Seek and Cherish: A small-town rockstar rom-com (Sanctuary Book 5)

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

Honey

Iback away from the entrance to the cave and plant myself between my sisters and Dell. “There’s no treasure here.”

We’re in a tight space with no way out. The only option I have is to defuse the situation and hope Dell goes away. I slide a hand into a pocket on my shorts and grip my pepper spray.

Obviously, I can’t use it in the cave, but it’s comforting to have it.

“Don’t lie to me, Honey. You’ve been in this cave for nearly an hour, it has to be here.” He looks around, then bends at the waist and searches the dirt floor. “Where are you hiding it?”

“Look around, there’s nowhere to hide anything.”

Dell’s on his hands and knees, because there’s no way to stand up straight in this cave, but that doesn’t seem to slow him down as he pulls a gun from the back of his pants and points it at me. “Tell me where it is, Honey.”

The cave shrinks, all my attention laser-focused on the dark barrel of the gun pointed at me.

Dell hates weapons and swore he’d never use them. I can’t fully compute that he’s pointing one at me now.

He waves the gun. “I don’t want to hurt any of you, so you better just tell me where the treasure is.”

His whole arm is shaking, and beads of sweat are sliding from his hairline. “Dell.” I feel way too calm. “This isn’t you. What are you doing?”

His eyes widen and his Adam’s apple bobs. “Nothing else has worked. You aren’t taking me seriously.”

It doesn’t escape my attention that he hasn’t and is not now carrying out his threat to reveal my past to my sisters. A shard of hope that he doesn’t really want to hurt me allows my airway to open. “I’m taking you seriously. I just don’t have the money or the treasure right now. You’re going to have to wait.”

He swings the gun in my direction. “You’re lying. You hate me and you don’t care what happens to me.”

I’m distracted from his words by the black barrel in my face. “Dell. You aren’t going to kill us because that’s not a real gun.”

He shakes it, his face hard. “It’s real enough to hurt you if you don’t tell me where the treasure is right now.”

“There’s no hole in the end for a bullet to come out of. It’s solid plastic.”

Dell’s eyes go wide as he pulls back the gun and stares at the barrel. “Damn it, Wes told me it’d be realistic.”

Relief washes through me, but I don’t let go of the pepper spray. “What’s really going on? This isn’t like you. You’re acting way too desperate for money you claim you’re going to use to start a business.”

Dell tosses the plastic gun on the ground and punches the dirt floor. “Ow,” he hollers. “Fuck that hurt. I’m such a fuckup.”

He’s not wrong, but if I want answers, I’m going to have to stroke his ego. “You’re justifiably mad your plan isn’t going the way you hoped. Why don’t you tell me more about what’s going on so we can help?”

He narrows his eyes. “Stop being fucking nice to me. I know you’re just doing it to get me to talk. It’s not going to work. You’re going to give me that treasure or I’m going to tell your sisters all about the crimes you’ve committed.”

“We already know.” Dani’s on her knees, hands up like she’s ready to fight if she has to. “She told us before you got here. And I’m not as nice as Honey. I don’t care why you want money from her. I just want you to get the hell out of here.”

“I’m not leaving without that treasure.” Dell lunges forward, but he’s on his knees, so he just ends up on all fours and looking far less intimidating than he intended. “Your sister owes me, and I’m not leaving until I get my money.”

Dani crosses her arms over her chest. “Seems to me, if anyone owes anyone, you owe my sister. Didn’t she teach you the very lucrative art of conning people?”

Dell’s glare intensifies. “She didn’t teach me enough, and she left just when we started making real money.”

“She gave you the tools,” Clover says. “And you took them without paying her a cent for the education.”

“And you left her alone in the woods in the dark. Do you know she’s terrified of the woods now?”

Dell’s expression softens slightly, and he eases back onto his heels as he looks at me. “Still?”

I wave a hand. “I’m fine.”

“She’s terrified.” Dani points at Dell, making it clear she blames him. “She won’t even step foot in the woods without someone with her. If we went to a lawyer, I bet we could sue you for emotional and mental terrorism.”

Dell shrinks back even farther. “No one said anything about lawyers. We don’t need to bring the law into this.”

“Good.” Clover smiles cheerfully, like this man wasn’t just holding a fake gun on us. “We’ll settle out of court. You pay her five hundred thousand dollars in damages and we’ll let you walk out of this cave free and clear.”

