by Sky Winters
“Is it them?”
“Don’t know yet. They weren’t easily identifiable. We’re going to have to do some forensics.”
“What was wrong with them?”
“Completely charred.”
“Dragons.”
“Likely. We’ll know more in a day or so. It’s being fast-tracked. We need to tear down your building,” he said.
“What?”
“Once we find something in a wall, they all need to be searched. We need to take down the whole thing. We’re going to bring in a wrecking ball and dig up the ground.”
“Fuck.”
“Yeah. It’s going to be a total loss by the time we’re done, I’m afraid.”
“Alright. Insurance will cover it as soon as you completely clear me of any wrongdoing. I am still in the clear, right? I mean, I know I did nothing wrong, but I don’t want any overzealous agents trying to run me up the flagpole just for brownie points.”
“Nah. I’ve got you covered. There is one thing, though. I’m going to need you to lay low for a while. Get out of the city, away from reporters and the like.”
“Why?”
“Superiors don’t want to take any chances on anything getting out about what we’re doing. They are going after the Black Talons next.”
“Oh, man. Going in blind? You know what they’ll do to FBI agents who don’t realize what they’re dealing with.”
“I’ve got enough shifters on the team to deal with them if they become a problem. It’ll just become something else a few agents will need to keep secrets about if it comes to that.”
“If you say so. My guys and I went up against them, and they’re brutal. They don’t follow any rules of engagement and go right for the throat, every time.”
“Noted. Don’t forget who I am, brother.”
Dane nodded. Crosby was a descendent of a dragon called Steel Raven. He had gotten his name because of his dark, metallic scales and tough exterior. If even half the stories about him were true, he was a fierce fighter whose prowess had been handed down for hundreds of years and used as an example of what all his ancestors should be.
“I haven’t,” he replied. “What do you want me to do?”
“You still have your parents’ house? Just go there. I seem to remember there being some enhancements there in case you get in trouble.”
“Yes, there still are.”
“That’s the best place for you then.”
“Hey, Crosby. One thing. How did you know to look beneath the gravel for the bodies?”
“We didn’t. There were dogs with us. They picked up the cadaver scent.”
“Why would you take cadaver dogs to sniff out cash?”
“Turner and Hood have been missing for far too long to have packed up and fucked off. We’ve always suspected they never left their beloved construction company, but we didn’t have grounds to search the place before you gave it to us.”
“All you ever had to do was ask.”
“Maybe, but I’m going to be honest with you. Until you turned up with those ledgers and that cash, the department considered you a suspect. Even after you did, some of them didn’t want to let that theory go.”
“What? That doesn’t make sense. I didn’t even buy that place until well after it had been snatched up by the bank and those guys were in the wind, at least so everyone thought.”
“It’s not unusual for someone higher up the food chain to buy something valuable to them and try to play it off as a pet project. Imagine the eyebrows it raised when a billionaire like you bought out a bankrupt construction company. I’m sorry. I know I should have told you, but they’ve had you on their radar from the day you took ownership.”
“That’s fucked up. I didn’t do anything wrong.”
“I know you didn’t, and now, they know you didn’t too. All’s well that ends well, huh?”
“If you say so.”
Dane went back to the penthouse after they were done. He found Adriana pacing back and forth in front of the windows, looking concerned.
“What’s wrong?”
“I, uh,” she said hesitating. Finally, she continued. “I heard from the doctor.”
“And? Bad news?”
“Well, I guess that depends on how you feel about it,” she said, her face a bit flushed. “It was definitely ketamine, but there doesn’t seem to be any lasting damage.”
“That’s good, but I get the impression there’s more.”
She took a deep breath and blurted it out. “I’m pregnant.”
Now, it was Dane’s turn to be flustered. He struggled to find the words. For most of his life, he’d never really wanted a family. He’d been opposed to getting married, much less having kids. His life was busy, and he liked it that way. Slowing down to deal with a family was something he’d never even considered.
And yet, at this moment, he realized that none of that mattered and that he wanted this more than anything. His smile broadened as his hands instinctively reached out to touch her belly.
“How far along?”
“Just a couple of weeks. I’m barely pregnant, but you know how fast shifter pregnancies begin to show up.”
“Wow, the first time we were together. We really didn’t waste any time, did we?”
“I guess not. Are you happy?”
“I’m beyond happy. I’m ecstatic.”
“Me too. I mean, I wasn’t expecting this and have no idea how I’m going to balance it with a career, but I am really excited about it. I’ll figure it out.”
“We’ll figure it out,” he corrected.
“Listen, about that. Dane, I know that we’ve not been together long, and anything can happen. I’m not holding you responsible for this. I can take care of the baby if you aren’t on board.”
“I would think a journalist would pay more attention to what she’s told,” he said to her, looking her in the face as he spoke. “I love you, Adriana. I love that you are having my baby. I can’t imagine my life without you. We’re going to have a long and happy life—together.”
