Ryan froze. “What? When? How?”
“I don’t know. It sounded pretty serious.” Timothy paused. “I should let you know that the guy who called mentioned an arson investigation. They want to talk to you as soon as possible. How long before you can get there?”
“I can’t.” Still stunned, Ryan glanced out the window. “I’m out of town—not anywhere near the island at all. Please drive out there and handle this for me.”
“But...” Timothy sputtered. “What if they...”
“I’m sure you’ve got this,” Ryan interrupted. “If you have any problems, let me know.”
Shock turning to anger, he ended the call and told Maria what had happened.
“I’m so sorry,” she said immediately. “Do they know what started the fire?”
“No. But my assistant said the fire department is investigating it. They mentioned arson.” He shook his head, his jaw tight. “I think that Drakkor did it.”
“That’s possible,” she said, her voice sad. “If he knows we’ve been together, I think you’re right. And he wouldn’t even have had to use an accelerant since when we’re in dragon form, we can make fire with our breath.”
The image she painted sounded like something from a movie. “The fire investigators want to talk to me. I’m guessing that, whatever he did, he made it look deliberate, like arson. Just his way of tightening the screws.”
“I’m so sorry,” she said again.
He touched her arm. “Don’t. There’s no reason for you to apologize. It’s not your fault.”
“But in a way, it is. If you hadn’t met me—”
“No.” With one word, he cut her off. “You didn’t ask for any of this.”
She stared straight ahead, wisps of dark hair framing her face while she considered his words. “Neither did you.”
“Then we’re equal.”
Slowly, she nodded. “Still, it’s a shame. I really liked that beach house.”
“So did I. But no worries, it’s insured.” Even if it hadn’t been, he could take the monetary loss. What he couldn’t take was the way this act made him feel as if he was being hunted. As a wolf, he wasn’t used to being prey.
“What I don’t understand is why,” Maria continued. “Is this revenge because he saw us together? I’m assuming he read a tabloid. Is he pissed because he knows I’m with you?”
Ryan tried to relax his jaw enough to speak. “No, I think he’s trying to draw us out. He probably went to your house looking for you and then tried mine. When he didn’t find either of us, he set the fire.”
She reached over and squeezed his shoulder, her hand lingering. If she hadn’t been driving, he would have pulled her close for a long, deep kiss. Instead, he simply nodded, and pretended to focus his attention on the passing landscape.
When they were south of Fort Worth, they went to a rest stop. Inside the huge gas station/convenience store and restaurant, Maria oohed and awed over selections of packaged food. Ryan couldn’t help but notice the way every male in the place stared longingly at her. He knew exactly how they felt. Still, she was his. Ryan put his arm around her and pulled her close for a quick hug, amazed at his need to publicly claim her, even in this small way.
Laughing, she hugged him back. “What was that for?” she asked.
He shrugged. “Just because.”
They bought a few things and when they went outside to get in the car, she handed him the keys. “Your turn,” she said. “I could use a break.”
A few seconds after pulling out of the parking lot, Ryan knew he’d be adding a Corvette to his stable of cars. The throaty rumble of the powerful engine, the smooth ride and the way driving it made him feel as if he’d been missing out all these years.
A quick glance at Maria, who grinned back at him, told him she knew exactly how he felt.
Up just northwest of Wichita Falls, as the sky slowly darkened from dusk to night, Ryan thought he saw a large and ominous shape coasting over the flat plains.
Damn. His heart stuttered in his chest. “Maria, look over there. Is that a dragon, flying low above those fields?”
Instantly, she turned to look where he pointed. “I don’t know.” Squinting, she tried to see. “The darkness makes it hard to tell. Could it be a bird?”
“If it’s a bird, it’s a very large one.”
“Maybe a plane? One of those crop dusters.”
Briefly, he considered taking one of the dirt roads that led in that direction, but rejected the idea as fast as it came. Too dangerous. It would be much better if they continued on their way, remaining as anonymous as possible.
