Just then Cole heard something he didn’t expect to hear: gunshots. Coming from somewhere outside. Were there yet more men in the group? How many people had the ringleader brought in?
Groaning and writhing, the men at Cole’s feet were in no shape to fight back. One—the man he’d shot twice—lay still and silent, blood spattering the floor and part of the wall.
“Cole! Cole! Are you all right?” Westrich’s voice drifted down from above, echoing through the foyer.
“Yeah, yeah, I’m fine. Who the hell else is shooting?” Cole gathered up every weapon in sight. He took the time to search the men for more guns (it wouldn’t do to be shot in the back) before darting through the foyer toward the front door. Cole didn’t like leaving semi-coherent shooters behind him, despite the fact that he’d taken their weapons.
He had no choice.
If this was war, he had to meet every new threat head-on.
A final shot rang out somewhere in the front of the mansion but away from the doors. On the long drive, perhaps, or out at the gate.
Then a siren blared to life. And another. The sound grew closer, along with the growl of revving engines.
Exhaling a long breath, Cole unearthed the weapons he’d hastily stashed on his person and lined them up on the floor, including his own.
“It’s all right, Westrich. Bring the weapons down here with you. The cavalry has arrived.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
Cole spent two hours answering the police officers’ and detectives’ questions, painstakingly explaining the situation until the authorities were satisfied that they had it all. He only left out one important part: the dragons. He also didn’t mention that he’d come to see Westrich with the idea that the man had set the rogue group on him, only that he sometimes contracted work from Westrich and they had a working relationship.
Westrich backed up every word without qualms. It was as if they’d discussed their strategy beforehand, agreeing what and what not to tell the authorities. Cole had to admit a wealth of relief at Westrich’s canny answers, which would make both of their lives easier. As far as everyone was concerned, Cole had been here on an official visit, and suddenly they were set upon by the group of men Westrich had hired weeks before, who had decided to turn on their employer.
For whatever reason none of the men brought up the dragons. They didn’t bring up much at all, in fact, due to pain or stubbornness. Either that, or they were waiting for the safety of a lawyer before confessing.
Cole wanted, needed, to question the ringleader to be sure that the man hadn’t been contracted by someone else. Like the Chinese agents. Or another cutthroat collector not on Cole’s radar.
That wouldn’t happen without the authorities overhearing, so he had to forgo the pleasure. It was better to wonder than to have news of the dragons’ worth and their connection to Madalina thrust into the spotlight. Cole only wanted to have that discussion if he was forced to.
Madalina. He needed to call her. And his brothers. He’d retrieved his phone from the chamber upstairs after the interrogation, but wanted to wait until he was alone to contact them.
“Westrich.” Cole had one more thing to do before he entertained the thought of a phone call.
“Yes?” Westrich stood in his long driveway at the end of the steps to the house, drenched in sunlight, hands in the pockets of his cardigan. His face still looked a little pale, his eyes wearing a veil of wariness that hadn’t been there before. Westrich seemed to have aged five years overnight.
Cole understood. It was Westrich’s first foray into physical violence. The first time the eccentric collector had seen men shot. The first time he’d ever pointed a loaded gun at another living human being. Cole definitely understood Westrich’s quiet introspection.
“I wanted to say thank you. For stepping up in there. Things might have gone a different way if you hadn’t been willing to keep an eye on the other two,” Cole said.
Westrich lifted his chin, then bowed his head. “I couldn’t stand by and do nothing. It’s my house, and your life.” After a pause he added, “My life and my staff’s lives, too. I’m very sorry it came to this. I will have to take much better care in the future if I hire anyone for these kinds of jobs.”
Cole clapped Westrich on the shoulder. “Don’t be sorry. I know how hard you vetted me. I’m sure you did the same with these men. They just knew how to hide their real intentions, and unless you’ve got NSA- or CIA-type clearance, it’s impossible to find out everything.”
