Romancing the Tome

Part 5

The entire way to the cove, you try not to look at him. The cool air turns to salt, replacing the musk of the forest as you look pointedly forward. Yoongi is also quiet; continually glancing in the rearview mirror to ensure no one is following. You know he's concerned about his former partner – so are you – but there's nothing to do about that except find the treasure before they do.

"He won't get his hands on it." Your words are quiet, spoken straight at the dashboard.

Yoongi's grip tightens. "Sorry, what?"

"Namjoon," you say, lifting a brow. "I won't let him steal from you a second time."

Almost unwittingly, Yoongi's upper lip quirks. "You won't let him?" he repeats, a bit softer.

"Nope."

"Oh?" Pulling onto a dirt road, Yoongi can't help but smile. "What would you do?"

"I don't know. Teach me how to do that thing with your whip and the sign."

Yoongi laughs in response. The car starts to slow, rumbling to a stop at the edge of the forest. As he unbuckles his seatbelt, Yoongi turns to face you.

"Y/N," he says seriously, arching a brow, "that was a professional move. Try it at home and you might get seriously injured."

You sound huskier than you mean to when your gaze drops to his lap. "Try it at home, you said?"

When you glance up, you have the immense satisfaction of seeing Min Yoongi flustered. His eyes drop slowly to your lips – before faltering, noticing his backpack at your feet.

"Shit," he mutters, his expression tortured. Yoongi's grip on the wheel tightens, before he releases. "We should go. We can't let them catch up."

He says so tightly, as though warring with himself and you nod. Pushing open your door, you hop down and breathe in the forest air. It smells saltier here, the dirt springier beneath your feet than on the mountainside. Sand breaks between the wood while you squint down the trail, analyzing your surroundings.

"Where should we start?" you ask, ignoring the way your stomach twists when Yoongi steps beside you.

Silent, he unfurls the map. "I was thinking about here," he says, pointing at a path. "According to the journals Barbaras kept, he landed at low tide. This means the causeway would have been open, giving him a path to these caves," Yoongi explains, finger tracing his words. "At any other time of day, they're cut off from land. I think that'd be a good place to start."

Nodding, you understand the logic but for some reason, find your gaze drifting to a corner of the map. "Okay," you say, waiting while Yoongi rolls up the map. "Let's go."

Leading the way, Yoongi traipses down the trail while you follow in his footsteps. The way down is difficult, even more so than last night. You keep slipping in the mixture of sand and mud, grabbing onto the trees in the process. You're so focused on the path and keeping your balance, you fail to notice when Yoongi has stopped.

"Oh," you blurt, grabbing his arm. "Yoongi, what's wrong?"

Slowly, he shakes his head as he scans the horizon. "I don't know," Yoongi admits, worrying his bottom lip. "I just have this feeling we're being watched."

A chill snakes your spine. Twisting around, you look hard but see – nothing.

"I don't see anyone," you say, turning back.

Yoongi's gaze flicks to yours. "Right," he says, resuming your pace. "It's probably nothing. Let's keep going."

Even so, you notice Yoongi's hand twitching as you walk – as though lying in wait to yank his whip from his pack. The forest thickens the further you go, waves crashing against the steep cliffs to your right. The path narrows, growing steeper until you're panting with effort.