Chapter Six

 

 

 

Vince had never felt more relieved in his life than when Magda landed on him in the pit. He’d been going crazy for the last hour wondering what the fuck that Thornton arsehole would do to her. Wincing at his own injuries while he pulled himself upright reminded him that they might have done similarly to her so he ignored the fact that she was swearing at him and zeroed in on her body, checking to see what Thornton’s men had done to her. His temper flared as he took in the damage to her shirt. She stood quietly, shaking and looking uncharacteristically vulnerable, holding the ragged edges of what was left of her shirt together to cover her breasts in the dim light of the torches above the pit.

“That fucking bastard touched you!”

He ignored the pain and stood, using his arm to brace against the rock wall for balance. He moved closer, wanting to reach for her, but knowing it wasn’t what she needed just at this minute.

Defiance flared in her eyes. “I’m more worried about you, Vince. I bloody well hope you didn’t do more damage to your ribs with that stunt. I could have handled it. I was all primed to do a duck and roll.”

He could feel her need to stay in control, so he backed off a bit, giving her space. “I’m fine. I wasn’t the one thrown into a pit after being violated by a crazy sadist.” Taking his shirt off, he handed it to Magda. She took it with a nod and immediately put it on.

“It’s okay, Vince,” she said with a shaky smile. “No one violated me. Thornton stopped them before they got a chance.”

“But they still got their rocks off cutting up your clothes and copping an eyeful of what they have no business looking at.”

She reached over and gently touched his forearm, her warmth seeping through the cold of his skin. “Why, Stone, I never thought of you as a defender of a lady’s honor. I’m gratified, but you know I am quite capable of defending my own.”

Covering her hand with his, he drew her closer, pulling her to his chest so he could wrap his arms around her. The pain in his ribs flared, but he didn’t care. He was just so bloody relieved she was okay. “I know you can look after yourself,” he whispered into her hair. “They don’t. Let’s let them think you’re helpless and they’ll underestimate us.”

She shifted her head and looked up into his face. “You have a plan,” she whispered.

He leaned closer and whispered into her ear, his hand stroking her back, more for his own benefit, but also to continue the illusion that he was comforting a weak woman. “There are some footholds in the rock wall. If we wait until they are asleep, we should be able to climb up.”

“But how…?”

“I found a piece of sharp rock on the floor and I used it to dig them out. We need to act like we’re settling down for the night. When they quiet down, we can get the fuck out of here.”

She nodded, pushed gently out of his arms then started speaking a little more loudly than was necessary. “I’m so tired, Stone, and with your injuries, you need your rest. We should get some sleep.”

“Good idea,” he mouthed silently as he took her hand and led her to a place on the floor. Carefully he sat, leaning back against the cold rock. Magda sat beside him and took his hand in hers, gently squeezing it. Her touch sent sensations to certain parts of his body that should not have even been awake in this situation, but that was okay. It took the pain in his ribs away for a few minutes. “I’ll take the first watch while you get a bit of kip. I’ll swap with you in an hour. I can’t see them going to sleep anytime soon so we might as well get some rest.”

Magda started to protest, but he stopped her, placing his finger over her lips. “No, don’t argue. You’re having a post-adrenaline rush hangover, and I’ve been resting for hours. Go to sleep.”

“Okay then, but you have to promise me you’ll wake me when the time comes?”

“Absolutely. Would I lie to you?”

She shook her head, the sides of her mouth kicking up in a half smile. “You don’t really want me to answer that, do you?”

“Um…maybe not,” he laughed. “But we’re in this together, Mags. There is no way either of us will be left behind, so have no doubt that I will wake you when the time comes.”

“I know. I meant don’t do all the work yourself. You need your rest too.”

God, she’s a stubborn bitch. “Go to sleep!”

“Fine!” She glared at him one last time before shuffling in her spot and leaning her head back on the wall.

