Phoenix Inheritance

by Corrina Lawson

“It certainly does.”

  “Hah,” Daz said.

  Daz set a pace that was almost too much for her. For every long stride he took, she had to take two or risk being left behind. She pushed herself because she’d be damned if she showed weakness in front of these men, not after begging them to help her. And the sooner they got where they were going, the better.

  “How many miles in all?” she asked Gabe.

  “As the crow flies, about twenty. But I’m not sure what obstacles we’ll encounter on the way, topographic or human. I’ll know more as we get closer.”

  “Okay.” She finally managed to get a good pace going by following in Daz’s footsteps. He was so fascinating to watch move, like a perfect sculpture come to life, all muscled grace.

  “How’d you get into this line of work?” she asked.

  Daz turned, walking backwards, never breaking stride. “‘This line of work’ meaning what?”

  “The military thing.”

  Daz turned back around, shaded his eyes and looked at the sun. The tree line above the meadow loomed ever closer. That was when the hike would start to get tricky. The wild animals would likely leave them alone, especially with the dogs around them, but people were another story.

  “Military service is a family tradition,” Daz finally said.

  “Your father is an officer?”

  “He’s a mustang. That means he worked his way up from enlisted to officer. And my youngest aunt, my two uncles, and my grandfather on my mother’s side also served.”

  “Does your mom wear combat boots too?”

  “You’d think but, no, my mother broke the mold and became an engineer.”

  “Sounds like a great family.” She whistled for Thor because she couldn’t see him through the grass. He came bounding into sight a second later.

  The clouds cleared and the sun shone brighter around them. Daz pulled sunglasses out of his pocket and put them on. She pulled her hat lower on her head and realized she’d forgotten her shades in the rush. At least she’d remembered sunscreen. That had become a habit in the last few days.

  “What about you?” Daz asked.

  “What do you mean?”

  “Why do you do search and rescue? It’s a serious time commitment, especially training your dogs.”

  “I always loved animals. I wanted to be a vet until I realized I wasn’t cut out for working with dying animals.”

  “You do this full time?” he asked.

  “I would if I had the money. But I do part-time accounting work, mostly during tax season, and private dog training. It pays the bills and frees me up during the rest of the year. I travel as much as I can when I’m not needed.”

  He gave her a long look, impossible to interpret behind his shades. “I don’t usually picture accountants as flying halfway around the world to disasters.”

  “We’re a daring bunch. For my next trick, I’ll even attempt to make this hike a tax write-off.”

  He laughed. “I guess it’s a better setup than what I was thinking.”

  “Which was?”

  “Stripper by day, SAR hero by night.”

  He said it with such good humor that she laughed. “Nope, sorry.”

  She whistled again. Loki appeared next to his brother. Enough frolicking. Better keep them close now.

  “Your family is military but why did you go into Special Forces?” Renee asked. “Like SAR work, that’s a serious commitment.”

  “I wanted to push myself,” Daz said.

  “Why?”

  “No particular reason.”

  Silence after that answer. She suspected that was all the explanation she was going to get. Maybe he liked a challenge or he wanted to one-up his relatives who’d been in the service? Hard to tell given she’d only known him one day. Daz was a military brat and that meant the concept of duty had been pounded into him. Maybe that was reason enough for him to volunteer for SEAL training.

  “How about you, Gabe?” she asked.

  “I’ve been underestimated my whole life,” Gabe said. “I’m not anymore.”

  Gabe’s tone invited no more questions.

  Around them, birds chirped and she heard the buzzing of bees and even a few crickets. The quake hadn’t driven them all away. Interesting. She wondered if that was standard and realized she had no idea of how quakes affected the local floral and fauna, at least beyond the areas it destroyed. She’d been too focused on SAR work to dig into the science surrounding a disaster.

  They stopped at the edge of the tree line. Her back was drenched in sweat. Not that she would admit to being close to her limit to the men.

  “The trail will go up sharply from here,” Gabe said.

  She drank down water from her bottle. “Thanks for the warning.”

  “We have a choice of two paths,” Gabe said, checking his device display. “This first one is shorter but hillier, according to the topographical display. The second is more visible, more traveled, and probably an easier walk.”

  “Pick the one that will get us closer faster,” she said.

  “How much time would the high road save?” Daz asked.

  “We’re about eighteen miles from the last known location of the plane. We’d shave about two miles off by going up and over the mountain rather than around the base of them,” Gabe answered.

  “And if we take the high ground, we might have a better chance of spotting a downed plane,” she said. “I’m game. Are there any hazards I should know about?”

  Daz grimaced. “We stirred up some very trigger-happy people when we were out here earlier. They could have scouts watching the path as well as the road in case we come back.”

  “What’s the real story about that?” she asked.

  “Zach was shot by armed men guarding a convoy of trucks that barely fit on the unpaved mountain road,” Daz said. “Smugglers, probably.”

  That sounded closer to the truth than his previous story of panicked locals. “Would these smugglers bother the survivors of the plane?”

  “Maybe, if they thought—”

  Gabe cut the air with his hand. “Should you be telling her all this, Lieutenant?”

