The door swooshed open. With nothing but air to break her fall, she landed face first at Dash and Jerrick’s feet. Anchoring her elbows in the plush carpeting, she slowly lifted her head and met equally amused grins.
“You do have an interesting way of making a grand entrance, Sher ’tian.”
Ignoring Dash’s droll quip, Mara shoved to her feet. “About time you got back. I knocked on your door early this morning, but you were already gone.” She eyed Dash, trying to focus on anything but the quickening of her pulse when he looked at her with that dark, smoky, I’m-imagining-you-naked stare.
“Stopped by, did you?” Dash’s expression edged further into wicked territory. “Were you intending to start up where you left off last night? Damn, knew I should have stayed in bed a while longer.”
“I didn’t come by to…” She shifted her attention to Jerrick and caught the tail end of his knowing grin. Renewed heat scorched her face.
“We paid a visit to an old friend,” Jerrick said, apparently taking pity on her. At least one of the brothers possessed some decency. “He wasn’t much up for company, but we did gather some intel on the rune.”
The unexpected news caught her off guard. “That’s terrific,” she blurted.
A look passed between Dash and Jerrick, provoking a nervous flutter in her belly. “What is it?” she asked, her excitement rapidly fading.
Dash reached into his trouser pocket and pulled out what appeared to be a photograph. He handed it to her, his expression grim. She stared at the image of a small, white rock with a strange red symbol carved in its center.
It took her brain several seconds to assimilate what she was looking at. “Is this the rune?” She barely registered Dash’s response while she skipped to the words written at the bottom of the glossy paper. “I don’t understand. What is this?”
“Look at the back.”
Nerves prickling with apprehension, she flipped the photo over and read the name scrawled there in the same blood red ink. “Ortis Baggins?”
Dash’s lip curled in distaste. “He’s a bounty hunter. Quite adept at it too, judging from his illustrious reputation.”
Cold fear spread through Mara’s chest. She stared at the photo clutched in her trembling hand. “Are you saying this is some kind of calling card of his?”
“Basically,” Jerrick said, peeling off his jacket.
Mara’s eyes widened when she spied the weapon holstered to Jerrick’s shoulder. Bounty hunters, laser guns…she didn’t like where things were leading. “He has the rune?”
“Looks like,” Dash said, his tone flat.
The fear surged upward, threatening to choke her. Surely they hadn’t come this far, endured countless setbacks, only to be stopped dead in their tracks. Or was fate really that cruel of a bitch? “Why?”
“To draw me out.”
She blinked. “But that’d mean he knew…”
Dash nodded before finishing the sentence for her. “He knew I came here to fetch the rune.”
“How is that even possible?” The photo paper crackled when she tightened her grip in an effort to still the trembling of her fingers.
Gently, Dash pried the photo from her hand before stroking her clenched knuckles. “Jerrick and I talked it over. The most likely culprit is Finian.”
Mara stared at him, confused. “Finian? Why would he hire a bounty hunter to catch you? Technically, he already has you.”
Resignation settled over Dash’s face. “Sher ’tian, he didn’t hire Baggins to catch me. He hired him to kill me.”
Chapter Twenty
The fear threatening to overtake Mara finally exploded in her chest. She shook her head, desperate to refute the possibility of anyone wanting to murder Dash. He might be annoying as hell sometimes, and he possessed the irksome habit of stealing things that didn’t belong to him, but he didn’t deserve to die because of those things. “I thought bounty hunters were supposed to bring their quarry in alive.”
“Not always,” Dash said with a calmness that made her question his sanity. “Which perfectly suits Baggins’ other trade—hired gun.”
“No. Finian has no reason to want you dead.” Her emotions got the better of her, making her voice break on the last word.
Dash’s gaze slid to Jerrick. Some unspoken communication must have passed between the brothers because Jerrick reached for his jacket. “Meet me outside when you’re ready to pick up your vehicle. And don’t forget the computing printout. We’ll need it to track down Baggins’ property holdings.”
