“Rise and shine, Buttercup.” Alex’s deep voice reverberated off the walls.
Quayk opened her eyes to find him standing over her. “Is the coffee made?”
Alex laughed. “Nope. But it’ll be light enough to travel in a few minutes and the door’s open.”
“It is?” She bolted upright, startling Mango.
The sugar glider positioned herself in front of Quayk and stood on her back feet as she hissed at Alex.
“Seriously?” He smiled down at the tiny creature. “Well, you’ve got brass, I’ll give you that.”
Quayk scooped Mango up and cradled the familiar against her chest. “Stop it. He’s not going to hurt me.”
Mango swiveled her head to look at her master and let out a low bark.
Quayk shook her head. “No, he’s not. He’s just doing his job.” She looked at Alex, who watched her converse with her familiar. “He’s actually a pretty nice man.”
Mango squeaked and peered over the top of her master’s hand at Alex as she let out a sharp, loud bark.
He grinned and put his hands in the air. “Message received.” He looked at Quayk. “Now, Princess, we need to make tracks out of this cave before those damn vines change their minds.” He bowed slightly and indicated she should go first. “After you.”
She looked at him from the corner of her eye. “What if the Boogie Man is out there? Don’t you want to go first?”
Alex shot her a crooked grin. “I’ve already been out.”
He moved to the side of the doorway and hefted a pack she hadn’t noticed. “My backpack.”
His smile stretched slightly wider. “I found it wedged under a tree.” He motioned toward the cave entrance. “The way is clear, and I suspect you know these woods a whole lot better than I do. Besides, we wouldn’t want the Boogie Man to sneak up behind you, would we?”
As his grin stretched wider, dimples etched into both sides of his mouth.
As she hefted the backpack onto her shoulders and slipped her arms through the straps, her stomach did a little backflip at how mesmerizingly handsome he was.
Seriously? This guy’s here to make sure I get locked up in Hollister’s dungeon, and I’m swooning over his dimples?
Quayk tucked the sugar glider into her shirt so she could use both hands to smooth her hair and straighten her clothes as she started for the door. But as she stepped through the doorway, she ran face-first into the chest of a big man dressed in camouflage.
She screamed and jumped back, into Alex’s arms.
Alex immediately went into protection mode, as he slipped in front of her, tucking her neatly against his back.
A split second later, he bellowed, “Tracker,” and the two men gripped hands and shook as they both clasped each other on the shoulder with their free hands.
Quayk held onto Alex’s belt loop as she peeked around him at the enormous man filling the doorway.
Tracker laughed. “We were worried as shit when you disappeared in the storm.” He cut his gaze to Quayk and added, “But I see you got the girl.”
The double meaning in his words was clear, and Quayk felt her face turn hot. She looked away to shield her reaction. Alex was hot and clearly driven by integrity. She already liked him a damn sight more than Hollister, and she’d known him less than twenty-four hours.
Why couldn’t I be engaged to someone like him?
Alex shook his head. “All right, enough.” He reached back and pulled Quayk forward. “This is Quayk SpellMaker.”
He cut his gaze to Quayk. “This asshole is Tracker. He’s a member of my search team.”
She straightened her spine and held out her hand. “Hello. It’s…uh…nice to meet you.” He shook her hand as she added, “I think.”
Both men laughed.
Quayk was torn. She already felt like she would follow Alex anywhere, but going back home meant being shackled to Hollister. Part of her knew she should run, but another part of her knew these men would never allow it. She’d blown her best chance, and everyone would be on high alert now. Her heart pounded in her chest. Her only option now was to stand up to her father and refuse to follow through with the arranged marriage.
Alex put his hand on Tracker’s shoulder. “So, everyone okay?”
Tracker nodded. “Yeah, they’re all right behind me. They geared up at the truck while I went on ahead to scout the path her sisters gave us.”
Quayk’s heart fell. Her sisters had given her up? “My sisters? They told you where to find me?”