Vincent wasn’t surprised when a few minutes later he heard her breathing even out and change to the soft sounds of sleep. Only then did he allow himself to let out a long breath of relief. Sitting awkwardly against the pit wall hurt like hell against his sore ribs, but staying awake gave him a degree of relief from his fears for their safety. He would be damned if he was going to let Magda watch over him while he slept. Not after what they’d done to her. He swore under his breath just thinking about what could have happened to her if Thornton hadn’t intervened. From the mess they’d made of her shirt, he could tell Mags had been minutes away from being raped. Thanks to Thornton, she was safe, but he was puzzled as to why he’d stopped them—but then Vince really shouldn’t be too surprised. Magda was a beautiful woman. Thornton probably wanted to keep her for himself, the bastard!

Magda shifted again, whimpering softly in her sleep. Vincent placed his good arm around her shoulders and pulled her to his side and she snuggled closer, placing her head on his shoulder before settling back into a calm slumber. It took all his control not to rest his head on top of hers, as he knew he could fall asleep at any minute.

It was going to be a long night.

 

* * * *

 

Magda woke to someone squeezing her shoulder. She tried in vain to push the hand away, but it persisted.

“Mags,” a voice whispered. Hot breath tickled her ear as the voice got closer. “Mags, it’s time.”

Time? Huh? She opened her eyes, looking around her with fuzzy vision. Where was she again?

“Mags, we have to get moving. They’ve been quiet for about an hour now and we don’t have much time. Are you okay to stand?”

Oh shit. She remembered now. The pit. They had to climb out of the pit. “Sure, I’m fine. Just give me a minute.”

Reaching above her head, she stretched her arms, before circling her head for a couple of neck stretches to work out the incredibly stiff kinks she felt. Vincent was doing the same, although she noticed he was still seriously favoring his injured side. It must hurt like hell, but he was being a big man and not complaining. She had to give him that. He was no whiner.

Holding on to the wall for balance, she stood. She rubbed her arms vigorously to counter the fact that the temperature had dropped considerably since she’d fallen asleep. She held her hand out to Vince to offer assistance, but he wasn’t having any of it, shaking his head as he struggled to get up.

“It’s easier if I do it myself, Mags. I know which bits hurt.”

Fine, if that’s the way he wants to play it, let him! Listening to his muffled curses, she walked to the other side of the pit where Vince had made the rough steps in the rock. She hitched her breath when she realized it wasn’t going to be as easy as she’d first thought. The angle of the wall was almost completely vertical, and some parts of it angled in toward the pit, so gravity was not going to help her here.

The knot in her stomach grew tighter as she thought about the alternatives of not trying. She’d managed to piss off Thornton and his guards, so they would be out for revenge first chance they got. She shuddered as she remembered the lascivious sneer of the one guard who’d gotten great enjoyment out of cutting her shirt off her and leering at her breasts.

She jumped when a pair of hands closed over her shoulders and a firm body leaned into her back. Her head slipped back to listen as Vincent’s warm breath whispered in her ear.

“Are you going to be okay with this?”

No. “Yes. It’s a piece of cake.”

Cool lips touched her neck and she shivered again, although this time not from the cold.

“You are braver than any woman I know, Mags,” he said as he smoothed a lock of hair behind her ear. “Never doubt that you can do it. I don’t.”

Aw shit. Why did he have to be so sweet when she was trying to get him out of her system? She turned to face him and cupped his face with her hands. “For an arrogant bastard, you say the sweetest things, Stone.”

Then she kissed him softly, pouring out all her feelings into that brief touch of soft skin to soft skin. Even though she knew he would never fully be hers, for this poignant moment in time, they were the only man and woman on the planet. When she pulled away, Vincent was as breathless as she was, and his sexy smile gave her strength.

Breathing out on a sigh, she turned back to the wall. “Let’s get this show on the road.”

Vince locked his hands and gave her a hitch up to the first step. If she ignored the cuts and grazes on her hands, it wasn’t as bad as she had feared. Finally making it to the top of the wall, she reached over to grab hold of some roots and used them to anchor her while she hauled herself over the edge of the pit.

