Mercy Burns

by Keri Arthur

  What was so different now than two days ago, when they’d tried to kill both Rainey and me?

  “Understanding the motives of evil men is often a difficult thing,” Damon said, philosophically.

  I looked up at him. His prominent nose gave his face a sharpness that should have been less than appealing. Instead, his features suggested strength and courage—much like the character of the man himself, I suspected. “We could go to the police. Tell them that those men kidnapped us.”

  It might work—might being the operative word. And really, could I afford to waste the time? Even if the cops caught our kidnappers, that still left at large the man in charge and the man who’d driven the truck, and it was them I needed caught.

  No, not just caught. Dead.

  A shiver ran through me. I rubbed my arms, raising static and causing sparks to fly from my fingertips. They spun across the darkness—bright chips of fire that were all too quickly snuffed out.

  Much like Rainey.

  “You could try,” he said, “but I very much doubt our captors would still be at the house by the time the cops got there.”

  “I could give them the name of the man who drugged me.”

  “His word against yours. And I bet he’ll have a watertight alibi.”

  That was almost funny, given we were talking about a sea dragon. “So we’re just going to do nothing?”

  “What you’ll be doing is keeping out of their way.” His voice held the whip of command. “I’ll sort out the problem of our kidnappers.”

  Anger rose and I clenched my free hand against it. I should have been used to dragon men bossing the rest of us around, yet it still irritated the hell out of me. But then, I guess it was something of a family trait to defy authority. My brother didn’t exactly take to being told what to do, either.

  “Considering how well you were doing on your escape plan before I got there,” I said, voice dry and holding little to hint at the annoyance, “that might not be such a good idea.”

  “If you have so little faith in me, then why are you still here?”

  His tone was amused, though there was little to be seen in his expression, which was as forbidding as ever.

  “We’re not out of the woods yet,” I said. “You might still come in handy.”

  Besides, I did trust him. To an extent, anyway. That was odd, considering I very rarely trusted anyone—and especially not strangers. But there was something about this man—something about his calm, dark strength that sparked a hint of faith.

  “Despite the heat I stole, I may not be up to the task if we get hit again.” He slanted me a glance that said our kidnappers had better not be on our trail—not if they valued their lives. “And you didn’t answer my question.”

  I must have looked confused, because he added, “About somewhere safe to go.”

  “Oh. I can go to my brother’s.” He probably wouldn’t be there, but I knew the security code and could get past the additional deadlock easily enough.

  Damon didn’t look happy with my answer. “That might not be the wisest move. It’s not hard to look in the phone book for his address.”

  “He’s my half-brother. And he’s not listed.”

  “Then that’s a little better.” He contemplated the fog ahead for a moment, and though there seemed to be little to threaten us, his tension was a living thing, filling the soupy darkness with a dangerous energy.

  But I really hoped no one else came after us. I’d had enough excitement for one day.

  “Where does your brother live?” he added, his gaze coming back to me.

  “Parkside. Twenty-ninth Avenue, near Taraval.”

  “Then we can get you home easily?”

  “We can,” I said. “But don’t feel obliged to escort me. I can look after myself.”

  “Consider it payback for getting me out of that place,” he said, a smile playing around the corners of his lips.

  My pulse did a happy little dance at the sight and I dragged my gaze away. It had to be a leftover effect of the drugs, combined with the fact that I hadn’t eaten much. Nothing else.

  I didn’t want it to be anything else.

  We headed toward the shell-like construction that was West Portal Station and waited for the next train. It wasn’t empty; they never were. We sat in silence and were left alone—not surprising, given that his stolen coat couldn’t quite cover the bruised and bloody state of his body.

  But even on the train, where there was little threat to either of us, his tense alertness never dissipated. By the time we reached my brother’s building, I was beginning to jump at shadows myself.

  Damon stopped at the bottom of the steps and looked up at the mustard-colored building. “No one appears to be home.”