Dell holds up his hands. “I don’t have five hundred thousand dollars, and I don’t owe any of you anything.”

“Who do you owe?” I ask. “The only reason I can figure you’re so desperate for this money is that you owe it to someone dangerous. Just tell me who and I won’t ask you for anything else.”

Dell hesitates only a moment. “I don’t owe anyone anything. I need the two hundred grand to get in on a deal.” He turns to me with a pleading look, like I’m going to understand. “We’re going to rob this house out in the country. The old lady who lives there is loaded, and she goes to church every Sunday so she won’t even be home. It’s too easy, but I’m only going to get in on it if I can contribute two hundred grand.”

I bite back a laugh. “What do they need the two hundred grand for? A safe cracking kit? Some high-level surveillance equipment?”

Dell points at me. “Exactly. I knew you’d understand. I’m the new guy on the crew and I need to prove I’m all in. I’m going to cover the cost of the equipment, then I’ll get all that money back and more after we rob the old lady.”

“Sounds like a con to me,” Clover says.

“That’s because it is a con.” I cross my arms over my chest, finally letting go of the pepper spray. “One of the oldest ones on the books. I told you about that con, didn’t I, Dell?”

His eyes go wide. “No. No way. These people are legit. I just have to get them the money by the end of the month, and they’re going to cut me in. They said…” He frowns. “It can’t be a con.”

“Dell.” I try to break the news to him as gently as possible. “Nobody needs two hundred grand to get safe cracking and surveillance equipment. It doesn’t cost that much and no small-time thief worth her salt needs that stuff to get the job done.”

“That’s it,” Dell says hopefully. “They aren’t small time. You should see these people, Honey. They’re dressed head-to-toe in designer shit. They travel the world robbing people.”

“Probably just like they’re about to rob you,” Dani says. “Listen to Honey. She knows what she’s talking about.”

Dell shakes his head, then drops it into his hands and groans. “I’m an idiot.”

“Which is why you should give up your life of crime,” Clover says.

He looks up, scowling. “You’re supposed to tell me I’m not an idiot.”

She shrugs. “I’m not a liar.”

He looks at me, clearly hoping for me to tell him she’s wrong. “Listen to my sister. Get a real job, get your shit together, and be an uncle to Maya’s kids. Maya misses you and her kids deserve to get to know you.”

His face pales. “You want me to go straight?”

“Yep. It’s a hell of a lot safer and more stable than a life of crime. And you’re a terrible criminal. You can’t possibly be a worse nine-to-five day job kind of guy. You’re good with cars. Maybe you should make that lie you were selling me a reality and open your own shop.”

He sighs heavily. “I’m never going to get rich working on cars.”

“Yeah, ‘cause being a criminal has worked out so well for you.”

“Fuck you.” Dell scowls, but there’s no venom in his words.

“We can—” I’m about to offer him help getting back on his feet when a snuffling sound comes from the dark hole in the far corner.

Dell backs toward the entrance of the cave. “What is that? Did y’all bring one of your farm animals with you?”

“No.” I move toward him and give him a little push. “We should get out of here.”

But Dell isn’t looking at me. He’s gone white as a sheet, and he’s staring at the dark hole with wide eyes. “What the fuck is that?”

No way in hell am I looking back. I shove him harder. “Snap out of it and move, Dell. We have to get out of here.”

Whatever the monster is behind me, it makes some weird hissing, growling sound, and Dell screams like a small child. He’s gone limp enough that I’m able to shove past him and crawl out of the cave.

I pop up to a stand and freeze, because I’m surrounded by absolute darkness. There’s not even a full moon to offer any light. If I run, how will I be sure I’m not running right into another monster?

Behind me, Dell is still screaming, and my whole body starts to shake. “No. No. No. No.”

“You forgot your phone.” Clover appears next to me, bathed in the light of both our phones, while she balances on one leg.

“I tried to tell him it was just a little old opossum.” Dani inserts herself under Clover’s arm to help her stand. “He won’t stop screaming long enough to listen.”

“Possums don’t eat people, right?” I ask.

“Nope. He’ll be fine.”

“Will the possum be okay?” Clover asks. “We can’t let him hurt an animal.”

