by Gail Koger
Derek holstered his Glock and gave me an “I’m too sexy for my shirt” smile, “You won’t shoot me, Angel, we’re soul mates.”
Granny was such a blabbermouth. “We are not nor will we ever be soul mates.” I lowered the pistol. “How attached are you to your balls?”
Derek froze. “Calm down, Angel.”
With a startling quick movement, Dixon spun and knocked the gun out of my hand.
I staggered back, hit the Harley and it toppled over with a loud bang. “Ooops.”
His face a mask of rage, Dixon bellowed, “Ooops?”
“Sorry.”
“You will be,” Dixon grabbed my sore arm and I yelped.
Derek jammed his Glock into Dixon’s neck. “Let her go.”
Dixon slipped a leg under Derek’s and pulled and kicked simultaneously.
Sloan hit the ground hard and retaliated by kicking Dixon off his feet. The two men were immediately locked in a silent, gasping combat; rolling over and over on the garage floor, punching the shit out of each other.
Guess that took care of that problem. With any luck, they’d kill each other. I eyed the motorcycle and knew I would never be able to pick it up.
Weariness crept over me. I was sweaty, tired, and covered in blood and sand. All I wanted was a shower, something cold to drink, and a cool, dark place to lie down.
Silver-black whorls danced in my vision and I was having trouble focusing. It was as if I was moving in slow motion. I shook my head to clear it but only succeeded in making it throb worse.
Grabbing the t-shirt off the floor, I pulled it on and stumbled out of the parking garage.
A hot, arid wind blasted my sunburned skin.
Squinting against the glare, I looked around, trying to figure out where the hell I was. “Do you know where we are Granny?”
“I think we’re somewhere near the ballpark.”
Too far for me to walk home and I didn’t have any money for a taxi. The world suddenly tilted and spun dizzily around me. I grabbed a tree and fought to stay upright.
A jaunty red Miata squealed to a stop and my drop-dead gorgeous cousin, Fabian, jumped out.
Leave it to him to wear a white, two thousand dollar suit in this heat. He always made me feel frumpy. “What are you doing here?”
“Rescuing you, bella.”
“I don’t need rescuing. I’ve got it handled.”
Fabian raised an incredulous eyebrow as he examined me from head to toe. “I can see how well you are handling this, but I cannot disobey Uncle Aldo, he is the head of the family.”
“Sure you can. Just tell him you couldn’t find me.”
“Try not to get any blood on my jacket, bella.” His expression one of extreme distaste, Fabian picked me up gingerly and carried me over to the Miata.
I was seriously tempted to rub my bloody face all over his screaming white suit but I did need a ride. Glancing over his shoulder, I caught a glimpse of Derek and Dixon still pounding the crap out of each other. Wonder how long it would take them to realize I was gone?
Fabian dumped me in the seat, hurried around to driver’s side and jumped in.
“Couldn’t you have gotten a car with a roof and ice cold AC?”
“This is more my style,” Fabian responded as we tore off.
“Wouldn’t want to cramp your style but it’s Phoenix, it’s degrees today and did you not notice my terrific sunburn?”
He patted my leg. “I’ll get you some chocolate.”
“Bless you.” Sometimes family was the best. I leaned back against the seat and closed my eyes.
“Oh yeah, before I pass out, I’ve got a tracker in me. Did you bring your kit?”
“Of course, Zelda, I am a professional.”
“You’re a world famous supermodel.”
“I am Dragos,” he huffed indignantly.
“Sorry, I’ve had a really bad day.”
Fabian patted my knee again. “Don’t worry. I’ll keep you safe, bella.”
I let out a weary sigh. “I haven’t been safe since Aunt Sophie found me.”
Granny’s disembodied voice insisted, “Derek can and will protect you.”
My cousin gave a startled yelp when Granny Annabel suddenly materialized on my lap. “Dios Mio.”
Opening my eyes, I glared at her. “Derek, my knight in shining armor, will undoubtedly protect me but once he gets the gold, he’ll be long gone and I’ll still have to deal with Aunt Sophie.”