  “No. But I’ll be all right.”

  “Are you sure?” His gaze met mine, and though there was nothing to see but distant coldness in those dark depths, there was an edge of concern in his voice. Or maybe it was my imagination, and sudden unwillingness to be left alone.

  Which was stupid. Those men couldn’t possibly track me down so quickly. They might have my driver’s license and press card, but I didn’t even keep a photo of my brother in my wallet, so how would they know about him, let alone suspect I’d come here?

  If they got your phone number, an inner voice whispered, then they can get your brother’s address.

  Fear swirled, but I stomped on it firmly. Even if they did have a hotline to my mom, I doubted she’d give them Trae’s address, which meant I was safe enough here for the moment. But the thought of losing my defender still filled me with an odd sort of fear.

  “I’ll be fine,” I said, more to myself than Damon.

  He studied me for a moment, and the tension I’d sensed in him earlier sharpened to an awareness that was all sexual. It thrummed through the night, and burned through me. Gleamed in his dark eyes.

  I couldn’t ignore that awareness, no matter how much I might have wanted to.

  He leaned forward until his face was near mine and his mouth was so close I could taste his breath against my lips. It was warm and dry and it drew me even closer, until our lips were almost touching.

  “Thank you,” he said softly, and then he kissed me. Lightly, sweetly.

  I closed my eyes, gently moving into the kiss. Savoring the contact. Wanting more and yet, at the same time, fearing it.

  And oh, it was so good. So delicious that my body hummed in response and my legs felt weak.

  But it ended all too soon. By the time I’d opened my eyes again, Death had disappeared into the foggy darkness.

  Chapter Five

  The first thing I did when I got upstairs was to phone work to tell them I’d need a new ID card when I got back in another week or so. I couldn’t do much about my driver’s license—I’d have to show up at the DMV office to fix that, and right now I couldn’t take that risk.

  With that done, I headed to the kitchen to grab something to eat. Food might not help fuel the fires, but I hadn’t eaten since breakfast and I was hungry enough to eat a horse. Not that I would have unless really pushed. Their meat tended to be too gamey for me, although many dragons consider them a delicacy.

  Luckily for my stomach, my brother kept a far better stock of food than I usually did, so the fridge was full of the good stuff. Several thick beef sandwiches later, I had finally settled the uneasy rumblings in my belly. After rechecking that all the doors were locked, I headed to bed and slept the sleep of the semidrugged—although even the remnants of the drugs had not been strong enough to stop me reliving the moments of the crash, over and over.

  It was well after ten when I woke. I dragged myself into the shower, washing away the grit of sleep and the last vestiges of the dreams, then grabbed some coffee and headed over to my brother’s desk and laptop.

  I found the card Angus had given me and googled his business. His website came up straight away. I clicked on the link and was confronted by a smiling picture of my kidnapper.

&nb
sp; I picked up my coffee cup and leaned back in the chair, sipping the steaming liquid as I contemplated his image. Damon had warned me off going after our kidnappers, but I wasn’t going to get the answers I needed by doing that. And I very much doubted he was going to return and explain what was going on—especially given he’d been more than a little recalcitrant about the reasons he was there in the first place.

  Besides, I had a friend to avenge and a soul to save. And while sitting here in my brother’s house might be safer, it wasn’t what I needed to do.

  Angus had known about the accident—he’d obviously been sent information about me before our meeting—and he’d been talking to the man who had driven the truck, so he obviously knew a whole lot more than I did. I just needed to find out what.

  It would probably be a good idea to find out more about Damon, too—just in case our paths crossed again. I reached for the phone and quickly dialed Leith’s direct number.

  “Phoenix Investigations, Leith Nichols speaking.”

  His usually mellow speech had taken on a formal note, and I couldn’t help smiling. “And don’t you sound mighty professional today, my friend.”

  “Hey, babe, how you doing?” His voice relaxed into the easygoing tones I was used to.