“I do have a question, Cole,” Westrich said.
“What’s that?” Cole had a feeling he knew what was coming.
“The men went after you to find the dragon. Does that mean you actually found one?”
He’d never confessed to Westrich that Madalina had the Treasure Dragon and that he’d given the dragon to the Chinese agents to spare Madalina more harassment. He certainly hadn’t informed Westrich of the possibility of another dragon in Brazil. But he wouldn’t dodge the direct question.
“Yes. My girlfriend’s grandfather left her one in his will. She didn’t know what it was at first. We’ve had a lot of trouble with a certain set of Chinese agents, so ultimately, we returned the dragon under conditions that they would stop harassing her. I believe another dragon was found in Brazil. Honestly, Westrich, I’m not sure what will happen with that one. The agents abducted my brother and held him against his will. I’m not enamored of giving them this dragon now that my brother has escaped, but we’ll see. My priority is to get the agents off my girlfriend’s back, to avoid any more . . . detainments.”
A shrewd look crossed Westrich’s gaze. “I had no idea. I can understand needing to get them off her tail, but this last dragon—”
“I can’t promise anything, Norman. It’s her dragon. Her inheritance. We initially set out to follow a few leads her grandfather left but weren’t sure what we’d find. I don’t even know what condition this last one is in. The bitter, vindictive part of me wants to videotape its destruction and send it to the Chinese agents, but the history buff in me knows I can’t purposefully destroy something so valuable.”
It pained him sometimes that he felt so protective over historical things. The Chinese agents would have learned a valuable lesson—and the action might have signed his and Madalina’s death certificates. There was that to think about, too.
“Today is not the day to discuss offers and options, Cole, but I will be contacting you in the near future. Thank you today for your assistance.” Westrich held out his hand.
Cole clasped it for a shake, holding the older man’s eyes.
Westrich was going to do something bold, like offer Madalina $5 million for the dragon. Cole just knew it. But Westrich was right: today wasn’t the day to think about money or inheritances.
“I know my way out.” Cole split off from Westrich and navigated his way around the manicured lawns and the immense manor, for the back pastures. The grass smelled sweet and birds trilled happily in the trees, but the only thing on his mind was letting his loved ones know he was all right.
“Cole? Brother, it’s good to hear your voice. We were worried as hell over here,” Damon said into the phone.
Madalina bolted up out of her seat and headed to the sofa. Damon had a foot propped negligently on the cushion, one forearm draped across his thigh. His expression shifted from intense concern to visible relief.
Sam stood nearby, looking as relieved as his brother.
“Is he okay? What happened? Is he on his way to California?” Madalina was beside herself. She wanted to hear Cole’s voice, wanted the resonant timbre she associated with comfort and happiness to soothe her angst.
“Yeah, yeah. Hey, wait a second. Someone wants to say hello.” Damon handed the phone over. There was a smile in his eyes, if not on his mouth.
Madalina didn’t apologize for her abrupt interruption. She
took the phone and put it to her ear. “Cole?”
“Hey. Everything’s all right. Just had a bit of a situation, and I couldn’t call out for a while,” Cole said. He sounded exactly as she remembered him last, as if there had never been another conversation disrupted by gunfire.
“Are you sure? Were you shot at? Did you get hit? Where are you—”
“Shh. You sound like a fretful bird. I wasn’t shot, and I’m still in Pennsylvania. In fact, I’m walking across a meadow to get to a rental car. I suppose I’ll wait to find out where you’re landing before I make a decision about where I’m headed next,” Cole said.
“I know I sound fretful. That’s what happens when I’m talking to you and suddenly hear gunshots. Are you sure you didn’t get hit? It sounded dire on our end,” she asked.
“I’m positive. You’ll see for yourself shortly.”
“You’re lucky I don’t sound like a ranting fishwife after you left me sleeping and took off in the middle of the night.” Madalina was sure her subject change could be blamed on too much stress or the abrupt switch from worry to relief. Cole, at least, had the wherewithal to sound guilty.
