The Ruby Heart Ch 01

The rain slashed furiously at the windshield of her car. If not for her almost panic to get away from the man her father had sent after her, she might have pulled over and waited it out. But that option was out for now. If he caught her, he would force her to go back to her father's villa and be under Sebastian's thumb once more.

Her wipers were on as fast as they would go and they still didn't cut through the rain enough for her to see. Elianna Antonelli felt another spurt of fear. She had to stay away from the man who'd been paid to find her, but the idea of an accident was only just a trifle less of a fear. She slowed just a bit more, cursing when an eighteen wheeler went flying by her, splashing her windshield with a wave of water.

She reached out, wiping at the inside of the windshield with a paper napkin she'd pulled from the glove box. It didn't help so she dropped it to the seat next to her. She felt her car thump over something and she jumped at the unexpected noise. Checking out her rear view mirror, she didn't see anything through the heavy down pour.

Tail lights began to flash ahead of her as cars slowed even more. Elianna tapped on her brakes, trying to slow down too, but the car was hydroplaning. She screamed as she saw the back end of a truck coming at her at a speed that was too fast to avoid. Instead, she spun the wheel, stepping down on her brakes with both feet. The car turned to the side, spinning once before heading toward the guard rail. It hit with a sickening crunch and then a shrill shriek, going airborne and flipping twice. She saw water coming at her and she tried to brace herself for the impact.

She hit nose first, a huge spray coming from the front of her car. She felt a savage burst of pain in her arm and then felt her head hit the windshield. Cold water began to pour into the car and she felt it began to sink.

Elianna reached up, touching her head where it hurt and drawing her hand away covered with blood. She winced even as she tried to make sense out of what was happening around her. Her car was sinking at an alarmingly fast rate. Even now she could see the underside of the water through her windshield and the starred break in the glass from her head. It was creaking alarmingly and Elianna pulled at her seat belt, desperately trying to unlatch the pieces of metal that still held her fast to the seat.

The cold water was rising, the feel of it on her thighs and hips was numbing. She knew she was in danger of hypothermia from the frigid water and she fought even harder against the seat belt that refused to let her go. She cried out, struggling with the belt and then trying to open the window so that she might escape. It was jammed and she beat on the glass ineffectively. Her hands weren't strong enough to break the glass and she pulled her keys out of the ignition, using them to strike at the glass.

But nothing worked and she felt the cold water waving against her ribs. A shudder of fear and helplessness shivered through her and she could feel the first stirrings of the hypothermia stealing her strength and her will. Her tears streamed down her face and she stared around the small interior of the car. She had to get out, somehow, someway, she had to get out.

The thump of a hard boot against the starred windshield had her yelping in surprise. She looked out, seeing the legs and feet of someone in the water, trying to get in to her. She yelped in surprise and then reached out with one hand, pushing at the almost ruined windshield.

Her rescuer looked in at her through the windshield and he made some hand movements that she had a problem with understanding. Then he hit the windshield again and again until it burst and the water flooded into the car, filling up almost immediately.

Elianna had enough forethought to grab a mouthful of air and hold it in even as the man reached through the hole he'd made and grabbed her shoulders. Tugging against her, he pulled her out and he reached back in to grab her purse. Then he was holding her above the water and towing her easily toward the edge of the water and to where his car was pulled.

Elianna clung to him, her hands like tethers as he pulled her out of the water and then swooped her up, carrying her toward his care. He sat her in the passenger seat and then handed her a folded up blanket he'd pulled from his trunk. "Wrap up in this," he said softly to her. "We'll get you somewhere warm soon."

Elianna sat back as she'd been offered and she touched the wound on her head, the one that didn't seem like it would ever stop bleeding. She pressed the side of the blanket again it and used all the pressure she could manage to make the wound clot.

He took her back on the expressway and continued on their way. She managed to see the size of the body of water that she'd been dumped in and even caught a glimpse of her cute little car under the water. "I would have died," she breathed, reaching out and grabbing his arm. "You saved my life."

"I was just doing what anyone would have done, sweetheart. It wasn't that big of a deal."

"So how many people tried to push you aside so that they could save me?"

