by Jan Dockter
“I can’t,” said Steph looking through the clothes. “Most of these still have the tags on them.”
“Don’t worry. It’s her habit to buy several of each new thing she puts in her yearly wardrobe and ship duplicates off to various residences she visits often.”
Steph shook her head as if unable to wrap her head around this idea.
“And what does she do with her old wardrobe?”
“Donates it to charity.”
Ryan swatted her bottom, and she jumped.
“Chop, chop,” he said. He left Steph to make his own preparations. In the den off the living room he opened the safe beneath his father’s desk. It always made sense to him that his father kept pockets of cash. As a child he was fascinated with them. He called them hoards.
His dragon nature wouldn’t be denied.
With a few quick swipes, he pulled out around sixty-thousand cash. That should do for a while. After all there were other hoards in the other properties. And now he had a way to get to them as long as that first time he traveled here wasn’t a fluke.
From his room he grabbed a backpack and put the bundles of cash there. Then he packed a couple pairs of jeans and tees just to be prepared.
“Ryan?”
He walked out of his room and handed her the backpack.
“Put your things in there,” he said. “I hope you packed light. You’re going to wear this while we fly.”
She took the bag and ducked into his mother’s room and returned with the bag considerably more filled. Steph also had donned a heavy sweater and gloves.
He grinned at her.
“What? I’m not freezing my ass off in wherever we passed yesterday.”
“Then let’s get moving.”
Ryan grabbed her at the waist and gave her a kiss on the cheek as they walked to the front door. But a noise in the kitchen caught Ryan’s attention.
“What’s that?” whispered Steph.
“Maybe the caretaker:” whispered Ryan, “though I told her to stay away for a few days.” But Ryan didn’t believe his own explanation. The caretaker would have let him know she was in the house.
“Wait here,” said Ryan. He left Steph at the front door and walked stealthily to the kitchen. There was a door that separated it from the living room, but the wall on the left of it was hall wall to accommodate a counter. He took a quick peek in the kitchen and saw all he needed to see. A soldier outfitted in a protective armor and toting a rifle stood next to the frightened caretaker.
“Tell your boss that you are here and ask him to come to the kitchen,” said the soldier.
The woman shook her head. “You can scare me all you want, but Mr. Ryan is a good man. He wouldn’t hurt any woman. So take your rifle and stick it where the sun doesn’t shine.”
The soldier shoved the caretaker toward the mud room. Ryan had to assume there were plenty more where that came from. Dad was going to be pissed.
But more to the point Ryan worried whether the government believed he was a dragon. That would hurt his father in many ways and Ryan couldn’t bear the thought. And if the place was surrounded then he needed to finesse this hand. He needed to bluff.
He pushed the kitchen door open affecting a casual attitude. “Is that you Mrs. Robbins? Did you bring the gro-”
Ryan stopped in mock shock.
“Who are you and what are you doing in my house?”
“Get on the floor and put your hands behind your head.”
“Not until you tell me what is going on.”
“Down on the floor or I’ll put you there,” growled the soldier.
“Ryan, darling,” said Steph brightly bursting through the kitchen door then stopped with surprise written on her face. “What is going on here?”
“I don’t know, sweetheart,” Ryan said.
“Who are you?” demanded Steph in her coldest voice.
“Ma’am, are you Stephanie Brooks?
“I am.”
“We have information that you were kidnapped.”
“Kidnapped?” Steph laughed high and clear as if it was the most amusing thing she ever heard. Ryan thought she went overboard and made a little signal across his throat. Steph stopped laughing, and she stared at the soldier. “I most definitely am not kidnapped or held against my will. Mr. Kaur and I have been enjoying each other’s company. But that doesn’t explain what you are doing here. Why are you in this house?”
“The housekeeper gave us permission.”
The caretaker shook her head vigorously.
“Well, you don’t have the owner’s permission. Do you have a warrant?
“No.”
“Then vacate these premises, you and all your men. Or believe me a lawsuit will be filled for violating our Fourth Amendment rights.”
“We have probable cause.”
“You have probable nothing. I just told you that I’m here of my own free will and I’ve established that you have no permission or warrant to be on this property. When Mr. Watins, you know him, don’t you? Of Peters, Watins and Roe hears about this he most likely will file the papers himself. He just loves to sue the government.”
Ryan never heard anything of the sort about Mr. Watins but he had to admit that Steph was playing the role of outraged lawyer very well.
The soldier backed off and spoke in a radio microphone on his chest.
“Fall back,” he called at last. He glared at Ryan before he left from the back door.
The caretaker rushed forward. “I’m sorry Mr. Ryan. They came at me when I got to the back door.”
“It’s okay, Emelda,” said Ryan. “And I’m glad you didn’t believe I kidnapped Steph.”
“No, Mr. Ryan. You’ve done a lot of silly things but you’ve never needed to kidnap a woman.”
“That’s the most honest assessment I’ve ever heard of my behavior. And you are right. I’ve never had to kidnap a woman.” Steph glared at him which he supposed he deserved. “Which car has the most gas downstairs?”
“That would be the Escalade, Mr. Ryan. I use it for trips to town for supplies. I filled it last trip.”