Adriana smiled, a single tear rolling down her face. He reached out to wipe it away and kissed her.
“Come on. You’ve been cooped up in here long enough. You want to go by your place and grab some clothes and then go back up to my parents’ house?”
“Is that safe?”
“Yeah, I think so. The FBI has their eye on the Black Talons. They aren’t going to try anything, and if they do, I’ve got a backup plan for that.”
Adriana nodded. She trusted him. She felt scared, especially now with a smaller life to consider, but she knew he would only do what was best for them. She grabbed the few things she had gotten delivered and threw them in the shopping bag they’d come in before following him to the elevator to leave. It would be good to get out into the country again. It would be good to get anywhere again, really.
They made quick work of packing a few more of her things in a suitcase once they arrived at her place and then climbed back in the car to head back out to his property. The more she considered it, the more she wasn’t sure about it, but her apprehension was soon put to rest once they arrived at the old house where they’d first found one another and, apparently, created a new life. There was an odd comfort as if it were somehow sacred ground.
“Come on. I want to show you something,” he said.
“What?”
“Come down to the cellar with me,” he told her, pulling her along by the hand.
“Oh, we’re doing this again, huh? Are you sure you aren’t a serial killer?”
“I’m pretty sure, unless I have a tumor or split personality that I don’t know about. You’ll just have to take your chances and see.”
Adriana laughed and followed him down the stairs into the cellar, looking around at the massive wine shelves built into the wall and extending into the darkness beyond the stairs. He flipped on a light switch behind him, and her eyes widened. Wine wasn’t the only thing down here. There were f
ood freezers, dry goods on shelves, cases of bottled water, and all the modern conveniences of a full kitchen.
“What on earth?” she muttered.
“It’s a storm shelter, of sorts. It’s designed to protect us in case of a natural disaster or nuclear fallout. The door on that wall leads to a large den, two bedrooms, and a bathroom. It’s not huge down here, but it’s sufficient to ride out anything for quite a while.”
“So, it’s basically an enhanced basement.”
“Pretty much, but there’s one thing you won’t find in other basements. Come with me,” he told her, walking over to a shelf containing cans of food and pushing it until it slanted sideways.
He stepped around it and motioned for her to join him. She walked around the edge and stopped, looking curiously at the large metal door embedded directly into the rock that made up the back wall of the cellar. He punched in the code for access and it slid open, the dark, earthly smell of the tunnel behind it hitting them in the face as it became exposed.
“What is this place?”
“My family has owned this property for thousands of years. Before there was a house here, there was another, and another before that. All fallen into ruin over the years and replaced. Beneath them all was this series of tunnels, hidden away. If you go far enough back in our history, my ancestors would have lived in these caves before houses were a thing that people were privileged enough to enjoy.”
“Wow. That’s incredible. Have you been through them?”
“No. I’ve been just inside them, but never very far back. There is a map and a flashlight on the wall a little further down, but I never felt a need to roam around in a subterranean shaft. I don’t know if they are still open or where they go.”
“You’ve not looked at the map?”
“I have, but they are only as good as when they were created. Some of the tunnels may have sealed themselves off through erosion or ground movement, and who knows if they still open out anywhere.”
“How many are there?”
“Tunnels? It starts with only two, but they fan out in different directions.”
“I can’t believe you’ve never explored them. Where’s your sense of adventure?”
“I know where one of them goes. It’s the rest that are a mystery,” he said. He seemed to be about to say something else, but he stopped, instead cocking his head up to one side. His hand shot up to silence her. They listened for a moment as voices filled the house above, men shouting out for Dane to come out. They grew louder as they moved through the house and found their way to the open stairwell into the cellar.
“Fuck. Stay here. Don’t make a sound,” he said, walking out the door and closing it behind him before she could protest.
He was angry as he went to meet what he was sure was a group of Black Talons who had somehow had the nerve to just waltz into his house and confront him. This was getting out of hand. How could he keep Adriana safe like this? How could he keep their child safe? He’d thought getting the FBI involved would end this, but it had apparently only fueled the fire.
“What are you doing here?” he barked at them.
“We came to ask you about that little dog and pony show over at your construction company,” the big guy that kept appearing to give him grief said. All this time and Dane still didn’t even know his name, not that it really mattered to him.
“My misfortune. What does it have to do with you?”
“Oh, I think you know exactly what it has to do with us. Hey, where’s that sexy little redhead of yours? I’ve not seen her for ages. I really wanted to get to know her a little better while we had her at our place, but you know how it is; I had business to take care of and just didn’t make it down there to get a good sample of what you find so intriguing. I bet she has a sweet pussy. Is it red down there too?”
