by Vella Day
She chuckled but was unable to tell if he was teasing her or not. “Seriously? You had just shut down our mine! Besides, I’d nearly been buried alive and wasn’t in my right mind.” She didn’t need to be coy. “Truth was, even before I saw you, when you were in the hallway talking with Birk, this wave of lust washed over me. It didn’t take me long before I knew you were my mate.” She sucked in a breath, waiting for his response.
Kyle grinned, and relief rushed through her. “Well, I’ll be damned. I wish you’d told me sooner.”
Nessa laughed. “I thought you would freak. I mean, mating is a lifetime commitment. It’s not something you can walk away from.”
“I know.”
“Do you also know that if we mate, you’ll become an evil dragon?”
“I don’t think all dragons are evil. At least I don’t anymore.”
“What about Lily?”
“Nessa, Lily will have to deal. I don’t want to hurt her, but I think she’ll come around to my way of thinking eventually.”
Nessa wanted to slip over to Kyle’s side of the table and kiss him silly, but she would refrain for now. She’d do that just as soon as they finished eating and had some privacy.
Chapter Eighteen
The next afternoon, Kyle found himself staring out his office window, reliving their wonderful day: seeing the eternal flame and then making love with Nessa on the bank of the secluded cove—and again at her condo. It was something he’d never forget. Getting to spend time with her when it wasn’t work related had been better than he could ever have imagined.
The conversation at dinner still blew his mind when she’d told him they were fated mates! Actual mates! It was surreal, yet wonderful. As much as he wanted to tell Lily, he knew he needed to postpone that conversation.
Nessa never said when this mating would occur, but she acted as if she wanted to wait. Maybe it was to make sure he was willing to spend the rest of his life with her.
A knock sounded on his office door, jarring him out of his pleasant memories. Kyle spun around. The door opened, and a grinning Tom Delaney stepped in. “I found him.”
It took Kyle a second to realign his thoughts. “Found who?”
“The man who sabotaged the Caspian mines, of course.”
Adrenaline flooded his senses. “Who is he?”
“Safford DeLeon.”
That was too easy. “Are you sure? Are you saying the man copped to murder and destruction of property?” When Kyle had asked DeLeon last night about the recent mine explosion, he hadn’t acted guilty at all.
“Not in so many words.” Tom held up a hand, pulled up a chair, and sat down. Kyle leaned a hip on his desk. “I couldn’t locate him yesterday, but early this morning I caught him on the way into his office. I asked him quite a few questions about where he was at the time of the Caspian mine explosion and drilled him about what he did after that.”
So DeLeon’s outburst last night hadn’t been a result of Tom’s accusatory questions since they occurred this morning. Interesting. “Did you ask if he attacked me?”
“Hell, no. I was subtle—more or less.”
“I hope so.” So far Tom hadn’t said anything to convince Kyle of DeLeon’s guilt. “Where did he say he was during the time their newest mine collapsed?”
“He claimed he was at his mine. No one seems to know exactly when the charges were set, so that makes it difficult to have an alibi.”
“Very true.”
“After that he flew to Grindale province to help with the disaster there.”
That implied DeLeon wasn’t the one to hit him on the head or steal the evidence from the SinCas building unless he snuck back. “I take it you didn’t believe him?” Kyle asked.
Tom waved a hand. “Hell no. The guy has shifty eyes and lies any chance he gets. Remember, I used to work for him.”
“Then what?” There had to be more.
Tom’s face lit up. “I waited for him to leave, and when he did, I followed him.”
Tom was resourceful. “Where did he go?”
“He has a cabin about thirty miles north east of here. He drove, so I followed him.”
“Did he disappear on you or something?” Kyle was half joking, partly because he wasn’t all that convinced this hotheaded mine owner was guilty. Financially, his mines were doing a lot better than Wilson Snar’s were.
“As a matter of fact, he did.”
Kyle’s heart plummeted to his stomach. “Are you shitting me? He actually disappeared?” Kyle studied Tom’s body language to make sure he wasn’t making it up. The man exuded confidence.
