The Water Dragons Box Set: Books 1 - 4 (Complete)

by Charlene Hartnady

  Friends.

  It was weird. From allies to lovers to friends. What was next? Strangers was the word that popped straight into her head. They still had a long way to go before she would find out. She hoped she was wrong. Paige liked Flood.

  “We might be friends now, but I don’t know anything about you,” Flood whispered. “I just realized, we’re sharing this tiny cell, we’re officially friends and,” he shrugged, “I don’t know a thing.”

  “There isn’t much to tell. I have a brother. We’re not really close. He’s married with four kids.”

  “Four?” Flood’s eyes widened.

  “Yes, he and his wife are extremely busy, considering all the kids are under six years old.”

  He smiled, looking…sexy. Sexy. She felt a bit panicky. Since when did she find him attractive in that way?

  Paige quickly went on, not wanting to think about it. “They live in the next state. I see them on holidays. My folks are both dead,” she blurted.

  He frowned. “I’m sorry.”

  “Mom died when we were still in school. Cancer.”

  “A terrible illness.” His eyes were grave.

  Paige nodded. “My dad passed a year ago.” Her eyes threatened to fill with tears. “It was very unexpected. Heart attack. He was pronounced dead on arrival at the hospital.” She rubbed her lips together trying to gain her composure.

  “I can tell you were close.”

  She nodded. “Yes, we were.” Shit! Her throat felt clogged. She needed to move on to something else. “What about you?”

  “No siblings and my parents are gone as well. I have my work and my friends.”

  She nodded, smiling at him.

  “Forgive me but thirty-one is old for a human female not to be mated.” His eyes were narrowed in on her. So serious.

  She held back a laugh. “Geez, way to make a girl feel bad about herself.”

  He sucked in a breath, his eyes widening. “I didn’t mean it badly. You are a great female. A catch, as they say.”

  She shook her head. “Okay then.” She pretended to still be skeptical.

  “No, I mean it, I—”

  “I’m teasing you.” She smiled. “I was mated…married once upon a time.”

  His mouth fell open and his eyes widened.

  “I was twenty when we tied the knot. Far too young. We also hardly knew one another. We eloped.”

  Flood frowned. “What does ‘eloped’ mean?”

  “We ran off and got married. None of my friends and family were there. My dad was actually okay with the whole thing.” She smiled thinking about him. “He was just as okay when we broke up a year later.”

  “That is sad. Your father sounds like he was very supportive.”

  “Yeah he was and the whole break-up was sad. Josh left me. He said he was too young to have settled down. He said we made a mistake, that he wished our marriage had never happened.”

  “Sounds like a dick.”

  She smiled. “He was young and not all that eloquent. You would think it wouldn’t have affected me much after such a short partnership but it did. I didn’t date for a couple of years after the divorce. What about—”

  There was a noise down the passage. They looked at one another. Then Flood looked away. He was good like that. Another really sweet thing about him. He didn't assume that because they were having sex, he could ogle her.

  Paige hustled to get her pants back on. They couldn’t let their guard down now. Not when they were so close. Flood lay back down, closing his eyes. It would be lights out soon. Her heart beat like mad. Not long and this would be over. One way or the other.

  Chapter 16

  Maybe he wasn’t coming. All this preparation and the asshole was not bloody coming. Hours of darkness had crept by. Slowly. So darned slowly.

  Alex would be back the next day. Paige would have to tell her that she hadn’t convinced Flood to talk and they’d begin torturing him. Make no mistake, she knew Tim would come for her eventually. If he didn’t come tonight, he’d come tomorrow or the next day. In the meanwhile, Flood would suffer.

  They’d have to try to find another way. Come up with another plan. Footsteps. Shit! Someone was coming. This was happening. Light from a flashlight. She jumped up, putting the end of the bandage between her toes and standing in front of poor, injured Flood. At least she prayed to god that Tim would buy that she was doing just that. “Go away.” She raised her fists. “I swear I’ll fight you. You can’t get away with this.” Her voice sounded panicked, which wasn’t difficult since it was how she was really feeling.

