Destiny Kills

Chapter Five

Fear ran through me, stifling in its power, sucking away my breath and my strength. All I could do was stare at the car behind us—the car that held the men who had helped kill Egan, and who would probably kill me if I gave them too much trouble.

And all I could think of was getting away. Even though I couldn’t move, couldn’t even talk. I was frozen to the seat in fear of the men behind us. Men who had snatched away so much of my life.

I couldn’t let them catch me. Not again. Not when there was still so much to do.

“Destiny?” Trae said, his voice seeming a long way away.

I gulped down air and tried to rein in the tide of panic.

“Floor it,” I said, my voice a low tremor. “Get us out of here.”

“The minute I floor it, the people in that car will know we’ve spotted them. The situation could end up being a whole lot worse than it already is.”

“The situation will end up a whole lot worse anyway.” I had to grip the door to stop the urge to slide down the seat and keep out of their sight. They obviously knew I was here or they wouldn’t be following us. It was pointless, trying to hide.

Trae shot me a sharp look. “You know the people in the car?”

“Personally? No. But I know what they are, and I know just how far they’re willing to go. We need to get away from them. Now.”

That last word held an edge of panic, which Trae seemed to ignore as he said, “So who are they?”

“They’re the people who shot Egan. They’re dragon hunters.” And the scientists would be close by somewhere. If not in the car behind us, then somewhere near. They were always near.

He swore softly.

“Look, we need to get out of here,” I insisted. “We need to lose them.”

“I will, I will.”

“Before we get out of the built-up areas and onto open road. They hunt in packs. They always hunt in packs. There’ll be another car around—somewhere close.”

“You make them sound like animals,” he muttered. But nevertheless, he pressed the accelerator and the car gathered speed.

Not sharply, not enough to notice immediately, but enough to ease the clamoring of my nerves.

I looked in the vanity mirror. The big black car was still very much behind us. “Their car looks faster than ours.”

“It is.”

“Then what are we going to do if we can’t outrun them?”

“Outsmart them. You feel like breakfast?”

I blinked. “You can’t stop and eat breakfast at a time like this!”

“You tell me where in the rule book it says I can’t, and I’ll obey.”

“But—”

“I’m not a free-roaming thief for no reason, you know, so just trust the fact that I know a thing or two about getting away from people.”

His expression and voice might have been bland, but there was nothing bland about the look he cast my way. It was all dangerous, hungry male. Heat sizzled across my skin, followed by a rush of desire.

“What?” I said, voice suddenly breathless.

“Time to use the charms God and your parents gifted you with.”

“What charms in particular are we talking about?”

“That sexy body, of course.” Even as he said the words, his gaze skated downward, causing my pulse to flutter.

It sure as hell was a fine way to banish fear.

“To do what?”

The question came out breathy, and amusement crinkled the corners of his eyes.

“Make out.”

“I’m not making out with you.” Though I wanted to. Lord how I wanted to.

“Not me. The cook.”

“What?” Why did this man always leave me feeling I was three steps behind?

“Of the burger joint we’re going to stop at up ahead.”

“How do you know there’s a burger joint up ahead?”

“Because I’ve been this way before, and I always scout out localities.”

“When you’re planning a job, you mean?”

He shot me an amused look, neither confirming nor denying my accusation. “The place is open twenty-four hours. The early morning shift is one man, and he’s both the cook and waiter. You’re going to charm the pants off him.”

“No, I’m not.”

“Yes, you are. You’re going to make that man want you bad enough to take you out to his truck.”

“Where you’ll deck him and snatch said truck?”

“Precisely.”

“I’m not happy with this plan, I have to tell you.”

“Well, unless you got a better plan, this is the one we’re stuck with.”

“The car behind us will spot us leaving in the truck.”

“The car behind us will unfortunately have two flat tires by that time.”

“Why not do all four?”

“Four is trickier, and the chance of getting caught increases dramatically.”

I stared at him for a minute, then crossed my arms. But one glance in the mirror at our black shadow and the men within left me little in the way of options.

I blew out a breath. “What’s this cook look like?”

“Like a cook?”

“I’m not making out with a lecherous old man.”

“So you’d rather be caught by those behind us?”

No. I’d just rather come up with something else.

The burger joint turned out to be attached to a gas station, though the cobwebs draped over the pumps suggested they hadn’t been used in some time. The building itself was brick, and it was hard to say what color they were thanks to the years of grime coating them. The large windows that lined the front were decorated with Christmas lights that cheerfully flashed in the early morning sun, and a huge burger sign sat above the weather-worn entrance, flashing on and off intermittently.