  “I’m doing fine,” I said, as I opened the glass door to the small side balcony and stepped outside. The sunlight wrapped around me, warming me, fueling me. I closed my eyes and resisted the urge to hum with pleasure. “But I was wondering if you could do a few favors for me.”

  “You already owe me dinner. This could bring breakfast into the equation as well.”

  I grinned. I’d known Leith for nine years, and he’d been trying to get into my bed for eight and a half of those. Trouble was, he wasn’t serious, and we both knew it. I think if I ever did say yes, he’d actually run a mile the other way rather than risk ruining a wonderful friendship.

  Mind you, I had no doubt he’d be a damn fine lover. He just wasn’t the right lover for me.

  “I don’t mind buying you breakfast, but there won’t be bed before it.”

  “Damn, woman, you spoil all my fun.”

  “Oh, I think you’re doing just fine.”

  He chuckled softly. “What can I do for you, Mercy?”

  “You remember that sea dragon I told you about?”

  “The one you asked me to do the background check on?”

  “That’s the one. We had our meet, during which he drugged me, then kidnapped me, then dumped me in a metal-lined cellar over in St. Francis Wood.”

  “Shit, are you all right?”

  “I’m talking to you, aren’t I?”

  “Thankfully, from the sound of it. You want me to go beat him up for you?”

  I laughed at the enthusiasm in his voice. Leith might be the boy-next-door type, but he liked a fight. It got the blood moving, apparently. I guess that’s why he’d become a private investigator rather than the lawyer he’d studied to be.

  “No, I do not want you to beat him up.” Not yet, anyway. “I need to talk to him again.”

  “You want me along this time?”

  I hesitated. To be honest—and despite the fact that he’d drugged me—I didn’t fear Angus. But I certainly didn’t trust him.

  “No, but I need to know if you’ve uncovered anything about him.”

  “Mercy, meeting your kidnapper alone is not the brightest idea you’ve ever had—and you’ve done a few dumb things in your time.”

  “Yeah, mostly with either Rainey or you standing right beside me.”

  “Well, some damn fool has to protect you.”

  “I’ll be fine, Leith. Really.”

  He grunted, but it didn’t sound like he believed me. “We haven’t been able to find out much about him. He’s been running the bay cruises for about ten years and living here for about as long. He’s been a model citizen, is hardworking, and is socking away the cash, from what we saw of his bank records. We haven’t been able to uncover much about him before he came here, though.”

  “He’s got a bit of a Scottish accent, so he may have come from there originally.”

  “We’re running overseas checks, but it’s going to take time.”

  “Which I don’t have,” I snapped. He didn’t say anything, and I took a deep, calming breath before adding, “Sorry, Leith.”

  “It’s okay. I know the anger isn’t aimed at me.” He hesitated, and I heard a soft, feminine voice say something in the background. “Janelle says don’t be tempted to go to Whale Point this morning. Angus won’t be there, but they will have men watching the area, just in case you show up. You don’t want to go anywhere near them.”

  Janelle was the psychic who worked with Leith, and a sweet old woman who had to be at least eighty. She’d been with Phoenix Investigations for as long as anyone could remember. According to Leith, the place would fall apart without her.

  Though I hadn’t actually been planning to go anywhere near Whale Point, I still said, “But if those men are the ones who killed Rainey—”

  Another murmur in the background, then Leith said, “They’re hired muscles, not the brains. They won’t give you answers, just more bruises and pain.”

  All of which confirmed my decision to avoid the place like a plague. “What about Angus? Can I find him at his boat?”

  Leith passed the question on to Janelle. “She says no, but to try the Heron on Pier 39. He should be back there at about seven. And she says to watch your back. He could be a marked man, and anyone with him could meet the same fate.”

  Especially if that someone had already escaped from the very people who might now be after him. I drew in a deep breath, sucking in the morning’s heat, feeling it flush the sudden chill from my body. But it was harder to ignore the notion that I was getting in way over my head.

