Wildfire (29 page)

Chapter
31

Lynn launched out of the car, up the porch and jabbed at the
door bell. Continuously. Open, open, open damnit. The air around her smelled
musty, carried the scent of dead and decaying vegetation.

The door squeaked open and revealed Jack in a rumpled shirt,
jeans and bare feet. Dark circles lay under his eyes. His lips flatlined as his
gaze settled on her. They stood staring at each other in silence. The smell of
dragon musk filled the air as liquid heat rushed her veins.

Leave.
The word bounced inside her head as if he’d
shoved the thought in there.

Despite the cozy warmth of the late afternoon sun, panic chilled
Lynn. Holy wasabi, the man was downright unhappy to see her and she was getting
all hot and bothered over him. How low could she go? She fought down the tears
welling inside, the urge to turn and run, and pulled in a deep breath. This
wasn’t about her and Jack. This was about saving lives and stopping Henry. “We
need to ta—”

Henry pushed into view, a gun pointed at a gagged and bound
Timmy.

“Perfect timing. I was just about to call you.” Henry tipped
his head to one side. “Come on in.”

As soon as the door was shut and locked, Henry herded the
group back into the living room. Jen sat gagged and tied to a chair. Her eyes
widened and she emitted some muffled noises. Ignoring her, Henry picked up
Timmy and tossed him onto the couch and then pushed Jack toward it, trailing
ropes. “Take your seat again.”

Kate sat ensconced in one of the armchairs with a blank,
bored look on her perfectly made-up face. Was she truly bored or being careful
to hide her thoughts? One hand held a slim, silver gun pointed at Jen, the
other half waved, the fingers shiny with rings. “Great, Lynn is here. Can we
get the party started?”

“What’s the point of all this?” Jack whirled on Henry, only
to have the gun dance over Timmy. He pulled in couple of deep breaths and
unclenched his fists.

“Impatient, impatient.” Henry laughed and inclined his head.
“If you both will have a seat.”

Lynn and Jack sank into the couch, careful not to touch each
other.

Henry swaggered to the center of the room and struck a pose.
“This is about my inheritance, my rights as a Callaghan heir.”

Jack blinked at him. “Callaghan?”

“You didn’t notice the family resemblance?” Henry smoothed a
hand through his hair. “Can you guess who’s who in this picture?”

Tired of all of Henry’s games, Lynn snorted. “He’s your
uncle, and the illegitimate son of your grandfather and Eva Garcia, a local
psychic.”

Henry glared at her, turning a deep shade of red. “Excuse
me, I’m telling the story here.”

Lynn crossed her arms and settled back into the couch. “Get
to the point.”

Henry pulled the empty chair forward, turned it and then
straddled it. The gun rested on the chair back, casually pointing at the couch.
Jack leaned forward.

Maybe I can rush him and get the gun away.

Don’t.

Already on the balls of his feet, Jack tottered at the edge
of the couch while staring at her.

Lynn slapped him on the back. “Breathe. Breathe. I think
he’s having a seizure.” She leaned over Jack and thought hard.
Dragons can
mindspeak
.

A snicker
. Pretty convenient isn’t it.

Lynn’s head jerked up and knocked against Jack’s. Both their
heads swiveled in the same direction.

So when you said you heard someone whispering to Elsie…

Lynn figured there’d be no secrets among the three of them.
He convinced her.

Elsie was easy.
Henry smiled at them, shared a wink.

Muscles bunched as Jack tensed. “You fucking bastard.”

Henry flinched, then turned cold. “Any other interruptions
and I’ll shoot somebody. Maybe I’ll start with Timmy’s toes.”

The child whimpered. Lynn’s dragon rattled its scales and
gnashed its teeth. She could feel the sharpness edging her skin. She focused on
her breathing, visualized a soft, glowing light. Let it expand and fill her
mind. Then she leaned over and patted Timmy.

“As I was saying, my mother was used and discarded by your
grandfather. The great John Drake Callaghan himself.” He paused to flick
imaginary dirt from his shirt. “He paid her off as if she was nothing more than
a whore and could be bought.”

