his gun. “She is of no further use to us,” Bryant said, his deep voice echoing through Min’s breaking heart. “Let her go.”

  “Now, you know I can’t do that.”

  “Rellik! This wasn’t part of the deal.”

  “Oh, come now. I certainly can’t allow your darling Miss Sinclair to spill this story to the first person she sees. You’ve been in this business long enough, Westley. You of all people know that you never leave a witness.”

  Bryant took a slow step backward, closer to Min. His muscles twitched, his body strung so tightly Min thought he would snap. She’d never seen him so tense. Her fury at him dissipated with every drop of ice-cold fear running down her spine. She may have just argued her way out of her last chance to escape. And after Bryant tried everything but throwing her out the door. She really was a bloody fool.

  “She won’t talk, Rellik. I will guarantee it. Take your treasure and disappear.”

  Rellik shook his head. “Sorry. I just can’t do that. You may have faith in her, but I most certainly do not. And my faith in you, my old friend, isn’t what it used to be, either.”

  Katherine glanced uneasily at Rellik and put her hand on his arm. “Tyson, darling, we have what we came for. Is this really necessary? Surely there isn’t any danger of them turning us in. How would they explain their presence here? They would be considered accomplices. Neither of them would be stupid enough to risk destroying their own lives.”

  Rellik shook Katherine’s hand away. “I told you to go wait with the horses, Katherine,” he said, without looking at her. “We will be leaving shortly. Though Miss Sinclair and, I’m afraid, our gallant Mr. Westley won’t be joining us.”

  Katherine hesitated, looking between Min and Bryant before she turned and sulked out. Min frantically tried to think of something she could do to get them out of this mess.

  Surely someone would arrive soon. Mr. Durant! He must have come after her. Min had full confidence in Charlotte’s charming abilities, but she had no delusions that Charlotte would have been able to delay Mr. Durant for long. They just needed to stall Rellik a little longer. Min focused her attention on him and tried to ignore the sight of the pistol pointed at her chest.

  “Katherine has a point, you know,” Min said. “If we were to turn you in, we would risk exposing ourselves. We were searching for the necklace, after all. Besides, it simply isn’t logical to kill us. Don’t you think it might look a bit odd to the authorities when they find two dead bodies in the mausoleum of a family that was rumored to have a legendary treasure hidden somewhere? How will you explain the coincidence of our deaths in this place and your sudden expanded wealth?”

  Min trained her eyes on Rellik’s face while her ears strained for the slightest sound from outside. Was that a shout she just heard?

  Rellik’s arrogant laugh interrupted her concentration. “You may not like me much, my dear, but please give me some credit. It is very simple, actually.”

  Min stared in disbelief.

  “Oh, don’t look so surprised! Remember, I have known your Mr. Westley for years. While he frequently proved himself to be quite talented in his line of work, he always had more honor and integrity than was strictly necessary. I do regret your change of heart, Westley. You’ve been extraordinarily useful to me over the years. I hate to replace you. But I really can’t have you growing a conscience on me.”

  Min listened to Rellik’s smug voice with a sinking heart. They were done for. Rellik leered at her as if he could read her every thought.

  “When the theft is discovered, the authorities will find the broken body of our poor Miss Sinclair, who was tragically crushed beneath the heavy stone lid of the coffin, a result of her—and her accomplice—trying to remove it. Mr. Westley will be shot as he attempts to flee the scene. Naturally, I am the good citizen who
happened upon the crime as it took place while on a ride with my fiancée, the lady Katherine.”

  Min lowered her head in defeat.

  “I will most likely be commended for the hero that I am. Maybe I will even receive a reward! After that, I will return to London a vastly richer and much more celebrated man. As for my new financial circumstances, I doubt they will be noticed much. I have been living extraordinarily beyond my means for years. The only difference will be that I will finally have the capital to pay off my creditors and sustain my rather lavish lifestyle. And as long as I am careful, a few more well-chosen extravagances should not draw too much attention.”

  “You are a vile bastard, Rellik,” Bryant spat.

  Rellik stepped closer to Min but kept his eyes trained on Bryant. “Be that as it may, time really is running short. Miss Sinclair, if you will be so kind as to wait here, I believe it would be best to dispatch Mr. Westley first.”