The burger on that sign looked no more appealing than the place itself.

I sniffed. “I still don’t like this plan.”

“Sweetheart, we have no choice. They’re right up our asses.”

My gaze flickered to the mirror. The black car had stopped on the side of the road.

Great. Just great. I unbuckled the belt and gave in to the inevitable. “Okay, let’s get this over with.”

We climbed out of the car and walked over to the door. All the time the back of my neck prickled, and it was all I could do not to run.

They were watching.

They were always watching.

No matter what Egan or I or the kids did, they were there. Them and Marsten.

I shivered, and jumped a little when Trae touched a hand to my back. “In you go,” he said, guiding me through the door.

A little bell chimed as Trae closed the door, and a voice from the rear of the building called out, “Won’t be a moment, loves.”

I raised my eyebrows and looked at Trae. “Now, that’s the most feminine-sounding male voice I’ve heard in a long time.”

He frowned. “That it was.”

“Could it be the great planner got this one wrong?”

“I don’t get things wrong, sweetheart.”

“Call me that one more time and I’m going to stomp on your toes.”

He looked down. “Bare feet versus boots. Not so worried.”

“You obviously haven’t spent enough time looking at my feet.”

His gaze twinkled. “Most certainly not. There’s nicer things to look at than toes.”

Footsteps echoed as someone marched smartly up the hall to our right. Seconds later, a matronly looking woman with gray hair and a merry smile appeared behind the counter.

“Now, what can I get you young people?”

“Is old Harry here?” Trae asked.

“Nope. That bastard got sacked a month ago for pilfering the till. Me and Frank run the place now.”

“There goes the seduction plan,” I murmured cheerfully.

“Don’t suppose you do a traditional breakfast?” Trae said, cupping his hand under my elbow and leading me over to a table near the window.

“Depends what you mean by traditional,” she replied. “We do pancakes, waffles, and bacon and eggs.”

“One pancakes, one bacon and eggs, and two coffees, thanks.”

“The pancakes had better be for you, buddy boy,” I said, as the woman headed back out to the kitchen. “Otherwise there’s going to be words said.”

“You don’t have a sweet tooth?”

“Not when it comes to breakfast.” I slid into a booth seat and kept my back to the black car.

“How about we share the plates?” He slid in the booth opposite and crossed his arms on the table as he casually looked out the window. “There’s three men in that car.”

“Three?” A shiver ran through me. “There’s probably two hunters. The driver would be one of the scientists.”

He looked at me, eyebrow raised. “You make them sound like cowboys intent on drugging cattle.”

“They are. And we’re the cattle.”

He studied me for a moment, then shook his head. “I wish I’d known. I would have done something to try and get Egan out. And, in the process, the rest of you.”

I smiled. “I had the same thought when I was eighteen. I got caught.”

“I’m not eighteen, and I’m also a very good thief.”

“It wouldn’t have mattered.”

“So little confidence in my abilities,” he said, voice bland. “And yet here you are, trusting them.”

Because I had no other choice. I needed those codes, and I knew nothing about breaking into houses, let alone safes. I crossed my arms and stared out the window, watching the tufted grasses that lined the parking lot sway lightly in the breeze. Remembered wind of a different kind—a wind that howled and moaned through long, dark nights. A wind so cold it could kill if it touched bare skin. We’d gone to the Arctic to avoid them when we’d first escaped, but hadn’t stayed long. It had been far too cold for an air dragon to survive, despite Egan’s protestations that he was fine. So we’d looped around Iceland, and had come back through the North Atlantic, making our way down and around South America before swimming—or in Egan’s case, flying—back up to Mexico.

It had all been for naught, because they’d been waiting for us. And yet Egan had been so sure that they wouldn’t know about the villa. So how had they found us so quickly and easily?

Trae snapped his fingers in front of my face, and I jumped. “What?” I said, scowling at him.

“You were off in your thoughts again.” His gaze went from me to the car and back again. “Tell me, why do you think they killed Egan? If he was the only full-grown male, it makes no sense for them to get rid of him.”

“I think they considered him to be more dangerous than Mom or me, and he did start the fire that allowed us to escape.” Even if the fire wasn’t his. I shrugged. “I’m sure they were intending to keep his body and study him that way, but I foiled that by snatching him away.”

