don’t try anything while we’re searching for the fortune. Dad won’t be happy if anything goes wrong, and you don’t want to have to answer to him,” Garret said, and he walked away.
Trent cut the bandanas from our wrists. I waited until he put his knife away before confronting him about what he’d told Garret.
“If you get us in trouble with Morgan, we’ll tell him what really happened last night,” I said.
“The only chance you had to get me in trouble with Uncle Morgan was if he caught us returning to camp last night. Now it’s your word against mine, and there’s no way he’d believe you over me. So, I’d watch the tone you take with me, or you might have an unfortunate accident on our journey today.” I knew he wouldn’t hesitate to hurt Holly and me if he thought he could make it look like an accident.
Holly gulped, and I was almost happy to see Edward walking back over to us.
“Dad said you’re supposed to go on up ahead. I’m going to watch them,” Edward told Trent.
Trent didn’t hide his disappointment, but he did what Edward told him. Everyone was ready to start the search again, so we headed toward the park to find the last piece of the treasure map.
“I never should’ve trusted Trent to keep his word. I should’ve told Garret I ripped the coat in my sleep,” Holly whispered.
I looked at Edward to see if it was safe for Holly and me to talk. He was talking to Noelle again. His face was serious, and he was keeping his eyes straight ahead of him. He probably didn’t want his family to notice he was being nice to Noelle. At least Noelle was keeping him preoccupied so Holly and I could talk. “You can’t trust a thief,” I finally answered.
“You can say that again.” Holly’s eyes dropped to the ground. No question about it, she was thinking about Dad.
“We don’t know for sure if—” I didn’t want to mention Dad’s name in case anyone was trying to eavesdrop. “I mean, we don’t know what You-know-who is doing in the forest, so don’t jump to conclusions.”
“He acted just like one of them!” Holly said, forgetting to keep her voice down.
Garret glared at us from up ahead. “Shut up before I shut you up!”
Holly and I bowed our heads and kept our eyes down. After a few minutes, Garret walked over to talk to Edward. Garret looked in my direction once before he and Edward got caught up in a conversation. Noelle stepped away from them.
“What about Noelle?” Holly whispered. “I don’t get her at all.”
“Me either. She’s getting pretty comfortable with Edward, but she tried to escape with us last night. It doesn’t add up.”
“Talking about me?” Noelle whispered, coming up alongside me.
Holly turned away, refusing to acknowledge Noelle’s presence.
“What’s the deal with Edward?” I asked her. “You’ve been talking to him a lot.”
Noelle raised her eyes to mine. “He’s different from the rest of his family. He’s nice, and he keeps Trent off my case.” She glared in Trent’s direction. “If he calls me sweetie one more time, I swear I’ll punch him.”
I nodded. “Edward does seem different than the rest of them. Nicer.”
“It’s hard to explain, but I know he wouldn’t hurt me or let the others hurt me either.” Noelle gave me a half smile and walked back over behind Edward and Garret.
“I don’t like her,” Holly said, stepping closer to me.
Edward and Garret stopped talking, so I motioned for Holly to be quiet. We walked in silence for hours. Garret watched Holly and me so closely that we weren’t able to talk anymore. Our pace slowed. We were all getting tired of the search. Our feet practically dragged from boredom and exhaustion.
Morgan noticed everyone’s attitudes and shouted, “This is a celebration! My fortune will soon be at hand! Let’s have a song!” He was the only one who was still excited about finding the fortune, but the others joined in and sang anyway.
After four verses, I realized I
Trent cut the bandanas from our wrists. I waited until he put his knife away before confronting him about what he’d told Garret.
“If you get us in trouble with Morgan, we’ll tell him what really happened last night,” I said.
“The only chance you had to get me in trouble with Uncle Morgan was if he caught us returning to camp last night. Now it’s your word against mine, and there’s no way he’d believe you over me. So, I’d watch the tone you take with me, or you might have an unfortunate accident on our journey today.” I knew he wouldn’t hesitate to hurt Holly and me if he thought he could make it look like an accident.
Holly gulped, and I was almost happy to see Edward walking back over to us.
“Dad said you’re supposed to go on up ahead. I’m going to watch them,” Edward told Trent.
Trent didn’t hide his disappointment, but he did what Edward told him. Everyone was ready to start the search again, so we headed toward the park to find the last piece of the treasure map.
“I never should’ve trusted Trent to keep his word. I should’ve told Garret I ripped the coat in my sleep,” Holly whispered.
I looked at Edward to see if it was safe for Holly and me to talk. He was talking to Noelle again. His face was serious, and he was keeping his eyes straight ahead of him. He probably didn’t want his family to notice he was being nice to Noelle. At least Noelle was keeping him preoccupied so Holly and I could talk. “You can’t trust a thief,” I finally answered.
“You can say that again.” Holly’s eyes dropped to the ground. No question about it, she was thinking about Dad.
“We don’t know for sure if—” I didn’t want to mention Dad’s name in case anyone was trying to eavesdrop. “I mean, we don’t know what You-know-who is doing in the forest, so don’t jump to conclusions.”
“He acted just like one of them!” Holly said, forgetting to keep her voice down.
Garret glared at us from up ahead. “Shut up before I shut you up!”
Holly and I bowed our heads and kept our eyes down. After a few minutes, Garret walked over to talk to Edward. Garret looked in my direction once before he and Edward got caught up in a conversation. Noelle stepped away from them.
“What about Noelle?” Holly whispered. “I don’t get her at all.”
“Me either. She’s getting pretty comfortable with Edward, but she tried to escape with us last night. It doesn’t add up.”
“Talking about me?” Noelle whispered, coming up alongside me.
Holly turned away, refusing to acknowledge Noelle’s presence.
“What’s the deal with Edward?” I asked her. “You’ve been talking to him a lot.”
Noelle raised her eyes to mine. “He’s different from the rest of his family. He’s nice, and he keeps Trent off my case.” She glared in Trent’s direction. “If he calls me sweetie one more time, I swear I’ll punch him.”
I nodded. “Edward does seem different than the rest of them. Nicer.”
“It’s hard to explain, but I know he wouldn’t hurt me or let the others hurt me either.” Noelle gave me a half smile and walked back over behind Edward and Garret.
“I don’t like her,” Holly said, stepping closer to me.
Edward and Garret stopped talking, so I motioned for Holly to be quiet. We walked in silence for hours. Garret watched Holly and me so closely that we weren’t able to talk anymore. Our pace slowed. We were all getting tired of the search. Our feet practically dragged from boredom and exhaustion.
Morgan noticed everyone’s attitudes and shouted, “This is a celebration! My fortune will soon be at hand! Let’s have a song!” He was the only one who was still excited about finding the fortune, but the others joined in and sang anyway.
After four verses, I realized I
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