But as they drove, it appeared the shape kept pace with them, at least until full darkness fell and they could no longer see beyond the beams of their headlights.
Seeing whatever it was had made them both jumpy. “I think we should stop in Amarillo for the night,” he said.
“I don’t,” she responded promptly. “I vote we continue on. As long as we keep driving in shifts, we’ll be fine.”
His stomach growled, right on cue. “We have to eat. Besides, we don’t even know if what we saw was a Drakkor or not. It could have been anything.”
The words had barely left his mouth when something—something huge—swooped low over the highway ahead. Maria gasped. Ryan stepped on the brakes, glad no other cars were behind them.
Then, just as suddenly as it had appeared, it vanished. Gently, Ryan eased down on the accelerator, wanting to keep moving.
“What the hell was that?”
“Drakkor,” Maria said, her voice flat. “I only got a quick glimpse, but I’m fairly certain.”
A chill snaked up his spine. “The same one from Galveston?”
“I don’t think so, though of course I can’t be one hundred percent sure. This one was smaller, and had more colors to its scales.” She took a deep breath. “Maybe the Council sent someone powerful to guard me on the trip.”
He gripped the steering wheel so tightly his hands ached. He didn’t want to reveal to Maria how much the encounter had shaken him, so he continued to drive and kept his eyes on the road.
Finally they reached the outskirts of Amarillo and he breathed a sigh of relief. “Bigger city, less chance of another dragon visit,” he said, sounding more confident than he felt.
Maria’s weak attempt at a smile told him she knew. “I’m hungry, too. Let’s stop to eat,” she said, stifling a yawn. “And maybe we can stay over here for the night, as long as you think it’s safe. I’m exhausted.”
Though he no longer knew what was safe anymore and what wasn’t, he nodded.
They stopped to eat at a Mexican restaurant. “Judging by the police cars and truckers’ rigs in the parking lot, this is a good place,” he said, parking near the entrance.
“Good.” After she got out of the car, she stretched. “This drive is longer than I remember it.”
He waited until they’d walked inside and followed the hostess to a table before asking, “You’ve driven to Colorado from Galveston before?”
“Of course.” Opening her menu, she glanced around. “I love the way they’ve decorated this place. The multicolored wooden chairs are a great touch.”
“It’s nice.” He barely spared the decor a glance. “When did you make this drive? Recently?”
The chips and salsa arrived and their drink orders were taken. They both ordered iced tea, disappointing the waiter after he’d promoted the margaritas.
“No, I was a little kid,” she answered, once the waiter had left. “Before we moved to Wisconsin, we lived in Colorado and drove down to the coast a couple of times. I think I probably slept the entire way, and that’s why I thought the drive seemed shorter.”
The waiter brought their drinks and took their food order. They snacked on the chips and salsa, while Ryan felt himself gradually relaxing in small increments.
To all appearances, they might have been just another couple out for dinner. But Ryan kept an eye on the door, even though he
knew he wouldn’t be able to identify another Drakkor if one walked into the restaurant.
Maria, too, kept turning and checking out the door.
“This is ridiculous,” she finally said. “We might as well try to enjoy our meal. No one’s going to change into a dragon or anything in here.”
The couple in the booth behind them both turned at her words and stared. “Role-playing,” Ryan said, chuckling as the woman’s face turned tomato red. “We enjoy it.”
Maria laughed out loud, the pure sound bringing a smile to everyone who heard it.
When their food arrived, chicken enchiladas for her, carne asada for him, they dug in. Afterward, they had sopapillas for dessert.
“I’m stuffed,” Maria pronounced.
“Me, too. I think finding a motel nearby and getting some rest would be an excellent idea.”
She nodded. “Who knows,” she said in a loud whisper just as the other couple got up to leave. “Maybe we can have some role-playing.”
The woman gasped, tugging on her husband’s arm and rushing him out.