  Daz shrugged. “We have to be on the lookout for trouble and she needs to know what it could be. Renee, I’ve no idea if these same guys would bother any survivors of the crash or even if they’re in the area. But we have to assume they could be and they might be interested in your plane, especially since it was carrying drugs.”

  “And they’d probably be glad to steal them,” Renee said. “They’re less likely to be on the mountain path than the regular road, right?”

  “That’s a guess but, yeah,” Daz said.

  “My dogs will be our scouts. If they scent anyone in a quarter of a mile, they’ll let me know,” she offered.

  “Great. That’s a help.” Daz looked at Gabe. “Mountain trail it is, by unanimous agreement.”

  “Yes, Sir.”

  “Let me just give the dogs a little water. I need them to stay hydrated.” She poured water into a portable dish, and they lapped it up. Daz watched, amused at the way she also tossed treats at them.

  “Are you ever going to tell me the real reason you were out here?” she asked.

  “Classified,” Gabe and Daz said in unison.

  “But,” Daz clarified, “the guards for the vans weren’t the reason we were here. Running into them was just bad luck.”

  “Let’s hope that your luck turns good, then,” Renee said.

  Chapter Six

  Renee thought about putting another log on the fire then decided to leave that to Daz. She stared at Charlie, now sound asleep, Thor curled up at his feet. Thank God he hadn’t woken up during her little breakdown.

  Oh, Charlie, what are we going to do next?

  He was counting on her. She had to fin
d a solution. Maybe, against all odds, Daz’s new psychologist could help. She’d try anything.

  She spotted something white on the mantel and picked it up. It was a new origami piece that Daz must have just made, a little dog. So cute. He had such talented hands, in so many ways. Renee gingerly set the paper dog back on the mantel, making sure it would stay up there instead of floating down into the fire.

  She settled on the couch, her gaze locked on the flames, hoping to clear her mind. But thoughts still raced around, pinging from one worry to another, rerunning the last few hours. Charlie wasn’t the only thing on her mind, given what had just happened between her and Daz.

  Making love to him had always been intoxicating. It was the aftermath that was the problem. Where did they go from here? Daz wanted to help their son and she believed him and wanted that help. But how much of his concern was for her as Charlie’s mother? Did he care for her in her own right? He hadn’t before, beyond their brief, intense affair. Taking care of her had been an obligation to him. He’d made that crystal clear.

  Would he be here now if it weren’t for their son? Or would she be just a long-ago memory to him?

  She’d been in love with Daz, completely, during their time together. But he’d never been in love with her. His actions after she’d told him about their baby proved that. He said he’d live up to his obligations. He never said a word about love.

  She closed her eyes to the flames.

  Loki woke up, padded over, and head-butted her knee. She scratched his ears. “Loki, this is such a mess.”

  He licked her fingers and she smiled. Poor Loki. He must be feeling very tired and stiff after all he’d done today. No wonder he wanted to be close to the fire.

  Loki turned his head, ears alert.

  She looked behind her. Daz was there.

  “You move very quietly.” Daz always had.

  “Not quietly enough to fool him,” Daz said.

  Loki glared. Renee smiled again. Dogs never let you down. They just loved unreservedly. Life was simple for dogs. If only they lived as long as people.

  “Loki, down,” she said.

  He curled up at her feet.

  Daz sat next to her. “He really loves you.”

  “I love him too.”

  Daz grunted. She said nothing. Nothing seemed wise.

  “I’m just going to touch the shoulder to make sure where the pain is centered,” Daz said.

  “Sure.”

  They spoke in whispers, neither wanting to wake up Charlie.

  Very gently, Daz probed the shoulder with his fingertips. Right when he hit the middle of the collarbone, she winced.

  “Okay,” he said. “That could be cracked.”

  “Maybe so.” Please just let it be bruised, not broken.

  “I’m going to wrap your arm tight against you. The less it moves, the better.”

  “Sure.” His face was inches from hers. She inhaled. He smelled good, sweat and all. He’d felt good too. So good. Perfect. No use denying it. She’d always wanted Daz.

  “Unfortunately, I don’t have a shoulder sling in here, so we’ll have to make do with ACE bandages,” he said.

  “That’s fine,” she said.

  “You always did make do without complaint, Wonder Woman.”

  Her tongue felt thick. He was so close again. She leaned her head back against the cushions. After their lovemaking, for the first time in ages, she’d been at peace. That lasted all of what? An hour before she heard Charlie’s screams?

  “Before you start, could you throw another log on the fire? It looks like it’s going out,” she asked.

  He picked up a heavy log with ease, set it on the fire, and shifted it to a better position with the fireplace poker. The flames threw shadows on the opposite wall, adding a romantic flair to her basic living room. Daz, his form silhouetted by the dancing flames, never seemed so enticing.

  “Thanks,” she said.

  “No problem.” Daz sat next to her again.

  He set his fingers lightly on her shoulder, the tips just touching her bare neck. She took a deep breath.