A ghostly hand stroked my face. “You’re the only one that can stop her, bella.”
“She scares the living shit out of me.”
Fabian laughed grimly. “She scares the living shit out of all of us.”
“You need Derek’s help to defeat her,” Granny insisted.
“Right. He can smite demons with one thrust of Excalibur, his magical sword.”
The temperature dropped twenty degrees. “He is a man of many talents.”
“Speaking of the talented guy, has he realized I’m gone yet?”
Granny nodded. “He knows. He can curse quite fluently in several languages.”
“I’ll bet. Did he kill Dixon?”
“No, they are la famiglia.”
“What! They can’t be related.”
“They are cousins.”
“Are you shitting me?”
Granny frowned in confusion. “Why would I shit on you?”
“Never mind. I’m just glad I got away from him.”
“Please, you must go back. Derek is the only one that can help you.”
My temper flared to life and I shouted, “Help me? You just don’t get it! He’s using me. All he cares about is finding the gold and if he has to bed me to get it, he will. That’s not love. It’s calculated seduction.”
Granny let out a heart rending sob and vanished.
“Like that’s gonna work,” I cried. The street spun crazily around me and everything went black.
Chapter Eight
I awoke in Aunt Sophie’s picture perfect, old-fashioned parlor. A place I had avoided like plague.
The hand crocheted doilies and portraits of smiling children lured her victims into a false sense of security.
Aunt Sophie, wearing her disguise of a sweet, harmless, gray haired grandmother, sat on her throne like chair and smiled benignly. “I’m so glad you dropped by for a visit.”
My heart pounding in my chest, I jumped to my feet. “What do you want?”
“I want you to come home, dear. Dante and I miss you so much.” Sophie lifted a silver tea pot.
“Would you like some of my special tea?”
“I think I’ll pass.”
She picked up a plate of cookies and held it out. “I made your favorite chocolate chip cookies.”
“Cut the act. It doesn’t work on me.”
An unwholesome Cheshire-cat smile curved her mouth. “Sit down dear we have a lot to discuss.”
“No. We don’t. There is nothing you can do or say to make me come back.”
Aunt Sophie picked up her tea cup and took a sip. “Are you sure you don’t want some? It’s my spicy Earl Grey.”
I grabbed the silver serving tray and hurled it at the wall. It made a satisfying crash as the tea sprayed out and ran down the wall. I stomped on the cookies. “I want you to leave me the hell alone. If you don’t, I can and will destroy you.”
Her eyes ice cold and cruel, my aunt clapped her hands. “Bravo, such a flair for the dramatic, but frankly my dear, you’re no match for me or Dante.”
“Wanna bet your life on it?”
Malevolence filled Aunt Sophie’s violet eyes and her face began to morph into something not quite human.
I backed away in horror as fangs sprouted from her mouth. “What big teeth you have, Auntie.”
“All the better to eat you with, my dear.”
I was so not Little Red Riding Hood. My aunt’s skin began to bubble and transform. “What are you?”
“Something more,” Sophie’s voice was a raspy hiss
as she took on demonic form.
“If you believe this to be real, it will become real,” Granny Annabel’s voice echoed in my head.
Dammit, this was nothing but a dream. A dream Aunt Sophie controlled. Drawing on every ounce of power I had, I broke the mental link.
Her scream of rage reverberated in my head as I fought my way back to consciousness. My eyes popped open; I bolted upright with a terrified gasp and glanced around wildly.
Where the hell was I? The bedroom was right out of Better Homes and Gardens. The bed beneath me was massive with an enormous canopy and silky black sheets.
My eyes widened as I took in the luxury accommodations. Wow! The room had a log beamed ceiling, a beehive fireplace, a freakin’ wet bar and a large patio with a great view of some impressive red rocks. “Not Seattle,” I breathed in relief.
“No, Sedona,” Granny Annabel said and materialized next to me, wearing her gypsy garb.
I rubbed my aching head. “Aunt Sophie’s getting stronger.”
