The Ring of Fire: The Dragon Dream: Book Two

by Robin Janney

  His friend was silent for several minutes, and he let her be. Her silences didn’t bother him like Angela’s did. Angela didn’t drive as fast either. Were they hitting triple digits?

  “You said it left her with problems?”

  He shrugged. “It left her changed. Like I said, she’s lost some of her boldness, some of her impulsiveness. It left her with night terrors. Those are hard to deal with. Probably the hardest because there’s no way to prepare for them. They come without warning. Her shrink has sent me a few emails, saying Angela’s been avoiding her issues and wants to start her on new medicine. I’m just not sure that’s the answer.”

  “Sometimes it is,” replied Katie, pulling off at their exit. “I’m sure you’ll make the right decision for her, no matter what.”

  “I try,” he said, grateful for the reduced speed. But then, heading deeper into the city left her little choice but to slow down as the traffic increased. “I doubt myself all the time. I worry about her all the time.”

  “Any time you need someone to talk to Craig, I hope you remember I’m a pretty good listener.” Katie shrugged. “I hate seeing you sad. I always did.”

  He chuckled. “I remember. You gave me your dessert at lunch for a whole week when Tim had his appendix out.”

  She laughed at the memory. “And you tried milking it for another week.”

  “Hey, can’t blame a guy for trying to get extra desserts.”

  Her smile was wide. “When do you think you’ll be going to Mikey’s again?”

  “I don’t know,” he said shrugging. “Aunt Meg’s been after me for another visit too. And I need to go see Tim. Maybe this weekend. I did promise the kids pizza.”

  “You’re good with them. You’ll make a great dad someday.”

  “I hope so,” he said. “It hasn’t happened yet, but we’re not worried about it. It’ll happen when the time is right.”

  She had no comment for that, and again he let her fall silent. It lasted until they pulled up in front of his father’s building.

  “Well,” said Katie. “Let me know when you go to Mike’s again, and I’ll bring the chips and soda for the pizza party.”

  “I’ll do that,” he said, opening the door. “Maybe we can get Jason and his family to come out too. Have a real pizza party with the remaining Turtles.”

  “I always wanted to be April, but you boys would never let me play.”

  “I’m sure we regret that. Thanks for the ride, Katie.”

  “No problem,” she said as he peeled himself out of the small car. “Maybe next time I’ll let you drive.”

  “I’ll remember that. Goodnight.” Shutting the door, Craig waved at her as she sped away. He’d forgotten how much she loved fast cars. Greeting the night doorman, he entered the building and sighed in relief as the elevator took him up level after level. The evening had been hot, and the cool climate-controlled building was welcome.

  His father was in the living room, and Veronica stretched out on the couch. He looked at the two a moment, thinking it was almost like when he was younger when he and Tim would stretch out on the floor at their feet.

  “You’re back early tonight,” his father said to him as he walked into the living room.

  “Just thought I’d call it an early night,” replied Craig. “What are you guys watching?”

  “Just finishing off a ‘Criminal Minds’ marathon,” answered his father.

  Craig shook his head. “I will never understand the fascination with those shows. Angela watches them, but I can’t…Anyway, I’ll see you guys in the morning.”

  “Goodnight,” they said as one.

  Once in his room, Craig shed his clothes down to his boxers and logged onto his laptop. It didn’t take long for him to pull up the camera feed in the ranch house, or to find where his wife was at. Much like his stepmother, Angela was stretched out on the couch in their living room, Princess curled up behind her knees. It was almost like the first time Angela had been in his home for what was really their first unofficial date. She had been recovering from a panic attack earlier in the day and had laid down on his couch, and the dog had followed suit.

  He couldn’t tell what was on the television, it wasn’t loud enough, and he wondered if that meant Nan had come in and turned it down once she realized Angela was asleep.

  Not wanting to wake her if she was asleep, Craig unplugged his laptop and carried it to his bed. Crawling under his covers, he curled up on his side with the laptop positioned on his bedside stand to allow him to watch her sleeping form. If his father and stepmother were going to be watching tv for a while, he might be able to get some sleep. Especially with his wife on the screen before him.