Straight into the path of one of the guards.

Fuck!

It was the quiet one and he appeared unarmed so she sprung into action, her Tae Kwon Do training taking over. She kicked his knee out and heard a crack as he fell. He had to be in horrible pain, but somehow he managed to stand again, so her foot did some more damage, this time to his gut. He howled and fell to his knees. She pushed him to the ground, muffling his cries as his face met the dirt. After pulling his arms behind his back, she grabbed some vines from the side of the path and tied his hands.

“Incoming prisoner, Vince,” she called as she rolled the guard over the side of the pit.

Not waiting to check if he survived the fall, she grabbed the ladder from the side of the clearing and lowered it for Vince to climb out.

“Hurry up, Stone. That one made so much noise, the others will be here any second.”

Vince hauled himself over the top seconds later, and together, they sped out of the camp and into the jungle.

It seemed like hours before they stopped running. They’d heard Thornton’s men shouting and a few gunshots, but somehow, they’d managed to evade them. It had been easy. Too easy, but Magda didn’t have time to ponder on that. She was worried about the man next to her. Vincent was grabbing his chest all the time now and his breathing was very shallow. He was very pale beneath his trademark tan, and sweat had completely soaked the singlet he wore. Cuts and grazes marred his muscular arms and several of them continued to bleed.

“Let’s find somewhere to rest until daylight,” she said, cocking her ear for any sound of their enemy approaching.

Vince stopped walking and drew in a long breath before talking. “Good idea, Mags, but I’d love to clean up a bit first. I’m covered in dirt and sweat. I’m sure I can hear a stream or a river. We need to drink too.”

Listening again, Magda caught the sound of running water a short distance in front of them. “Yes, well, I wasn’t going to say anything, but quite frankly, you stink!”

Vincent didn’t even react to her teasing. Not even a smile, let alone a smart remark. Jeezus, he must be in a bad way.

“Fine. Just lead me to the water and I’ll clean up.”

Magda moved ahead in the direction of the water. The jungle sounds of the animals were muted just before dawn, so as they drew nearer the sound magnified and she realized it wasn’t just a stream, but a waterfall they were hearing. Minutes later, she pushed the vegetation aside enough to let Vincent through to find a small beach at the side of a large pool. Facing them was a waterfall flowing into the pool, the fine spray hitting their faces from where they stood.

“How beautiful,” said Magda as she joined Vincent on the sand.

Vincent pulled the singlet over his head and proceeded to unbuckle the belt of his khakis. “Yes, it is, and right now, I am going to jump in and get cleaned up.”

Magda saw the pain on his face as he bent to pull his pants off his leg. She moved closer and placed her hand over his. “I’ll help you. Your chest must hurt like hell.”

He winced as she dragged one leg out of the pants. “That’s not the only place that hurts.”

“Oh, poor baby.”

She lifted his other leg and removed his blood-stained pants and his boxers. Her eyes watered as she came face to face with the bruising on his torso and legs.

“Jeezus, Stone, you must be in agony.”

“It looks worse than it is.”

She quickly shed her clothes and took his hand, leading him to the water. “Yeah, sure it is. You don’t have to be brave for me, Vincent. I am more than capable of looking out for both of us, and I am not about to crumple in a heap.” She stopped walking and placed her free hand on his beard-roughened cheek. She looked into his beautiful eyes which could not hide his physical pain.

“Let me look after you just this once.”

A spark of desire flared in his eyes as he disengaged from her touch and lay back in the pool, floating in the waist deep water. “Sure, Mags. Do your worst.”

She smiled. He could be such a little boy sometimes, but it was part of his charm. “Give me a minute to clean myself up and then I’ll be free to concentrate on you. Okay?”

He winked as he lay there suspended just under the water’s surface, the water swirling patterns over the contours of his firm muscular body. “I’m counting on it.”

