Did he just tell me to keep calm?I release a single solemn laugh. Leaving my pack on the ground, I practically launch myself across the sand so that I’m mere inches from his face. No longer affected by his good looks and charming accent, I work to keep my arms at my sides so that I don’t shove him. Or perhaps choke him.
His eyes flit to my lips at my closeness, like he can’t help himself, and a new wave of rage rises inside me.
“Oh, I’m well past distressed, pal. Distressed was when I had the bad end of a loaded Luger shoved into my back. Distressed was when I thought I was going to drown trying to retrieve some ridiculous amulet foryourmuseum—”
I move to take the amulet out of my shirt, but stop when Bes’s eyes widen and pass swiftly between me and the soldier beside him, pleading for something. I cut off my ramblings, confused.
Then it hits me: the soldier doesn’t know about the Amulet of Amun.I’m not sure why this Bes character is keeping him in the dark, but I know better than to ask about it now. Despite Bes proving his identity to me, I don’t trust either of them in this moment.
Bes does have one advantage, however: an agent of the Crown like Williams would no doubt take the amulet for Britain, and I can’t allow that.
“Not like I actually found the damn thing,” I amend. The gold-winged scarab sits cool against my hot chest, and I fight the urge to cross my arms again. “It was probably buried deep underground centuries ago, or covered up by a sandstorm. What a waste of my time.” I stab a finger into Bes’s chest, which is more muscular than I initially gave it credit for. “And I expect some sort of hazard pay, on top of my regular fee.”
Williams scrunches his brow, then turns to Bes. “I thought we came here because a woman who worked for the museum was abducted?”
“That’s technically true,” Bes argues, glancing at me again.
Oh, this is worse than I thought.
Bes’s skittering gaze has now become expectant, and he cocks his head toward Williams. I have no idea what he’s trying to get me to do, but I imagine he’s looking for me to distract the soldier.
Whatever Bes has planned, I’m aligned. If Williams hasn’t been made aware of what the museum is paying me to procure for them, then he’s a liability. An unknown variable. And as much as I’d love to crawl into the back of whatever car Bes drove here in and close my eyes, I can’t rest yet.
I focus all my attention on Williams. I know what I need to do, and I’d be lying if a part of me wasn’t a little thrilled by it. Loosening my shoulders and swinging my hips, I take a purposeful step in the soldier’s direction. I’m not the best atflirting with my words, but my looks make up for it: blonde hair, blue eyes, with curves and a thin waist—all traits from my mother’s Northern Italian ancestry.
Rather than letting anyone make me ashamed of these things, I use them like I would any other weapon. Especially when brute force and wit won’t suffice.
“At least all this brought me to you.” I flutter my lashes. “So I suppose it wasn’t a complete waste of my time.”
Bes raises a brow out of the corner of my eye. I don’t spare him a glance, hoping he simply follows my lead.
The soldier’s glassy gaze slides down to my chest, like I knew it would. Close enough now, I gently place my hand over his heart. It beats erratically beneath my palm.Too easy.
“You can take me for a ride in your automobile, if you want.”
His attention shifts from my chest to my eyes; he swallows hard, his Adam’s apple bobbing. I smile coyly—
A loud thud reverberates from the back of the soldier’s skull. He flashes me the whites of his eyes and crumples to the sand.
I drop my saccharine smile and regard Bes, who’s standing directly behind where the soldier once was. He lowers the butt of his gun from above his head and holsters it before coming over to my side to take stock of the soldier, our backs to the temple.
“Took you long enough,” I say. “I thought I was going to have to let the fool actually touch me.”
He scoffs. “Well, you were very convincing.”
I shrug. “You didn’t want him to know about the amulet, so I thought you wanted my help in removing him from the equation the only way I know how.”
“By suggesting he take you for a drive in his motorcar?” Bes shakes his head. “Bloody Americans.”
I gesture at the second car I swore was a mirage before. “Iknowit’s an Austin Sixteen-Six, but I didn’t want to give away how observant and worldly I am.”
He appears mildly impressed for a moment before schooling his features. “I didn’t mean your lack of car knowledge—I meant the flirting.”
“It got me a lot farther than it would’ve gotten you.” I glance back at the insentient soldier. “At least, I think so. I didn’t take the time to question him about his preferences before you knocked him out.”
“Good gods,” he mutters. “Do you always talk this much?”
I grin. “It’s a blessing and a curse.”
