Chapter 21
Chapter Twenty-One: Delaney
Thick, chalky dust fills the air, and I cough, blinking hard against the gritty sting in my eyes. I got knocked on my ass from the collapse, but somehow I managed to avoid getting crushed beneath the enormous pile of rocks in front of me.
Thank you, Dad. I know he’s here watching over me, protecting me like Ryder did from that idiot with the machine gun.
I press my coms, hoping for a miracle, but they still don’t work.
I wish I could let Ryder know I’m okay. Brushing small debris from my clothes, I grab the light that got knocked off my head, and I sweep it around me.
Thankfully, the pillars here are still holding, but I don’t miss the dust cascading down from above.
The possibility of another cave-in is huge, and if I stay here, I’m a sitting duck.
Pushing up off the ground, I move away from the collapse and hope to God Ryder is okay. I’m pretty sure the collapse was centered more around me, but I’m still worried because he’s stuck on the other side with that mercenary.
He can take care of himself, a little voice says. Just get out of the danger zone.
I lift my shirt to cover my nose and start walking forward.
Even with the light, it’s hard to see, the dust from the cave-in swirling in the same direction I’m heading.
But as I step around a large rock, I notice a faded arrow painted on the wall.
It’s probably not unusual for miners to leave markings, but this is the first one I’ve seen.
Curious, and really having nothing else to guide me, I follow in the direction it’s pointing, moving deeper into the tunnel.
Moments later, I spot another arrow, and my heart speeds up.
When I see a third one, I know it’s leading to somewhere important.
Could it be an alternate shaft? Most mines have them for ventilation, or escape routes for just this kind of situation.
Or maybe an alternate route back to the main shaft?
I start to move a little faster, hoping it’s leading me somewhere safe.
At the end of the tunnel, I turn, move past a pillar…
And stop dead in my tracks. The mine opens up into a small cavern. The ceiling here is higher and I stand up straighter.
“Bloody hell,” I whisper, almost reverently and full of awe. Ahead of me, just sitting there in the middle of the rocky granite wall, is the rest of the Phantom fucking Orchid. All twenty-five thousand carats of raw, uncut, purple diamond!
Sucking in a sharp breath, I walk over, reach out and run my hand over its dull, uneven surface. After polishing and cutting the stone, she’s going to look bloody stunning.
“I did it, Dad.” A sense of wonder fills my voice and tears blur my eyes. “It’s been a long time coming… and I know you’re up in heaven doing a happy dance.”
Laughing and crying at the same time, I swipe a hand under my nose.
And then the brutal truth of the situation hits me—I may have found the diamond, but what if I’m trapped in here with it?
What if Ryder and the others can’t get to me?
What if the rest of this tunnel comes down, burying me with the Phantom Orchid?
No, I refuse to let that happen. I’m going to claw my way out of this place, if that’s what it takes.
Because I have one very important thing left to do—even more important than removing this diamond.
And it involves removing my head from my arse and telling Ryder I’m ready.
I’m ready to take the leap and give my heart to him.
I’m ready to do something I’ve never done with anyone other than my father—trust.
Now that I know what I have to do, I spin around and race back to where the ceiling collapsed. Dropping to my knees, I’ve started flinging rocks aside when I hear my name. Although it’s muffled, I’d know Ryder’s voice anywhere.
“Ryder!” I yell.
“Delaney, are you okay?” Worry fills his voice.
“Yeah, I’m good, but I’m trapped.” Above me, the rocky ceiling groans ominously.
“Baby, get back. We’re going to go around and try to reach you through a different tunnel. You need to get away from this spot. It’s unstable.”
“Okay!” I glance around, but I’m not sure where else to go, except back to the Phantom Orchid. I’m not sure how they’ll reach me back there, but I have to trust Ryder. “I’m going to the end of the tunnel,” I tell him. “There’s a pillar, and around it is the diamond. I found it, Ryder!”
“Go there, and be careful. I’m coming for you!”
Stepping back, trying to shut out the ominous creak of shifting rock and the dust continuing to sift down from above, I head deeper into the tunnel, praying I’m not going to be sealed in down here forever.
Because dying is not on my agenda today or any time soon.
Not when I have a very handsome, very smart, very amazing man who I love and who loves me.
