It turns out, the trail we took just deposits us on the other side of Devil’s Hole. Big boulders dot the landscape, light from the fire playing off them. I gaze into the sky, almost smiling at how beautiful it is here. The locals say my mom hated it here, but if she did, my love for the place makes up for it. I’m not talking about the small town or the dead-end jobs, I’m talking about the scenery. The rustic, natural landscape. It’s almost otherworldly, as if I could transport myself into another place and time just by being here.
“It’s my first time, too,” Lucas says.
Jeez. I would hope so. I’d hate to think that the moment he’d gotten into town he was already invited to the primo party spot while I’ve waited for years to party it up in a secluded, sparse, somewhat dangerous place.
“What do they call it again?”
“Devil’s Hole,” I tell him.
He snickers, and I can tell from the alcohol coursing through his veins right now that he isn’t himself. This is the most I’ve heard him talk.
I lean against the rock with him. “It’s actually kind of cool,” I say, glancing over at the ring of stones that are just to the west of where everyone else is enjoying themselves. Someone turns the radio up, and a rap song splits the air that’s so at odds with where we are, but still, it can’t take away from the view. Stars sparkle in the sky, highlighted by different colors. It’s almost as if I could reach up and pull the Milky Way right out of the universe.
“How so?” Lucas asks.
I blink, returning down to earth. “Well, the Apaches think this is the gate to hell.” I point out the stone circle to him. “They hold rituals here to keep the devil down there and us up here. They think removing the barrier could be a very bad thing.”
Lucas’s gaze turns sharp. “That’s not hell,” he says abruptly. He nods toward the depression. The reflection of the fire in his eyes darkens as he casts a curious glance over it. “I’ve seen hell, and that’s not it.”
He flicks his bottlecap, snapping his two fingers in front of him, and it lands in the dirt in front of us. Hopefully, we’re not too far away from the fire that the snakes and scorpions stay where they are and don’t come out. If you’re from here, those things aren’t that big of a deal, but if you’re an out-of-towner, you might just pee your pants a little at your first sighting.
“Are you going to sign Lance’s contract?” Lucas asks after taking another drink from his beer.
The note about my father burns in my brain. It has to be from Jacobs. There’s only one group worried about the treasure right now. “I don’t really have a choice,” I say sharply.
Lucas sighs and takes another swig of his beer. “I was afraid you were going to say that.”
He doesn’t sound pissed. Just resigned. Not that he has any right to sound anything. I almost completely forgot who I was having a chat with. His purring voice, his inebriated openness pulled me in. None of Jacobs’ guys are my friends. I turn toward him. “You know, Dean Smith had a chat with me today.” The noises of the party heighten as more people arrive. “College is the only thing I have left, and you assholes are trying to take it from me,” I tell Lucas, fixing him with a look that I hope says I mean business.
A guttural growl comes from the back of Lucas’s throat. “You don’t know—.”
“I know enough.”
“You don’t know anything. That’s the sad part, Dakota.” He lifts his hand, skirting around the bandage on my shoulder, then up to the curve of my neck. He tightens his fingers there, holding me in place. “You really don’t know anything.”
Nerves skate through my body on fine edges of discomfort and pleasure. I should be scared, but the way Lucas looks at me doesn’t give me any vibes other than dampening my panties. I shake my head, but his hold on me only tightens. I grab for his hands. As a warning or something else I’m not entirely sure about.
My breath heaves in front of me, my nipples rubbing against his chest with every intake of air. They turn to stone, peaking to the point of pain. It should be illegal for Lucas to have this effect