by Bianca James
There was still a chance and Bryce urged his dragon to set down beyond a copse of trees, separating them from the helipad. Despite the urgency of the situation, having his former covert ops masters asking questions about the dragon landing nearby with an unconscious woman in its claws wasn’t really going to help things run smoothly. If they ever found out about his true nature, they’d find a way to bring him back to the fold and they’d never let him go.
Ducking slightly to avoid the deadly rotating blades of the chopper, Bryce ran to the open door in its belly, the task being made all the more difficult as he tried to maintain his hold on Saira while shielding his eyes from the rotorwash that flattened the manicured lawn surrounding the aircraft, swirling grass and dust in its wake.
Arms and hands extended from the open doorway as he neared, relieving him of his charge. Now it was up the highly trained ex-military medics to work their magic. Bryce knew they were the best of the best and trusted Saira to them without hesitation. They were her only hope.
They began working on her immediately. Not a second was wasted as they moved with practiced efficiency. Even as they began to perform an endotracheal intubation, the rotor blades were spinning up, readying the chopper to take flight to the nearest trauma center with a helipad. One of the crew moved to close the door and seeing Bryce motionless, waved him back with urgent gestures. Reluctantly, he stepped back, crouching low as the helicopter rose into the night sky. Rotating on its axis to alter direction, the chopper dipped its nose before speeding off into the inky darkness, its turbines whining increasingly to full power.
“. . . St. George’s . . . hospital” he heard through his earpiece. The rotorwash of the helicopter was fading and he could hear fragments of Simon’s conversation in his ear.
Clearing his throat of dust kicked up by the downwash from the dramatic takeoff, Bryce keyed his throat mic, “Say again, Simon. Repeat last transmission.”
“They’re taking her to St George’s. It’s the nearest major hospital with a first class trauma center and a rooftop helipad,” Simon repeated.
“Thanks,” Bryce responded. “For everything,” he added, his voice choked with emotion.
St George the dragon slayer. The irony of the hospital to which Saira was being taken was not lost on Bryce.
Chapter 13
Professor Blane was making his way back to the bunker having wasted nearly an hour of precious time trying to find a pharmacy. He eventually found one a few suburbs away and stocked up on pain killers and more packing for his profusely bleeding nose. He looked forward to watching the life drain out of her on the CCTV monitor he’d rigged up to the camera. He hoped he wasn’t too late. It was her fault he had to waste time looking for a bloody pharmacy. Little bitch!
He had no intention of allowing Saira to run off with her superhero boyfriend. He just wanted the coin. The coin was his ticket out of the mess he’d found himself in. He hoped it would give him the leverage to free him and his brother from the clutches of The Circle. It was a tenuous hope, but it was all he had to cling to.
He was looking forward to seeing the look on superhero’s face, too, when he realized his little princess was dead. He couldn’t wait to watch Pak tear him apart, limb by limb. Blane checked his watch — the oily piece of shit and his coin were due at the meeting point in just over an hour. Plenty of time to watch the girl expire. A smile began to form on his lips but he cut it short. Even a smile caused his nose to hurt like a bastard.
Blane stopped to wipe his smarting eyes and that’s when he saw movement outside the bunker. Movement where there shouldn’t be any. As he cleared the tears from his eyes, every fiber of his being told him that what he was seeing was impossible. The pharmacy bag in his hand dropped and his jaw did the same.
Right in front of him a man turned into a colossal dragon. Glowing eyes. Scaly skin with an almost metallic hue. It looked like the real thing, but it couldn’t be. Then it unfolded its capacious leather like wings and began to beat them almost casually, each powerful stroke lifting the monstrous beast further off the ground like it was an effortless task. By the time Blane processed all this and began to trust his eyes once again, the beast had flown skyward, out of sight, carrying an unidentifiable bundle in its talons.
If his eyes hadn’t deceived him, Blane had witnessed something infinitely more valuable than the coins The Circle had spent eons searching for. And Blane was nothing if not an opportunist.
By the time he cued the video feed from the security cameras, Blane had begun to doubt what he’d actually seen, even though he had been quite sure of himself. Nothing untoward showed on the monitors. Everything looked dull and routine, as it was meant to. Then he saw the door burst open and a man emerged, the sense of urgency about him apparent even on the grainy security footage. He was carrying the girl. That’s when Blane took more note of the face of the man who helped the cunning little bitch escape.
“You —” The veins in his forehead threatened to pop as he balled his fists, sheer rage taking control as he swept the monitors from the desk and onto the floor where they sparked and sizzled before going dark and emitting wisps of acrid smoke.