She took the money and ran to New Orleans.

The thought earned Lynn a poker-hot glance from Henry.

Didn’t say a word.
She smirked.

“She died penniless.” The sentence ended in a growl. “Do you
know what a hard childhood I had? How many nights I went to bed hungry, forced
to wear hand-me-downs from charities?”

Jack cocked his head, listening.

“What?” Henry looked around.

“I thought I heard violin music. My mistake.”

The gun went off, blowing a hole in the ceiling. Muffled shrieks
sounded from Jen and Timmy. Plaster and dust rained down on them. Lynn thought
harder about the light. Every time her thoughts threatened to slide into her
mind, she shone them out.

Henry stood up and strode to the couch. Looming over Jack,
he grinned. “You’re going to reimburse me for all those years.”

They locked stares. Jack shrugged. “All you had to do was
ask. I’ll call the lawyers and give you your share.

Henry hawked up a spit ball and let it land right by Jack’s
foot.

The man didn’t even flinch or change expression.

“You are not going to give me anything, I take what I want.”
Henry leaned closer. “Let’s start with the treasure.”

“What treasure?”

Lynn’s head swiveled between the two men.
Treasure?

A mad light glinted in Henry’s eyes. “The dragon’s
treasure.”

All eyes turned to Henry as silence raged in the room.

“Did you just say dragon?” Kate arched a shapely eyebrow.

“I said Callaghan treasure.” Henry licked his lips, and
focused on his partner. “The operative word being treasure.”
Treasure. You
want treasure. Heaped piles of gold and silver, glittering gems
.

Kate’s lips slid into dreamy smile and her gaze softened.

Even though Henry’s thought wasn’t aimed at her, Lynn
shivered as residual temptation brushed against her mind. For an instant she
drowned in the allure of rings on her fingers, gold necklaces dripping from her
neck, and coins in the counting house.

Jack’s growl broke through the mental fog. “There is no
treasure.”

“Don’t lie to me.” Henry struck Jack with his pistol hand,
leaving a long red bruise along one cheekbone.

Jack gritted his teeth.

Lynn gasped and reached for Jack.

“Don’t touch him.” A dangerous tremor laced Henry’s voice,
threatening to spill over into something more volatile.
You’re mine. Mine
.

Lynn shrank back.

Henry refocused on Jack. “Tell me where the treasure is.”

“There’s no treasure.”

Henry shot the couch, Kate shrieked and all the others
jumped.

Bits and pieces of stuffing wafted in the air, belched out
of the gaping hole between Lynn and Timmy. The boy sat there shivering and
sniffling. Lynn glared at Henry as she scooted over and put an arm around
Timmy’s small shoulders.

Jack leapt from his seat.

Lynn cut her eyes to Jack. A vein throbbed on the side of
his neck. She wanted to press her fingertips to it, smooth away the tension.

Henry backed up, the gun aimed at Timmy and Lynn. “Next one
will be in the boy.”

Jack ran a hand through his already disheveled hair.
Nothing
in the cave is worth anyone’s life
. “Fine, I’ll take you to the treasure.”

“Good thinking.” Henry motioned to the others. “All right
everyone, time to travel.”

Jack let out a harsh laugh. “It’s not exactly easy to get
to. You can’t go up a mountain with an entourage, especially when some of them
are bound and gagged.”

Lynn stared at him. What was he doing?

Henry rocked back on his heels. “What did you have in mind?”

“Let everyone else go and we can head up to the treasure.”
With a casual wave he included Kate and Henry.

Kate jumped up from her seat.

Henry chuckled. “Sorry, not happening. Not that I don’t want
to whoop your ass. Again.”

Jack growled in frustration.

Henry grasped Lynn’s arm and pulled her off the couch. “I’ve
got a better idea.” Nodding to Kate, he said, “You stay here with our
collateral, while Lynn accompanies us.”

“I don’t get it.” Jack shook his head. “Why do you have to
drag Lynn along?”

Henry cast a lingering glance at her. “She knows my reasons.”

Jack stomped toward the laundry room, and they followed.