She laughed at him as he couldn't answer her. "It's okay. I'm just glad you had the forethought to save me."

"You look like someone I know?' he muttered. "Do I know you?"

His brow furrowed and he kept glancing her way. "We've never met," she whispered. But I feel as if I know you." She paused for a moment before giving her real name. "My name is Elianna Antonelli."

"You're Antonelli's daughter and Angel's sister," he gaped. The surprise on his face was just a little amusing and she nodded her head.

"How do you know Angel?"

"She married my cousin, Aaron." Her eyes never left his face even as she shivered in the cold. He could feel his hands touching on her arm and he gave her more of his attention.

"Which cousin are you?"

He sighed then reached up to cover her hand as it rested against his bicep. "I'm Quinn Hunter, oldest of my part of the Hunter family tree." He didn't mention the three boys and four girls that made up that rather large branch. Instead, he hit his turn signal and carefully pulled off the expressway, turning the wrong way that would get her someplace safe.

"I've heard of you."

"Of me? Who would want to talk about me?"

"Aaron and Angel kept telling me that if I was determined to get information on the ruby heart, you would be the man to talk to. I was heading out toward your house tonight..."

"And what makes any of them think that I do know anything about the Ruby heart? I've never even touched the gem much less studied it."

"Maybe it was the fact that your college career dealt more with finding the different treasures. Of figuring out clues and weeding though the miss mash that was out there. I've heard of you finding The Snake River Opal, and what everyone thinks is the fountain of Youth.

"I was lucky," Quinn said, fighting with the part of him that couldn't turn away from the mysteries of lost gold and jewels. The Ruby Heart was supposed to lead the owner to a place of immense wealth. He could feel that little part of him that always managed to get him into trouble wanting to perk its little head up and offer to help her.

"I can't believe that," Elianna said. "I have the Hunter diaries that show how they found the original spot that held the Ruby heart. I know from there, it would be almost a cake walk to find the gem. She lifted her purse that was large enough to be a suitcase. "I have all the information in here."

"What kind of information?" Quinn was compelled to ask.

Elianna pulled out the plastic wrapped books and letters, all things that she'd found on her own since she'd become transfixed by the ruby. She held up one of the Hunter diaries and showed it to Quinn. "This is your Uncle Donovan's diary. It tells of another opening to the mass of warrens and gullies that are down below us." She lifted up another diary, though this one didn't seem familiar to Quinn. "The young girl who was sacrificed so long ago, her diary has finally shown up. She speaks of a Hunter, no first name, but she does call him a savior. And there's even more information in the rest of these books."

"Do you know what searching for that treasure has done to my family? My cousin Rylie lost a baby. Dillon almost lost his mind. It's just too dangerous, Elianna. I could and probably would get us killed."

"But I would go by my own wishes, Quinn. The heart has been a mystery that I've wanted to solve since I first saw the gem over ten years ago. It's absolutely beautiful. It vibrates when you hold it in your hand."

"I believe someone was bitten by the shiny stone bug." Quinn reached out and flicked her on the nose. "You almost just drowned, Elianna. How about we get you some place safe and get you warm?"

"Then we'll discuss the gem? Can I at least show you what I've found?" Her eyes were on his face and she caught the huge sigh he gave. "Come on, tell me you aren't even the tiniest bit curious about what I've found?"

Quinn shook his head. "How about we get warm and dry and then we can discuss it?"

Elianna glanced around her at the traffic that was moving quicker now that the rain had slowed. She didn't see her father's man anywhere and he wouldn't know that she was in this car anyway. She nodded. "All right, but we will discuss this?"

"Yep, you've got the bug bad, don't you?" Quinn hit his turn signal and pulled off the exit on the expressway, turning left and speeding away from the interstate. He turned left on the first crossroad they'd came to and Quinn barely slowed when the crumbly concrete turned into dirt. The road narrowed but the houses grew nicer, fenced in and gated, most with pools or ponds.

Quinn pulled into a short driveway and then punched a number into a keypad. The gates opened slowly and he pulled through even slower. When he was through, the gates closed on their own, clanging as they locked.

