about Marcus’s business to know she couldn’t bring the police in.
She had to pull it together. Focus.
Who would help her? Who could she trust?
Isabella looked down at the necklace. Answers were in there. She quickly started the truck and drove a half mile to the service area ahead, hiding her vehicle behind an eighteen-wheeler.
She put the cark in park, then turned her attention to the necklace. Her hands were trembling so much it took three tries to unfasten it. She turned on the interior light and began to inspect it. She needed to know what was so important about the piece that Leon would shoot her.
God. He’d shot her. Her shoulder was throbbing, but she forced herself to ignore it. No time to be hurt.
Instead, she carefully assessed the jewels, but found nothing unusual. She flipped the necklace over…and found a little mark by the clasp.
Please, God, don’t let it be what I think it is.
Her hand trembling, she looked more closely at the necklace. The etching was a double X, carved in a style only one man had ever used. An artist who had switched over to jewelry in a stroke of genius. He’d made only three pieces before he was murdered: a necklace and a pair of earrings. His tribe had converged to protect his legacy, and they had held on to those three items for centuries, killing anyone who tried to take them. Eventually, the tribe had dissolved, and the jewelry had been declared missing.
They were priceless—for the stones, the design and their rarity.
“Oh, God.” She pressed her hand to her chest, which was too tight to breathe, the truck beginning to spin, her vision starting to darken. This was what Marcus had gotten them involved in?
People like Zack were just the start. And Leon…dear God. How much money was it really worth? Enough to make him turn on Marcus? And now she had it. People would be after her. Chasing her. Her shoulder throbbed. What would Leon do to Marcus to force her to give it back? He’d said Marcus needed to be alive only until she turned it back in.
If she went back, Marcus would die. And probably she would, too.
She pressed her hands to her head, trying to think, trying to focus. How did she save Marcus? Herself? Make the nightmare go away and leave them alive? She was so out of her depth. There had to be something she could do. Someone who could help.
But only Marcus would understand what they were facing. Marcus or—
She sat up, her hands clenching the steering wheel. Marcus’s son.
From everything she’d heard about him, he would understand the severity of the situation, and he had the skills she needed. Marcus had even said the necklace had once been his special project. But he would never help his father. The hate ran so deep…
Marcus’s son would never knowingly save his father’s life, or his business, or help anyone associated with him.
But what if she asked for help but didn’t tell him why, until he was too deep to get out? It was her only chance. It had to work.
Marcus’s son was going to be difficult to fool, which was why he had been so good at his job.
But she had to try.
Without him…
She glanced at the necklace resting on the seat beside her, and knew the red stone wasn’t a ruby. It was the lifeblood of everyone who had ever touched it.
And hers would be next, unless she could convince the one man in the world who wouldn’t help her, to do exactly that.
And the moment she made contact with him, his life would be on the docket as well.
She hesitated at the thought. How could she endanger someone else?
But she knew she had to.
Somewhere out there, Marcus was being held by the men who had killed Roseann. She had to do something. From all she’d heard, Marcus’s son could take care of himself.
But could he take care of her? And more importantly, would he?
She knew he’d try to say no, but she wasn’t going to let him. He was her only option. Even a bad option was better than no option.
Car headlights flashed behind her, and
She had to pull it together. Focus.
Who would help her? Who could she trust?
Isabella looked down at the necklace. Answers were in there. She quickly started the truck and drove a half mile to the service area ahead, hiding her vehicle behind an eighteen-wheeler.
She put the cark in park, then turned her attention to the necklace. Her hands were trembling so much it took three tries to unfasten it. She turned on the interior light and began to inspect it. She needed to know what was so important about the piece that Leon would shoot her.
God. He’d shot her. Her shoulder was throbbing, but she forced herself to ignore it. No time to be hurt.
Instead, she carefully assessed the jewels, but found nothing unusual. She flipped the necklace over…and found a little mark by the clasp.
Please, God, don’t let it be what I think it is.
Her hand trembling, she looked more closely at the necklace. The etching was a double X, carved in a style only one man had ever used. An artist who had switched over to jewelry in a stroke of genius. He’d made only three pieces before he was murdered: a necklace and a pair of earrings. His tribe had converged to protect his legacy, and they had held on to those three items for centuries, killing anyone who tried to take them. Eventually, the tribe had dissolved, and the jewelry had been declared missing.
They were priceless—for the stones, the design and their rarity.
“Oh, God.” She pressed her hand to her chest, which was too tight to breathe, the truck beginning to spin, her vision starting to darken. This was what Marcus had gotten them involved in?
People like Zack were just the start. And Leon…dear God. How much money was it really worth? Enough to make him turn on Marcus? And now she had it. People would be after her. Chasing her. Her shoulder throbbed. What would Leon do to Marcus to force her to give it back? He’d said Marcus needed to be alive only until she turned it back in.
If she went back, Marcus would die. And probably she would, too.
She pressed her hands to her head, trying to think, trying to focus. How did she save Marcus? Herself? Make the nightmare go away and leave them alive? She was so out of her depth. There had to be something she could do. Someone who could help.
But only Marcus would understand what they were facing. Marcus or—
She sat up, her hands clenching the steering wheel. Marcus’s son.
From everything she’d heard about him, he would understand the severity of the situation, and he had the skills she needed. Marcus had even said the necklace had once been his special project. But he would never help his father. The hate ran so deep…
Marcus’s son would never knowingly save his father’s life, or his business, or help anyone associated with him.
But what if she asked for help but didn’t tell him why, until he was too deep to get out? It was her only chance. It had to work.
Marcus’s son was going to be difficult to fool, which was why he had been so good at his job.
But she had to try.
Without him…
She glanced at the necklace resting on the seat beside her, and knew the red stone wasn’t a ruby. It was the lifeblood of everyone who had ever touched it.
And hers would be next, unless she could convince the one man in the world who wouldn’t help her, to do exactly that.
And the moment she made contact with him, his life would be on the docket as well.
She hesitated at the thought. How could she endanger someone else?
But she knew she had to.
Somewhere out there, Marcus was being held by the men who had killed Roseann. She had to do something. From all she’d heard, Marcus’s son could take care of himself.
But could he take care of her? And more importantly, would he?
She knew he’d try to say no, but she wasn’t going to let him. He was her only option. Even a bad option was better than no option.
Car headlights flashed behind her, and
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