The Serpent in the Stone - By Nicki Greenwood Page 0,54
Her gaze darted around Sara’s tent.
“I will be.” Sara caught Ian’s eye and he pasted a deadpan expression on his face. Apologize! she mouthed.
He didn’t. Something in Becky’s posture set the back of his neck prickling. He moved a little closer to Sara.
Sara laid her hand on Becky’s. “I’m sorry about that.”
“What’s he doing here?” the redhead asked. “I thought Lamb told us to stay away from him.”
“He saw the helicopter go over today, and came down to see if something was wrong,” explained Sara.
Ian held the woman’s gaze without so much as a twitch. She gave him a stare that said How could you? as plain as words.
Glancing back and forth between them, Sara blushed even in the flashlight glow. “Becky, I’ll be fine tonight. Why don’t I come see you in the morning and make sure you’re still okay?”
The woman marshaled up a smile and rose from the chair. “Right. Sorry I woke you.” With hunched shoulders, she fled the tent.
Guilty as hell, he thought, anger coursing through him.
Sara fisted her hands on her hips. “What was that all about?”
He tossed the pole tent corner with a clatter. “Why don’t you ask her what she’s doing sneaking into your tent in the middle of the night, instead of announcing herself like anybody else?”
“What, Becky? The poor girl wouldn’t know how to sneak, Ian. She’s got no poker face.”
“You didn’t happen to see her checking out your stuff a minute ago?” He waved a hand around the tent’s interior.
Sara’s hand flew to the necklace at her throat. The blush in her cheeks drained fast. “You don’t think she was after—”
He strode toward her and laid his hands on her shoulders, when all he really wanted was to crush her against him. “I think it enough to worry about the same thing happening again. Enough to wonder if she isn’t the only one who knows about the amulet. Please, come stay with me.”
If possible, she went whiter. “I can’t stay with you. I can’t leave Faith. I have to go check on her. Right now.” She broke away from him with panic screaming from every line of her posture.
He stalled her with a hand on her arm. “After, then. Just for tonight. Sara, if they can’t steal it, they’re going to try to kill you for it. Get rid of it. Something. Please. I’ll take it.”
“No!”
“Sara—”
She shook her head and hurried out the tent door. Ian cursed under his breath and followed.
Before they could reach Faith’s tent, Lambertson intercepted them, striding forward with Flintrop, Michael McGrath, and Luis Rivero close behind. Their expressions, hostile even in starlight, gave them all the appearance of a lynch mob. Becky was nowhere to be seen.
“Waverly!” Lamb shouted.
Ian stopped. Sara came to a halt beside him, dancing with agitation and looking in the direction of Faith’s tent.
Lambertson reached out and seized the front of Ian’s jacket. The older man shook it, surprising Ian with his strength. “What in hell do you mean by attacking one of our crew?”
Sara rushed forward, separating them. “Lamb, not now. Becky’s fine. It wasn’t Ian’s fault.”
The man rounded on her. Ian saw her shrink back in astonishment at his fury. “Don’t cross me on this. I run this dig, and I want him gone. If I have to have him arrested for assault, I will do so. Alan, get him out of here.”
Flintrop stepped around Lambertson, seething. “I’d like nothing better.”
Ian glanced at Sara, who shot him a worried look. He stood his ground, unwilling to leave her.
Flintrop advanced until he stood nose to nose with Ian. “Don’t give me an excuse to pummel you. I haven’t liked you since day one, Waverly.”
Ian’s attention snapped to Flintrop’s leering face. Hostility churned under his skin. “While we’re on the subject, the feeling is mutual.”
Flintrop showed his teeth. “If you so much as set a foot down here for the rest of the summer, I’ll have you landed in prison by any means I can use.”
Ian bristled, but stayed put.
Flintrop lowered his voice to a hiss only Ian would hear. “What’s the matter? Don’t like being shooed away from her?”
In the same venomous tone, Ian said, “You aren’t worth my time, Flintrop, and you’ll never be worth hers.” He turned and walked away, forcing himself not to look back at Sara as he went.
****
Sara unzipped her sister’s tent flap and ducked in with her heartbeat thumping. “Faith!”
Her sister jerked in her seat. “What!” She whirled around and relaxed when she saw