Chapter 16

Nyx didn't know anymore when she exited the limo than she had when she'd entered it. She stood in front of a neoclassical mansion lit up brighter than a star going supernova, her arm threaded through the drug lord's, and tried to make sense of things.

The circular drive was filled with limos. There was a line behind them waiting to drop off their passengers, while the ones in front of theirs were slowly driving away. In the center of the circle, there was a fountain with a bronze statue in the style of ancient Athens. Water gently cascaded, making a pleasant, relaxing sound, but her nerves were pulled too tight to appreciate it properly.

"I'm your date?" she asked, careful to keep her tone neutral.

Voice soft, the drug lord warned, "Tonight, you are not to contradict me, argue with me, or disagree with anything I say. Am I clear?"

"Understood," Nyx said, although nothing was clear to her. Was she supposed to be some kind of gold-digging trophy girlfriend who only kissed ass? Vargas hadn't answered any of the questions she'd put to him during the drive from his hacienda to here. She was floundering as to what he wanted from her—aside from agreeableness.

She didn't like feeling uncertain, but she was in over her head and had been since she was captured. At least at the hacienda she'd been able to rely on Case. Nyx wished he was here with her now.

"Shall we?" Vargas said, indicating the entrance.

Reluctantly, Nyx moved. It wasn't only being on a date with a drug kingpin that had her off balance. She'd grown up an Army brat and now she was a grad student. Formal parties weren't part of her lifestyle. Sure, the Paladin League had fundraisers for the rich and famous, but as a contractor, she'd never been asked to attend. How was she supposed to behave?

Vargas—no, Julián. She had to start thinking of him as Julián or she'd mess up. She didn't want to face his wrath over something so easy to avoid. Julián paused while she gathered her skirt with her free hand and then they ascended the two shallow steps to the front door. His tuxedoed bodyguards trailed them.

The foyer soared two stories and a curved staircase led to the second level. Carved wood and an ornate wrought-iron railing made it a showpiece. Parquet flooring stretched as far as she could see. There was a line, and Varg—Julián steered her to the end of it. Nyx decided it must be a receiving line like at weddings, but who were they greeting? The event's hosts?

The queue was surprisingly silent. Weren't lines at parties normally social? Or were things different in this financial class?

They weren't moving quickly and Nyx looked around, trying to be subtle about it. There were quite a few bodyguards in attendance. Then she stiffened. Up ahead were members of the presidential brigade. Not only were they Puerto Jardin's special forces, but they also acted as their version of the Secret Service.

She glanced up at Varg—Julián, but he ignored her. As they neared the head of the line, Nyx stiffened.

President Cardozo and his wife.

Adrián Cardozo was one of the most corrupt leaders Puerto Jardin had ever been cursed with and they'd had more than their fair share.

Julián tightened his arm, bringing her arm closer to his body. When he had her attention, he issued a quiet warning. "Watch your facial expression. You will be delighted tonight."

Nyx nodded and tried to appear neutral. Delighted was beyond her acting abilities. Cardozo and men like him were the reason life was hard for all except the elite in Puerto Jardin. They lined their pockets with the aid money sent by the US and left the people it should have helped to fend for themselves.

"Do better," he hissed softly.

"I'm trying," she said and worked harder at hiding her distaste. She must have succeeded because the tension in his arm eased.

They reached the head of the line.

"President Cardozo," Julián said as he shook the man's hand. "It's a pleasure to see you again."

"You're looking well, Se?or Vargas."

"Gracias, as are you and your lovely wife." Julián tightened his arm enough to bring Nyx forward a step. "I'd like you to meet my companion, Nyx Templeton. She's come to Puerto Jardin to do research. She works for the Paladin League."

She forced a smile as she offered her hand. The Paladin League was a very small nonprofit. Why would Varg—Julián think Cardozo would have heard of it?

"What are you researching, Se?orita?" Cardozo asked.

Before Nyx could answer, Julián replied. "She's interested in a two-hundred-year-old legend. Perhaps you and I could meet later to discuss it."

Nyx tried to work through how much it cost to host a seated dinner for two-hundred-and-fifty guests. This world was so far removed from hers that she didn't have a frame of reference to guess a dollar figure.

She and Vargas had been seated at a table in the ballroom. A ballroom in a private home! They hadn't rated high enough to sit in the dining room with Cardozo, and now they were mingling out on the patio while the space was prepared for dancing.

Var—Nyx stopped. Julián. She hated thinking of the drug lord by his first name. He wasn't her friend. He was her captor, and he'd threatened Case. But she didn't want to see his reaction if she slipped.

Julián chatted with the gentleman in front of them in line at the outdoor bar. While she kept tabs on what they were talking about, she was still trying to do the math for dinner. Maybe the Puerto Jardinese government paid for the meal. Or maybe it wasn't as expensive as she thought.

She knew why she was obsessing over such a stupid detail. She didn't want to think about Julián's upcoming conversation with Cardozo.

It bothered her that Julián had mentioned it in context to her and the Paladin League. He was plotting something. She just didn't know what that was.

"What would you like to drink?" Julián asked as they reached the bartender.

"Do they have limonada ?" There was no way she was drinking anything alcoholic tonight.

By the time they had their glasses, people were headed back inside the mansion, and Julián indicated they should join the throng.

Nyx was tired of her brain spinning. There were so many things about tonight that she didn't understand. When she was back at the hacienda, back with Case, she'd tell him and see if he could figure it out.