A wicked part of her personality took over as she ducked into the water, completely submerging herself before rising out, smoothing the water out of her eyes and her hair back. She let her head drop back slightly pushing her breasts forward and thrusting her erect nipples close enough to Vincent’s face she could feel his hot breath brushing against her wet skin.

The sight of his thick erection making an appearance above the waterline urged her on to continue playing. Bringing her hands to her breasts, she cupped them then slowly worked her fingers toward her nipples, squeezing them gently at first, then increasing the tension on their sensitive tips. Despite the chill of the water, her body heat intensified when she looked down and caught Vincent’s eyes on her. He devoured her, but it was her face he was concentrating on, not her body. Never before had she seen such passion from just a look. It made her want more. More than she knew he could give her, but if this was all she could get, then she would take it.

Slowly, she smoothed one hand across her belly and over her mound. She cupped her sex and pushed gently with the heel of her hand. Sliding her index finger into her folds, she felt heat. When Vince was around, it didn’t take much for her to be on fire.

Vincent’s voice rumbled deep in his throat. “Magda…”

He was definitely forgetting about his injuries, so her plan must be working. She smiled to herself, feeling more confident by the second.

Step one down, time for step two.

Abruptly she removed her hands from her body and cupped some of the cool water of the pool, pouring it over her head and letting the cool fluid trickle over her face and breasts before slowly shaking her hair back and forth.

Vince groaned and his gorgeous erection rose even higher in the water.

She took a step closer to him, placing one hand on his forehead and another on his thigh. Their eyes met and stuck a light deep down in her soul. Her mouth went dry, and she licked her lips. She wanted to do this for Vincent. It felt right and it felt good.

Smiling, she bent over and kissed him gently on the lips. “Your turn now.”

She began a delicate trail with her fingers along his body, rubbing dirt off his muscles and dribbling water over his cuts. She reveled in his quick intake of breath as she moved down his abs and skimmed across the soft dusting of hair that led to his magnificent cock.

“Jeezus, Mags, I’m going to either float upwards or sink to the bottom of the pool if you keep this up.”

Moving past the danger zone to his thighs, she chuckled at the comical look of disappointment on his face.

“Just a few more minutes, lover boy.”

She worked her fingers down to the end of his toes and stopped to kiss them one by one. Vince nearly sank there and then. If she hadn’t steadied his hips, he would have. Well tough shit! He liked to fuck with her brain as well as her body, so now it was time for payback.

“Turn over, Stone, and keep that head up out of the water. I don’t want to add CPR to my attentions just yet.”

He laughed as he rolled over in the water. “I don’t know, Mags. Mouth to mouth could be kinda fun, don’t you think?”

Whack! The muscles of his gorgeous arse contracted as she slapped her hand across both of his buns.

“Ouch, what was that for?”

“What? Not into kink? I thought you got off on that stuff?”

He growled.

Loudly.

“I’ll show you kink!”

There was a large splash of water, and in the blink of an eye, she found herself being dragged by her arm out of the water and on her way back to the beach.

“What about your injuries?” she squealed, as she tugged against the firm grip he had around her wrist.

“What freaking injuries?” he shouted as he completed the short distance to the shore.

He set her down on the soft ground carefully but the gentleness was short lived when he immediately pinned her down with his body covering hers, and that enormous erection stabbing her belly. The look in his baby blue eyes was pure predator as he scooped up her wrists with one hand and drew her arms above her head.

She now knew what a native bride felt while waiting to be taken by her chief. Her whole body quivered in anticipation of what was to come. With her heart pounding and her breathing erratic, she waited for his next move.

His pupils dilated even further as his eyes met hers and fused with them. The hunger in his eyes was almost tangible. This was about raw sex. It was the burning flame between them, and it was possession. His possession of her body.

And she was more than willing to let him take what he wanted.