“I would have thought being able to control water was a greater threat than fire. Especially when you’re all being kept beside a loch containing a huge amount of freshwater.” He leaned back in the seat as the old woman walked over with two coffees.

“There you go, loves. Breakfast will be another five minutes or so.”

“Thanks,” I said, giving her a smile.

Trae waited until she’d walked back to the kitchen, then added, “If a sea dragon can control any sort of water, why did you never call the loch?”

I grimaced. “I can’t tell you why my mother never did, because I just don’t know. In my case—”I blew out a breath. “I did try, but the loch didn’t answer. I thought at first it was because I was a half breed, that maybe I simply didn’t have the strength to make the water obey over any distance. When we finally realized they were giving us a drug that restricted our abilities and we managed to wean ourselves off it, I could have tried, but then there were the kids to worry about.”

He frowned. “Why would they be a worry?”

“Because while I might have been able to call freshwater, I can’t control its fury or its path like I can with seawater. Carli and a couple of the others couldn’t swim—I asked them. If I’d called the loch, they would have drowned.”

“Ah. A nasty situation, then.”

“To put it mildly,” I agreed. “What are we going to do about the car and the people within it?”

He picked up his coffee and took a sip. “First priority is to deflate the tires. Then we can ditch our car once we’re free and get a new one.”

I wrapped my hands around my coffee mug, but it did little to warm them. “You’re pretty free and easy with other people’s cars, aren’t you?”

He shrugged. “Part of the joy of being a thief is an easy contempt for other people’s belongings.”

“Does that include the girlfriends of other men?”

His sudden grin was so sexy, so filled with heat, that an answering flame rose from deep within me.

“I am not my father’s son. Not in that regard, anyway.”

“So you’re a one-woman man?”

“I will be, when I find the right woman.”

I raised an eyebrow. “So you’re totally unattached right now?”

His gaze met mine, and something in those bright depths sent a shiver through my soul. This man was hunting, too.

“Currently, I’m single,” he said softly. “But you never know when that might change.”

Another tremor ran through me, and I wasn’t sure whether it was anticipation or fear. I pulled my gaze from his and tried to calm the idiotic racing of my pulse. “How do you intend to get out of the diner without being seen?”

“Simple. I’ll go to the bathroom.”

I took a sip of coffee, and raised my gaze to his again. The heat of hunting had faded from his eyes, but not the amusement. It leant a warmth to the cold, bright depths. “So there’s a window in the bathroom?”

“A small one, but I should be able to get through it.”

“I don’t know,” I said, skimming my gaze down his body and keeping my voice dry. “Your ego is pretty damn large.”

He laughed. It was such a warm and carefree sound that it dragged a smile to my lips and made my heart do an odd little dance.

“You could be right about that,” he said. “Maybe I should send you through it instead.”

“Sorry, I know squat about sneaking.”

“Considering you’ve escaped from what I presume is a very secure research center, I find that extremely hard to believe.”

“That was a mix of luck and good planning more than any ability to sneak, believe me.”

The old woman brought in the plates of food. Trae gave her a smile and waited until she’d recovered from the power of it enough to head back into the kitchen before he asked, “Luck how?”

I snagged a piece of bacon from the nearest plate and munched on it meditatively. “Part of the research center was destroyed by fire. That took down the security system, as well as distracted a lot of the guards, which enabled us to get out.”

Of course, there was a whole lot more to it than that. More violence, more pain, more death. Escape hadn’t been easy, just like remaining free hadn’t been.

“Am I right to assume the fires were dragon-lit?” Trae asked.

“Actually, they weren’t. They kept the facility so cold that the air dragons couldn’t use their fires.”

He raised his eyebrows. “That sort of cold can be a killer.”

“So they discovered.” I hesitated, and grinned. “Of course, when it comes to kids and temper tantrums, the cold isn’t really a restriction. Trust me, a few things got singed over the years.”

“But never by Egan?”

I shook my head. “But we were being drugged. The kids weren’t.”

“So when you and Egan escaped, why didn’t you take the kids with you?”

“We couldn’t.” But I’d wanted to. Oh, how I’d wanted to. I’d fought with Egan for days about it—until Jace had stepped in. Jace—the fifteen-year-old who was so much older and wiser than his years would suggest—had calmly told me that it just wasn’t practical, and that he’d look after everyone until we got back with help. “The kids were in a separate section than us, and there were common rooms and research rooms between us. We couldn’t get to them without going through a whole lot of scientists and guards.”

