Escaping Vegas (The Inheritance Book 1)

by Danielle Bourdon

  “If I hadn’t been living it every day, I’d think this was impossible. Unbelievable,” she replied in a quiet voice. The burden of the dragon and its consequences were more than Madalina had ever bargained for. She wondered if this had been a part of her grandfather’s life, too, and whether he’d been secretly on the run from the Chinese government. Perhaps that had more to do with his constant travels and moving around than a genetic bent toward wanderlust.

  “There’s more. Maybe they won’t believe that you don’t know anything about the other dragons, either, which will precipitate a question-and-answer session you won’t want to be a part of,” he added.

  “You’re talking about torturing the information out of me.”

  “Yes.”

  “I saw a little of that tonight, in the warehouse. Except they were casually threatening my friends and family, as if they knew that would hurt me a lot more than anything they could do physically.”

  “They start there, then progress. Trust me, there’s a lot they could do physically that would shatter you.”

  “Are you speaking from experience?”

  “Let’s just say I’ve been around the block a few times. And I don’t want to see that happen to you.” Cole looked away, scanned the parking lot, then found her eyes again.

  “When you talk like this, it makes me realize that I’m not the only one with mysteries left to unravel. How did you know I even had the dragon in the first place?”

  “The antique site you used. That’s how the Chinese agents found you, too, I’d bet anything. Once I confirmed by photos that it was the Treasure Dragon, or at least a close representation, I got your address by fiddling with the site’s user information. From there it was a matter of driving out to California—I’d been in Arizona working on another . . . project. You’d just left for the airport, though, so I did a little research about what flight you took, when it was landing, and drove to Nevada.”

  “How could you have gotten that kind of sensitive information?” Madalina couldn’t detect any lies in Cole’s answer. Then again, she hadn’t detected any lies before now, either. She didn’t allow that to dissuade her from listening and asking more questions.

  “I have four brothers, two of whom are skilled in that area. They relayed the information to me.”

  “Four brothers?” Madalina wasn’t sure why that tidbit surprised her so much, but it did.

  “Yes. My oldest brother—well, all of us have spent time in the military—is a lawyer and also has experience with computer systems.”

  “You were in the military? That explains a few things, then.” His skill in self-defense, familiarity with a weapon.

  “Three of us, including me, were army. One was a marine; the other in the navy. I continued training outside the service, as did my brothers. It’s just a way of life in our family.”

  “What about your mom and dad?” she asked.

  “What about them? They live in Rhode Island, not too far from me. My father did fourteen years in the military. He requested we all serve time right out of high school, which we did. My mom was an army nurse for four years, then took care of five boys, and worked shifts later, once we were in school, at the local hospital until her retirement.”

  Madalina found herself fascinated to learn more about Cole’s background. “What did you do when you got out of the military?”

  “I sought extra training, like I told you, and began my illustrious career of finding hard-to-get items.”

  “So you’ve been ‘acquiring’ certain things for how long?” Madalina asked.

  “Nine years. I’m twenty-nine, thirty next February.”

  “I feel almost underaccomplished at twenty-four—but then you probably knew how old I was when you sought me out. What with your connections and everything.” What could have been a facetious retort came out as statement of fact instead. Madalina’s anger had taken a backseat to curiosity.

  “I made it my business to find out what I could in advance, yes.”

  “Are all of your brothers still in the military? How is it you came to ‘acquire’ things—what does that even mean?” she asked. Her fingers had finally stopped shaking. She clasped them in her lap while she studied Cole’s features.

  “No, none of us are in the service any longer.” He lifted a hand and rubbed his jaw, a thoughtful gesture. “I should start by saying that my father ended up working in covert ops while he was enlisted, not CIA but a deeper, undercover division that gave him a lot of experience and connections in many parts of the world. He started a business after he got out, one that governments and private corporations utilize for extremely sensitive projects. He gets contracts all the time to retrieve things from other governments, agencies, and companies of the type that don’t advertise their wares to the general public. This way, if anyone gets caught, it doesn’t blow back directly onto our government—or anyone else’s.”

  “Does that make you a spy, then?” she asked, surprised.

  “No. I’m not a spy,” he replied, giving her a specific look that suggested there were other employees in the company that were. “I go in after the documents, objects, whatever it is that he gets a contract for. I also accept contracts on the side, on my own—which is where the collector who wanted the Treasure Dragon comes in.”

  Madalina thought she understood. “I see. It sounds dangerous. If your contracts are anything like what we’ve had to deal with over the last few days.”

  “It can be. I won’t deny that. Sometimes we find people or caches of weapons or top-secret documents, and it can be tricky to extract them.”

  “Are all your brothers involved with your father’s company, too?”

  “Yes. We help each other out if we’re working on private cases—”

  “Like the dragon.”

  “Like the dragon,” he confirmed.

  Madalina fell silent for several minutes, contemplating everything she’d just learned. She surveyed the area, not so distracted that she’d forgotten to keep an eye out for unwanted company. When she glanced back at Cole, she found him studying her like she’d been studying him. She said, “So you’re still searching for the other three dragons, right?”

