CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

Sa Calobra, Mallorca

December 7

At just after one in the morning the next night, Cam entered the storeroom to a picnic. A smile broke over his face. Evan had spread a small hand towel on the ground and set out granola bars, dates, a wedge of local sheep's milk cheese, and…

“Almond Joy?” he grinned.

“It's my favorite candy bar. They actually sell them here. Plus,” she tore open the wrapper and slid out the chocolate, “it's two little bars inside, so we can each have one.”

Cam dropped to a catcher's stance and swiped his half. It was his favorite candy bar as well. He savored the chocolate and coconut, trying to remember when he had last had one.

“It's not a candlelit dinner in a dark restaurant, but it looks like you’re trying to seduce me, mouse.”

Evan scoffed. “Hardly.”

Her mouth said the words, but her eyes said something else. Miguel Ramirez would have taken her without hesitation. Cam wanted to take her without hesitation. Yet, he hesitated. Why? The answer was so fucked up, he almost couldn’t admit it to himself. He didn’t want Miguel Ramirez to touch her. Miguel wasn’t good enough for her. Good God, he was jealous of himself. Before he gave himself an aneurysm, he snatched a granola bar and pushed to his feet.

“Pity,” he winked. “Let's get going.”

She wrapped up the rest of the food and stowed it in her pack for later. When she was ready, Cam gestured to the hole that led to the caves, and they set out.

“So,” Evan started while scanning the flashlight around, “what do you do when you’re not working security in the mine?”

“Treasure hunt with beautiful women.”

He sensed her pleasure in the dark. “Besides that.”

Something about the darkness and the woman and this screwed-up adventure had him speaking the truth.

“Anything and everything in the water,” he said.

“Do you surf?”

“Yes.”

“Do you SCUBA dive?” she continued.

“Yes.”

“Getting information out of you is like pulling teeth.”

“Yes.”

She laughed then.

“When I was a kid, my hobby was magic,” she offered.

“Magic?”

“I was super shy and had trouble making friends. My dad bought me a magic kit to bring me out of my shell.”

Cam noticed the flashlight bob, making it clear she was air quoting the last part.

“Did it work?” He ducked down to avoid a rock formation and covered Evan's head to do the same.

“Not really, but I learned some cool magic tricks,” she said.


Tags: Debbie Baldwin Bishop Security Mystery