Tracker shrugged. “Well, not exactly. Your maid told us where she thought you might go, but she’s horrible with directions. So Slicer had to convince them to give us directions.”
“Slicer?” Panic rose inside her at the image the name painted in her mind.
Alex turned and put his hand on her back. “Don’t worry. Slicer’s a good guy. He inspires trust.”
“Someone named Slicer inspires trust?” She turned toward Tracker and stepped toe-to-toe with him as she craned her neck upward and pointed one finger in his face. “If anyone has hurt my sisters, I will turn you into a toad.”
He doesn’t have to know I don’t have a spell to turn anyone into anything.
Tracker’s brows stretched to the middle of his forehead and a grin split his face as he stared down at her. “Wow, she’s a feisty one, isn’t she?”
Alex chuckled. “You don’t know the half of it.” He waved as the rest of his team entered the branch-littered clearing outside the cave. “Hey guys. Good to see everybody in one piece.”
A man dressed in black stepped up to him and shook his hand. “Good to see you too, boss.” He shifted his attention to Quayk and added, “I see you got the girl.”
Everyone chuckled as Alex admonished them, “Okay, that’s enough. The lady is right here, and she’s not deaf.”
Quayk drew a deep breath and willed herself not to blush as she stared back at the group, frustrated with the eagerness that rose inside at the thought of being with this hunk in the black cowboy hat.
Alex motioned toward the man in black. “This is Boxcar, and I assure you he’s harmless.”
Boxcar took her hand and kissed the back of it before stepping away.
Alex then pointed to a man in glasses who would have looked nerdy, if it hadn’t been for the gun belt strapped to his hips. “This is our strategist, Meow, and he’s not as harmless as he looks.”
Quayk smiled and nodded at the man who simply nodded back.
The next man to step forward wore a straw cowboy hat that looked like it had been dragged behind a horse a time or two. Alex introduced him as Cowboy, which seemed very appropriate.
The last man, Shooter, sent chills up her spine. He never cracked a smile as Alex introduced him as their sharp-shooter. Quayk had no doubt the man was deadly.
Alex turned to the man they called Meow, “So, what’s the status back at the SpellMaker ranch?”
“Everyone’s fine. They’re worried, but they’re a tough lot and Grant SpellMaker is used to dealing with touchy situations, so all’s good.” Meow looked at the rest of the team, who all nodded agreement.
Quayk’s stomach clenched at the mention of her father.
He’s gonna be pissed.
Alex nodded. “Okay. I assume everyone is offline right now because you didn’t want to risk that bad news might travel back to SpellMaker?”
Everyone nodded again.
“Okay, everyone get back online.” Alex reached into his pocket and tucked the little device into his ear, hitting a button to broadcast over an external speaker in the tiny unit. “Hey, Big Daddy, you on the line?”
Grant’s voice came across in his earpiece. “Is that you, McCall?”
Alex grinned. “Yeah, it’s me, and I’ve got you on speaker phone. I have your baby girl right here. She’s fine. We’ll be headed back that way as soon as we get loaded up.”
“Oh, Thank God,” her father exclaimed. “She’s okay?”
Quayk leaned in close
to Alex’s ear as she answered, “Yeah, I’m fine. But I still won’t marry that wingnut.”
Alex’s team members all turned away and covered their mouths as they sputtered at her declaration.
There was a moment of silence before her father spoke. “We’ll have to talk in length when you return. I’m grateful you’re okay.”
She could hear cheering in the background, and Emma shrieking, “Oh, she’s alive…she’s alive…she’s alive.”
Her father’s chuckle came through clearly. “The family is happy too.”
Alex hit a button on his earphone to take the communication off of speaker. “Okay, are the Firedrakes still in the vehicle?”
Mention of the Firedrakes caught Quayk’s attention. Why would they be involved in any of this? Had her father called them? She swallowed the lump of anger lodged in her throat as her stomach roiled. She’d give her father a chance to explain.