“Dell’s an idiot and a criminal,” I say. “But he’s not violent, and he’s too afraid of the possum to hurt it. He doesn’t even have a real gun.”

Behind us, leaves crunch. We turn with our lights to see the possum hightailing it away from the cave as fast as it can go.

“If it had seen Dell as a real threat,” Dani says, “it would have played dead.”

“Should we go back in the cave?”

Dell must not have realized the possum left, because he’s still screaming.

“If we go back in there,” Dani says. “You’re liable to offer to help him get back on his feet, and I won’t let you do that. We’ll have to find another campsite for the night.”

“Let’s go before he comes out and starts whining about how no one appreciates him,” Clover says.

I don’t have a good argument, and I’m in no hurry to go back into a cave that’s home to possums and probably other critters. I slide under Clover’s other arm and the three of us head out into the dark.

We’re ten steps from the cave when something comes crashing through the forest.

I freeze. It’s happening.

I knew there were monsters out here and now they’re coming for us.

I might pee a little.

Light bobs toward us and then shines in our faces.

“Are you alright?” A woman asks.

“Who are you?” My voice trembles and I grip Clover’s arm so tightly she hisses in pain.

“A member of Jaxon Hayes’ security team. We’ve been following Dell, but lost his trail about an hour ago. We made a call not to follow you three into the woods today, but to stick with Dell.”

“It was the right call,” another woman says, as she joins our group, panting slightly. “What’s he screaming about?”

“A possum.” My chest is warming at the realization that Jaxon might have left me, but he left behind protection.

He still cares. At least a little.

“The suspect is in no imminent danger?”

“No. The possum’s already gone.”

“One of us should stay here to make sure he leaves the forest,” the first agent says.

“You should arrest him,” Dani says. “He waved a gun at us.”

“A fake gun.” As angry as I am at Dell right now, I don’t want to see him stuck in jail for years for something he didn’t do or shot by security agents who think he’s got a real gun.

Clover grips my shoulder hard, digging her nails in. “A gun is a gun.”

“Our orders are to escort the sisters to safety,” the second agent says in a tone weary enough to suggest this isn’t the first disagreement she’s had with the first agent. “It appears one of you is injured?”

“I sprained my ankle, but I can walk if we aren’t going far.”

“That would be best. We’ll lead the way to a safe location.”

One agent leads the way, while the second follows behind. Branches slap my face and legs as we walk, but I’m too happy about getting out of this damned forest to care.

Ahead on the trail, Bigfoot lumbers into view.

My whole body relaxes. “Jaxon?”

“That can’t be Jaxon.” Clover tenses and this time she’s gripping my arm too hard. “Asher flew out to LA to visit him this morning.”

My heart drops to my toes. “Are you saying that’s the real Bigfoot?”

I reach into my pocket and wrap my fingers around the pepper spray. I’m not sure it will do any good against a furry, mythical beast, but I’m not going down without a fight

Ahead of us, the security agent has paused. “Identify yourself.”

“Don’t shoot,” a female voice says. “I’m Lennox Carrington, a friend of Daisy Weston’s. Jaxon gave me the suit before he left. He asked me to come out here to help find Dani, Clover, and Honey. Is that who you are?”

“We are,” Dani says.

“Oh, good. Your sisters are very worried about you. Daisy called me when you weren’t home by sunset and she gave me a general idea of where you might be. Then Jaxon called and told me to get out here and rescue you. You’re actually really close to my house.” She leans around the security agent to wave at us. “I’m so glad I found you. Jaxon and your sister said there’s some scary guy who might be out here causing you trouble. I figured the suit would work to chase off anyone bothering you.”

“We left him in a cave,” Clover says. “But he could change his mind and come after us.”

“He’s more annoying than dangerous, but avoidance is probably the best policy,” I say.

“Okay then.” Lennox reaches up and turns on a massive head lamp that lights the area twenty times better than the security agents’ flashlights.

“It’s practically daylight.” Dani looks around in awe. “I’m going to have to tell Grant to get one of those.”

“My house is less than a mile away,” Lennox says. “I’ll lead.”

“We should return to the cave for the suspect,” the second agent says.

“We will stay with the women until they are safely back home and protected,” the first agent says, her tone barring any argument.

The first agent huffs, but doesn’t argue. We make our way through the forest all together, following Bigfoot.