“So how did you and Egan escape?”

“We attacked one of the feeders as he was coming into the cell, then ran for the kitchen area. Egan didn’t have his flame, thanks to the cold, but there were plenty of lighters laying about. We put them to good use to blow up the kitchens.”

“Wasn’t that a little risky?”

Brief memories of flames and heat, combined with the metal ping of bullets against walls, rose like ghosts through my mind.

I closed my eyes against them, but there was no fighting it. The flames meant to free us had almost killed us both. It was Egan who had saved us—saved me. Despite the cold, he’d tamed the flames the same way I could tame the sea. In the end, we’d come out singed but alive.

The same could not be said about sections of the research center. Or the scientists within it.

“Destiny?”

I blinked, then tore off a chunk of toast to dip into the egg yolk. “The kitchen was a fair distance from where the kids were being held. It wasn’t that much of a risk.”

“I meant for you and Egan.”

“Well, yeah, but we had to do something to divert enough attention so that we could escape.”

He considered me for a moment, his blue eyes somber, as if guessing there was more to my glib statement. “How did they find you in San Lucas? How did they track us here?”

“I don’t know.”

“Why didn’t they kill you when they killed Egan?”

“Some of them were definitely trying.” And I had the scar on my head to prove it. “But I think I’m still alive because I’m the only female of breeding age they have. Mom’s too old, and Carli’s too young.”

He didn’t say anything, just studied me for a minute before flicking his gaze to the black car. “Looks like those men are getting antsy.”

Trepidation ran down my spine, but I resisted the temptation to turn around. It would only let them know I knew about them, and that could prove dangerous. “Meaning they’re likely to come in here?”

“I don’t know. Maybe.” His gaze met mine. Distant. Fiery. The dragon was getting ready to fight. “You know these people, not me.”

“I might know them, but that doesn’t mean I can predict everything they might do.” I picked up my coffee again to warm suddenly cold fingers. “All I know is that they prefer not to have witnesses, so we may be safe in here for a while. But the threat of witnesses won’t stop them for long.”

He didn’t say anything, just picked up his coffee and stared out the window for several minutes. Tension crackled through the air—evidence that he was not as calm as he appeared.

“Okay, one of them is on the phone,” he said, as he put his coffee down. His blue gaze came to mine, sharp with excitement. “I’ll head to the bathroom now. If you see any of them walking past the gas pumps, get up and head to the counter to pay our bill, then get into the bathroom. I’ll get you out from there.” He hesitated, and a grin twitched his lips. “Feel free to use some of the cash you stole to pay the bill, too.”

I raised my eyebrow. “I never said I stole the cash. I only admitted to stealing back the ring. Maybe you’re a thief who loses track of what he has in his pocket.”

“Sweetheart, I never lose track of anything that’s mine.” He rose, drawing my gaze up the long, lean length of him. “Remember that, if you intend on stealing anything more important than cash or credit cards.”

I raised an eyebrow. “And what else have you got that I’d be interested in?”

He grinned. “I’m sure we could think of something.”

“I’m sure you could,” I said, voice dry. Just as I was sure I’d love it. Whatever “it” was.

He left the booth. I sipped my coffee and watched his retreat. Egan and I had never shared easy banter like that. Had never teased or touched or done any of those fun things most lovers do. He’d been too uncomfortable with the whole situation, too aware of the white coats and the cameras. Thank God they’d never installed microphones, otherwise he’d have never come near me. As it was, we’d only ever made love at night, with the lights off, when he had the illusion of some degree of privacy.

It wasn’t exactly the most normal introduction to sex and sensuality a girl could have had.

The old woman wandered over with the coffeepot. “Want a top-up, love?”

“Thanks.” I held out my cup, and pushed Trae’s forward. He might not get to drink it, because we’d probably have to run once he deflated the tires, but it was better to keep up appearances for our watchers.

“You two down here for a vacation?” the woman asked, as she poured coffee into Trae’s cup.

“Just passing through.” I shrugged. “Wish we could stay longer, though. It’s pretty.”

“Well, not so much around these parts. It’s pretty old and dumpy here.”

I smiled, remembering my distaste as we’d approached the old building. And yet, once inside, it had proved to be warm, homey, and friendly. Just went to show, the old saying about the book and its cover was correct.

“But the food is as good as any of those uptown places.”

She beamed. “Can I get you anything else?”