Once Jerrick vacated the room, Dash tucked her into his arms. His warmth enveloped her, a bittersweet distraction, and she curled her fingers into the soft cotton of his shirt. “Finian couldn’t want you dead,” she whispered, as if repeating it would banish the ludicrous idea. “He needs you to get the Rhyann rune.”
“Not anymore,” Dash pointed out gently. “It wasn’t his idea to send me after the rune to begin with. You saw the level of hatred he feels towards me. It’d be the ultimate slap in his face if I returned with the rune and began warming his wife’s bed.”
Mara lifted her head and stared at him. She didn’t want to acknowledge the logic of his astute assessment.
His fingers smoothed behind her neck, comforting her. “If you keep looking at me with those teary eyes, I’ll be forced to make love to you, making all this hard work transforming into the first decent Maddoc in history a total waste. Do you really want to shoulder that kind of guilt?”
He succeeded in pulling an anemic smile from her, but too soon, reality sank in its stubborn claws. The uphill battle facing them had suddenly become an insurmountable mountain. “What are we going to do?” She hated the weak note in her voice. Hated even more feeling shackled by helplessness.
“There’s only one answer. I have to steal the rune from Baggins.”
She jerked out of Dash’s hold and gaped at him. “Are you out of your freaking mind? If you’re right about everything, he plans on killing you. That’s not the answer I’m looking for.”
The corner of his mouth tilted upward. “Hmm, we’re in complete accord for once. Good thing I plan on doing everything in my power to stay alive.”
She knew Dash’s attempt at humor was his way of trying to bring levity to the situation and allay her fears, but it didn’t make her like it. Not one damn bit. “You do realize that if you try to steal the rune, you’ll be walking straight into his trap.”
He looked slightly annoyed with her pointing out the fact. “I’m not a complete greenhorn. I do have a little experience with these things.”
“Oh really? This isn’t the first time you’ve stolen things from professional bounty hunters who’ve accepted big merca to kill you? Should be a normal day’s work for you then.” She paced in front of the bed, her frustration coiling tighter and tighter until the tension threatened to snap.
Dash stepped forward, blocking her path. When she tried maneuvering around him, he cupped her shoulders, holding her firmly in place. “Would you stay still? You’re giving me whiplash.”
His breezy attitude made her want to tear her hair out. “You’re not taking any of this seriously.”
“Yes, I am.” His fingers pressed down, forcing her towards the mattress. Grumbling, she plopped onto the foot of the bed and glared up at him. “But I’m not going to dread over all the nefarious things Baggins will do to me if I royally screw this heist up.”
Mara tucked her hands inside her lap, hiding their nervous fidgeting. “I’m not dreading.”
Dash dropped to a crouch in front of her and tipped her chin up with one finger. “Sweetheart, you’re a worrier of epic proportions. The master poets should write a sonnet about you.”
She blew out a frustrated breath. “I can’t help it. When I think of him possibly hurting you…” The fear welled up again, burning the back of her throat.
“There’s your problem—thinking too much. Fortunately, I’ve a cure for that pesky ailment.” Dash’s fingers curled around
her wrists and tugged her upright before nudging her towards the connecting door. “Grab yourself something warm to throw on and meet me outside your door in two minutes.”
“But—”
He leaned down and stopped her words with a quick kiss that made her tingle in inappropriate places. “Two minutes,” he repeated firmly.
Grumbling, she trudged into her room and poked around in the dresser drawers until she located her green wool sweater. After tossing it over her short-sleeved top, she ventured out into the hallway. She didn’t have a long wait. Precisely a minute later, Dash stepped from his room.
“Where are we going?”
“First Jerrick’s taking us to pick up the Cloud Chaser.” He slid an arm around her waist and steered her towards the lift. “Then there’s someplace I want to show you.”
His cryptic response managed to stir her curiosity and temporarily shut her up. Which was probably what he’d planned all along. Sneaky bastard. She followed him outside, where Jerrick waited behind the wheel of a gorgeous red vehicle.