The driveway was curved and long and Elianna could barely keep her eyes off the beautifully done landscaping. "This is yours?"

"Yeah." He didn't say anymore.

"It's beautiful," she added and then stared out the windshield as the house came into view. It was like looking at a mansion in the south before the civil war. Tall white pillars held up the roof that covered the wrap around veranda. Up in a small tower in the center of the building, an exquisite stained glass window seemed to sparkle as Quinn's car lights touched it. There were cupped hands embossed in gold, a bright red heart sitting in the midst of them.

"The Ruby heart?" she asked him, reaching out to touch his arm. "It is, isn't it?"

Quinn nodded. "Yes, it's been like the holy grail to me."

"And you doubt the information that I have on the heart? I have been diligent in my collecting, Quinn. I've searched three different countries looking for the next clue. I'm not making any of this up and I'll be happy to show you what I've brought with me." She could hear the exasperation in her voice but she couldn't hide it. This meant to much to her to worry about what other people thought of her. "Please Quinn. I wouldn't bother you with this if I wasn't so sure of what I've got."

Quinn nodded thoughtfully, pulling his car right up to the front door. He turned it off, getting out and hurrying to her side of the car.

Elianna put away everything she'd gotten out to show him, groaning a bit as she heard the sloshing sound coming from her purse. It was almost as bad as the squelching sound of her shoes as she walked toward the front door. She shook as the cold got to her, bundling under the blanket she still wore over her shoulders.

Quinn put his arm around her, easily unlocking the door and hurrying her inside. "Stay here," he said shortly, crossing the living room and going up the two steps that led to another door. He rushed inside and was back almost instantly, a pair of sweats and a sweatshirt in his hand.

"Here, these will be warmer than what you're wearing. If you bring out your clothes, I'll make sure they get washed and dried." Quinn handed her the sweats and then led her through another door. "Through there is the bathroom. Grab a quick shower if you'd like."

Elianna glanced up at him before going through the door and into a bedroom that was exquisite. She saw the bathroom on the other side and went in, dropping her purse on the floor before closing the door and turning on the shower.

She peeled off her blouse, shivering as she tore off her wet bra and dropped it onto the small pile of clothing that was growing at her feet. Her slacks were next and she held onto the countertop as she peeled them off her legs. Her socks came off with her slacks and she shivered even more. Her red satin thong was the last to come off and she dropped it onto the pile, searching in the cupboards until she found a couple of towels.

She opened the glass door of the shower and stepped inside, sighing as the heat of the water soaked into her skin, driving the cold away. The smell of the water she'd been dunked in was even more noticeable now and she took up the bar of soap, lathering her hands and then her body. It was almost orgasmic, the sense of being clean, of smelling fresh and like soap instead of the wet, musty smell of the water. She leaned against the wall of the shower and closed her eyes, letting the stream of the water beat down on her.

How long she would have stayed there, she didn't know. But the sound of the bathroom door closing had her standing up straight and staring out into the bathroom through the glass. She noted one thing right away. Her pile of wet clothes was missing.

She reached out and turned off the water, grabbing one of the towels she'd found and wrapping it around her wet body. The other towel was wrapped around her hair and she stepped out onto the cold tile floor.

Elianna quickly dried off and pulled on the sweats, leaving her long reddish brown locks in the towel. She found a pair of thick socks that had been dropped on top of the sweats. She slid them onto her feet, pulling them up as far as they would go. She picked up her purse and took it with her out into the living room.

Quinn was no where to be seen so she sat on the couch, rolling up the legs on the sweats so that she wouldn't walk on them. She'd had to tie them tightly to keep them around her waist. Then she rolled up the sleeves and took the towel from her head, drying her hair as quickly as she could with the damp towel.

When Quinn came through the same door he'd gone into to get the sweats, she stopped messing with her hair. "Thank you, Quinn." Her eyes moved over his tall body, admiring the way he looked in tight jeans and a thick cable knit sweater.

"You're more than welcome, Elianna. I did come in and got your wet clothes. They're in the washer." He sank down next to her on the couch. "Now, since we're both warm, why don't we take a look at what you've found."