An orchestra was playing something she labeled as a waltz as they reentered the ballroom. Not an octet or a nonet. An orchestra. There had to be twenty-five musicians on the dais. Quite a few couples were dancing already, and Nyx identified one of them as the president and their hostess.

She felt out of place again. The only thing about this evening that she liked so far was that Vargas—Julián, damn it—only spoke to her when he issued orders.

They strolled the ballroom, the bodyguards in position to protect their boss. Nyx finished her drink, but before she could find somewhere to set down the glass, a waiter magically appeared and relieved her of it. The evening could have been a dream. A mansion, a party, a prime-rib dinner, an elegant evening gown, and an orchestra—who wouldn't dream of attending such an event?

Unfortunately, it was more of a nightmare.

Julián kept them moving, but he only paused for a moment here or there if someone invited them into a conversation. She imagined this was what it was like to be a remora fish attached to a great white shark.

Her feet were starting to hurt, and she didn't understand the point of this endless circling.

Then something changed. Julián became more alert. "Come along," he ordered. As if she had a choice. While he seemed to be in no hurry, Nyx knew differently. It was in the tension of his body, in the barely discernable impatience she felt rolling off him.

Any boredom she felt vanished in an instant as Julián took her outside. There were few guests on this side of the house, although it was still well lit. The farther they moved from the mansion, the more uneasy Nyx became. Where was he taking her? Why?

"Um, where are we going?" Shit, she sounded as powerless as she felt.

Julián ignored her.

They were far from the party when Nyx realized they were following a man. He was ahead of them by a wide amount of space, but there was no mistaking what was happening. He led them to the pool pavilion. She dragged her feet until Julián glared down at her. "Do not anger me," he warned her, voice nearly a hiss.

Nyx considered fighting him, but she was hampered by heels and a gown that restricted her movement. Julián had his bodyguards. She needed to bide her time and find an opening.

She followed him into the pool pavilion.

It wasn't empty. President Cardozo and a few members of his brigade were already there. Nyx wasn't sure if that was a good sign or if it made her situation worse.

"Does this suit you?" Cardozo asked.

"I am at your service, Se?or Presidente." Julián inclined his head.

Cardozo didn't waste time. "The Paladin League sent Se?orita Templeton to locate the Treasure of Trujillo?"

"Sí, she's been researching for days in my library."

"Many people have researched for many decades. That means nothing."

"Se?or Cardozo," Julián said, his voice infused with respect. "You've heard the reputation of the Paladin League. Do you believe they'd send one of their archaeologists if they didn't believe they could locate the treasure?"

Nyx remained passive by sheer dint of will. Julián was slick. He'd made a statement, calling on the League's reputation, and then resorted to a question, letting Cardozo's imagination fill in the answer the drug lord wanted him to reach. If he were confronted later, Julián could say he didn't lie and it would be true.

"I didn't realize you had any historical documents," Cardozo said.

"I inherited them from my predecessor, who inherited them from his grandfather. Diego Ramos was well known within archaeological circles, and he always had an interest in the legends of Puerto Jardin."

Again, Julián was letting Cardozo jump to the conclusions he wanted the man to reach. Nyx could nearly hear the wheels turning in Cardozo's head.

"What was the most recent estimate on the treasure's worth?"

"The last evaluation I saw put the total at one billion US dollars."

Nyx saw the president's eyes light up. Cardozo was the greediest of the pigs enriching themselves at the government trough.

"You've made a deal with Se?orita Templeton." Cardozo's voice was flat.

Julián shrugged one shoulder. "Her fiancé is a guest in my home."

Cardozo laughed. "Julián, I like the way you operate." He sobered. "You're coming to me because you wish to strike a second bargain."

"Sí, Se?or Presidente."

"The treasure in exchange for…?"

There was a longer pause. "A little birdie told me you're negotiating a weapons deal with the United States. Perhaps you could order a large supply of the Army's M4 replacement rifle. It might be that attaining this rifle would be worth handing over the Treasure of Trujillo."

Nyx nearly gasped, but she remembered Julián wanted her quiet and subservient. She pressed her lips tighter together and struggled to maintain a placid expression. That was the same weapon that Case was supposed to get for the drug lord. Had he decided to forget that route and go in this direction instead? What did this mean for Case's safety?

"The United States has yet to issue that weapon to their own soldiers. They will not sell it to an outside interest."

Julián sounded bored when he said, "Such a shame. The Treasure of Trujillo belongs in the National Museum of Puerto Jardin, but I'm sure there are other buyers interested in the items."

As if Cardozo wasn't going to sell each item and pocket the money.

Silence lingered. Neither man seemed as if he'd be the one to back down, but eventually Cardozo asked, "How many of the M4 replacements are you seeking?"

"Ten to fifteen thousand should satisfy me. For now."

The president remained quiet, seeming to consider the request. "How close is she to locating the treasure?"

"There's still work to do. By the time you have the weapons, I should have the treasure."

After a moment's consideration, the president said, "I will speak with my contact at the Department of Defense. I'll be in touch." Cardozo and his protection detail walked out of the pavilion, leaving Nyx alone with Julián and his bodyguards.

It took her a moment to overcome her shock. "I haven't found anything yet that would lead to the treasure, and there's no guarantee that I will."

Julián shrugged.

"You'd really trade a billion-dollar treasure for a few million dollars' worth of arms?"

"Don't be ridiculous," Julián scolded her. "I'm taking the weapons and keeping the Treasure of Trujillo."