“Okay. I want you to call my father and tell him what happened. Ms. Brooks and I are taking the Escalade.”
“Yes, Mr. Ryan.”
“Come on Steph. We’re making a break for it.”
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Steph
Steph followed Ryan down a staircase that ran to the basement. He flipped on a light and she saw they entered a garage. There are three different cars, one an upscale sedan, a Porsche and an Escalade. They climbed into the Escalade and Ryan keyed open the garage door.
“Why do you keep so many cars at places where you don’t live?” she asked.
“It’s a convenience, but not every residence has cars. It’s just we tend to come here more often than the other places, so there is one for me, my mom and my dad.”
“Momma bear, Papa bear and Baby bear, eh?”
Ryan touched her red locks.
“You don’t look like Goldilocks to me.”
“Goldilocks was a thief. I am a lawyer not a thief.”
“Not one for porridge theft, huh?”
“What is porridge anyway? Is it even a thing?
“Sure it is. It’s oatmeal. Or sometimes other grains cooked to mush.”
“For a man that doesn’t cook, you know an awful lot about this porridge business.”
“Enough about porridge. I want to know about your life of crime.”
“I told you. I have no life of crime.”
“Says you. I might have to have you investigated. After all a dragon has lots of gold to protect.”
“Do you?”
“What?”
“Have gold to protect?”
“Me personally. No. Well, that’s not true. I’ve been exceptionally good at saving my allowance.”
“Allowance eh? What. Save your quarters every week?”
Ryan laughed. “When I was small, I got a thousand dollars a week.
”
“What?”
“Well, I was at private school most of the time, so I needed walking around money.”
“And what do you get now?”
“Officially, I’m on the board of directors of Kaur Industries so I draw a salary from that. What is this? Are you some sort of gold digger looking to see what you can get out of me?”
“Sure. That’s me,” Steph snorted. “The gold-digging lawyer thief. Just what makes you qualified to sit on the board at Kaur Industries?”
“Besides being the son of the owner?”
“Yes.”
“Nothing much. Just a PhD in business management.”
“What? You? A doctor?”
“Ssh. You’ll spoil my ne’er-do-well reputation. Besides, it’s not that impressive. Anyone can get one of those.”
“Well, not anyone. What did you write your dissertation on?”
“Wealth Management in International Markets.”
“I don’t believe you.”
“You can look it up. It’s listed in my school’s dissertation data bank.”
Steph stared at the road ahead. Once again Ryan, without even trying, managed to blow her away. This was a man who literally had everything, smarts, money and looks. Why would he want a little law associate who just made the bar?
“What are you doing with me?” she said awestruck.
“Why wouldn’t I be with you?’
“It’s too much. It just is. Things like this don’t happen to people. I expected that maybe I meet a nice lawyer or doctor.
“And now you are claimed by a dragon. There go your plans for a normal life.”
“But what about that too? What if you find a nice lady dragon? Wouldn’t you want her?”
“Steph, you are right. There are a lot of unknowns now. And I admit, I’ve been playing things by ear, but what’s here,” he said as he touched his heart, “that’s steady and strong. I’ve never felt for anyone what I feel for you.”
“And just what is that? A sense of possession?”
“Yes. And the need to protect you. Oh, and by the way. I’m not happy that you intervened in the kitchen. You aren’t to do that again.”
“Or what?”
“I might have to punish you.
“Yeah, right.”
“I’m serious. You are not to put yourself in harm’s way”
Steph crossed her arms and stared out the window. She wasn’t used to this, to being treated like she couldn’t protect herself. She didn’t spend four years in the Marines to be treated like a piece of fluff that didn’t know when to get out of the way.
“Listen, mister. I was a Marine. I can take care of myself, better than you can.”
“Well, forgive me,” huffed Ryan, “Miss Marine. And I supposed you served overseas.”
“In Afghanistan in an artillery unit. I told you that story about the dragon in my unit.”
“Yes, you did,” said Ryan chastened.
But Ryan’s words did not mollify her, and she continued to stare out the passenger side window. As she looked into the side-view mirror a shadow behind the Escalade caught her eye.
“Ryan,” she said, “a car is following us.”
“Let me look.” He peered out of his side mirror and cursed.
“Dammit!” He put his foot on the gas and the SUV sped ahead. Steph looked out the window and confirmed what she suspected.
“They’ve sped up,” she said.
“I see that,” gritted Ryan. He jammed his foot on the gas pedal, but this wasn’t a Porsche with an engine or body designed for speed. Even though she had her seatbelt on she gripped the seats. She was used to danger, but she already had one bad experience with Ryan in a car.
But no matter how fast the SUV took the road, the car behind then kept pace. Then Steph’s heart nearly stopped when the car pulled alongside them on the narrow road.
“Ryan!”
The car hit hard into the passenger side. Metal collided with metal in a sickening squeal and Steph jerked toward the center console.
Ryan held onto the steering with an iron grip but the Escalade skidded and spun crazily. She watched him spin into the turn to regain control and he righted the vehicle, but another crash sent the SUV into the oncoming lane. At the same time a truck came into view by coming to the top of a small hill in the road. Steph saw it on his face. He had no choice. He hit the gas again and smashed into a fence at the edge of a pasture. This time Steph flew forward and hit her head on the dashboard.