  “It’s a standing offer, Madalina. The collector knows that these things are all but impossible to find. So I keep an eye out, wait for hits through the Internet or contacts of my own. The Treasure Dragon is the first one I’ve heard anything about in the three years I’ve been looking. If I can finagle a dragon into my possession, then I can take it to the collector and get paid. They’re very hard to find, like I said, but two million per dragon is a pretty lucrative offer.”

  Two million was a lot of money. Madalina couldn’t fathom that kind of a payday. It all made more sense now, and Cole’s decision to give the dragon back to the Chinese agents solidified in her mind that he was doing so on her behalf, rather than his own. Despite herself, she did wonder how her grandfather had gotten his hands on the dragon and whether he had information about the location of the others. Not because of the money, but because it gave her insight into parts of his life she’d never known anything about.

  “What’s on your mind?” Cole asked.

  “Just thinking about my grandpa and the dragon and the agents. Wondering if I would find any more information if I had access to some of his belongings. Anything he has isn’t in this country, though. It would have to be in Rio, or some other place he might have that I don’t know about.”

  “It is curious how the dragon came to be in his possession. For now, I just want to get this one back to the agents and get them off your back. They’ve been even more tenacious than I thought they would be. They took chances I didn’t expect. I knew they were desperate, but the agents managed to surprise me. It’s better to end it, to take the risk away.”

  Madalina could tell by Cole’s intent, expectant gaze that he wanted to know if
she felt the same. If she understood now why he’d taken matters into his own hands. “After everything that’s happened, especially tonight, I agree. I don’t want to have to be afraid every second that someone will sneak up behind me and that I’ll wake up somewhere strange. That doesn’t mean I’m happy about their determination or you taking the dragon without telling me . . . but I’m with you. Let’s put an end to this once and for all.”

  Cole heaved an inward sigh of relief. He knew the moment Madalina capitulated, recognized acquiescence in her gaze. She hadn’t completely forgiven him for his actions, but at least they were now on the right path to overcoming the most major obstacle: the return of the dragon. He believed that a terrible fate awaited her if she didn’t part ways with the artifact. If there wasn’t a faction of men willing to do whatever it took to retrieve the damned thing, Cole would have easily relinquished control back to Madalina. That she wanted to keep the dragon, felt so protective over it, suggested a deep loyalty to those she loved, loyalty of a magnitude he understood because he felt the same about his own family. Cole would—and had—taken bullets for his brothers. The difference here was that he’d had nothing to lose except his own life. If she went down, then he would lose her. Cole didn’t appreciate the thought. Although he couldn’t put a name to whatever this feeling was, it was strong enough to make him take extraordinary steps to keep her safe. That was his commitment to her, his version of loyalty.

  “I’m really glad you’re on board. It’s important to me that you approve of returning the dragon,” he said. After a moment, he added, “Here, let’s switch seats,” and opened the car door.

  Madalina didn’t argue. She got out of the Jaguar and circled behind the vehicle, shoulder brushing his in passing. He slanted a look down at her, holding her gaze until the moment was past. Heat stirred in his loins, which he repressed out of necessity. Now wasn’t the time. He dropped into the driver’s seat.

  Ensconced in the opposite seat, Madalina said, “You didn’t like my driving ability?”

  “In regular traffic, your driving is fine. I’d rather not find out how you’d match up against a driver experienced in running people off the road.” Cole shut the door and clicked the button to engage the locks.

  “What are we going to do now, Cole?” she asked.

  “What would you like to do?” He had several suggestions, but wanted to hear what she had to say, wanted to find out what was on her mind.

  “We can’t go to Lianne’s, or to my parents’ house. Not until after the exchange.”

  “No, we can’t.” He steered the Jaguar away from the park and onto regular roads, heading for the nearest commercial district. “We have two days until then.”

  “Should we get a hotel? Take cover there until you make the trade?” she asked.

  “That was my plan. Only if you’re comfortable with it.”

  “To be honest, I wouldn’t want to go anywhere else.”

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

  The complexity of the situation left Madalina temporary silent as Cole drove them toward the brighter lights of the city. What did she feel for him? She couldn’t pin her emotions down. Lacing and unlacing her fingers in her lap, watching Cole rather than the road, Madalina decided that it was a combination of things. More than simple attraction and lust, there was a burgeoning affection that overtook the previous frustration and anger. Watching him deal with the agents in the warehouse had been an eye-opener on more than one level. He’d come for her, intervened on her behalf. His fierceness and protectiveness made her feel wanted, made her feel safe. She had no doubt that the agents wouldn’t get their hands on her again without a major fight.

  More than anything, she wanted a chance to get to know Cole better. To work past their divisions and differences to see what might lie beneath. Just because he’d planned to use her in the beginning didn’t mean he would continue to use her now. I don’t have a reason to be here any longer, Madalina. Ask yourself why I am, why I’ve come back, and why I put my own life at risk when I’ve already got what I came for. His words echoed in her ears. He was trying to tell her that something had changed for him somewhere along the line. She’d gotten under his skin in ways he hadn’t expected. Just like he’d gotten under hers.