“She’s a beauty.” Unable to resist, Mara stroked her fingers over the shiny lightning bolt racing down the middle of the hood.
Jerrick leaned his head out the window and gave her a thumbs up. “Nice to see some people can appreciate vintage quality.”
“Ignore him,” Dash said, urging her into the backseat.
When they reached Jerrick’s place, Mara fully expected to follow him inside the squat, metal building he mockingly referred to as his hellhole away from home. Instead, he grabbed the computing printout Dash produced from his rear trouser pocket and disappeared down the street.
Dash cupped her elbow. “Jerrick knows someone who specializes in surveillance. We’re hoping he can narrow down which of Baggins’ houses stores the rune.”
“Houses?” Mara scrunched her forehead. “Jeez, how many does he have?”
“Five. Apparently bounty hunting is quite lucrative.” Dash straightened the collar of her sweater before buttoning it up for her. “Perhaps I should rethink my livelihood.”
“Right now, I’d be ecstatic if I never had to worry about someone wanting to kill you.”
“You’re thinking too much again.” Before she could protest, he scooped her up and strode towards the Cloud Chaser.
She wrapped her arms around his neck, a bit embarrassed by the stares they received from the group of teens loitering across the street. “In case you didn’t notice, I have two perfectly functioning legs.”
“Oh, I definitely noticed.” His warm palm shifted, curving beneath her thigh. He deposited her next to the passenger door and his grin turned unrepentant when she rolled her eyes at him. “Hop inside. There’s someplace special I want to take you.”
The mystery location he kept hinting at was killing her, but no way would she admit it. Besides, he really seemed to enjoy building the suspense. She didn’t want to deprive him this one tiny joy. Dutifully, she jumped into the Cloud Chaser and kept her questions to the barest minimum while they headed in the direction of the mountains. At least she thought she managed to restrain her innate curiosity, but apparently Dash thought otherwise.
“Enough already.” A hearty laugh rumbling from his chest, he eased the vehicle down a narrow dirt road. “It’s a miracle your mouth isn’t smoking.”
“I wasn’t talking that much.”
A fresh spurt of laughter tore from him, earning her glare. Stubbornly refusing to give him any further ammunition against her, she flattened her lips shut. Still wearing his insufferable grin, he shifted into park in front of a tall, bolted fence stretched across the road. Curiosity spiking, she watched him climb from the Cloud Chaser and stride to the fence’s gate. Seconds later, its steel doors swung inward and Dash returned to the vehicle, humming. He shot her a look, clearly waiting for her to ask about the gate.
Hah, I have more willpower than that. Sort of. They continued down the road a bit until Dash stopped in front of a stand of stately fir trees bending in the wind. He threw the vehicle in park and she stepped out into the pine-scented breeze.
Dash met her at the side of the rutted lane and laced his fingers with hers. “What do you think?”
She remained mute and he chuckled. “Fine, I won’t tease you anymore. Go ahead and speak.”
Good thing he said that, because not talking was the hardest thing she’d ever done. Probably wouldn’t have made it another two seconds. “What exactly am I looking at?”
“Only the best secret hiding spot in all creation.”
“Yeah?” She didn’t bother hiding her skepticism. “It looks like a bunch of trees.”
“What do you think makes it such a top-secret hiding spot?” With a squeeze of his fingers, he urged her to follow him into the deep woods.
“What about the Cloud Chaser?” She glanced over her shoulder. “If someone decides to drive past that gate you left open and spots it, your super-duper hiding spot won’t be so super anymore.”
“Not many people venture out here. And those who do don’t stick around long enough to do much exploring.”
She still wasn’t convinced gallivanting around a dense patch of woods was something she wanted to do. The last time she communed with nature, she ended up swinging in a Gromache snare. She peered at the fluffy clouds scudding across the sky. “You know, I think rain might be coming in. Not to mention I invited Avily to dinner. It’d be really rude if I stood her up.”
“There’s not a drop of moisture in those clouds. And I promise we’ll be back long before dinner. Now quit your stalling.” His eyes sparkled with challenge. “Unless you’re too chicken to go into the scary woods with me.”