A life. Or maybe a leash for my hormones. I smiled and shook my head. “Just the bill. We’ll have to go once my partner gets out of the bathroom.”

“If he wanted to sneak out to let the air out of the tires of that car, he could have just asked to slip out the back. Has to be uncomfortable, a man his size squeezing through the bathroom window.”

I just about choked on my coffee. I coughed as the hot liquid slid down the wrong way, but somehow managed to say, “What?”

There was a mischievous twinkle in the old girl’s eyes. “Frank saw him sneaking around. Pretty good, he reckons, and Frank would know. He had a bit of a way-ward past, when we were kids.” She paused. “So is it husband trouble, or the law?”

“Husband,” I said, probably much too quickly. Not that she was likely to believe the truth, anyway. “We’ve been separated for over a year, but he just won’t accept it. Has me followed everywhere.”

She nodded. “Some men are like that. What you need to do is give him a little of his own medicine.”

“Who can be bothered?”

She grimaced, and patted me on the shoulder. “If you feel the need to slip out, just come through the kitchen and pay. Frank will let you out the back door.”

“I appreciate it.”

She nodded and walked back to the counter. I sipped my coffee and watched the wind roll an empty Coke bottle across the road. Part of me longed to turn around and see just what those men in the black car were doing, but I dared not let them know anything might be wrong. So I drank, and ate the pancakes, and generally tried to ignore the tension creeping through my limbs.

After a while, the woman came back with the check. “He’s just slipping back in now, in case you’re wondering.”

“Thanks,” I said, with a smile.

As she walked back toward the kitchen, I glanced at the check and got out the money, adding an extremely generous tip in the process. Hell, it wasn’t my money anyway, and maybe she’d be more inclined to think kindly about us if things got nasty.

Trae slipped into the booth a few seconds later, and wrapped his hands around his coffee. “You know, for a woman who doesn’t like pancakes, you sure as hell made a good job of finishing them off.”

“And for a thief, you sure as hell did a lousy job of sneaking about.”

He frowned. “And why would you think that? Those men didn’t spot me.”

“No, but the old girl and her cook did. I told them we were sneaking away from my hubby’s trackers.”

“Not very original.”

“When lying, it pays to stick to the classics. They tend to be more believable.”

“And you know this from experience?”

“Hey, you were caught.”

He grimaced. “I misjudged the size of my shoulders and that window, but I was hoping they wouldn’t notice above the usual kitchen noise.”

“Frank apparently has a past and eagle eyes. The old girl said we could slip out the back if we wanted to.”

“As long as they’re watching us, they’re not noticing the tires. That’s what we want right now. You ready to go?”

I gulped down the rest of my coffee and rose. The itching at the back of my neck got stronger, and as we made our way to the door, I stole a glance at the car.

One man was out and leaning on the door, and his expression, even from this distance, looked somewhat agitated.

“Act normal,” Trae repeated, as if reading my thoughts. “And keep hoping they won’t do anything here, out in the open.”

He pushed the diner’s front door wide and ushered me through. The wind swirled around us, lifting the hair from the nape of my neck and running cold fingers down my spine. I shivered and crossed my arms, trying to keep warm against the sudden chill.

Trae touched my back as he moved up beside me, placing his body between me and those men. His light touch sent warmth skittering across my skin, and though it did little to battle the internal chill, I felt a tad more secure.

But not safe. Not with those men so close.

“Has he gotten back into the car yet?” I murmured, my gaze on Trae’s stolen black car.

“No. He’s still standing behind the open door. The driver is still on the phone.”

“Something is going on.”

“It won’t matter in a couple of seconds.”

In a couple of seconds I’d be a nervous wreck. God, how I wanted to run to his car and get the hell away from them. The urge to do just that was so great my muscles were practically twitching.

As we neared Trae’s car, his touch left me, and the chill returned twofold. He pressed the auto unlock. The lights flashed, and orange light skittered across the road, looking almost bloody against the dark asphalt.

A tremor ran down my spine. I grasped the handle, eager to get out of here.

But even as I began opening the car door, movement caught my eye. I turned and saw the man standing behind the open door of the scientist’s car raise his arms and rest them on the top of the door frame.

Saw the glint of metal in his hands.

Realized I’d been wrong, so wrong, in my earlier estimation of how far they might go out in the open, in front of witnesses.

I heard the incongruous popping sound.

I swore and flung open the door. Something slammed into my shoulder, spinning me around, smashing my head against the top of the car.

Then I was falling . . .