Elianna clapped her hands in excitement. "Really? You'll take a look at it?"

"Yeah, I'll take a look but I'm not promising anything."

She started to dig in her purse, pulling her wallet out and dropping it on the towel she wasn't using for her hair anymore. Then she pulled out the first of the four diaries she had. "This belonged to your Uncle Donovan." She pulled it out of the plastic, glad to see that the dunking hadn't hurt the fragile book in any way. Turning to a page that seemed more tattered than the rest, she held it out to Quinn. "This is the first time your Uncle wrote about the Heart. He speaks of how he and his wife had found the heart in a statue in a cavern."

"How did you get this?" he asked, his brow furrowed as he glanced at Elianna.

"Dillon and Rylie. I told them what I was going to do and they gave me this and the two maps they'd had when they chased down the gold into Mexico. There was no gold, but Rylie lost her footing and fell into an opening in the old town."

"Yes, I know that story well."

"Yeah, and now they have the twins."

"You got to see them? I can't believe that Dillon would all...," he stopped talking glancing over at her.

"You can't believe that Dillon would let me see his children?" Her voice was harsh and she stared down at her hands. "It's part of the wonderful legacy left by my father."

"I'm sorry, Elianna. It's just everything that your father has put my family through, it's a bit hard to forget about. He almost killed Aaron and would have if he hadn't kidnapped Angel as well. He kidnapped Shanna and was going to sell her in a white slavery ring."

"I know," she said softly. "But I hope you'll remember that he's held me hostage as well. I tried more than once to get away from him, but he almost always seemed one step ahead of me. I never had any luck at all until I finally just got up one night and walked out. I walked almost ten miles that night and had no money or credit cards that I could use."

Quinn stared down at her, seeing the truth in her pale green eyes. He also noted the unshed tears that she fought to keep hidden. "So daddy wasn't a very good daddy then?"

"After all he's done, do you have any doubts?" She sniffed and ran the back of her hand under her eyes. "I've always been way down on his list of priorities."

Quinn nodded and then bent his head, reading what his Uncle had written under his breath. "This is where Angel and Aaron found the gem, using these coordinates."

"Yes, in a cavern in New Mexico. There they found the statue and the cavern. As soon as they picked up the stone, it started a cave in that almost killed them."

"Yes, and when they came out of the cavern, he tried to kill Aaron and his friend Brandon. He kidnapped Angel and tried to use her as well." Quinn glanced over at her again. "So what else you got?"

She reached into her purse again and pulled out a plastic covered map. "This is the ancient map that showed the exact location of the old city. It was desecrated and robbed long before Dillon and Rylie got there."

"I've been there," Quinn said softly, smiling when he heard her gasp of surprise. "Come on, girl. I'm a treasure hunter. Do you think I wouldn't check it out?"

"I guess I'd never thought about it. I'd heard that it was pretty much nothing more than dust." Elianna reached into her purse again and pulled out the young girl's diary. "This one breaks my heart," she said softly.

He took the makeshift book from her hand, letting it fall open in his. He glanced over the page quickly, surprised to find it written in a bastardized form of English. "How old is this?"

"I had it authenticated." She didn't say anything else for a moment. "The paper and the ink came from that era but the man who authenticated it for me said he'd never read anything like this. He said it should have been in some kind of Incan or Aztec writing, not English. He did say that he'd never seen anything like this before."

Quinn scanned a page, intrigued by the young girl's interpretation of her life. She'd been chosen at birth to be a sacrifice, raised as if she were some kind of goddess herself. She'd never realized what her people meant to do to her until the day they came for her, dressing her in the finest apparel available. She'd been led out and into the village, the soft fur cloak blowing back from her naked thighs. The diary tells of how she'd begun to struggle when she saw the altar before her, the stains of other virgins' blood clouding the pureness of the stone.

She'd fought the men that held her, kicking and biting, using her nails to force them to let her go. But when one man let her go, two others stood strong, hanging onto her.

Quinn looked up from the rest of the diary. "I have a question," he said softly to Elianna.

She lifted her head and stared at him.

"How could she write all of this when she was being taken to her death?"