Page 14 of Escape to Egypt

I reached for another piece of toast, letting Snickers have the rest of the first, smearing it just as generously with butter and honey. I took a bite and closed my eyes, savoring the rich, sweet flavor. “Did you make this bread?” I asked, genuinely impressed.

Jack grinned. “Yep. Made it fresh yesterday. Hope you like it.”

“I love it,” I said, taking another bite. “I didn’t realize you were so domestic.”

Jack chuckled. “I actually enjoy cooking and baking. I just never had much reason to do it before. Nice to have someone to share it with, you know?” He looked at me with that warm smile that made my heart skip a beat. “And I appreciate a woman with a healthy appetite.”

We shared a quiet moment, enjoying each other’s company, but it was short-lived. Bambi waltzed back into the kitchen, the cloud of perfume she’d doused herself in wafting in before her. She sat back down, picking up her coffee and glancing at my plate. “My, someone’s hungry,” she said, her tone sweet but with an edge that I couldn’t ignore.

“Yep, I like to eat. It’s kind of necessary to stay healthy and for survival,” I said, smiling back with all the sweetness I could muster.

Bambi gave a little laugh, though it didn’t reach her eyes. She picked up her toast, took another nibble so small I wasn’t sure she’d even eaten any, and set it back down. “So, Charlotte, what brings you to Egypt? How do you and Jack know each other?”

I hesitated, not sure how much to reveal. Before I could answer, Jack jumped in. “Charlotte’s here on vacation, seeing the sights. We have a mutual friend back in the States, so I offered to show her around. You know, play tour guide for a bit.”

Bambi’s eyes sparkled with a mixture of amusement and skepticism. “I see,” she said slowly, like she didn’t believe a word of it. She reached into her bag and, with a flourish that belonged on a Vegas stage, pulled out a folded piece of paper. She slapped it down on the table in front of me. “Then why do you have this?”

My heart sank. It was the map from the explorer’s journal—the one that led to the Path of the Gods. I felt like I’d been caught with my hand in the cookie jar.

“You went through my stuff?” I blurted out, glaring at her.

Jack’s face darkened. “What the hell, Bambi? Why did you go through Charlotte’s things? And how do you know about the Path of the Gods?”

Bambi just grinned, clearly enjoying the moment. Instead of answering, she stood up, and before I knew what was happening, she did a somersault, landing in a perfect crouch on top of the kitchen table, striking a dramatic pose. “Because my name isn’t really Bambi Bonanza,” she announced, her voice taking on a grandiose tone. “It’s Bianca Bustamante. I’m an undercover agent, sent by the U.S. government to trail you and recover the stolen artifacts.”

Jack burst out laughing, standing up and mimicking holding a gun. “And I’m really John J. Gladstone, former Special Forces turned international bodyguard for hire.”

I blinked, then found myself laughing. The whole situation was too ridiculous not to. “And I’m really Charlotte Anne Bray, unscrupulous art thief,” I said, playing along.

Bambi’s eyes widened. She pumped her fist in the air and, with her other hand, whipped out a pair of handcuffs from the back of her pants. “I knew it!” she shouted. “You’re under arrest!”

At the same time, Jack turned to me, looking genuinely confused. “Damn, really?” he asked, his eyes widening.

Snickers made a dramatic tsk-tsk sound, swiveling to look at me like a disappointed parent.

I held up my hands quickly. “No, no, of course not! I was just kidding!” I looked between Jack and Bambi, suddenly realizing the two of them were dead serious. “Wait a minute…you two weren’t kidding, were you?”

Jack sighed, rubbing the back of his neck, looking more serious than I’d ever seen him. “It’s true. I really was Special Forces. Served alongside my brother until he was killed during an overseas mission. After that, I was tasked with bringing his body home, but I was too messed up to stay in the military. I’ve been traveling ever since, working as a bodyguard.”

I stared at him, trying to process everything. “Oh my god. That’s terrible. I’m so sorry. Did Dean hire you to be my bodyguard, then?”

Jack nodded. “Yeah, Dean and I go back a few years. His company retained my services to protect him and the intellectual property in his possession across international borders. We’ve stayed in touch. He didn’t pay me to keep an eye on you though—I’m doing it as a friend. And now…as a friend of yours.” He reached out, taking my hand. His touch was warm, and the sincerity in his eyes melted away my lingering doubts.

Snickers sighed dramatically, his little body slumping in my lap like he was starring in a soap opera, watching a love story unfold. He even placed a tiny hand over his heart and let out a wistful sigh.

Bambi made a gagging motion, sticking her finger down her throat. “Oh, please,” she said, rolling her eyes. “Get a room already, you two.”

Jack smirked, giving her a pointed look. “We had one until you showed up this morning.”

Bambi shrugged, a mischievous smile playing on her lips. “Oops, my bad,” she said, not sounding sorry at all. She tilted her head, looking between the two of us. “So, you really didn’t trust me, huh, Jack? I mean, you never shared your past with me like you did with Charlotte just now.”

Jack crossed his arms, his expression serious. “Trust you? Not a chance. I always felt you were holding back on me.”

Bambi’s face turned red, and she stood up, fists clenched. “Even after everything I did for you?”

Jack raised an eyebrow, looking unimpressed. “What, you got me a front row seat to a performance of Cirque du Soleil? I fell asleep halfway through. Sorry, just not exactly my thing.”

Bambi huffed, grabbing a slice of bacon from the table and flinging it at Jack. He ducked just in time, and Snickers leaped from my lap, catching the bacon mid-air and munching on it triumphantly.

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