Maria shook her head, eyes twinkling. “Nothing good ever comes of eavesdropping, you know.”
Watching her, so sexy and beautiful, desire stirred inside him. For the first time he wondered about their sleeping accommodations. Would they share one bed, or would Maria want two?
He took a deep breath to ask her, but the noise of the restaurant was shattered by a shrill scream from outside the front door.
Chapter 7
Ryan froze. Drakkor? He and Maria locked gazes. “Surely not,” she muttered.
“Let me go check it out,” he said, jumping to his feet.
When she stood, too, he shook his head. “Wait here,” he ordered, and rushed outside. Of course, Maria was right behind him.
Outside, a small crowd had gathered around a hysterical woman. She alternated between crying and blubbering, pointing and trying to speak.
“What’s going on?” Ryan asked a man standing on the outskirts of the crowd.
“She claims she saw a monster,” he answered, rolling his eyes. “Not sure if she’s drunk or on drugs.”
Somehow, the upset woman heard him. “I’m neither,” she said, gasping as she wiped at the mascara running down her cheeks. “I swear to you I just saw some sort of giant flying lizard. It’s around here somewhere.”
Which could only mean one thing. Drakkor. Whether friend or foe, Ryan guessed they’d find out soon enough.
Several people laughed. Someone must have called 911 because an ambulance arrived. The woman was loaded up into it, still babbling, and taken away to the nearest hospital.
The crowd began to disperse.
“We need to go back and settle up our bill,” Ryan said. “Then we’ll get a hotel room for the night.”
Though she merely nodded, he could swear he’d seen a flash of desire in her caramel eyes. Wishful thinking on his part, he told himself as he headed back into the restaurant.
Later, after finding a clean, reasonably priced motel not too far from the interstate, he locked the door and eyed the side-by-side double beds. He’d specifically requested them so Maria would have a choice.
She caught the direction of his gaze and laughed. “Come here,” she said. “We might as well enjoy each other while we can.”
He’d just gone in for a kiss when her cell phone rang. She glanced at it and shook her head. “It’s my father. I have to take this. He’ll be calling with news from the Council.”
He nodded, listening to her side of the conversation, watching as she wrote something down. He couldn’t tell much, but whichever direction it went, she cut the conversation short.
“Well.” She blew out a breath in a puff. “I have good news and bad. The Council has decided I’m in. They’re going to train me in how to use and develop my magic. Dad gave me the address.”
“That’s great.” He hugged her. “Congratulations.”
After giving him a quick return embrace, she moved away. “However, they’ve put one stipulation on it. If I’m going to train, I can’t have sexual intercourse for twenty-four hours prior to my arrival. Apparently it zaps the magical reserve or something.”
For a second he stared at her, not entirely sure she wasn’t joking. The serious expression she wore quickly disabused him of that notion.
“Well—” he kept his tone light to mask his disappointment “—then it’s a good thing this room has two beds.”
“Yes,” she answered, sounding not at all bothered. “It really is.”
* * *
Maria could barely sleep that night, her hyperawareness of Ryan in the bed next to her making her burn. He, on the other hand, fell asleep almost immediately. Apparently the ban on sex didn’t affect him as badly as it did her.
Sometime in the early hours before dawn, she realized she’d begun to take this entire relationship a bit more seriously than it deserved. Whatever had made Ryan abandon his summer vacation on the beach and accompany her, he hadn’t done so because he wanted their relationship to be closer. She gathered he enjoyed adventure, and from the way he’d been acting, he considered this entire thing entertaining. He certainly had no ties to keep him in one place; apparently his company pretty much ran itself.
She’d appreciated his protectiveness and desire to keep her safe, but she could not discount the fact that, by his very presence, he’d also prevent her from achieving her goal.
Even listening to the rhythmic sound of his breathing made her go all gooey inside.