Lynn looked over her shoulder at Jen and Timmy. Their shiny eyed
gazes stayed pinned on her. They had nothing to do with treasure and dragons,
but everything to do with her. The blame always came to roost on her shoulders.
Sighing, she turned away. She had to get them out of this mess.

At the back door, Jack reached for the axe leaning against
the wall.

Henry stiffened. “What are you doing?”

Jack froze. “Need this along to clear some overgrown brush
out of the way.”

Henry gestured with the gun. “Fine. Just remember I can
shoot you dead.”

After a sharp glare, Jack grabbed the axe and pushed out the
back door.

They climbed into his truck, with Lynn sandwiched in the
middle, warmed by the press of flesh. Her dragon trembled like a dousing stick
sensing water, surrounded by an overload of male testosterone. Jen and Timmy’s
frightened faces crowded into her mind, squelched all inkling of desire.

A wild energy burned the air in the small cab as the truck
bumped and jostled down a caliche road, stirring up dust. Twilight colored the
sky in shades of mystery. Her gaze latched on to the Evening Star shining out
of reach like hope.

The bottom of the backpack vibrated in her lap. She
swallowed her yelp when she realized someone was calling her. “I’m hungry.” She
slipped her hands inside the backpack searching. Her fingers found the phone.
She turned the phone over and under other things, before pressing the talk
button. Otherwise, the bright light of the phone would be an instant giveaway. With
the other hand she pulled out a package of crumbled crackers and tossed them
onto the dash, before resuming her fumbling around.

“How can you be hungry?” Henry shook his head.

“When I’m scared or nervous, I eat.” She pulled out a pack
of chewing gum. “And having a gun pointed at me is scary. Anybody want some?”

Jack shot her a glare, while Henry just chuckled.

She tossed it back in. “What’s going to happen to Timmy and
Jen at Jack’s place?”

“Nothing if both you and Jack cooperate with me.”

“How can you be sure? What if Kate shoots them?”

Henry shook his head. “She’s one of the few people in this
area who actually listens to me and follows orders.”

She pulled out a package of beef jerky, ripped it open and
settled back. Gnawing on the spicy meat, she crossed her fingers that whoever
had called had hung on long enough to hear their conversation and do something.

The truck ground to a stop at the base of a hulking hill.

Lynn stared into the deepening shadows. “Are we going to
climb that in the dark?”

Henry pulled a flashlight from his pocket. “I’m tired of waiting.”

Sighing, Jack grabbed the axe and a heavy duty flashlight.
Then he shouldered past them, leading the way.

They climbed single file, feet slipping and sliding on the
rough trail. Clothes got caught on prickly bushes, skin got scraped and
scratched. Muttered curses and the crunch of gravel under their shoes created a
discordant symphony.

Every time Lynn stumbled, she’d clutch onto Jack. Henry’s
hand would immediately be on her body, steadying her. The hot, hateful glares
exchanged by the two men left Lynn singed.

Finally Jack stopped and shone his light on an overhanging
rock. A shiver ran through her as Lynn’s gaze followed the outline of a
dragon’s head, mouth opened to throw a flame. Where were they?

The light traveled lower and shone on a thick tangle of
brush. “Here we are.”

Henry shifted next to her. “Where?”

“There’s an opening hidden behind the brush. All you have to
do is clear it.” Jack’s voice slid along her skin like the cold metal flat of a
knife.

Henry laughed. “Okay, Axeman, go get ‘em.”

Jack tossed her his flashlight. Both she and Henry followed
the glint of metal and light flying toward her.

For some reason, her head jerked back toward Jack. Lynn
watched the edge of the axe head glint silver in the moonlight as it arced into
the night. At the last moment, Jack twisted around, the blade rushing at Henry.
Must keep Lynn safe.

With speed fueled by desperation and dragon genes, Henry
threw himself into a back flip and fired a shot. The loud crack drowned out the
soft noises of the evening. The sting of gunpowder and hot scent of fresh blood
splashed the air, flooding her senses. The flashlight landed at her feet and
rolled around creating a dizzy pattern of illumination.