  He hoped.

  26

  I t was a bright sunny day after mid-July. Jared and the horse he rode meandered lazily around the few cattle in the section of the herd. Aster was a tall horse, and with his added height he had a good view from here. Moving her towards his partner for the day, he frowned as his iPhone vibrated in his shirt pocket. For her part, his horse didn’t so much as flinch.

  Transferring both reigns to one hand, Jared pulled the smartphone out of his pocket. Pulling the horse to a full-stop, he frowned at the text from his sister: Hey Jared. I have to run into 3Corners, I know you’re working, but if Rick will let you – would you come with me?

  “What?” he asked aloud.

  “What’s up?” Becca asked, coming up beside him on her horse.

  Jared showed her the text. “Angie never texts me when I’m out here.”

  The older woman sighed. “No. She’s been awful quiet recently too. Mrs. Moore hasn’t ridden out with us in ages. You’d better go talk with Rick. I’ll be fine until he sends a replacement out for you.”

  “You sound confident he’ll let me go,” said Jared quizzically.

  Becca smiled, her dark eyes twinkling. “I’ve never known Rick to tell Mrs. Moore no.”

  “Nice,” muttered Jared. “She’s just as spoiled here as she was at home.”

  The woman laughed. “I don’t know how it is in your little town where Mr. Moore owns the store, but here – Mrs. Moore is as much the boss as her husband is. Oh, Rick makes a good show when Mr. Moore isn’t home and his decisions about the ranch hold sway, but if the missus wants something a certain way, she gets it.”

  Jared wasn’t sure whether to nod his head or shake it. What would the employees of Craig’s store think of an attitude like that? Especially since Angela had started out as one of them. “When you put it that way, I guess I’d better go find Rick.”

  “He should be at the pond.”

  “Alright then, I’ll see you later.” Urging his horse to a trot, Jared crossed through the large herd of cattle. The pond Becca referred to was perhaps a half mile from the main house, and perhaps twice that from where he had been with Becca.

  Jared reined Aster in next to Rick. “Hey Boss,” he said in greeting. “I have a favor to ask.”

  The graying man smiled. “Let’s hear it.”

  He couldn’t help but return his boss’ smile. Rick looked all stern and tough but when he smiled, good humor lit his face with kindness. “It’s like this: Angie texted me just now asking if I could ride with her to the store. Now, I’d rather be out here earning money, but she never asks…”

  “Go ahead,” cut in Rick, his smile lessening a fraction. “And don’t worry about your pay, this won’t change it.”

  Jared hesitated in confusion. His boss had agreed to everything quickly. “That’s awful generous. Craig tell you to do that because I’m family? Because I don’t want to be treated any different from the rest. Terry would probably stop teaching me how to play cards.”

  Rick chuckled, but his gaze turned away with discomfort as he looked across the pond to the impressive house Craig had built for his wife. It wasn’t exactly sitting on top of a knoll, but it was the highest point of the ranch from this angle. “No. It’s part of the job, Jared.”

  “Excuse me?”
<
br />   The foreman breathed deeply. “Part of our job when we come to work here is to grant all of Mrs. Moore’s requests; especially when Mr. Moore is away on business.”

  “So, if I wasn’t here…”

  “She probably would have texted me to ask if anyone was free,” answered Rick, with a shrug. “It’s happened a few times.”

  “What about Gary?” Jared asked. “He acts like he doesn’t even like her.”

  “He’d gripe about it, but he’d do anything for her.” Clearing his throat, Rick continued, “Jared, what I’m about to share with you is not to be shared with your sister.”

  The young man nodded. “I understand.”

  “Every one of us who works here is charged with your sister’s protection. Even if she doesn’t ask for company to town or to a doctor’s appointment, somebody shadows her. Usually one of the ‘off duty’ hands who just happened to need something.”