  “Hold your arm in front of your chest and I’ll start by running the bandage from your neck to your wrist and work back from there.”

  She nodded, her throat tight. “Remember the last time you bandaged me up?” She flexed her hand. She still had the scar near her thumb.

  “I’ll never forget. The damned bear nearly tore off your hand but all you were worried about was Thor.”

  “Thor protected us.”

  “I know.” He glanced down at Loki.

  More silence as he finished wrapping her up.

  “You’re wearing the sweatshirt,” he said.

  What did he mean by that? Oh, right. This was the oversize Navy sweatshirt that Daz had bought her on their real first date. Sometimes, on long nights when she couldn’t sleep, she wore it and thought of what might have been. “Yeah, sure. Why not?”

  “I’m glad you kept it,” he said.

  She resisted the urge to shrug, knowing that would hurt. “It’s a nice big warm sweatshirt.”

  “You didn’t have to wear it tonight.”

  “I guess not.” She hated that Daz would guess she’d kept it all these years because it reminded her of him. How pathetic was it that sometimes she smelled it just to see if it still held Daz’s scent? Absolutely pathetic when their love had gone only one way. “But it’s warm.”

  “Ah.” Daz smiled.

  Well, he was right not to buy her excuse. No matter how much it hurt, she liked remembering him. And, oddly, today had been one of those days when he’d remembered her.

  “What prompted you to rush to us today, Daz? I didn’t expect you.”

  “I heard about the storm, remembered how isolated this house can be, and headed straight here.” He taped the edges of the ACE bandage together. “I wanted to offer you guys shelter from the storm at the Phoenix Institute, where I work. We’ve got plenty of generators, plus guest rooms, including a game room Charlie would love.”

  “You’d let us into your workplace? You’re kidding. You never say anything about your work beyond that it’s a private security firm.” This was a side of Daz’s life he kept secret, even back when things had been good between them. That was still true, obviously, given how he’d put her off when she asked about the handprint scar. Bodyguard work, he’d said. Another example of the very real distance between them.

  “Yeah, well, it’s time you knew more about what I do,” he said.

  “Why now?” Because they’d had sex?

  “That’s complicated and has to do with Charlie.” He finished up the wrapping. “Does that feel snug enough?”

  She tried to move at her elbow. No go. But it didn’t feel so tight that circulation was being cut off. “Seems to be just right. That’s another one I owe you.”

  “You don’t owe me anything. You’re family.”

  “Okay.”

  He packed up the duffel.

  “Daz, what’s complicated and what does your work have to do with Charlie?” Was he about to move away from New Jersey? Disappear on a high-security mission? What new crisis loomed?

  He threw another log on the fire and faced her, catching and holding her gaze.

  “What do you think I do?”

  “I’ve never been quite sure what that is, except it’s dangerous.” The new scar on his shoulder proclaimed just how dangerous it was. “But what does it have to do with Charlie?”

  “That’s complicated. Let me take the long way around. You’re right, I’ve done private-ops missions and bodyguard work for the Phoenix Institute. But we’ve shifted lately from that focus to something more like rescue work.”

  “More like what I do? Hostage rescue, then?”

  “Yes, something along those lines, though with
out your dogs.” He grinned, leaned down and scratched Loki’s ears. “We figured there’s more elite troops can do to help people than fight.”

  “But you’re obviously still fighting something or you wouldn’t have that new scar.”

  “Yeah. Unfortunately, this is still not without risk.” He sighed.

  “That all sounds good and you sound happy about it, Daz, but could you get to the point about what this has to do with Charlie?”

  A long pause. Renee closed her eyes, resting, waiting.

  “The thing is, the psychologist that I talked about earlier for Charlie is at the Phoenix Institute. Her name’s Beth Nakamora. She’s the person I want Charlie to see.”

  “A psychologist is part of your Institute? And you think she could help Charlie?” She’d had a small hope that Daz did know a psychologist who could help Charlie. But he needed a child psychologist. “Daz, Charlie needs a pediatric specialist, not one who deals with veterans. Though she must be good, if you like her, but that doesn’t mean she’s right for Charlie.”

  “I hear your objection, but Beth’s specialty is pediatrics, specifically kids with issues like Charlie,” Daz said.

  “Now you’ve really confused me. How did a pediatric psychologist get involved in your line of work?”

  “She’s a pediatric and adolescent specialist. Hey, it’s not that much of a reach. You always said some military types are like children.”

  “That’s true enough but—”

  “But nothing. Listen. Beth works for us part-time. She also has a private practice where her patients are children and teens.”

  “Oh. Okay, then. Now that sounds more promising,” Renee said.

  “I’m convinced we should get Charlie to her ASAP. I’ve seen her work wonders.”

  “If she’s so good, why didn’t you mention her before?” Renee asked.

  Daz looked away. Did he feel guilty about something?

  “I guess I didn’t think Charlie needed the help. Or that you had it under control already and didn’t need another psychologist. I didn’t realize how rough it was with him until tonight.”

  “Oh.” It was her turn to look away. “I’m not very good at asking for help. I guess I could have told you how scared I am about this before.”