Dane was flooded with fury but he couldn’t lose his cool. What he had to do right now was think. The most important thing was to get them out of here and away from the entrance to the tunnels before they snooped around too much and found her. He immediately started shifting, letting his dragon expand into the large open area of the cellar and then shooting straight up through the roof, tearing through the upper floors and shooting out
He turned to look back once he was clear, watching as they shot out behind him, one by one. He didn’t have time to make sure they all exited as he quickly found himself under attack by several of them at once. He fought them off, sending two of them to the ground pretty quickly, but they just kept coming.
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
Adriana
Adrianna couldn’t hear much past his footsteps up the stairs and some shouting. There was a loud crash and what sounded like thunder, and then only sounds dampened by the earth and rock around her as they seemed to have moved away from the house and into the outdoors. It was pitch black in the tunnels without any light coming in from the room beside her.
Remembering what Dane said about the flashlight and map, she stepped further back into the entrance, feeling her way along the wall in search of them. She was still feeling for it when she heard voices outside the door again. They weren’t Dane, and they definitely weren’t friendly. She heard the shelf being moved and someone speaking to her through the door.
“You in there, princess?”
Her blood ran cold. It wasn’t Dane, but it was one of the men who had taken her before. Though she hadn’t seen his face, she did recognize his voice. If he is down here, where is Dane? There was no way he would have let them get near her. She felt sick.
“Don’t worry, honey. We’ll get you out,” the voice said mockingly.
Adriana continued feeling along the wall and finding nothing. There was a metal clanging as they seem to try to pry the door open, and then they were talking again.
“Shift and blow it off its hinges. There’s enough room down here. When you get in, fry anything you find inside. I’m done with these two assholes.”
Adriana panicked. Even if she found the map and the light, did she have enough time to sort out which way to go and get far enough down the path not to get roasted by dragon’s breath? She did the only thing she knew to do: shift and try to get away faster.
She wasn’t a moment too soon either, as the door came flying open, barely missing her as she made her way down a corridor to the right. She could feel the heat behind her as the dragon’s head entered and sent a heavy stream of fire down the center tunnel from which she had just moved away. It was only a matter of time before he turned it toward this fork, as well.
She moved as fast as she could, aiming for what seemed to be a dim thread of light in the distance. As she approached it, she was surprised to find it growing wider, a set of doors opening up directly to the light above. She headed straight for it, not knowing who was on the other side, but she was caught off guard as she was joined by at least a couple dozen bats, allowing her to blend in with their masses as her bat form shot out the opening and up toward the sky.
All around here were dragons, fighting ferociously. She didn’t see Dane as she landed in the thick moss-covered branches of a nearby tree and looked around for him, her sonar thrown off by so many moving about her and the heat from their bodies and breath. She dared not shift back as she looked around for any sign of Dane.
A crash caught her eye as he suddenly erupted from the center of the house as if it were made of paper mache. Dane made quick work of two of them, sending them head over tail back down to bounce off the dirt below, injured and writhing in pain, but those two were quickly replaced by more.
A large dragon with dark claws was right on his trail, chasing him further up and snapping at his tail. He almost had him when Dane suddenly turned and dove back down past him just as another dragon drove into his side and knocked him to the ground. They rolled about on the ground, their fierce jaws snapping at one another as they struggled for control. Finally, Dane managed to gain some height above his opponent and looked as if he was preparing to roast him with a
stream of fire.
Instead, a half dozen dragons rushed in and were all over the Black Talon, who was still rolling about on the ground, trying to move an obviously broken wing back into place so he could fly. With the appearance of these dark steel-colored dragons, the Black Talons suddenly aborted the fight, taking to the skies in retreat.
Then, it grew quiet. Dane shifted and ran over to the uncovered hole in the ground where his workshop had once stood. He yelled Adriana’s name into the shaft below, soon joined by a few more dragons shifting back into human form while several stayed with the dragon they had slain, watching to see what human form it would take upon its demise. She could only assume they were looking for someone they knew in that form.
Adriana flew from the tree, not wanting to shift and be naked in front of all these strangers. Instead, she landed on Dane’s shoulder, causing him to jump. He looked up at her and laughed.
“What the fuck?” one of the men said.
“Crosby, meet my girlfriend, Adriana.”
“She’s lovely,” Crosby replied, still looking at her.
“Is it safe for her to go inside and get dressed?” Dane asked, apparently realizing why she hadn’t shifted.
“Yes, if she can find her things in all that debris. There’s a big-ass hole in your floor and roof where you came up out of there like a bat out of hell,” he said, immediately looking at Adriana with a look of worry. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean that to be offensive.”
Dane laughed, and Crosby looked at him with a puzzled expression. Adriana didn’t wait any longer. She flew toward the house and landed in the living room, quickly shifting and letting herself into the bathroom to find a towel until she could locate her clothes. A few minutes later, she had managed it and gotten dressed, but by the time she walked back out to the yard, everyone was gone but Dane, who was limping toward the house.
“Are you okay?” she asked.
“I’m great.”
“My God, what happened.”
“No sooner were we on our way here than Garrett got a tip-off that the Black Talons were planning an attack. He brought his brothers to help us.”