Though she knew she was walking straight into his evil trap, she tugged free of his grip and stalked into the thicket of trees. An owl hooted overhead and she tried her damnedest not to jump. Dash’s low chuckle clearly pointed out that she wasn’t fooling him in the least.
“You might want to stick close to me. The path is a bit tricky to find.”
Supremely grateful he’d given her an excuse to latch onto him, she slowed until the warmth of his hand settled around hers again. They journeyed a few yards beyond the tree line when they came upon a large block of stone with strange symbols chiseled on its surface. When she asked Dash about it, he mumbled some vague answer about it being an offering altar before he dragged her away from the object.
A few paces later, the pitch of the terrain sloped downward and the path dropped off into space. Leaning over the plateau she stood on, Mara stared down at the gulch twenty or so feet below her. Dash jumped over one of the boulders protruding from the hill’s face and stretched his arm towards her.
“Uh, fun as this is, maybe we should be getting back.”
“But you haven’t seen the best part yet.” He waggled his fingers in entreaty.
Sighing, she let him lead her down the steep incline. At the base, she realized the small hill they’d just climbed over was actually a cave. With some trepidation, she stared at the slab of marble resting outside the cave’s rocky entrance. It was an exact duplicate of the one they’d stumbled upon back at the start of the woods.
“Okay, what the hell is that thing?” Plunking her hands on her hips, she frowned at Dash. “And don’t think you’ll appease me by saying it’s an offering altar again.”
“But that’s exactly what it is. People leave offerings on them.” His gaze shifted away, making her suspicious.
“An offering for what?” She stalked towards the mouth of the cave. A fierce growl rumbled from its depths and she jumped nearly ten feet in the air.
Shrieking, she spun towards the path they just descended and scrambled to gain purchase on the jutting boulders. Dash’s fingers latched into the belt loops of her pants, dragging her off the hillside.
His chuckle floated past her ear, breaking through her adrenaline frenzy. “I think you reached warp speed.”
Eyes widening in panic, she stared over his shoulder. “Come on, we’ve got to get
out of here.”
“No, we don’t. The sound you heard was only a recording. You triggered a motion sensor placed near the altar.”
He smiled and she pinched him in the center of his chest hard enough to earn his yelp. “You might have told me that sooner. Like before I walked up to the cave.”
Dash rubbed the area where her fingers tweaked him. “I was going to, but you moved too quickly. I didn’t have time to warn you.”
He sounded genuinely apologetic, but she wasn’t quite ready to let him off the hook. Maybe in a year or two—if he was lucky. “Why the hell are scary recordings coming from that cave?”
“It’s all part of the cover Jerrick and I devised. They go along with the orgeel offering altars.”
“Orgeel?” She took a step back.
“Relax, there aren’t any in the area.”
“How do you know for sure? Have you checked every single cave in these woods?”
He ducked his head in weary resignation. “This is why I didn’t want to tell you about the offering altars. As for the cave, I want to show you something. I think it’ll make you feel better.”
When she balked at the idea of going anywhere near the mouth of the cave, he ambled to its entrance. Even though she knew the scary growl was only a recording, she still jumped when it went off.
A couple seconds later, Dash reappeared. “Okay, I switched off the recording.”
Her butt remained firmly planted on her little rock perch. He strode to the hillside and stared up at her with those caramel brown eyes that always managed to turn her insides to mush. “Please trust me. I would sooner die than put you in harm’s way.”
Okay, how could she say no to that? She held out her arms, letting him lift her from the boulders. With their fingers entwined, he drew her inside the cave. An earthy scent clung to the interior. Up ahead, a rock wall marked the end of the cave.
“It’s not very big.” A fact she really appreciated. Not that she hadn’t trusted him about the orgeels, but it settled her nerves knowing a twenty foot, red-scaled lizard couldn’t stuff itself into the tight space.
Lover Enslaved: Thieves of Aurion, Book 1 Page 19