  He swiped his keycard. His gun drawn and ready. The light prevented her from seeing his face. There was no gauging his expression. She heard his mirthless chuckle though. It pissed her off.

  Paige pointed at him. “Stay away.” She stepped forward, pulling on the bandage just a little. Sure to keep herself between him and Flood. “Please don’t shoot him. Don’t hurt us. Please! The dragons do have money. Lots of it. Let us go and—”

  “I don’t believe that for a second. They’re animals. Get out of my way or I’ll shoot you too!”

  “No, please we…” She shook her head. Paige gasped when he lunged for her, pushing her to the side.

  Bang, bang, bang!

  The three shots almost sounded like they happened in slow motion. The noise was ear-splitting. Then everything sped up. The flashlight went flying. The light spun round and around, disorientating her. Someone fell and someone else staggered. The women down the hall screamed.

  There was a soft clatter. It sounded very much like the gun against the tiles but at the same time, it sounded like it hadn’t fallen from a height. She leaped up, grabbing the flashlight, which she swept across the floor. Flood was crouched over Tim. He smashed a fist into the downed man’s face. There was a sickening crunch.

  There was blood. On the floor, on Flood’s hands. On his chest. It looked like he had been shot. “You’re bleeding.” She heard the climbing panic in her voice.

  “It’s all his,” Flood growled.

  Paige moved the beam from the flashlight to the mattress. The first aid kit was an exploded mess, as was the pillow. They had used everything available to them, from the kit to the bucket, to try to mimic a sleeping, injured Flood. She’d tied one side of the bandage to the bucket so as to imitate movement under the covers.

  They hoped that if she put herself between Tim and what he would think was Flood, that Tim wouldn’t notice it wasn’t the shifter until it was too late. Flood had stood to the side, in the cover of darkness and had snuck up on Tim once he started shooting at fake Flood.

  They were lucky that Tim had been so sure of himself, he hadn’t seen it coming. He’d aimed and fired at the mattress and Flood had taken him out. She swept back towards where Tim was lying.

  His face was a caved in mess. It made her stomach clench just looking at him. There was more blood on his stomach. It looked like one of the bullets had hit him. Tim got what he deserved. She didn’t feel sorry for him.

  “He died too quickly,” Flood growled. He was tearing a piece off of the blanket. Paige was about to ask him why when she saw him tie it around his waist. Yep, escaping naked probably wasn’t the best plan.

  Paige picked up the gun next to Tim’s lifeless hand, sure to hold it away from Flood. She also stayed clear of the trigger. Chances were good that it was still loaded and that the safety was off. It might come in handy, so she took it with her.

  Then Flood snapped the lanyard that held the keycard, yanking it free from Tim’s body. “Let’s go,” he announced.

  She nodded once, pointing the flashlight at the cell door. Flood swiped the card and the door opened. They stepped out into the hallway. The other women were talking in hushed tones. Obviously afraid. They were banking on the cameras not working. The other guards would expect a commotion based on their sick plan, so chances were good that they weren’t coming. Not yet anyway. She and Flood were relying on all of that. They quickly made the
ir way to the cell holding the other three women.

  “It’s us,” Paige said. “Flood and me.” She turned the flashlight backwards so the other women would be able to see them.

  “Oh my god!” Sydney pushed out. “We thought something terrible happened to you.”

  “Yes.” Kelly’s eyes were wide. “What happened?”

  “We don’t have much time. We’re getting out of here.” Paige focused the flashlight on the cell door and Flood swiped the keycard. Nothing happened. He tried again and nothing. “It must need another card.”

  “Please don’t leave us,” Hayley begged.

  Kelly started crying. “They’ll kill us. I know they will.”

  “We’re not going to leave you,” Flood spoke under his breath. He gripped the bars in his big hands and pulled. He pulled until his face turned red, until veins popped on his forehead. He groaned, a thin sheen of sweat appearing on his skin. He sucked in a deep breath and pulled again, this time gritting his teeth. They all watched, open-mouthed as the bars slowly bent until they were wide enough for the women to squeeze through.