  It wasn’t like I had a choice. Not if I wanted to save Rainey’s soul. I had four days left.

  “Tell Janelle I’ll be fine and to stop worrying.”

  There was more murmured conversation, then Leith said, “She says it’s her job to worry. She also says not to play games with Death. He’s dangerous.”

  I couldn’t help smiling. I might not work for Phoenix, but I hung out with many of its employees, and I’d known Janelle almost as long as I’d known Leith. It was nice to know I was one of the ones she kept a psychic eye on.

  “Tell her Death has been met and conquered. He holds no fears for me.”

  He passed on the message and a second later, the cackle of her laughter came over the line.

  “I guess that means she doesn’t believe me,” I said wryly.

  “I guess,” Leith said. “So what are these other favors you want?”

  “What can you tell me about the muerte?”

  “The who?”

  “It’s what my kidnappers called the dragon who was being held in the cellar with me. Apparently it means he’s an assassin of some sort, but he wouldn’t explain it any more than that.”

  “I’m guessing this is the man Janelle just warned you about?”

  “Probably. But he escorted me home and then disappeared, so I don’t think he’s going to be a problem.” Though I was probably tempting fate even thinking that.

  “I’ll hunt around and see what I can dig up,” Leith said. “And I’d tell you to be careful, but we both know that would be a waste. You’re the most foolhardy cautious person I’ve ever known.”

  “That’s a contradiction.”

  “So are you.”

  I grinned. “The other thing I want you to do is run a check on a Seth Knightly, from the Jamieson clique. He’s a dragon, and his father is our king.” Meaning the bastard was my brother’s half brother, but two men had never been so different. If Trae was warmth and sunshine, then Seth was everything that was dark and horrid in the world. “I heard he died in a car accident several years ago. I need to know whether that’s true, and if it’s not, where the hell he is now.”

  “You know, it’d be nice if you actually
asked me to do something easy for a change.”

  I laughed. “You get everything I’ve requested, and I’ll feed you for a week.”

  “I’ll hold you to that.”

  He would, too. Not that I minded—not if he came through with the information. And I had no doubt that he would. Phoenix Investigations had a reputation for getting the job done quickly and efficiently, and a lot of that was due not only to the psychics in its employ, but to Leith’s ability to source the most innocuous details. “I’m at Trae’s for the moment, but I may be in and out, so I’ll give you a call later in the day.”

  “I’ll wait with bated breath.”

  I snorted and hung up, then leaned back against the wooden wall of the apartment and let the sunlight soak through me just a little longer. After a few minutes, I sighed and headed back inside to google Whale Point, the town that had given Angus his scars. I didn’t expect to find anything, and I got precisely what I expected—nothing. Of course, that didn’t mean the town hadn’t existed or that he’d been lying. It just meant that the truth had been so obscured by his lies that it was hard to tell one from the other. Part of me still wanted to go there today, if only to source out who and what might be waiting for me. But that was a risk I couldn’t take—not after Janelle’s warning.

  It meant my only choice now was Angus. And while I wasn’t sure if talking to him again would clarify the situation, I had to try. He was the closest I’d come to getting some answers so far.

  I looked at my watch and saw it was barely one. Obviously, time was intent on crawling by.

  I switched on the TV, then headed into the kitchen to make myself another sandwich. After grabbing a soda from the fridge, I headed back into the living room—arriving just in time to see a local news report about a fire at a bar on Fillmore Street.

  It took me only a second to realize it was the same bar I’d met Angus in. I grabbed the remote and turned up the sound.

  “Police are treating the fire and deaths as suspicious,” the reporter said. “Several survivors have been interviewed, and one man is currently being questioned by the police.”

  On the screen they showed the back of a dark-haired man whose gait was all too familiar. He walked beside several police officers, and while he wasn’t handcuffed or anything, they were heading in the general direction of a police car.