  “You’re kidding.” Jared’s disbelief was clear.

  “No sir, I am not. The only arrangement she is aware of are the hands who shadow her when she goes on a trail ride. If Mr. Moore isn’t home, and she leaves the house, she is never to be out of our sight.”

  Jared was silent. Like with his sister, it didn’t last long. “And she has no idea?”

  “None. We work hard at keeping it that way.”

  Looking across the pond at his sister’s home, several things clicked in Jared’s mind. Internal cameras, and a bevy of ranch hands who doubled as bodyguards. The only thought he voiced was, “That’s why Craig has no problem being gone. He knows she’s safe here.”

  Rick nodded. “She wouldn’t have this level of protection in New York City. Not without a lot more advanced warning.”

  “Holy shit,” muttered Jared. “I had no idea he was that affected by her kidnapping.”

  Even as he spoke, Jared’s mind continued to work. After Angela’s kidnapping and she’d been hospitalized from the resulting vehicular crash, Craig had never strayed very far from his new wife’s side. Jared knew from overheard conversations that while Angela was in the coma, Craig’s entire life had revolved around her bedside. He had been at the hospital every spare minute. Jared remembered how worried his parents had been. He knew his mom had taken his brother-in-law more than one meal. And now Jared wondered how the older man had been able to let her go to the farm for the month following her release from the hospital if his fear was this deep and he made a mental note to ask. And he, her brother, hadn’t had the courage to visit her once, before or after her awakening.

  “So is he just that paranoid, or does he really think she’s still in danger?” mused Jared. It must be the reason why Craig had been so insistent about Angela staying home. She truly was safest here.

  Rick shook his head. “I’m not sure. It’s not something I question. But since she’s the daughter of some kind of mob boss, will she ever be safe?”

  Jared snorted in true Carman fashion. “It makes most people in Tyler’s Grove afraid to cross her.”

  Rick laughed in genuine amusement. “I imagine so, but not everyone in this world is as timid as your town folk.”

  The younger man didn’t comment to that. Instead he shrugged and said instead, “I guess I’ll get going then.”

  Rick agreed. “Send Brent out to replace you.”

  “I’ll do that.”

  “Good lad.”

  P ersonally, Jared wondered if the three small plastic bags had been worth the trip. He didn’t even know what his sister had bought during the ten minutes they’d been inside the small country store. It was a lot smaller than Craig’s store The Country Cupboard back home.

  His sister had managed to disappear on him at least twice in those ten minutes and Jared wondered how the ranch hands managed to keep an eye on her when following her. He wasn’t positive, but he thought Rick might have sent Kenny out after them and he wondered if it was just a habit or if he doubted Jared’s ability to protect Mrs. Moore. After the second time she’d given him the slip, Jared was questioning himself.

  Just a few minutes outside of town on their way back home, the telltale sound of a flat tire caused Angela to groan.

  “You’ve got to be kidding me,” she muttered pulling the car over to the side of the road. “These tires are new!”

  “It happens,” remarked Jared. He hopped out of the car as soon as she had it in Park.

  Shutting her car door behind her, Angela glanced at the tires on her side. “It’s the front one over here,” she said to him.

  “Okay,” he replied. Walking to the trunk of the car, he waited for her to push the button on the inside to release the latch. Pulling out the carjack and tire iron, he saw the spare tire. “Sweet! You have a full spare instead of a donut.”

  Angela shrugged, coming back to help him. “Craig insisted.”

  “I bet. Just relax and let me get this, Angie.”

  He was loosening the last lug nut when a sharp intake of air drew his attention. Looking up, he saw his sister standing behind him in the road. When had she moved? Why had she moved? Was she panicking? He didn’t know if he could handle another episode like he’d endured the night he’d found her rearranging the kitchen pantry.

  “Hey,” said Jared sharply. “Are you alright?”

  “I’m fine,” Angela said tightly.

  But she wasn’t. He was no karate expert, but he’d watched her practice enough to recognize the form she had slid into as being a defensive stance. Her breathing was most definitely panicky.