  “I can’t believe I just saw that.” Sydney smiled at Flood. “I’m Sydney.” She held her hand out to him.

  “We don’t have time for that right now,” Paige snapped. “Let’s go!”

  “Paige is right.” Flood nodded once.

  “Can any of you shoot a gun?” Paige asked, holding the weapon up.

  “Yes,” Kelly piped up. “My dad taught me how to shoot when I was just twelve. He treated me like one of the boys ‒ I have three brothers. We still go hunting once a year,” she added as she took the gun from Paige.

  “I’ll take the lead,” Flood said. “You take up the flank,” he spoke to Kelly, who held the gun like she knew what she was doing.

  Kelly nodded, determination shone in her eyes. They all headed for the stairs. Flood took them three at a time. It was clear that he didn’t need the light from the flashlight to be able to see. The rest of them stuck together.

  Paige heard Flood swipe the card. Then came the shrill noise of an alarm blaring. Flood cursed. “Stand back,” he snarled at them before kicking the door. It took three hard kicks before the door exploded outwards with a crash.

  The air was cold. It was also fresh. They ran from the barn. The stars had never looked more beautiful. Paige looked up for all of two seconds. They couldn’t afford longer.

  “Move!” Flood shouted.

  He was already rounding a vehicle. He looked in through the window, obviously hoping to find a key. Paige ran to the next vehicle. No key in the ignition.

  “We need cover!” Flood yelled. “They’re coming!”

  Paige turned the flashlight off, sticking it into the front of her jeans. The lights were on in the main house. Someone was shouting. A dog barked. Someone yelled from inside the barn.

  “This way,” Flood growled, heading for the corn fields. “Hurry!” he yelled, slowing down so that the rest of them could catch up. Although he had been moving fast, she suspected he could go much faster.

  Paige had only just made it to the cover of the tall plants when the first shot rang out.

  Bang!

  Paige dropped to the ground, trying to see what was happening. It sounded close. Kelly was down on one knee, she held the gun with both hands. Another loud bang sounded and Kelly jerked backwards slightly, still holding her position. Paige realized with a start that it was the young woman who was firing. Men with flashlights were dropping to the ground and seeking cover. Kelly fired off a couple more rounds and then turned and ran into the corn behind them. “That should hold them for a minute or two.”

  Yet another shot rang out from somewhere behind them. “Shit!” Hayley yelled, holding her head and crouching down. “They’re shooting back.”

  “We need to stay low and keep moving,” Flood whispered loud enough for all of them to hear.

  It was hard going. The tall plants were tightly packed together. It meant weaving their way through the foliage. Flood was surprisingly agile for his size. Kelly stayed at the rear. On and on they went. Paige kept her eyes on the big shifter, working hard at keeping up. If any of them lost sight of the person in front, it might mean getting split up. It was very dark but the half-moon in the sky above them afforded them enough light to see.

  After what felt like an hour, but was probably only fifteen or twenty minutes, Flood stopped. By then her shirt clung to her back. All of them were breathing hard. “It’s time to go,” Flood said. “I can only take two of you with me.”

  “What about the other two?” Sydney asked, her eyes wide.

  “I’ll come back for you as soon as I can. It’ll be tough for them to find you out here.”

  “I heard a dog,” Paige said. “What if it’s one of those tracker hounds?”

  Flood shook his head. “I don’t think they’re giving chase. I haven’t heard anything behind us. Chances are good that they’ll clear out,” Flood mused. “I’m hoping that’s not the case but I’m sure they’ll be long gone in no time.”

  “I hope you’re right.” Hayley frowned.

  “I’ll be back within a few hours. I won’t be alone. It’s time to turn the tables on these bastards.”

  “In the meanwhile, two of us need to stay here while you send for help.” Paige locked eyes with Flood, who nodded.

  "Does that mean you're volunteering?" Sydney asked. Before Paige could respond, she went on. "Hayley, you come with Flood and me. Kelly, you're armed, so it's best if you stay with Paige, for protection."