His eyes never left hers as his free hand began a slow trail of exploration starting from her hip and finishing at that sensitive area just below the curve of her breast. The soft touch of his long fingers sent shivers through her whole body. She sighed as her mouth opened and she arched her body, thrusting her breasts closer to him, begging him to touch them.

“You are mine, Mags. Mine to do with as I please.”

Yes. “And just what did you have in mind, Stone?” Her voice cracked as she spoke. She hardly recognized that low breathy and sexy sound coming from her own body. What was it about this man? He drove her crazy but he also knew all the right buttons to push.

His deep, sexy laugh added another ten degrees to her body heat. “You’ll have to be patient, Mags. All good things come to those who wait.”

“Well then, whatever the good thing is, get on with it!”

He leaned forward and blew on the buds of her nipples, making them pucker even more than before “Or was that—all comings go to those who are good?”

Very funny. He had her pinned down, turned on and ready to erupt and he was cracking jokes?

He dipped his head again, this time to lave his tongue around a sensitive areole.

“Ahhhh…”

He nipped gently on the engorged tip, sending the equivalent of lightning bolts to her clit in a heady mixture of pleasure and pain. He kissed her breast, soothing the spot where his teeth had grazed. Their eyes met as his lips once again teased her skin, working their way up one kiss at a time toward her heated face. Letting go of her hands, he cupped her face, leaning all his weight onto his elbows. Those beautiful blue eyes darkened as his pupils dilated.

He didn’t say a word.

He didn’t have to.

The feelings she longed for were all there in his face. God, she hoped she was really seeing them and not projecting her own wishes.

But it felt very much like it was real at this moment in time.

Her breath caught as he moved in closer. His breath smelled of fruit, and that other ingredient that she knew to be his own unique taste.

His lips teased hers with a soft touch. His eyes closed as he came close again and covered her mouth with his while he teased and tantalized her. Moving with firm purpose, he sucked on her lower lip, scraping his teeth gently across her plump skin. His magic tongue slipped in as their breath mingled. He gently stroked her mouth, sending tingles straight through her chest to squeeze her heart. Moaning, she clamped her hands on his shoulders, her fingers itching to dig into his firm skin, but mindful of his injuries, she contented herself with just keeping a firm hold.

The kiss continued for what seemed like an eternity, but it would never be enough. When Vincent drew back, they were both panting, desperate to draw in air before they began round two. Bringing his head close again, he kissed her once more on the lips then moved on to her neck, nuzzling in the hollow just above her shoulder. His hot breath tickled, setting off another set of shivers, and her body reacted by arching slightly. Her pussy burned for his touch.

“Vince, please touch me.”

She felt his smile against her skin as he continued to rub his nose against her neck.

“All in good time, woman. We can’t rush things.”

Oh God, if he didn’t make a move soon, she would jump him, and that wouldn’t be good for his bruises. “Fine,” she said on a strangled sigh. “Hurry!”

Just so he knew how serious she was, she arched her hips against his cock and slipped her legs around his thighs, trapping him against her dripping folds.

His cock heated and throbbed against her belly and Vincent ground his hips even closer against her and growled in her ear.

“You don’t play fair, Mags.”

She giggled as she lightly walked her fingers down his back to his firm buttocks and squeezed. “All’s fair in love and war, Vincent. Didn’t anyone ever tell you that?”

“Oh yeah,” he said in that deep, raspy and sexy voice of aroused man that she loved to hear. “And here’s another one for you. To the victor go the spoils!”

He pushed back onto his knees and slid down her body, his face zeroing in on her damp curls. He pushed her thighs farther apart and spread her open with his thumbs. It made her sweat, watching his eyes heat while he stared at her most intimate place.

“So beautiful, Mags. I love your cunt.” His next words were lost as he latched his mouth onto her exposed clit, sucking and nipping at the same time.

“Oh God!”

The muscles in her legs contracted as she fought the urge to stretch them out and ride through the orgasm that was building fast.