“No, she’s not, you are,” Granny stated firmly.
“My traitorous daughter could only access your mind because of the concussion but even injured, you were able to break her hold.”
“I think she sold her soul.”
Granny Annabel spat, “Crisito Santo, male deo ojo. The fool bound herself to Asmoday.”
“The big, scary serpent demon?”
“Si. He is the king of the Ninth Hell.”
“Wow, not good. Got any idea of how to destroy it?”
“Asmoday cannot be killed.”
“Can we at least send it back to hell?”
“With the proper tools, it can be done.”
“Okey-dokey, do we have the proper tools?”
“No.”
“Do we know where to get them?”
“The Vatican.”
“Oh. Great. You think the Pope is still pissed at me for spilling the sacramental wine all over him?”
“He is the Pope, he must forgive you,” Granny answered, a slight smile on her face.
I took a deep breath. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have yelled at you.”
“I was pushing too hard,” Granny answered and her ghostly fingers stroked my hair. “I just want you to be safe.”
“Derek can’t defeat Sophie.”
Granny Annabel sighed. “No. Only you can. It is your destiny.”
Yippee-ki-yay. My destiny sucked. Sometimes I felt like a chunky Snow White battling the evil Queen who wanted to enslave her. But this wasn’t a fairy tale where Prince Charming rode to the rescue and we got to live happily ever after.
Nope. With my sucky luck, my fairy tale would have a gross, bloody ending. If Aunt Sophie won, I would be bound to her forever and I’d die before I let that happen.
I noticed Granny’s concerned frown and gave her a reassuring smile. “How long was I out?”
“Eight hours.”
“Omigod!” I swung my legs over the side of the bed. “I’ve got to get out of here! Derek probably has a tactical unit surrounding the place.”
“Your man has no idea where you are and he is sick with worry.”
I snorted. “The only thing he’s worried about is me finding the gold first.”
“Alone, neither of you will find Montezuma’s treasure.”
“Teamwork, huh?”
“It is the only way.”
Like that was going to happen. My left arm screamed in protest and I noticed the IV bag for the first time. “Who put in my IV?”
“Aldo called Doctor Rossi and he flew in from Las Vegas.”
“I thought the casinos banned him.”
“They did but he disguised himself as an old woman.”
“How did that work out for him?”
“Badly. The good doctor drank too much and relieved himself in the women’s restroom sink.”
“Bet that caused a stampede of freaked out women.”
“Worse, he did it in front of an off-duty cop.”
“Good God, I’m surprised she didn’t bounce him off the walls a few times.”
Granny laughed. “Too many witnesses.”
“Lucky him. Ever since his wife left him he’s been pulling some wild stunts.”
“Natasha damaged his pride.”
“She did more than that. Sebastian sprung him from lockup?”
“Of course.”
“Where’s Fabian?”
“Our peacock is preening at the pool.”
I rolled my eyes. “He does love to flaunt it.”
“Si and women keep flocking to him.”
“He’s not wearing that stupid nude Speedo is he?”
“The paramedics have been called twice for women fainting at his magnificence.”
The door suddenly burst open and Fabian shouted, “Bella, you’re awake!”
My eyes bugged as Fabian strutted in with a fully erect penis straining the material of his beige Speedo. “Omigod! You’ll poke out an eye with that thing.”
Flicking back his long black hair, Fabian flexed like a weight lifter before draping himself artistically along the couch. “I must please my fans.”
I noticed a dollar bill protruding from his waistband. “You’re not a friggin’ Chippendale dancer and you shouldn’t let women treat you that way. Have some self-respect.”
My cousin shrugged and kissed his fingertips.
“It’s amore. Sono innamorato”
Love my ass. “You’re such a man whore.”
Doctor Rossi hurried through the door and quickly shut it.
My jaw dropped. A dead critter perched precariously on top of the doctor’s shiny bald head.
A multitude of gold chains adorned his rather furry chest and a banana sized pecker tented his red Speedo.
“How are you feeling, Zelda?”
