Enzo snorted. “It’s a monument to one King’s ego, but it is beautiful. You should take the time to tour the palace at some point. It’s stunning.”
“No doubt,” she agreed. Then, sighing, she commented, “So, what are we looking for? I assume the map doesn’t show the whole two thousand acres.”
“The map shows the north end of the gardens. We’re looking for the Bosquet de l'Obélisque. It’s a grove off to the right.” He waved in that direction.
Kathleen was suddenly overwhelmed. What they’d been through, what she’d been through, the train ride, the interlude with Enzo…all of it. The beauty of this spot seemed to have unlocked something in her. She put her hand on Enzo’s arm.
“This isn’t a game.”
He frowned at her. “No, it’s not.”
“We’ve been treating it like it’s a game. Up until the train ride, it was a big adventure. Yes, somebody shot at us, but it was still a big adventure. That’s how we’ve been seeing it. A treasure map. Wondering about the treasure. X marks the spot. I’ve been treating it like a big game.”
“It’s not a game,” he said again, seriousness lining his face. “Dominic’s presence made sure of that.”
“Bianca’s life is on the line,” Kathleen blurted, fully aware that Enzo wasn’t getting what she was saying.
Enzo shook his head. “You don’t know?—”
Kathleen cut him off. “It doesn’t matter what we think. We’ve been jumping to conclusions, supposition after supposition. We don’t know anything other than Bianca told you she was in trouble and that Vitale said he was holding her as collateral for obtaining the map. That means she’s in trouble. We don’t know any different, and we have to stop thinking we do. You’ve told me what kind of man he is. We need to take this seriously. I don’t want to be responsible for someone’s death. I have no idea whoBianca is or what her story is, but I can tell you nobody wants to be held for ransom. We need to take this more seriously.”
Enzo seemed to steady himself for a moment. His guilt flashed across his face.
“You’re right. You’re absolutely right. Let’s get this done, and then we’ll go rescue Bianca.” His grin was quick, but grim.
Kathleen nodded once. She’d let all this get the better of her. It had been an adventure, fun in a weird sort of way. And how messed up was her life that getting shot at while chasing a treasure was fun? She’d lost sight of the bigger picture. There were lives at stake.
But her experience had led her here, and she just had to acknowledge that. She craved adventure and maybe the darker side of life. Kind of like the way she was drawn to bad boys. She was going to have to confront that and get herself right. When this was done, she should go back, hug Connor, and then start finding something to do with her life. Something worthwhile. Meaningful.
“All right,” she said. “I’m ready.”
They descended the stairs to the main part of the garden and then took a pathway to the right. They were moving along when Logan Callahan fell into step beside them.
“Oh, I’m so glad to see you,” Kathleen said. Truthfully, that was a major understatement. She wanted to jump up and give him a hug.
Logan smiled. “Likewise, Kathleen. I’m not alone. We’re all here in strategic spots. You didn’t tell us exactly where you thought the treasure was, but Alex assumed from the map that it was at the Obelisk grove.”
“Yes,” Enzo agreed. “That’s what I’m thinking too.”
“Okay, well, we’re spread out around there. The tall walls of hedges will help block everything out. There are several pathways leading into it, and we have most of them covered.”
Suddenly, he touched his ear. “Alex says to remind you to keep your eyes peeled for somebody who looks like Gage. She thinks that Carlotta will have said that the treasure is here, at least somewhere in the gardens, and so the original thief, the man who mugged you in Switzerland, and his crew will be here.”
Kathleen nodded, then frowned. “He looked more like Mitch.”
“What?” Logan asked.
“He didn’t look like Gage. He looked like Mitch.”
Logan’s eyebrows went up, but he relayed the message. Then he said, “Sorry, I don’t have earbuds for the two of you. We left in a hurry, and I wasn’t thinking.”
“It’s okay,” Kathleen said.
Enzo just grunted.
They made their way down the path. Kathleen tried to take in a little bit of what was around her. The gardens were gorgeous, but these huge hedges had to be ancient. Some stood as much as fifty feet tall, and all were immaculately groomed. Everything was just stunning.
“Do you recognize anyone?” Logan asked Kathleen.
