“Don’t what?”
“Compare yourself to her. She has made plenty of mistakes with her life, just like you have. Don’t forget she blackmailed me into marrying her.”
“She also adopted the son of her enemy. She’s a much better woman than I am.”
Langston growls and squeezes my hand, obviously disagreeing with me.
“Have you heard from Beckett or Phoenix yet? Or the kids?”
“No, not hearing from them is a good thing. They will only contact us if there is a problem. It’s safer this way.”
I nod, knowing he’s right. But after learning Atlas is alive and well, I want to know where he is every second of every day.
“Thank you for waiting, Liesel. If you will, please follow me now. Langston, if you will wait here,” the man says.
I nod and start following the man out the back door, but Langston’s grip on me tightens.
I lift his hand to mine and kiss it. “I’ll be right back.”
Slowly, his release on me loosens enough for me to pull my fingers out of his grasp. I feel every tingling nerve of anxious energy burst through him, and I want nothing more than to go back to our hotel room and spend the rest of the day getting lost under the covers to soothe him.
Instead, I do the right thing. I let go and follow the old man out of the house. The sun is shining down on us through the trees as we walk down a small winding path to a clearing by a creek.
“Sit,” he says, pointing to a small tree stump on the ground.
I sit while he walks over to a makeshift table that has a pot of tea and two cups. He pours each of us a cup and hands one to me before he sits on a log opposite me.
“I’m Diego, I knew your father well. I’m sorry he’s gone.”
“Nice to meet you, Diego. But you don’t need to be sorry for my dead father. He was never around. I didn’t know him.”
“I’m sorry that your father didn’t know how to be a father. You were better off without a father.”
I disagree, but I don’t say so.
“I bet you’re wondering why your father sent you on this crazy quest. If he had so much money, why not just give it to you?”
I nod. “It does seem strange.”
“He didn’t want it to destroy you like it did him. He wanted to ensure you’d be strong enough to wield the kind of power that goes with the kind of money you would inherit.”
“I don’t know if I’m strong enough or not; I just want to ensure that my child doesn’t grow up constantly facing danger and threats of people trying to steal from him. I just want him to be safe. I couldn’t care less about the money.”
“I think you have what it takes, Liesel. I can see it. All that’s left is to prove it.”
“And how do I do that?”
“There are three qualities your father wanted to ensure that you possess. Once you demonstrate them, you’ll have all the clues you need to find the hidden treasure.”
He sips his tea. I do the same and its warm, grassy tasting contents soothe the ache in my stomach.
“How do I prove these qualities?”
“Each of the locations you are sent to will give you a task. Completing the task on your way to the next location will be one step closer to proving your worthiness. We will be watching for proof, so no need to bring anything physical with you. But your next location is in Egypt.”
“Egypt?”
“Yes, your father had friends who like to live where there are fewer people.”