Page 252 of Evil Hearts

The ship’s steward set a big cooler bag on the table, grinning. “A romantic picnic for two. Part of our honeymoon package for every excursion.” She winked. “Make sure you’re back in port by sunset at six, so you don’t miss the boat.” She dropped her voice to a whisper. “I put in an extra bottle of the coconut massage oil. Most people prefer the chocolate, but you can use the coconut for lubricant, while the chocolate is mostly just sticky. Not something you want on a tropical island.”

Oriana felt her cheeks grow hot. Even if Hunter had been here, no way would they have gotten down and dirty out in public. Or done anything that required lubricant. She mumbled her thanks to the woman as she snatched up the cooler bag and hurried toward the boat that would take her to shore.

The fresh morning breeze coming off the water cooled her cheeks by the time she stepped onto the tender. It was surprisingly empty, but then, the restaurant had been, too. Maybe everyone else was sleeping in and would arrive later.

The clatter of running footsteps heralded the Three Musketeers. “Made it!” one of them panted as they took their seats only moments before the hatch closed.

They didn’t even notice her, too busy talking about the possibility of finding pirate treasure. Oriana suspected their chances of finding treasure were worse than the odds on being caught in a volcanic eruption, and she was fairly certain that wasn’t happening, either. Unless the girls knew something she didn’t…

“That’s the beach where theRoebuckwas wrecked,” one of the Musketeers said as she skimmed up the concrete steps to the road. “For centuries, everyone thought it was on the other end of the island, but they dropped anchor right here, where that mooring is.” She pointed.

“Makes you wonder how no one found it when the mooring went in,” another girl grumbled.

“It’s buried under a lot of sand, and they haven’t found all of it, just some items that were definitely on board. The rest of the ship and all of Dampier’s treasure still hasn’t been discovered,” the third one said. “The things they have found are here in the museum, which the cruise ship brochure said would be open today. So we should go to the museum first, then walk up the beach to see where the shipwreck happened, and then…”

“You seek Captain Dampier’s treasure, hmm?” a male voice cut in, smooth as the rum in Oriana’s cocktail last night.

All of them stopped, as the local flashed a wide, white smile. “I can take you up to the mountain, so you can see where he and his men carried the treasure. Maybe you will be lucky enough to find it.”

The Musketeers exchanged glances, torn, until one stepped forward. “We would like to go to the museum first, before we go up to the caves. Maybe in an hour?”

His smile died. “In an hour, someone else from the ship will have engaged my services. Perhaps you can find another driver, if there are any left in an hour.”

“How long does it take to drive up to Green Mountain and back?” Oriana asked.

“Maybe forty minutes, or forty five.”

“So if you drive me up to the mountain now, you’ll be back in about an hour to drive the others up when they’re finished at the museum?” Oriana pressed.

A hint of his smile returned. “Yes, perhaps. You wish to go now, so you will be the first to find the treasure?” His eyes were laughing at her, like he knew what sort of fool she was. The sort who’d been fooled by Hunter almost all the way to the altar.

Oriana shook her head. She’d been a fool, but she was thinking clearly now. And what she wanted was to spend a day hiking around a volcano. This volcano.

“I want to hike around the volcano. On the ship, they said there were hiking trails…”

He bobbed his head. “Yes, many trails. All with lovely views across the island. Very easy to follow.”

“Then take me.”

For a moment, the man’s mouth hung open, and Oriana realised what she’d said. Red faced, she amended, “Take me up the mountain.”

“Just you and not the other ladies?”

The Musketeers were already a few hundred metres down the road, showing no signs of turning back.

Well, it wasn’t as if she knew them particularly well. She’d just shared a few meals with them aboard the cruise ship. She didn’t even remember their names.

Now if Hunter had been here, they would have gone together. Maybe.

Damn Hunter and every moment they’d ever spent together. So much time wasted.

No. She wasn’t here to think about Hunter. This trip was about her, and what she wanted.

Oriana took a deep breath. “Yes. Just me.”

Three

They drove througha red, rocky desert that looked more like the surface of Mars than Earth, with no plants to be seen. Then the occasional scrubby bush appeared between the rocks, and Oriana thought it was almost like driving through outback Western Australia, the sort of desert surrounding the towns where she’d been teaching until she’d quit her job to head south to the city in order to marry Hunter. All this way to see the same desert just didn’t seem right.

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