The airbags shot out and slammed Steph in the chest for the second time in as many days, and this time she thought she had more than bruised ribs.
The SUV lurched to a stop, and Ryan ripped the seatbelt off of Steph. With one huge tug, he pulled her over the center console. She gasped at the pain and hoped a rib didn’t spear anything critical.
“Sorry, sorry, sorry,” he said repeatedly. He held her close, standing in the field as military vehicles pulled up and soldiers spilled out.
“We have to get out of here,” he said.
“You can’t shift,” she said with a wheeze in her voice. “That would only confirm their suspicions.”
“We can’t stay here.”
Steph felt him gather intent in his mind to call out his dragon form. She felt heat shimmer around her and she heard a tremendous roar.
Both her and Ryan looked to the sky where a great form blotted out the sun. And then it descended, trumpeting. A great bronze dragon dropped to the ground, extending his wings, and spitting fire.
“Wow,” said Ryan. “I want to learn how to do that.”
A rhythmic thrumming built around them, but then the dragon stamped its great claw impatiently.
Seneschal! Cannot your dragon speak?
It was a voice in her head, much like Ryan’s but it sounded different.
“Ryan just learned he was a dragon yesterday.”
The dragon trumpeted his disapproval but she wasn’t sure if it was for Ryan’s inability to speak to the dragon or the advancing soldiers who formed a line at the edge of the road.
“Come,” said the dragon extending his foreleg. “On my back.”
“Ryan, the dragon says to get on his back.”
“He talks to you?”
“Yes, like you do, in my head.”
“Well, fuck. I’m really behind the learning curve, aren’t I?”
“Ryan?”
“Get on. I’ll be there in a sec.”
Steph struggled to climb to the dragon’s back while Ryan dashed the few feet to the SUV. He pulled out the backpack then ran up to the dragon and nimbly up his foreleg. He settled behind Steph behind one of the spiny appendages that rose evenly along the dragons back.
“You okay?” he asked.
She leaned against him. “Hold me, Ryan. Take the pain away.”
“Okay, baby,” he said. Concern choked his voice as he wrapped one arm around her. The other, she felt at her back, clutched the appendage between them
The dragon rose amid the shouts of the soldiers. Stephanie heard the too familiar sound of a grenade launcher and she braced for impact. But incredibly the dragon snaked his head and swallowed the grenade. His stomach rumbled ominously and then the beast circled and spit fire at the offending military men. Steph had a moment’s pity. They were only doing their job. But she also noticed that the dragon only caused the field to burn and didn’t touch the men.
Hold on, the dragon said. And they rose into the sky, the dragon flapping his great wings. Steph felt sick to her stomach.
Are you not well, seneschal? Steph had no idea why the dragon kept using that strange word for her but she decided that explanation could wait.
All the things that happened to her crossed her mind.
You are injured. Did not your dragon seek to care for you?
Yes. Steph replied. But we were in danger from the government men.
We have no means to care for you. Seneschal, you must seek care from your own kind.
<
br /> He banked and flew. Before long they came to a city though Steph was thoroughly lost now and had no clue as to where they were. But they flew by a hospital and the dragon circled and then landed on its helipad at the top of the roof.
The dragon dropped his foreleg.
Go, seneschal. Get well.
But?
“What’s happening?” said Ryan.
“The dragon tells me to go.”
“Okay, we’ll go.”
Not the dragon whelp, said the dragon in her mind. He must come with me.
“Ryan, he said you must go with him.”
He took a deep breath. “Maybe that’s the best thing.”
CHAPTER TWELVE
Ryan
He couldn’t take the look on Steph’s face, like he was breaking a promise by telling her to stay here. But even he could tell her breathing was ragged, and she needed medical care. His tough Marine wouldn’t show it, wouldn’t even admit it to herself. But the problem was, the longer she remained with him, the more trouble she was in. This dragon, whoever he was, provided a perfect cover story by appearing when he did. Ryan would be a fool to waste it. And he’d be crazy to expose Steph to more danger.
“I’m not going anywhere,” she said. “I’m your lawyer. You need me.”
Yes. He suspected he did need her very much.
“What I need is you off this dragon right now,” Ryan said coldly.
“Hey,” said another voice. “Who the hell are you.”
Ryan looked over the dragon’s wing to see a man dressed in dark blue hospital scrubs.
“This woman is hurt. Her car was run off the road by government operatives. She’s injured and needs care.”
“Ryan, don’t do this.”
“Come on, lady.”
“Her name is Steph Brooks, a lawyer with Peters, Watins and Roe. And no, contrary to reports, I did not kidnap her. She was assigned to keep me out of trouble, which due to no fault of her own, she couldn’t. And this dragon here showed up and got us out of a bad situation. I don’t know why. But you must take her now. She’s putting on a brave front but she’s in pain. She was hit by an air bag two times in two days, and her forehead hit the dashboard before today’s deployed.
The man in the scrubs extended his arms. “I’ll catch you. Come down and we’ll help you.”