“Yes, I’m sure I’ve got it coming. And I’ll explain all my reasons after I get some much-needed sleep. Do you know where you’re flying to?” he asked.
“Damon, where should we meet him?” Madalina wasn’t sure where to go. They had the dragon, which in her mind made them prime targets. She didn’t know what the agents would do if or when they realized she actually had the thing on her.
“Pennsylvania. We’ll all meet there,” Damon said.
“I heard him,” Cole said before Madalina could repeat it.
She said, “Okay. I think we only have another four hours or so before we land. I’ll see you then, all right?”
“You sure will. Tell Damon I’ll text him the location where we’ll meet. Brandon should be here shortly as well,” Cole replied.
Madalina turned away from the brothers and paced back toward her chair. She wanted a little privacy for what she had to say next. “Take care of yourself, Cole. I love you, and no matter what else, I’m very glad you didn’t get shot.”
Cole hesitated before saying, “I love you, too. See you soon.”
Madalina stared at the phone in her hand, then turned back to Damon and Sam, both of whom were watching her expectantly. They’d probably heard everything.
“He said he’d text you with the details of where we’ll meet.” She handed the phone back to Damon.
He traded her the cloth-wrapped dragon, pressing the artifact firmly into her palm. “I suppose it’s time this was returned to your care.”
She glanced down and gnawed the inside of her lip. All this chaos and mystery over a piece of carved stone. She accepted the dragon but didn’t unwrap it from the cloth. “Thanks.”
“You know what you’re going to do now?” Damon asked bluntly.
“Honestly, no, I don’t. I have no idea at all.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
As the jet traveled across countries and time zones, Madalina stared out the small oval window. The tranquil sky stretched as far as the eye could see, undisturbed by even a wisp of clouds. It seemed surreal, like a dream, floating on a current of blue. The pad of her thumb traced the shape of scales and a tail, mapping out the dimensions of the Rain Dragon sitting in her lap. She didn’t stir when the jet landed to refuel or when Damon and Samuel got into quiet conversation near the sofa.
She had her own things to think about and decide upon. Damon’s earlier question—You know what you’re going to do now?—remained prominent in her thoughts, as did her grandfather’s letters. The two things were intertwined, as far as she could tell. She was probably going to have to give the Rain Dragon to the Chinese agents just to find some peace in her life, which answered Damon’s question except for the fact that the agents would probably think she was withholding valuable information. And that meant that if she ever did come across the whereabouts of the other two dragons, the Chinese agents would magically find out, and situations like these would happen all over again. Someone would be taken hostage, labeled a “guest” like Brandon, until the final two artifacts found their way home.
It was exhausting on one level and annoying on another. She also had a strange urge to aggressively seek the other two dragons so that she could get the Chinese agents off her back for good.
Walcot’s letters hadn’t indicated where the other two might be, as much as she wished otherwise. There were only hints that he might have, at one time, had all four dragons. Perhaps he’d sold two over the years to continue funding his nomadic lifestyle. But then he would have known how much the dragons were worth—unless he’d sold them to someone who also wasn’t aware of their status. Any number of scenarios could be the right one.
“What a confusing mess,” she muttered to herself.
Some hours later the plane began its final descent. Madalina roused herself from an unexpected nap, packed the dragon into the duffel bag, and fastened her seat belt for landing.
Climbing to her feet once the jet came to a full stop, she waited for the door to be opened by the copilot and followed Damon down the stairs. A gust of warm summer wind tossed her hair around her face as her feet touched the ground. Only one other plane was visible outside the hangars on the private airfield: a small two-seater, with a mechanic working on the engine. Otherwise, the tarmac was void of people and chaos, much to Madalina’s relief. Crowds were the last thing she wanted to deal with.