Chapter 14
Saira opened her eyes to the merciless glare of the recovery room lighting, forcing her to close them again as each breath filled her lungs with welcome, life sustaining quantities of oxygen thanks to the high flow nasal cannula tucked over her ears. She hadn’t gone over to the other side at all. Maybe it had all been a dream. Or maybe not. But she was sure that she hadn’t died and the more she thought about it, she became emphatically convinced that she had, in fact, been flying through the air to the sound of giant, leathery wings. Despite how ridiculous that sounded to her scientific and razor sharp, academic mind, she didn’t think it was possible to make a mistake like that, not even when you were on the verge of crossing over. Something happened to her and she was determined to find out exactly what or who was responsible for plucking her from the clutches of that nut job and total creep of a professor and then depositing her into this well-equipped medical suite. Whoever it was had saved her life. There was no doubting that. But . . . there was more to it than that and the answer seeking academic in her wouldn’t rest until she had uncovered all the answers.
And somehow, against all logic, she knew that the dangerously handsome, athletically built museum thief was at the very center of that particular mystery. Of that, she was in no doubt. The only question was exactly how he was involved and how he managed to rescue her from the apparently impenetrable underground concrete tomb. But she knew it was him. She couldn’t be mistaken about the touch she felt as his hands touched her bare skin. She recognized it straight away. Nor would she forget the raw power and economy of movement as she was carried, carefully to be sure, but with a sense of urgency from the bunker in which she had nearly lost her struggle with death. Only one person she knew moved like that and had the strength to carry her over his powerful shoulders so effortlessly. She had been wrong to give up on him. He had come for her after all.
The doctor poked his head through the partially opened door, looking from left to right as if to assure himself he was in the right room. Hadn’t she had her vitals checked only minutes before? Or maybe it had been an hour ago but she had dozed, losing track of time. But why was the doctor in green surgical scrubs and wearing a surgical mask? What was wrong with her? Was she about to be whisked away for emergency surgery? What weren’t they telling her? Suddenly her head filled with irrational thoughts and fear tightened her chest, making breathing difficult, even with the supplemental oxygen.
Suddenly her breath caught in her throat. Her eyes met the piercing, stormy blue-gray eyes of the doctor. She would recognize those dreamy eyes anywhere. Her breathing returned to normal as he approached her bed and she tried to do her best to appear relaxed, but her heart rate betrayed her as the beeping of her monitoring equipment increased its cadence.
Bryce pulled the surgical mask down and pressed his lips to hers
in a wordless gesture that said all that needed to be said in that moment. Saira knew she was going to be alright now. He had come for, yet again and this time, she wasn’t letting him get away.
As he broke away from their kiss Saira spoke coyly in his ear, “That’s some bedside manner you have there, doctor.”
He responded with another kiss, this time more urgent, demanding and possessive, forcing her lips open and plundering her sweet mouth with his tongue.
Her ECG readout continued to climb at an alarming rate as she explored him with equal fervor.
Chapter 15
“We need to get out of here,” Bryce whispered, more from being breathless from the prolonged kiss than the need to keep quiet.
Her confused expression said it all. She had no idea why they had to leave the safety and security of the hospital.
“They’re coming after both of us and I can tell you one thing for sure, they’re as pissed as hell right now.”
“What did you do?” she demanded. She knew that if they were pissed with both of them, then he must have done something.
“I did what needed to be done to get you out of there. You’d be dead by now, otherwise. And then they’d finish me off, once they got what they were after.”
Saira’s gaze fell to where she knew the coin was hidden, in its special pouch against Bryce’s hardened chest muscles.
“Trust me, we won’t be on their Christmas card list anytime soon,” he added, trying to lighten the mood.
“Can’t we go to the police and let them handle it?” She took hold of his hand, imploring him to take her seriously.
“The first thing they’d do is lock me away and they’d probably try to arrest you as an accessory. The CCTV footage from the museum didn’t do you any favors. Look at it from their point of view, it looks like an inside job and you’re on camera escaping from the scene with an unidentified guy just as the police begin to storm the place. I’m sorry but it doesn’t look good for you, I’m afraid.”
Saira pondered for a moment before nodding in agreement. “You’re right. It doesn’t help our cause if we get locked up. They will end up with the coin while we rot in prison. That’s really not how I saw us ending up together, quite honestly.”
“So, you’ve thought about us ending up together,” Bryce teased. A smug smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.
The previously pale skin of Saira’s cheeks turned a deep crimson as Bryce’s eyes bore into her. It felt like he was reading her thoughts, which she knew should be totally impossible. Then again, this man challenged her views on what was possible and what wasn’t in a way she’d never been challenged before.
“I’ll come with you and I’ll work with you, but first, I want some answers and I’m not moving an inch until I’m satisfied that you’ve been totally honest with me. And if you really do know what I’m thinking, then you must know that I’m deadly serious. I want the truth.”
Bryce was in no doubt as to how serious she was. He didn’t even have to go inside her mind to know that. Her very body language screamed defiance and it was clear that she wouldn’t budge until she was satisfied.
“You wouldn’t believe me anyway, so what’s the point,” he countered.
Saira crossed her arms and continued to glare at him. She wasn’t backing down.
“Alright, but like I said, you’re not going to —”
Suddenly the door flung open, revealing a nurse who could, at best, be described as ‘matronly’. She took one look at Bryce in his surgical scrubs and adopted a menacing pose, blocking the door.