Reinvigorated by that thought, I hurry around the final pillar, step into the cavern and come face-to-face with the long-lost purple diamond again.
No time to waste admiring it, though. I need to figure out where Ryder and his team might be attempting to come through, and see how I can help speed the process along.
A quick survey has me a little panicky. I don’t see anything except solid granite walls. Without some powerful tools, there’s no way they’ll be able to get me out of here.
And that’s when I hear the unmistakable sounds of a jackhammer. Hope leaks into the crevices of my jaded heart. Ryder said he’s coming for me, and now he’s cracking away through an unstable tunnel, risking his life to save me.
God, how could I ever have doubted him? He’s shown me nothing but kindness, even when I wasn’t so nice to him.
I’m not sure how he managed to figure out where I am, but then I remember he has a map.
And he’s the most intelligent person I’ve ever met.
He must’ve reversed course, found some familiar landmark, and used that to calculate my current location.
It shouldn’t surprise me when a chunk of rock breaks free and creates an opening. A hand slides through the hole, and I drop down and clutch it.
“You okay?” Ryder asks, squeezing.
“I am now.” I squeeze back and peer through the hole. Relief fills me when I see his brown eyes looking back at me. “It’s a little small for me to fit through, though.”
His mouth edges up. “Hang tight. I’ll get to you.”
“What about the mercenaries?”
“All tied up, with Hunter, Knox, Addie and Brighton guarding them like hawks. Linc and I are going to start drilling again, so I need you to back up, okay?”
I’m reluctant to release his hand, but I force a nod, let go and scoot back so I don’t get hit with flying debris. Vibrations from the jackhammer make my heart speed up because it means Ryder is here and I’m almost free.
But I’m not leaving without the prize. We’ve weathered far too much to let it sit here any longer.
Turning around, I head over to the whole reason I’m in this predicament. Removing the hammer still attached to my cargo pants, I reach into a pocket, pull out a chisel and get to work.
Because this bloody purple diamond is coming home with us.
Ryder and Linc manage to work quite a bit of rock away and, eventually, trigger a mini collapse. This time, it’s in our favor. Watching Ryder climb over the rocks and open his arms is the best thing I’ve ever seen. Dropping my hammer and chisel, I rush over and throw myself against him.
For a long moment, we hold tight, our hearts beating steadily, and so very gratefully, against each other. “Thank you,” I whisper.
He pulls back then leans down, capturing my lips in a kiss that conveys so many things: gratefulness, relief, happiness and, dare I say, love.
“Break it up,” Linc orders, but he’s grinning and stops beside us. “Glad you’re okay.” He squeezes my shoulder. His gaze sweeps the cavern then zeroes in on the raw purple diamond I’ve been chiseling away at, and he lets out a low, appreciative whistle. “Damn, that’s a beauty.”
“She sure is,” Ryder agrees, but he’s looking at me.
“Let’s break her out of here.” Linc lifts the jackhammer and starts chiseling through the band of rock and gravel around its edges.
As he bores steadily into the rock face, intent on making short work of the retrieval, because I’m sure he wants to get the frack out of here, Ryder finally releases me.
“I don’t suppose you’ll get out of here and let me and Linc finish this?” he asks, already knowing my answer.
“No way, McKay.” I lock eyes with him. “I’m not going anywhere.” There’s so much more meaning in those four words than what’s on the surface, and when he grins back at me, I know he understands what I’m saying.
We move over and watch as Linc loosens the massive, exceptionally rare stone. Once he’s broken away what he can without harming the gem, Ryder and I move in with our chisels for the more delicate work.
“What’re we looking at, Diamond Man?” Linc asks.
“I’d say exactly what the legend said—approximately twenty-five thousand carats, which makes this the largest diamond ever found. More than eight times bigger than the Cullinan Diamond, which was just over three thousand.”
“Holy shit. That’s the biggest? This blows that away,” Linc states.
“This is a very rare, historic-level find,” Ryder agrees. “Depending on the color, clarity and the size of polished stones it could yield, its worth is in the hundreds of millions. I’d say potentially over one-billion dollars.”
I gasp. I always knew it would be worth a lot, but those numbers are staggering. More than I ever dreamed.