  “Outside, Westley, now.”

  “No!” Min screamed as she threw herself at Bryant. No matter how Bryant felt about her, she loved him with an intensity that frightened her. They might not have a future together, but she couldn’t stand by and watch him be killed.

  Rellik calmly placed the barrel of his pistol against her forehead. “Do tell your whore to cooperate, Westley. I would hate to ruin my carefully designed plan, of course, but I am sure I can come up with a scenario where both of you get shot.”

  Bryant looked at Min and gently pried her fingers from his arm. “Do as he says, Min.”

  Her eyes filled with tears, and she blinked at them angrily. Every bone in her body screamed out to hold onto Bryant, to refuse to let him go. But she looked into his eyes and slowly backed over to the corner.

  “That’s a good girl,” Rellik said. “Now, outside with you, Westley. And don’t worry, my dear, I won’t leave you waiting very long.”

  Rellik handed a gun to Gage. “Lock her in.”

  As Gage began to push the heavy doors closed, Min screamed again. She rushed at the doors, attempting to get through before they closed. Gage simply doubled up his hand and stepped in her path. Min slammed full force into his fist. She crumpled to the floor, trying desperately to catch the breath that had been knocked out of her.

  Bryant howled in rage as Min fell, but before he could move, Rellik aimed the gun in Min’s direction. “One twitch from you and I end this miserable little scene here and now.”

  Bryant’s face twisted in pain and anger but he held himself back, his body trembling with the effort. He tore his eyes away from Min and leveled a gaze at Rellik. The man’s cool countenance faltered momentarily at the cold fury that blazed from Bryant’s eyes. He cleared his throat and turned back to Gage as the doors banged shut. Min crawled to the locked portal and pressed her ear to the crack between the panels.

  “Is it secure?” she heard Rellik ask.

  “Aye, sir.”

  Min heard something slide through the handles of the doors. She pulled herself to her feet. Her stomach and ribs throbbed and her head pounded as she dragged air into her tortured lungs. She pushed and hammered at the doors with all her might. She opened them the merest inch, enough to see the piece of wood that had locked her inside.

  Outside, just a few feet beyond the doors that held her prisoner, Rellik returned to business. “Take care of them,” he instructed Gage. “I have a horse waiting.” He stomped toward the trees.

  Min listened at the door again and found only silence. Then she heard Gage grunt. “Let’s move off a bit, mate,” he said, leading Bryant away from the door. “Wouldn’t want your lady friend to ’ear you being blown to bits now, would we?”

  Pressing her eye to the crack, Min saw Gage walking behind Bryant toward the house. Gage stopped and sunlight glinted off the gun in his raised hand. She screamed and threw herself against the door, ramming her shoulder against the unyielding wood again and again, unconcerned that her sleeve had ripped to reveal her bruised and bloodied shoulder. On her next frantic push, Min heard the barricade splinter.

  Her strength renewed by the progress, she stepped back to give herself space to run. Leading with a primal yell delivered at the top of her lungs, she charged the door, throwing her body where she thought the door was weakest. The wood splintered, cracked, and finally gave way. Min tumbled through into the bright sunlight. She lay stunned for a moment and then picked herself up, shaking her head to clear the fuzziness. She sprang to her feet and bolted toward Bryant, screaming his name.

  Bryant turned at the sound of Min’s voice. Gage, his gun still raised, glanced at her, smiled, and pulled the trigger.

  Chapter Thirty-one

  Min skidded to a halt, watching in disbelief. Bryant stood for a split second, staring at her, and then collapsed to his knees. His white shirt turned red as blood flowed from the wound. He reached his hand out to her just before he crumbled.

  Min clamped her hands to her ears, trying to block out the noise of the gun that still echoed through her senses. The smell of gunpowder filled her nostrils as she scrambled toward Bryant, calling his name with a soul-shattering shriek.

  Gage turned and aimed his gun at Min and the sound of another gunshot rang out. Min kept running toward Bryant, ignoring the awful explosion. Gage stood frozen, his expression one of complete surprise. Then he dropped to the ground and was still.