Waiting near the two-story, gray-and-glass building stood Cole. He wore a crisp white shirt with gray slacks, no tie. A few buttons were rakishly undone at his throat, giving a glimpse of bronzed skin. He looked hale and whole, without bandages or crutches or other grievous injuries, barring the bruises he’d acquired before leaving Brazil. Relief made Madalina’s knees weak.
Breaking into a run, the bag banging against her outer thigh, she passed Damon and Sam and threw herself into Cole’s arms. Whatever grievances she had about him leaving her could wait. He wrapped her up, squeezing her against his body. Madalina spent several long minutes just like that, hugging him tight, until she leaned back and sought his eyes.
“I’m glad you’re okay.” It needed to be said in person. She wanted him to see the relief in her eyes, hear it in her voice.
“And I’m glad you’re all right, too,” he replied in a quiet voice, dragging the pad of his thumb gently over the bruise on her jaw.
She’d nearly forgotten it was there. When Cole tipped his head in for a kiss, Madalina gave it to him. She wasn’t prepared for the rush of emotion that hit like a tidal wave, or the need to prolong the joining of mouths. He tasted excellent, like rich coffee and a hint of vanilla. The way he used his tongue scattered her senses.
“How tired are you?” Cole asked when the kiss ended.
At first Madalina thought he meant to take her off to the nearest hotel so they could pick up where they left off. Then she realized Brandon was there, hugging and greeting Damon and Sam.
“Not too tired. I napped on the plane after we spoke,” she said. There were things to deal with before she and Cole could really get any uninterrupted time. Squinting against the sun, she said, “I’ve got another five or six hours in me before I’ll need sleep.”
“Good. I have a suite at a nearby hotel. We all need to figure out what the next step is before the agents send a new squad. Okay?” he asked.
“Sure, yes. That’s fine.” Madalina reluctantly released him. The thought of being hunted again was a sobering thought so soon after landing. She cast a wary look around, then slid her hand into Cole’s when he reached for it.
“Hey, Madalina. Good to see you,” Brandon said. He lifted a hand in greeting.
“Good to see you, too. I’m really glad you got away from the agents,” she said, giving Brandon a once-over. He was a little beat-up,
hair slightly disheveled. A faded blue T-shirt stretched across his shoulders, tapering to Levis and a pair of distressed boots. He was alive, with that mischievous gleam in his eyes, and Madalina couldn’t have been happier to see it. The video footage of him being dragged out of her house haunted her still.
To her surprise Brandon stepped in front of Cole and placed a chaste kiss on her cheek.
“Looks like you’ve been dealing with your own issues,” he said with a gesture to her cheek.
“Not nearly like the rest of you.” She downplayed the crack she’d taken to her face, even if the event had somewhat traumatized her in the moment. Little by little she was learning, becoming hardened against the secure, safe life she’d led up until now.
For the first time, Madalina got a look at four of the five West brothers side by side. An impressive lot, if she did say so herself. Each one was distinct in his own way, though she’d been right on when she thought Damon and Cole resembled each other. They did, to a surprising degree. It was more noticeable when they were shoulder to shoulder in the sunlight. Damon and Sam shook Cole’s hand and clapped him on the shoulder.
“We can compare war stories when we get to the hotel,” Cole said, with a head tilt toward the terminal.
Madalina fell into step at Cole’s side. The brothers took up flanking positions except for Sam, who stepped forward to grab the door.
All she wanted now was to reach the hotel without incident.
The view from the upscale hotel was a staggering vista of the Pennsylvania countryside. Cole paid little attention to the line of distant trees, the rolling pastures, and the rugged terrain. Instead, he spent the next hour detailing his time in Brazil and with Westrich, and listening to each of his brothers add their own version of events from their unique perspective. When it was Madalina’s turn, he watched her to the exclusion of everything else, silently admiring the calm way she spoke of her time in the clutches of her aggressors. He knew she wasn’t as calm on the inside as she was on the outside, but she put on a brave face nevertheless.
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