Alex nodded. “Okay. No, I don’t want to risk a confrontation if they’re still there when we return her. Let’s let them cool their heels a little longer. We can let ‘em out after we get her inside the house where they can’t get to her. Okay, we’ll be there shortly. We’re going to take the com units offline for now. Sit tight. We’re on our way.”
Tracker raised one brow as he hit the button on his com unit. “Offline?”
Alex nodded. We don’t want to risk that the Firedrake security team might be out looking for them and happen on our transmission.’
Everyone nodded as Quayk asked, “Why are the Firedrakes involved in this?”
Alex tipped his head to the side. “They showed up last night, just before we got there. They raised hell and made a fuss as they demanded to be involved in the search. So we locked ‘em up in a van to keep ‘em out of the way.”
The image of the two haughty Firedrake men locked in the back of a van made her sputter with laughter. “For real?”
One side of Alex’s mouth pulled up in a lopsided grin. “For real.” He winked at Quayk. “I suspect your father is about to see a side of those two he hasn’t seen before.”
“Yes!” Quayk thrust her fist in the air and pumped her arm once.
The team laughed in unison as they spread out and started for the road, still on alert. They would remain vigilant until they got their charge safely home.
As they pulled into the drive to the ranch, Quayk’s heart constricted. Her entire family, their familiars, and even the maids were all in the driveway waving. Tears sprung to her eyes. The only one missing was her mother, so she was sure they hadn’t told mom she was missing, or she would have returned immediately.
As the truck rolled to a stop, she couldn’t help herself. She jumped out before it had come to a complete stop and ran into the arms of her father. Her siblings all crowded around, and everyone chattered at once—even the sugar gliders swooped from person to person and tumbled to the ground in a heap.
How could I ever have left my family?
Steel bands pulled tight around her heart. She knew in that instant that if her father demanded it, she would marry Hollister. She’d probably murder him in his sleep one night, but she would marry him. She had missed her family terribly in the twenty-four hours she’d been gone. There was no way she could give them up again.
I’ll have to find a way to make it work for as long as I can.
Her sisters hugged her, and chittered about how scared they had been. Even Quyrk leaned in for a hug.
She saw Alex approach her father and shake his hand, and she swallowed back the lump in her throat.
Why couldn’t magic have picked me a husband more like Alex? Someone I could respect.
The two men talked briefly before they again shook hands, and Grant shooed his children into the house. “Okay, kids, we are going to let the Firedrakes out now. I want everyone in the house. No need for an ugly scene.”
He patted Quayk on the back. “You too, sweetie. Let’s let them go home and cool off.”
As she looked at him, a tear spilled over and snaked its way down her cheek.
Her father reached out and swiped the tear from her cheek. “Don’t worry, honey. You and I need to have a long chat, but this will work out.” He hesitated a moment before adding, “Somehow.”
She ducked her head as more tears threatened to overwhelm her, and followed her siblings into the house. Emma followed at her side, touching her on the arm, and clucking over her like a mother hen.
As she entered the house, she risked one last look over her shoulder. Alex McCall watched her.
He raised his hand in a snarky salute and smiled.
She gave him a half-hearted smile and lifted her hand in farewell, as tears spilled down both cheeks. She hadn’t realized how much she’d enjoyed sparring with him until now. She would miss him.
Grant SpellMaker didn’t miss the looks that passed between his daughter and Alex McCall. He liked the young man and was confident he took his job seriously, and nothing would have happened between the two last night. However, there was definitely more there than met the eye. He made up his mind to hold the young man close until he could get to the bottom of whatever it was.
He saw his children and the maids into the house and instructed Selena to ensure no one opened the door until he was back in the house. As he closed the door, he set some additional wards on the house, and turned to join the security detail in the driveway. Garcia and Slicer stationed themselves on either side of the front door to the house.
Garcia nodded, her face a mask of complete confidence. Slicer smiled and waved. “We’ll guard the door. No one gets past us—either in or out.”