Tom crossed his arms. “I swear. I followed him for quite a while, but when he turned off onto a dirt road, I kept going. I parked and hiked in. It wasn’t hard to find his cabin. It was the only one there.” Now, Kyle was intrigued. “When I arrived, he was in the cabin, but I must have made some noise because he rushed outside—or at least the front door opened. I actually didn’t see him.”
“How do you know he wasn’t airing out the cabin?”
“Because his footsteps made noise on the ground—as in twigs snapped, and leaves crunched.” Tom held up a hand. “Then he opened his car door—all while being invisible.”
Kyle tried not to jump to conclusions. “Why would he cloak himself like that? Did he think a burglar was hiding inside his car, and he wanted to get the drop on him?”
Tom shrugged. “It’s not like I asked him. I figured he suspected someone was outside, and he wanted to be able to sneak up on him. Listen, he’s still at the cabin. You’ve got to see it for yourself.”
“Why? I believe you.”
Something strange crossed Tom’s face, and he jumped up from his seat. “I want to catch it on camera. I would have done it before, but I left my cell in my vehicle.”
The idea of seeing DeLeon move about while in his invisible state would go a long way to proving he was guilty. It was the kind of proof he would need for the police. “Okay, but I want Nessa to come with us. If he catches us snooping around, he might try to harm us. Neither you nor I can fight a dragon.”
Tom’s lips pressed into a thin line. “She can’t come. He’d sense her presence. Dragons can always tell when another dragon is nearby.”
He was right. Damn. Now Kyle wasn’t sure what to do. If Safford DeLeon was guilty, he wanted the man punished. “Okay, but under no circumstances do we confront him.”
The tension in Tom’s shoulders relaxed. “You don’t have to tell me. I’ve seen what a dragon can do to a human body. I promise we’ll stay out of sight. We’ll go in, check it out, and leave.”
Kyle thought this was a waste of his time, but Tom seemed determined to show him. “Fine.”
Once they stepped out of his office, Kyle told Michelle about his plans. “Safford DeLeon has a cabin about thirty miles north of here. Tom and I are going to check it out. I shouldn’t be gone long, but if Lily calls, tell her I’m on assignment, but don’t say you know where I’m headed. I don’t want her to worry.”
“Got it, boss.”
Once outside, Tom asked if Kyle could drive. “My engine was misfiring something fierce on the way back from the cabin.”
“Sure, no problem.”
They piled into Kyle’s car. The drive to DeLeon’s cabin took about forty-five minutes. They parked where Tom had stopped before and hiked in the rest of the way. Through the trees, a cabin appeared—small and rather isolated.
“Good. His car is still here,” Tom whispered.
At least this wasn’t a total waste of his time. “Where’s a good vantage point to watch from?” Kyle asked.
“That’s hard to say, but I think we should hunker down before we reach his place. I want to keep his car in sight in case he comes outside again.”
That worked for him. They found a spot behind a large tree and settled in for the wait. “How are we going to get him to step outside in his invisible state? He has no reason to do it on his own.”
“I suppose I
could throw a rock at his window and force him to come out.”
“As a dragon shifter, he has no reason to hide.”
“Well, that’s what happened the last time,” Tom said.
Kyle wasn’t convinced, but he didn’t want to call Tom a liar. Less than fifteen minutes later, Tom stood. “I’m going to work my way around to the other side to see if he’s even in there. He could have gone fishing or something.”
They were near Lake Vista, so it made sense he might come out here for some relaxation. After DeLeon’s outburst last night, perhaps he needed something to help him calm down. “Be careful.”
Worried that Tom would try to force DeLeon out of his cabin, Kyle kept a close eye on him. If he did get into trouble, Kyle would call Nessa and her brothers for help. He had to hand it to Tom though. The man was light on his feet, darting from one tree to the next, stopping and assessing the situation at random intervals.
Within three minutes, he’d reached the other side of the house and was out of sight. Except for the rustling of the leaves and the scurrying of small animals, Kyle didn’t hear or see anything. Unfortunately, no doors opened by themselves, but just in case something did happen, he had his cell ready to record it.
Ten minutes later, Kyle wondered what was taking Tom so long. He debated moving closer to the cabin, but he didn’t trust his own ability to move about without being seen or heard. If he could be certain Tom’s phone wouldn’t chime, he’d sent him a text, suggesting it was time they leave. The probability that DeLeon would waste the energy to become invisible when he didn’t suspect someone was there to do him harm was slim.