  Mr. Durant stood a few feet away, the pistol in his hand still smoking. Charlotte came to a halt beside him, taking in the scene with openmouthed horror. Mr. Durant approached Gage’s body and kicked the gun from his hand.

  As Min neared Bryant, she fell to the ground and crawled the last few feet to where he lay. She touched his already deathly pale face and cradled his head in her lap. He opened his eyes and gazed into her tear-stained face. Charlotte dropped to her knees next to Min, who sat rocking Bryant in her arms. Mr. Durant knelt and stripped Bryant’s clothing enough to reveal the wound that slowly drained his life away. He removed his own coat and shirt and pressed the shirt to Bryant’s side, trying desperately to staunch the flow of blood.

  Min ignored their efforts. She kept her eyes focused on Bryant’s as she stroked his face, making quiet shushing sounds. Bryant reached up and took her hand, his arm trembling from the effort.

  Arthur, his bag already open, approached the group. He bent over Bryant’s chest, disregarding everyone as he mumbled under his breath. He finally stood, wiped Bryant’s blood from his hands, and mumbled something to Charlotte, who went running to the house. Several minutes later she returned with some of the manservants who had fashioned a makeshift stretcher.

  “Get him inside. Quickly!” Arthur ordered. He turned to Charlotte and rattled off a list of things he needed, sending her back to the manor to get things prepared. Charlotte spared a worried glance for Min before she went running back to carry out Arthur’s instructions.

  The men set the stretcher next to Bryant. Min made a sound of protest when one of them attempted to remove her from Bryant’s side. Arthur took her chin in his hand and gently forced her to look at him.

  “I need to get him inside the house, Min. Let go.”

  She looked at Arthur in a daze, feeling as though he were miles away instead of right in front of her.

  Arthur spoke again with more force. “Min, let him go.”

  Bryant squeezed her hand and Min’s eyes returned to his.

  “Let me go, love. Everything will be all right,” he whispered. “I love you.”

  Tears ran unchecked down Min’s face, her heart breaking at the words she’d thought she’d never hear. She released him. The men laid Bryant on the stretcher and Min glanced at Arthur. His face was pale, unreadable. After a moment he turned away and headed toward the house.

  As Bryant was lifted from the ground, he grabbed Mr. Durant’s hand.

  “Take care of her for me.”

  Mr. Durant stared at Bryant for a moment, and then nodded. Bryant closed his eyes as they carried him off.

  Mr. Durant put on his coat,
covering his bare chest before he came to stand beside Min, offering his silent support. She stood trembling, her arms wrapped against her stomach. Intermittent sobs still racked her body, like small aftershocks she could neither stop nor control. Mr. Durant took her arm to steer her toward the house but stopped with a dismayed outburst.

  “You are hurt!”

  Min looked at Mr. Durant for the first time, not quite understanding his words.

  “You are hurt, Miss Sinclair,” he repeated.

  She glanced at her shoulder as if it didn’t belong to her. The pain beginning to scream through her body seemed monumentally unimportant. After several seconds, she returned her gaze to the hill over which Bryant had disappeared a moment before. She wanted to shriek, cry, and hurt something…or someone.

  The throbbing in her shoulder intensified. Why did these things never hurt until you’d looked at them? Not that it mattered. She’d live. But Bryant…

  “Let’s get you inside,” Mr. Durant said. “Your shoulder needs attention.”

  Min made no protest as he put his arm around her waist, supporting her while they walked. She paused when they passed a few officers who were placing the lifeless body of Jack Gage on a stretcher. She felt nothing…only a sense of relief that the odious man was dead. Is that wrong?

  She was curious about the officers, though. She looked at Mr. Durant to ask, but he anticipated the question. “Charlotte sent for the constable before we followed you out here. I was against it,” he said with a shrug. “But I suppose they are coming in handy now.”

  Min had the urge to laugh but swallowed it, afraid if she started she wouldn’t be able to stop.

  “Are you in trouble? For shooting Mr. Gage?”

  “There will be an inquest,” Julian answered. “But there are enough witnesses to prove I had no choice. They are, of course, skeptical that Lord Rellik is involved, but as Gage was known to have been in his employ, it looks bad enough that they will question him. Nothing you need to worry about now.”