A long finger slid inside her as his mouth continued its assault on her clit and she moaned. Nothing had ever felt as good as this. The sensations built quickly and she was getting closer and closer to the edge when he stopped.

Her mouth opened to protest, but he was too quick. He’d moved up her body again, and thrust inside her so deeply surely he was touching her heart. He stilled for a few seconds and she could feel the effort it took him to control his body. He wanted her pleasure and she loved him for that.

Lifting her head, she kissed his shoulder and pulled her arms around his back, hugging his beautiful body closer to hers. Vince moved up to lean on his elbows and smiled as he slowly withdrew, then plunged in again, this time even further than ever before. Her body clamped around his, never wanting him to leave.

Sighing, she closed her eyes. She had never before been this close, this connected with another human being.

“Look at me, Mags,” he said as he started a slow rhythm in and out.

His eyes never left hers as his hard cock worked its magic. As they both reached a mind-shattering climax, Magda felt tears of joy trickle down her cheek. When he smiled, the fight was all over. He was definitely the victor and she never wanted to fight again. Even if he could never love her as much as she did him, she knew she couldn’t give him up now if she tried.

 

* * * *

 

As soon as the sun was up, they made the trip back to the clearing that held the monument to Sultan Abdullah in relative silence, which was a good thing, given that Vincent needed some time to absorb what had just happened.

Never in a million years would he have predicted that Magda and he would have sex again, let alone the mind-blowing experience they’d just shared together. Shaking his head back and forth a few times to make sure his brain was actually in working order, he took in a couple of deep breaths. Slowing down his stride, he caught a better glimpse at her arse as she hiked a few meters in front of him. His dick certainly appreciated the sway of her hips and his mouth salivated just looking at those cute, rounded butt cheeks. They’d tasted pretty good a little while ago.

Fucking hell, get a grip, Vince! Those bastards could find them at any time and he needed to be on alert, not fantasizing about the best sex of his life. Especially since it would all be just a memory soon. He knew she was the one woman for him, but he couldn’t see any way for them to be together the way things stood. It wasn’t fair to her to have a man with no roots, a man who wandered from one job to the next looking for excitement. She deserved more and he didn’t want to hold her back.

“Hurry up, Stone. We want to find this bloody thing and get the fuck out of here before they find us!”

Magda stood in the middle of the track, hands on hips and an exasperated look on her face. She could be a terrier when she wanted to, and that was probably why she was so good at what she did. He knew why she was a successful romance novelist. Anyone with that much imagination in the bedroom had to be able to pen a good yarn. It was her determination and hard work that made her stand in the crowd, both in the writing and the crime-fighting worlds. Yep, she was one fine woman, all right. Too damn fine for him.

“Keep your shirt on, Mags. I’m coming. Just taking a breather.”

She smiled, her eyes sparkling. “Wore you out, did I?”

“Oh no, sweetheart. I could definitely go another few rounds, but unfortunately, we don’t have time for that right now,” he said, winking back at her.

Her sexy laugh filled the air. “What a poser!”

“What? You don’t believe me?”

“Sure, I do,” she said as she turned to the track and started walking. “But I’ll leave the confirmation session until after we get back home to Sydney.” Slapping a mozzie on her arm, she picked up her pace. “If we hurry, we should be reaching the clearing soon.”

“You realize that I’m just blindly following you? This track looks like any other track to me. Why are you so sure it’s the right one?”

She turned her head and chuckled. “No magic secret, Stone. I left a trail the first time we found it.” She stopped and reached for a tree, bending it toward him and pointing to a bend in the stem. “I bent several small branches along the way so when I saw branches along this track that were bent the same way I do them, I followed them. If my calculations are right, we should be just about there.”

The jungle parted in front of them to reveal the clearing where they’d been captured. The same place where Magda had seen the symbol that matched the one on the statue of the Sultan Abdullah. Going back to the clearing was a huge gamble, and it might still be a dead end. They had no way of knowing if the symbol had any significance to the relic at all, but it was the best lead they had.