Grant smiled. He liked McCall’s team. They were well trained and highly capable. He’d had his doubts about Slicer in the beginning, but after seeing how the man took care of his family and garnered their trust, he was confident Slicer wouldn’t hesitate to do whatever it took to keep this family safe—even in a pink ruffled outfit.
He turned and headed down the steps as he moved down the drive toward the vehicle where the two men were just now being released. He knew the moment the door had been opened because Sullivan’s bellow could have been heard three counties away.
Grant stopped as Sullivan stormed around the side of the armored vehicle, his hands fisted at his sides. Hollister was immediately on the heels of his father. Sullivan spotted him and started to run, but McCall’s team intercepted the man and formed a human blockade in front of Grant.
Sullivan waved his arms in the air as he screamed at Grant. “SpellMaker, you have made an enemy this day! I will see you and your crew here in jail before nightfall for kidnapping.”
Grant calmly replied, “Sullivan, I politely asked you to get off my property and leave the search for my daughter to me. You were trespassing and interfered in the search for a missing woman, and you threatened me with media exposure which could have put my daughter and the rest of my family in danger. We will see who’s in jail at the end of the day.”
Sullivan’s face was beet red, as was his son’s. Both men screamed threats at the top of their lungs.
Grant calmly held up his hand and both men quieted. “Now, get in your car and get off my property, or I’ll have you removed bodily, and my staff won’t be gentle in your removal.”
Both men’s faces were masks of hatred, but they didn’t say anything more. Sullivan waved toward the car. “Come on, son, let’s go into town and talk to the Sheriff.”
Hollister followed his father to the car, but turned back to issue one more threat. “SpellMaker, there will be a wedding. Quayk is mine, and I won’t be denied. We have a contract and the terms are clear. She is my property, and I will have her.”
Alex McCall, who stood behind SpellMaker, took two steps forward when Grant snagged his arm. “No, son. Let them be. They’re making empty threats. Let them go.”
He cut his eyes from the Firedrakes to McCall and easily read what was there in the man’s eyes. Alex McCall cared for his daughter. His gut clenched at the realiza
tion that in pledging his oldest daughter to Hollister, he had made a contract with the devil.
He shifted his gaze back to the Firedrakes, as they sped down the driveway and fishtailed onto the highway.
McCall’s hands were fisted at his sides when he turned to address Grant. “You can’t possibly expect Quayk to marry a madman.
Grant blew out a heavy breath as his mistake settled like a rock in the pit of his stomach. “I’m not sure I have a choice now.”
Of course, he would have his attorneys mobilized within the hour, but breaking a deal with the devil often meant making a bigger deal with the devil.
Grant SpellMaker sat at his desk with a heavy heart as he dialed the number for his lead attorney. He wasn’t sure how he would fix this.
The man picked up quickly.
“Dale, I need a favor. I need you to pull out the marriage contract I signed with Sullivan Firedrake and see what recourse I might have to get out of it.”
“What?” Dale Benson had been his attorney for years, and had been Grant’s father’s attorney before that. He was the only person outside the SpellMaker household who truly understood their family businesses, and the importance of doing what magic dictated. Entire empires had been known to collapse overnight when someone turned against the dictates of magic.
“I know what I’m asking here, Dale, and I need you to look into the contract personally. I don’t want word to get out until I know exactly what to do.” He drew in a heavy breath as the weight of the situation pressed down on him. “Right now, I need to know if there is a way out, and what it will cost me.”
“Are you serious, Grant? What’s happened?”
“Quayk tried to run away because she hates Hollister, and is dead set she won’t marry him. In the process of looking for her, things got ugly with both Sullivan and Hollister, and threats were made on both sides.”
He rubbed his forehead with his fingers. “I don’t see, at this point, how I can let my daughter go into that snake pit. But I believe Sullivan is desperate to have the power that comes from a marriage into the SpellMaker family, and will do whatever it takes to force me to honor the contract. So I need to know if I have any recourse at all.”
BodyGuard (Butterscotch Martini Shots Book 2) Page 33