Already she could see herself growing far too attached to him. If she didn’t have a destiny with so many restrictions, she’d ride this thing out for however long it lasted, but she couldn’t afford to do that.
So, as much as the idea pained her, once she was magically strong enough to defend herself, she’d have no choice but to send Ryan Howard away for good.
Finally, she fell asleep.
When she woke in the morning, Ryan was already in the shower. The image of him naked, water sluicing down his perfect body, brought another round of dizzying desire.
Somehow she made it through breakfast, which they grabbed at a fast-food place and ate in the car on their way out of town. She’d elected to let Ryan drive, and to avoid conversation she closed her eyes and pretended to sleep.
But once they reached the New Mexico border, with the ancient, stunted Capulin Volcano in the distance, she couldn’t take her eyes from the scenery. Rolling earth made of fertile desert, green and brown grass dotted with black volcanic rocks, and white-tailed deer grazing on the other side of wire fences, oblivious to the vehicles driving past. Every now and then a ranch would appear, the low-slung house set back from the road, with cattle or horses dotting the fields.
Raton Pass fascinated her. The houses seemed to cling to the sides of the cliffs and the road dipped down as they passed the gas station rest stops at the base of the pass. After that, they began the climb into Colorado.
An old mission sat high above them on the left, the stucco exterior hinting at secrets long gone.
She’d heard even in the summer it could snow up here, but this time the sky remained clear and the road dry.
“Beautiful, isn’t it?” Ryan asked.
When she glanced at him, his easy smile made her throat ache. “Yes, it is. Though I’ve been this way before, it’s been a long time and I’d forgotten how spectacular the scenery can be.”
Southern Colorado just kept getting more and more beautiful. They passed through Trinidad, Walsenburg, Pueblo, and finally Colorado Springs as they drove north toward Denver.
As the road became more and more congested, Maria began to fidget. “Kind of reminds me of tourist season in Galveston.”
“This is nothing.” Again the irrepressible grin. “You should see the traffic in Austin.”
Finally they left Denver behind. Ahead, the Flatirons dominated the landscape. “It’s beautiful,” she mused. “But I still miss the ocean.”
Traffic got
a bit heavier when they reached the outskirts of Boulder. Coming in on 28th Street, Maria punched the address she’d been given into the GPS on her phone and let the metallic voice guide them. They followed Iris west and began to climb.
“Your destination is on your right,” the GPS finally intoned.
The brown-and-beige house, low to the ground with lots of windows and cedar, embodied serenity. The majesty of the city of Boulder spread out below it made the place look like an image from a postcard. Not to mention the undeniable pull of the magic radiating from inside the cedar-shake siding. Maria stopped in her tracks, impressed despite herself.
Even Ryan, who had no ties to anything magical, let loose a low whistle. “Very nice.”
“Yes, it is.” She couldn’t seem to make her feet move. Staring at the place where the males of her species perfected their magical abilities, she realized she felt like the first female pilot must have felt on her first day of air force fighter pilot school.
In other words, extremely nervous.
“Do you feel that?” she asked, her voice hushed.
“Feel what?”
“The thrum of the magic? It feels like the earth is pulsing with it.”
“No.” Grimacing, he shook his head. “I don’t feel anything. Other than amazement at how beautiful it is here.”
“Go on.” He gave her a little push in the small of her back. “I’ll be waiting at the hotel for you to call me when you’re finished.”
Turning, she flashed what she hoped was a confident smile. “Will do. But don’t wait at the hotel. There’s a lot to see in Boulder. Go out to Pearl Street or up to Chautauqua. Enjoy the scenery.”
He pulled her close and kissed her. Long and thoughtful and lingering, it was a kiss she could melt into. When they broke apart, she realized all her nervousness had gone.
“Thank you for that,” she whispered.
“You’re welcome.” His impish grin made her want to kiss him again. “Now go in there and kick some butt.”
Billionaire Wolf (The Pack 17) (Nocturne) Page 9