The only lead they had.

Vincent scanned the surface of the stone circle, looking for the one that held the imprint of the symbol. The debris from their last visit had been scattered and added to and the area was an even bigger disaster area than before. Rocks and soil had been upturned over the whole area, making it difficult to find a stable surface to place their feet. Balancing on a loose rock as he saw Magda stepping her way around the circle, Vincent whispered loudly to her, “Be careful, Mags. These rocks are dangerous.”

Magda laughed loudly when he lost his balance and fell flat on his face into the dirt. Well, as loudly as she could when she was whispering. He lifted his head and she was there at his side, gripping his arm and helping him to his feet.

“You were saying?” She ran her hands over his sides, checking for injuries. The resulting tingles left him momentarily without the ability to talk, because even though he still had residual pain from the beating he’d taken, it felt bloody amazing to have her hands on him.

Her eyes narrowed when he didn’t immediately answer her. “You big lug—you did hurt yourself, didn’t you?”

Somehow he found a voice. Unfortunately, it was a really scratchy voice that didn’t sound like him at all, but sometimes you had to take what you could get. “Um, no. I’m fine. Just a little winded, I guess.”

Apparently she didn’t hear his response. Instead she stared at the ground next to his feet. Crouching down, she brushed away some dirt off one of the stones that was partially buried.

“What is it, Mags?”

“It’s the symbol. The one from the statue.” She started digging with both hands now, dislodging the stone and going deeper into the soil. “Ugh!” she grunted, as more and more dirt flew across his feet. “I can feel something solid just below the surface.”

Vincent crouched down beside her, moving some of the smaller rocks out of her way. “Maybe it’s another stone. This whole place had been upended.”

She grunted again as both her hands grasped something from below the surface. Giving it one last hard tug, she fell backwards as the object in her hands sprung free.

Vincent grabbed her hand and helped her right herself and they both stood up. The object in her hand looked like some sort of carved wooden box. Magda brushed more of the dirt off it and found a latch. She looked at Vincent, excitement in her eyes. Maybe this was the relic they were looking for. He bloody hoped so. He was getting mighty sick of this cat-and-mouse game through the jungle.

Magda hesitated. “Shall I open it?”

“Go ahead. What are you waiting for?”

“I’m just remembering that if this is the relic, it’s supposed to have magical powers. What if it’s booby trapped?”

“I’ll open it then. I don’t believe in that bullshit, so I guess I’m safe.”

Magda threw him an irritated look. “No, I found it—I’ll open it.”

“Actually, I will open it.”

Fuck! Vincent’s heart stopped.

“I knew our escape was too easy,” said Magda. “You followed us, of course.”

The blond man smirked. “Of course. I knew neither of you would tell me where to find the relic, so I thought it best to let you do the work for me. I have to say, you gave us quite a show at the waterfall. That was an unexpected bonus.”

“You fucking bastard!”

Vincent touched Magda’s arm to stop her reacting. Her face had paled and he could feel the smoke coming out of her ears.

“Tsk tsk, Magda. Name calling is so crass. Now be a good girl and hand me that box.”

Magda pulled the box close to her body and growled. “Not on your life, arsehole!”

Several of Thornton’s henchmen moved closer and surrounded them, each pointing their AK-47s directly at Magda and Vincent.

“My men are a little trigger happy, Magda, so I suggest you give it over now or I cannot be held responsible for the consequences.”

A loud explosion sounded from close by in the jungle. The ground beneath them shook and Vincent grabbed hold of Magda to stop her from losing her balance.

“What the fuck was that?” asked Magda.

“Buggered if I know, but it scared the shit out of the minions. It looks like your men are deserting you, Thornton.”

Thornton swung around, his face contorting in rage as his men ran off in different directions. “Stop! You won’t get your payment if you don’t come back here now!”

Vincent chuckled. “It looks like they’ve deserted you. Now if you will excuse us, Mags and I have somewhere we need to be.”