  “Angela!” Jared dropped the tire iron and quickly pulled his sister off to the side of the road, putting her on the other side of the car and into the grass beyond the pavement.

  Pulling her arm free, Angela’s head jerked back toward the sound of an approaching vehicle. “Jared, please don’t go back until they’ve passed. Please.”

  “I won’t. Just look up at me and focus, okay?”

  She didn’t comment, but she did as he asked.

  Jared didn’t have words for the emotions the fear in her eyes provoked in him. The night he’d found her rearranging the kitchen pantry had nothing on this. For the first time, as he held the gaze of those startling blue eyes which were so different from his own, he wondered how often in the past she had moved herself between him and some imaginary danger. He recalled all those times he had slept over at her apartment in Tyler’s Grove and had felt her watching in the middle of the night. Had her fear been that strong? Was it still? If she’d been harassed in her old apartment like Craig said, maybe it hadn’t always been an imaginary fear. How much had she gone through and he’d never noticed?

  He could see her tension relax as the sound of the vehicle indicated it was slowing down. He turned when it sounded like it had stopped behind him. And found himself looking into the eyes of the woman he had spotted watching him at the hotel.

  She stared back, her mouth open, behind the wheel of her dark sedan. “Do you folks need help?” she managed to ask, stuttering only on the first word.

  “No, we’re fine,” Jared told her. No way in hell would he accept help from this woman.

  “Really, I can help. Maybe I can give your sister a ride back home while you fix her flat?”

  “I only have a permit,” he lied easily. “I can’t drive without her in the passenger seat.”

  The woman looked like she wanted to argue, but she didn’t. “Can’t say I didn’t offer! Be careful out here.”

  She drove away, but Jared watched her long enough to know she had looked back at them in her mirrors more than once. He wondered if the other ranch hand he’d seen in town would be on his way back yet.

  “Have you ever seen that woman before?” he asked Angela, looking back at her.

  His sister shook her head, her feathery hair bouncing off her cheeks. “No, have you?”

  She denied recognizing the woman, but Jared saw something new in her glassy eyes, an increase of fear, and he felt the fringes of it himself. “Once. But I don’t know her. Go ahead a
nd get back in the car, Angie. Passenger side. I’ll fix this then drive you home. I promise I’ll be careful.”

  Angela nodded, and although she moved slowly, she began walking to the passenger side door. She halted, door open as the sound of another vehicle became evident.

  The rusty pickup truck slowed almost to a stop and the ranch hand inside waved.

  “Hey Mrs. Moore! Jared! Y’all need help?”

  “Yeah, thanks Kenny.” Jared said without hesitation. He motioned at Angela again to get inside as Kenny pulled his truck to the side of the road just in front of Angela’s blue car. He barely took the time to see if his sister finally obeyed. With the tanned man’s help, things moved quickly. “I need to talk to you and Rick when we get back.”

  “No problem,” Kenny replied easily, rolling the bad tire to the back of the car.

  Tightening the last lugnut, Jared passed Kenny the jack and tire iron, and waited for him to shut the trunk. Keeping his voice low, he dared give the other ranch hand an order. “Follow us.”

  Kenny nodded and replied just as low, “I planned on it.”

  Satisfied, Jared got behind the wheel of his sister’s car. “How are you doing?” he asked Angela.

  “Better. I’m sorry I almost…”

  “Angie, don’t worry about it. I understand.”

  “Do you?” she asked, her voice not quite bitter.

  “I understand enough,” he replied, hoping his voice was more reassuring than tense. He expected to see the stranger’s car parked alongside the road somewhere. But it was nowhere to be seen, which didn’t release the youth’s tension. If anything, Jared’s tension increased as he pulled into the long driveway leading to the main ranch.

  Parking the car in the garage, he wasn’t surprised when his sister hopped out immediately.

  “Thanks for coming along, Jared,” said Angela as she pulled her plastic shopping bags from the backseat.

  “No problem.”