  “Can I ask you a question, Cole?” she asked.

  “Sure.”

  “Don’t get mad, but this is important to me,” she said, prefacing her question with a disclaimer. “Do you often get involved with women connected to cases like this?”

  He glanced across the car, a brief meeting of eyes. “No. In fact, I don’t usually get deeply involved with women at all. On any level. I’ve never thought it fair, considering how much I travel and how dangerous my work can sometimes be.”

  “I wondered that about you when we were driving back from Vegas. A few things you said made me think you weren’t the type to get deep.” And she liked to get deep. Madalina preferred solid relationships to one-night stands. She’d had her share of ships that passed in the night, and she would flirt along with the best of them. But for the most part, she was looking for that particular one who wanted to stay.

  “I’m not.”

  “What’s changed, then? You had your one night with me.”

  “I told you. This is different. I’m not sure how. I’ve found myself curious about your life up till now, and I keep imagining what you’d think of my brothers, my parents. What you’d think of life in Rhode Island. It’s the first time I’ve ever wanted to share the more intimate parts of me with anyone.”

  Cole’s confession rocked Madalina. Most of the men she’d been in a relationship with were tentative and hesitant when it came to family matters. She thought it was ironic that Cole wasn’t the deep type, yet he’d considered her meeting his family, while the men in Madalina’s life who’d been willing to commit had done so regarding her, but not their families. And she wanted to know Cole’s life. Wanted to meet his parents and siblings. Eventually. More than anything, she wanted to get back to the feeling she’d had the morning she woke up before realizing that Cole had deceived her. She wanted that warm, cozy place after a long night spent in his arms. That initial buzz of excitement when someone is on the verge of a new, thrilling relationship.

  “I’ve got the most mundane life story—up until I met you. I’m the only child of parents who are probably best described as hippies. Really, they just have a serious love of the outdoors. Summer vacations consisted of camping trips all over the US and visits to every museum known to man. The best friends I grew up with have moved off to other cities or states—the farthest I’ve moved is to Whittier from Chino, although I was trying to reach the beach. Santa Monica or thereabouts. Just didn’t have the cash at the time for the higher rent. Took some college classes not long out of high school, and in my second year, I met Lianne. We stayed in college another year, worked part-time, and plotted to open a boutique as soon as we saved the money. It took a while.” After a brief pause, she added, “Like I said. Nothing glamorous. We’ve had the shop a little over a year now.” Although she hadn’t meant to spill her life story—what there was of it—Madalina couldn’t stop once she’d started. She studied Cole’s expression, trying to get a bead on his thoughts. He seemed intrigued, if the quick glances he shot her way were any indication.

  “Your life doesn’t sound mundane to me. It seems you did what you set out to do—open a shop—and I’m sure it took a lot of work and perseverance. Besides that, I get the impression that you love it, which is all anyone can ask from a job. Or life, for that matter.” He pulled into the parking lot of a hotel—one with classy lines, pretty arches, and tall palms flanking the building.

  “I do love it. Although I have to say, I’m very intrigued by what you do and how you do it,” she said. After he parked and shut off the engine, he draped an arm along the back of her seat, fingers playing in the ends of her hair.

  “Sometimes it’s tedi
ous. Other times it’s dangerous. What I love most is figuring out the mysteries and unraveling the puzzles. Your particular case came with an added bonus—you.” After a slight hesitation, he reached across; curled an arm around her shoulders; and pulled her into a hot, languid kiss.

  Madalina gave herself over to the pleasure, to the expert glide of his tongue. He stoked fires with the kiss, easily amping the level of desire to greater heights. And she let him. Sifting her fingers through his hair at the temple, she gave in to the pressure of his mouth on hers, inviting him to explore as deeply and thoroughly as he wanted to. There was passion in his kiss, but also tenderness. When he broke away, he did so with two smaller kisses to her lips and a brush of his whiskered jaw against her cheek.

  “Ready to go inside?”

  “Yes. I’m ready for some serious downtime. I hope the agents leave us alone until the transfer.” Madalina didn’t think she could handle being on the run any longer.

  Cole’s expression turned grave. “You won’t have to worry about anything. They didn’t follow us from the building, and I’m pretty sure my threat will force them to keep a distance. All right?”

  “All right.” Madalina was surprised by how easy she found it to put her trust in him. Earlier, she wasn’t sure she’d ever be able to fully trust him again. The selfless way he’d extracted her and his honest conversation had gone a long way in beginning to heal her doubts and fears.

  It wasn’t an immediate, permanent fix, but it was a start.

  Inside the hotel room, which turned out to be elegant and tasteful, if not as lavish as the last suite, Madalina listened to Cole close the door and engage both locks. She studied the quaint living area, the little writing desk, and the small kitchenette without really seeing any details. Her mind was on the man behind her, who stepped past while watching her sidelong.