  Paige had to stop herself from rolling her eyes. They had only just escaped and Sydney was already taking over. Arguing wasn’t going to get them anywhere.

  Kelly expertly opened up the chamber of the gun and looked inside. “One bullet left,” she announced. “That’ll get us far,” she added, sarcasm dripping from every word.

  “It’s settled then,” Sydney said as if Kelly hadn’t even spoken.

  Flood looked her way. “You sure you’re fine to stay?” he asked her.

  “We’ll be okay.” Paige nodded once

  His jaw tightened. His eyes held hers for a few more seconds before he nodded in return. “Fine. I’ll be back as soon as I can.” He grabbed her hand and squeezed. “Stay hidden and stay alive.”

  She nodded. “We will. You too.” She squeezed back.

  “Let’s head out that way,” he spoke to Hayley and Sydney, letting her hand go and pointing to the right of them.

  “Why?” Sydney made a face.

  “I don’t want to shift and give away their location.” He glanced back at Paige as he spoke. “Stay close,” he instructed. And then they were gone, swallowed up by the corn.

  “Do you think they’ll be okay?” Kelly whispered.

  “Yes,” Paige said. “I think they’ll be just fine.”

  “Do you think they’ll be back in time to save us?” she asked, so softly Paige could barely hear her.

  “Without a doubt,” Paige said, meaning every word. Flood wouldn’t let her…them down.

  Chapter 17

  The waiting had been agonizing.

  The rescue, quick. Over in seconds. The sky seemed to darken with the bodies of at least a hundred dragons. Two swooped in and clasped them in their scaly claws. The one who picked her up had beautiful purple eyes and the one holding Kelly blue ones. Of Flood, there was no sign. He could have been any of the many dragons that descended on the barn and the house. Or one of the many who continued to circle the sky.

  Paige didn’t have much time to ponder because the dragons carrying them left immediately. They were brought back to the lair. It wasn’t the same one as before. This one was smaller. The dragons all had the same markings as Flood. It was the Water dragon lair. At least that was something; it meant that Flood would be there…maybe…surely? She wanted to see him. To find out what was going on. Instead, she had been escorted to a room. Inside the room was her suitcase with her belongings. There was also a tray of food.

/>   Paige had showered and changed. Then she’d eaten. Despite herself, she’d fallen asleep and had only woken up at lunchtime the next day. Still a bit stiff and sore but otherwise good. There was a fresh tray of food next to her bed, making her realize that she was ravenous all over again. After eating she’d taken a shower and had been pacing the room ever since.

  Still no Flood. Was he okay? He had become her friend over the last few days and it was only right that she felt concerned. Paige wasn’t sure what to do. There was no phone in her room but even if there had been one, who would she contact? It wasn’t like this was a hotel or anything. Maybe she could head out, ask the first person she came across. Paige slipped on a pair of pumps and opened the front door. She peeked outside.

  “Hello, female.” There was a shifter in the passageway next to the door.

  She clutched her chest and made a squealing noise. “You scared me half to death.” Paige hadn’t known what to expect, but this wasn’t it. She sucked in a deep breath, holding it inside, willing her heart to calm down.

  “I’m sorry.” He smiled. He had soft blue eyes and brown hair. “Didn’t mean to startle you. My name is Bay.” The shifter held out his hand and she shook it.

  “Paige. It’s good to meet you.”

  “Was there something that you needed?”

  “No.” She shook her head. “Well, sort of. I was just wondering if the others were okay? I mean, I assume they are since a rescue team arrived. A big rescue team.” She was babbling and forced herself to get to the point. “Are Sydney, Hayley and Flood okay? Where is Kelly? They were taken to different rooms.”

  “Kelly is staying there, that is her door over there.” Bay pointed across the hall. Another shifter stood vigil outside that door as well. He waved and gave a nod of the head in greeting.

  Paige waved back. “Oh, I see.”

  “She is quite well,” Bay went on. “She is resting after your ordeal. The others are all safe too.”

  “That’s good to know. Um…do you know how long we are going to be expected to sit around? What do you plan on doing with us?”