“I don’t know who you think you are, but I’m calling security and you’re staying right there, young man.” She pointed a chastising finger directly at Bryce and from her tone, she was clearly accustomed to being obeyed without question.
Within seconds, her demeanor altered radically and she became subdued, almost apologetic.
“Oh, I’m so sorry doctor. I . . . I didn’t recognize you without your clothes . . . I mean . . . in your scrubs,” she stammered as she turned on her heels and made a hasty exit.
“Nice work. You can tell me all about how you do that, too,” Saira muttered under her breath as the nurse exited the room.
“Later. Right now, we need to get out of here before she realizes what just happened.” Bryce waved his hand toward the door through which the stern looking nurse had just exited.
He threw a handful of clothes from the closet onto the bed before awkwardly turning around to face the window in an effort to give Saira a little privacy.
“Hurry up and get dressed. I’ll explain everything as soon as we’re out of here,” he commanded in a tone that didn’t encourage debate on the matter.
Not usually one to take orders, especially from a man, Saira recognized that this wasn’t the time for defensive posturing. He was right, they needed to get away from the hospital before someone reported their presence to the authorities or worse . . . The Circle found them.
She was determined to get her answers, though. There was no doubt about that.
“Where are we going,” she asked as soon as she was dressed.
But he was already half way out the door when she turned around and Saira had no choice but to follow in his wake.
Chapter 16
“Whose place is this,” Saira asked, as she stepped through the doorway. “And who do all these cars belong to?” she continued, her eyes were wide with fascination as she looked around the cavernous garage, trying to take it all in.
“It’s my place. The cars are mine, too.” He waved dismissively at the rows of exotic cars.
“Come with me, I’ve got a surprise for you.” He smiled and started walking toward the rear of the garage. Once again, Saira was compelled to follow as if drawn by a force she could feel but not fully comprehend.
As he opened the door, the gleaming kitchen came into view and Saira stopped in her tracks. Speechless and mouth agape she could do no more that stare at the kitchen space that seemed more in keeping with a busy 5 Star hotel than a country home.
“And I suppose this is yours, too?”
Before he could answer, something nudged her legs and she immediately recognized the purr of contentment coming from near her feet.
“Kitty!” She squeaked with excitement as she knelt down and picked him up.
The cat looked bored with the attention and it soon realized that there was no food forthcoming and began to squirm free of Saira’s grasp so he could continue his search for a meal.
“What have you done to Kitty?” Saira enquired with an element of suspicion in her voice.
“Nothing. I left him here and told my kitchen staff to take care of him. They were told to feed her. He’s still alive, so I assume they’ve been doing their job,” Bryce shot back defensively. He couldn’t understand how he was in trouble when he’d gone to the effort of saving the cat and bringing it into his home to be cared for. Why was everything with this woman so difficult?
“He looks hungry. I don’t think your staff have been taking their responsibilities seriously. Do you?” Her hands rested firmly on her curvy hips as she waited for a response.
Bryce merely shrugged. He had no idea what had been going on with the cats feeding routine. Who could blame him for that, after all? Hadn’t he been just a tad busy elsewhere dealing with more pressing matters, like saving little miss hands-on-hips life. Some gratitude might have been nice, Bryce thought as he admired her curvaceous figure, despite the look of admonishment that darkened her face. He knew he was beaten, so rather than argue or try to defend himself, he made his way across the kitchen and searched the spacious French door fridge for some cat suitable scraps.
As he fossicked around among the containers of leftovers, Kitty began to rub himself against Bryce’s legs, making the task of finding a suitable meal all the more difficult.
“Give me a break,” he pleaded, nudging the cat away with his feet. He quirked a brow toward Saira. “Why does he have to be so annoying?�
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“It’s called bunting. He’s marking you with scent from his glands because he likes you and trusts you. You make him feel safe.” Then she added, “Despite the fact that you’ve left him to starve, he still feels safe with you.”
“I didn’t . . .” No, there was no point continuing. “Do you have a scientific answer for everything?” he asked instead.
“Most things,” she replied with confidence. “Doesn’t everything have a rational, scientific explanation?”
If only you knew, but he kept that thought to himself.
“And speaking of which,” she continued, “when are we going to have that talk, you know, the one where we discuss things that defy rational explanation? There are so many things right now that aren’t adding up in my nerdy, academic brain.”
Her face was set. Bryce could see that she wasn’t going to let him get away with any diversionary tactics. It was time for full disclosure. They couldn’t move forward without having the talk.
Chapter 17
Saira’s legs trembled. The sensation of his warm breath across the nape of her hypersensitive neck had that effect on her. As his fingertips brushed across her shoulders, working their way toward her heaving breasts she felt as if she were losing control. Sensing her plight, Bryce wrapped a powerful arm around her waist and pulled her closer to him, supporting her from near collapse. How did he do that to her?
His lips, tender and loving played over her skin, teasing her with their promise and again her knees almost buckled, she was so overwhelmed.