“I made reservations at one of the motels, but I can cancel.”
“Being out there should help us get familiar with the terrain and save us some time.”
“I’ll take care of it. I printed all the maps I could, and the rest are being FedExed overnight. We can pick up the wilderness area maps at the Ranger District Office.”
He nodded. “It’s getting late. I’ll go over what we have first thing in the morning. I like to look at them with fresh eyes.”
Abby smiled. “I’d like another look myself.” She covered her mouth to stifle a yawn. “What else do you need me to do?”
Gage glanced out the window. Darkness had begun to settle over the neighborhood, and the restaurants and bars were beginning to fill up. “That’s enough for today. We’ll start again tomorrow.”
“Are you sure? I can stay a little longer if there’s something else you need me to do.”
He almost smiled. He loved her enthusiasm. He remembered his first expedition and the excitement he had felt, the driving need to get the trip underway. “You’ll do better work if you’re rested. Let’s get something to eat and go to bed early.”
The moment the words were out of his mouth, he regretted them. Taking Abby to bed wasn’t going to happen, at least not anytime soon. He locked down his unwanted desire and forced his thoughts back where they belonged.
“There are a couple of things I’d like to finish,” Abby said, “but I have to admit a glass of wine doesn’t sound half bad.”
“We’ll go to Dorgan’s. It’s an Irish pub just down the block. Grab your jacket, and let’s get out of here.”
Maggie had already gone home. Gage locked the office, and they headed down the street. Dorgan’s was in a historic building with exposed brick walls and molded tin ceilings. As it was Friday, a band played Irish music in the corner. On weekends, it got busy and loud, but the main crowd wouldn’t arrive till later.
Gage asked for a table in the back, and they both sat down. “Everything here is good. I’m a fan of the fish and chips.”
“I’ll try it.”
The waitress walked up just then. “Hey, Gage, how’s it going?” Colleen was pretty, with black hair and big blue eyes. He’d taken her out a few times, taken her to bed, but it was never anything but sex for either one of them. By the time he’d come back from his last trip, Colleen was in a serious relationship. He was glad they could still be friends.
“Colleen, this is Abby,” he said.
“Nice to meet you,” Abby said.
“You, too, Abby.”
“We’ll both have the fish and chips,” Gage said. “And I’d like a Guinness. Abby wants a glass of—”
“A Guinness sounds great.”
“I’ll be right back.” Colleen smiled and hurried away.
Abby unfolded her napkin and settled it over her lap. “Another one of your friends with benefits?”
He flicked a glance at the brunette, felt not the least bit of interest. “Just friends. No benefits these days.”
“For a guy who travels as much as you do, you certainly manage to keep yourself busy.”
He smiled, couldn’t resist. “Jealous?”
Her chin went up. “Of course not.”
Too bad, he thought. Because far too many men were casting appreciative glances in Abby’s direction, and he found himself not liking it even a little.
They finished their meal, enjoying the music in the other room. “When Irish Eyes Are Smiling” echoed off the walls as they headed back out to the street.
“I hope you’re keeping track of the money we’re spending,” Abby said. “I’m supposed to pay half, remember?”
He almost smiled. “Maggie’s keeping track of the bigger items. Dinner’s on me.”
“But—” Abby broke off when someone on the sidewalk jostled her, and Gage reached out to catch her before she accidentally stepped off the sidewalk into the street. He looked up to see a car racing toward them, screeching to a halt right in front of them. Behind them, two men rushed out of the alley, both dressed in black, faces covered by black balaclavas.
“Abby!” Gage lunged for the man who grabbed her, knocking her out of the way and shoving the man aside as the second attacker rushed toward her. Whirling, Gage turned and lashed out with his boot, knocking the second man back, sending him sprawling on the sidewalk.
“Run!” Gage shouted. “Get back inside!”
The first man blocked her way. Six feet, thin, wearing black jeans and sneakers, he caught her, dragged her toward the car while the second man, short and stout, with tree-trunk arms, swung a blow Gage ducked.
Gage threw a punch straight from the shoulder that knocked the guy clear off his feet. He turned to see Abby fighting with the other man, scratching and clawing, her ankle boot delivering a hard kick to the man’s shin. The guy hissed through his teeth and slapped her. Gage saw red.
Grabbing the guy’s shoulder, he spun him around and punched him in the face hard enough to send him crashing into the side of the building.
The short, stout man was up and running. He hurled himself into the back seat of the car, and the other man careened in after him. The door slammed shut. The vehicle roared off down the street, tires screeching as it rounded the corner.
Fighting to control the fury pumping through him, Gage strained to read the license plate, but it had been purposely obscured. It was too dark to tell the model of the car, except that it was an SUV. He headed for Abby, saw her bent over, hands on her knees, braid loose, fiery hair hanging over her face. She looked up at his approach, and Gage pulled her into his arms.
“It’s okay,” he said, the adrenaline beginning to wear off but not the anger. “They’re gone. You’re okay.”
Abby clung to him. He could feel her trembling, breathing way too fast. “They were trying . . . trying to kidnap me.”
His hold tightened around her. Not on my watch. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. He hadn’t been that frightened since—he broke off the thought. “That map of yours must be pretty special. Or at least someone believes it is.”
“How did they . . . how did they know where I was?”
“They’ve been watching you from the start. Once they saw us together, it was easy to figure out where you were.”
“Should we call the police?”
He eased his hold, took a calming breath. “There’s no hurry. They’re long gone by now. We can call the police when we get back upstairs.”
Abby swallowed. “King said the treasure was real. He told a lot of people that.”
“True, and after his attorney mentioned the map at the reading, a lot of people know you have it. Come on. Let’s go home.” She subtly straightened as she pulled herself together. The woman had guts, he had to give her that.
Still, Gage’s arm remained around her shoulders, keeping her close. “Next time I tell you to run, you do it, okay?”
She stopped and turned to look up at him. “You expected me to run while two men were attacking you?”
“I’m twice your size, and I’ve got training you don’t have. So yes, if I tell you to run, I expect you to run from the danger and get yourself somewhere safe.”