Taking Magda’s hand, he started leading her away when the sound of a gun being cocked stopped him in his tracks. The barrel of a handgun was pointed directly at him, but the words Thornton spoke were for Magda.

“You will hand me the relic now, my dear, or I will shoot your lover through the heart.”

Bullshit. No way is she giving him that damn relic. “Don’t listen to him, Mags, he knows he’s lost.”

“I assure you, my dear, I do not intend to lose. I am also a crack shot, so you can be very sure I will not miss.”

Magda flashed Vince an exasperated look and shrugged. “I don’t know, Vincent. It’s a tough decision. The relic? Or you?”

What does she mean a tough decision? “There’s no guarantee he won’t shoot you as well, Mags.”

“True. But then again, he might not. I mean…pissing off the League of Amazing Women is never a good idea. We’re mean when we’re provoked.”

He didn’t know where she was going with this but he played along anyway. “Oh yeah. I certainly wouldn’t take that risk. I am quite fond of my manhood.”

“Excuse me, but can we cut this little chit chat short? I want my relic now, or I’ll shoot the both of you.”

Vincent stepped in front of Magda, pushing her back further out of harm’s way. “I don’t think so.”

Laughing malevolently, Thornton waved his weapon at Vince and zeroed in on Vincent’s chest. “So what are you going to stop me with? You have no weapons, you fool!”

“But we do.”

Thornton spun around toward the voice and Vincent took the opportunity to kick the gun out of his hand while he was distracted. As he dove toward his weapon, Magda took out his knee with a Tae Kwon Do kick her Master would have been proud of before restraining him with her foot to his neck.

“It’s about time you girls got here. What took you so bloody long?”

“Ha! We traipse through this godforsaken jungle risking life and limb and this is the thanks we get?”

Turning his head, Vincent saw three grinning Amazons heading their way. The blonde out in front doing the talking and swinging a dangerous looking sword had to be Phoenyx. The other blonde brandishing the bow and arrow could only be that Celtic goddess Brigid, and the brunette with the dagger must be Rhae. These women looked as lethal as their reputations that preceded them. “Nice to meet you, ladies, and can I say you have excellent timing?”

Phoenyx sauntered over to him and leaned in close to him. “Great to finally meet you, too, Stone.” She stepped back and winked her pretty green eyes at him. “I’ve heard plenty about you, and I must say, reality is even better than rumor, handsome.”

As Rhae and Brigid trussed up Thornton and handed him over to the Penang police who had just arrived, Magda walked back toward Vince, standing so close he could feel the heat of her body. “So the transponder in the tablet worked then?”

The other women gave each other knowing smiles as Phoenyx moved back a short distance. “Yep. As soon as the signal came on and we realized the device wasn’t moving we figured you were in trouble and we headed right on over. So where is the tablet anyway?”

Rhae bent over and picked up something from a pile of rubble and held it above her head. “Here it is.”

Magda’s face lit up. “I must have dropped it when we were captured. A lucky break that it was just where we came back to.”

Lucky break? Arsey, that’s what it was. Some people had arse, and some class. These women had both, in spades. He should have figured she’d have some way of being tracked. The LAW had a reputation for being careful. The gods had certainly been smiling on them when she’d dropped it just where they needed to be found. “So what do you say, Mags? Do you want to open the box and make sure it’s what we came for?”

Her face paled, although her eyes were bright with excitement. He could see the pulse in her neck beating a fast rhythm, almost in unison with his own. Her hands trembled as she lifted the box up in front of her. After a few struggles, the latch gave way and the lid sprung back of its own volition, making her jump.

A bright light exploded all around them, blinding them all until Magda snapped the lid shut.

“Shit!”

“Fuck, what was that?”

“Holy crap!”

Magda held the box tightly and looked up at Vincent, smiling. “Yep, that looks like the famous relic.”

Vincent pulled her into his arms, crushing the box between them. “It sure does, Mags. And thank Christ for that.”