“Okay. Holy cow is that a…” I took a closer look at the old guy’s Speedo and clamped a hand over my eyes. Omigod! It was a banana! I was traumatized for life and did he really think women wouldn’t notice?
A hot, moist hand touched my face. “Are you in pain?”
I flinched away from his hand. No tellin’ where it had been. “I’m fine. Really. I should be going.”
Throwing back the sheet, I hopped out of bed and gasped as my vision swam. I crashed to the floor, knocking over the IV stand.
“We can see how well you are doing,” Fabian groused, picking me off the floor he stuffed me back in bed and righted the stand.
That’s when I realized I was butt ass naked! I jerked the sheet up to my neck. “What happened to my clothes?”
“I threw those bloody rags away,” Fabian announced in disgust.
Doctor Rossi gave me a stern look. “You must rest for the next forty-eight hours.”
“Forty-eight hours! But… I can’t wait that long.
I need…”
“To rest,” Granny Annabel stated firmly as she faded away.
“Derek’s out there looking for me.”
“Have no fear, bella, if he shows up, I will handle him,” Fabian said dismissively.
I slumped against the pillow with a groan. The fool really believed that. “I’d feel a whole lot safer with a stun gun or a Taser.”
Fabian opened the night stand drawer. “Your stun gun and Taser are right here.” With a flourish he picked up a plate of cookies off the wet bar.
“And for my most favorite cousin, I brought you chocolate chip cookies made by Henri’s own hands.”
Henri’s cookies were the best of the best.
“Bless you. I take back every mean thing I said about you.”
He held the plate just out of reach. “I am no longer a man whore?”
“No, you are the best cousin ever. Now give me the freakin’ cookies.”
“No cookies,” Doctor Rossi commanded as he took the plate away from Fabian and set it back on the counter.
I let out a wail “No cookies! That’s just mean.”
“No solid food until tomorrow,” the r
ather hairy doctor answered.
“But…”
“You did vomit all over Dixon,” Granny commented in my head.
She had a point and my stomach was still a bit queasy. “Okay, no cookies. Could my most favorite cousin in the entire world loan me a t-shirt to sleep in?”
Fabian cocked an impertinent eyebrow at me.
“Women should always sleep in the nude.”
If I was a size zero, which I wasn’t, I might think about it. I gave him the evil eye and in my best mean mother voice commanded, “Shirt. Now.”
“You’ll never catch a man this way,” Fabian grumbled as he walked over to the dresser, pulled a black t-shirt out and handed it to me. “Happy?”
“Very and I’m hunting for gold, not a man.” I hurriedly pulled the shirt on.
Granny insisted, “You need to rest. What are the chances of Derek looking for you in a luxury resort?”
Slim. “As long as we keep a low profile for the next couple of days, it should be safe.” I shot Fabian a look. “Low profile means no more strutting around in that Speedo.”
“You wound me, bella. I would never do anything to harm family.”
“And Rome was just fluke?”
Fabian’s lower lip jutted out. “She was a goddess. How could I resist her?”
“She was an Interpol agent who was using you to get to Uncle Aldo.”
Assuming a haughty pose, Fabian huffed, “But she didn’t succeed. Please excuse me, I must call my agent.” He flounced out.
“Look at me,” Doctor Rossi commanded.
Very reluctantly, I obeyed. The poor guy was squirming uncomfortably as he flashed a pen light in my eyes. That banana had to jabbing things that shouldn’t be jabbed.
The good doctor expertly removed my IV then handed me a couple of pills and a glass of water.
“These will help the pain. Get some sleep and I will check on you later.”
I downed the pills like a good little girl.
“Thanks and could you uh… Wear some pants next time?”
Doctor Rossi glanced down at his banana and a flush stained his cheeks. “I am an old fool who wished to reclaim some of my youth.” With a slight bow, he picked up his medical bag and left.
“Men are strange creatures,” Granny Annabel stated.
“No kidding. Rossi has been the family doctor for what? The last thirty years?”
“He delivered Sebastian so more like thirty-two years.”