Just as Kyle was about to move closer, something cut off his air. His heart pounded so hard it was as if he was having a heart attack. He struggled to get up, but something was holding him down. He grabbed at his throat. His chest tightened, and he couldn’t breathe. It was his last thought before he blacked out.
It was five-thirty, and Nessa wondered if Kyle planned to have dinner with her. She’d called him a few times, but each time the call went to voicemail. She would have contacted his secretary, Michelle, but she didn’t have the woman’s number. Just in case Kyle was holed up in his office, Nessa decided to walk over there and check.
When she arrived, the front door was locked and no lights were on. Okay, if he wasn’t at his office, where was he? Lily might know, so Nessa dialed Birk who was probably only a few feet from her.
“Hey, sis.”
“Birk, I’m looking for Kyle. He’s not at his office, and he’s not answering his phone. Could you ask Lily if she’s heard from him?”
“Sure.” His voice muffled as if he’d placed a hand over his phone. A moment later, he returned. “No. He hasn’t called her either.”
“Does she know Kyle’s secretary’s number?”
More mumbling. Birk gave her the number. “Let me know if something’s wrong.”
His worried tone wasn’t comforting. “Sure.”
Inhaling, she called Michelle, who answered right away.
“Hi, this is Nessa. I’ve been trying to reach Kyle, and I was wondering if you knew where he was?”
“He left maybe an hour and a half ago with Tom Delaney. They were headed to Safford DeLeon’s cabin about thirty miles north of town. I just locked up the office and am headed home.”
That didn’t sound good. “Why were they going there?”
“I don’t know.”
“Do you know the address of this place?” She didn’t need to bother Logan again if Michelle had it at her fingertips.
“I don’t. Sorry.”
“Thanks.” Nessa called Logan and explained the situation.
“You sound worried.”
“I am.” She told him about DeLeon nearly beating up a guy last night in the alley and how Kyle had stopped him. “All I can think of is that Kyle found out more and went to confront him.”
“I’ll look it up in the property directory. Give me a sec.” Keys clacked loudly. “Got it. The property doesn’t have an exact address, but it’s near Lake Vista.” He gave her the best directions he could.
“Thanks.”
“You aren’t going alone are you?”
She didn’t like to lie. “It’s not far.”
“I don’t care. I’m coming with you.”
“You don’t need to.”
“This is not up for debate. Meet me on top of the SinCas roof in five.”
Nessa didn’t like it, but she understood the need for caution. “Fine.”
Nessa hoofed it back to the SinCas building and then took the elevator to the top where Logan was waiting for her.
“What’s the plan?” he asked.
“We fly over the cabin. If everything looks good, we leave.”
Logan shook his head. “Like I believe that.”
He knew her too well. “I’m hoping I’ll spot Kyle’s car on the road headed back to town.”
“You said he was with Tom. He could have driven.”
“Let’s hope not, since I have no clue what kind of vehicle he has.”
They shifted and took off. While thirty miles wasn’t far, they constantly changed altitudes to take advantage of the best air currents. She kept her eye on the road, but she never spotted Kyle’s car.
Even with Logan by her side, finding the cabin was more difficult than she’d expected. The trees blocked many of the roads. It was only when she saw Kyle’s car parked on the side of the road that she dropped to the ground. Immediately, the stench of fire registered. What the hell?
Needing a better vantage point, she shot upward again and headed straight toward the smoky area. Logan followed. When she saw flames, her heart pounded way too fast, and she landed so hard, her legs nearly collapsed.
Needing to call out to Kyle, she shifted back into her human form. “Kyle,” she shouted and then spun around. “Where are you?”
Was he trapped inside? Or was Safford DeLeon? Or possibly Tom?
“We need to check inside,” Logan shouted over the loud crackle of the fire.
The blood was beating in her head, making it difficult to hear anyone calling for help. Had DeLeon spotted Kyle and Tom, and believing they were on to him, set his cabin on fire with them trapped inside?
Where are you, Kyle? she mentally called out, even though he couldn’t hear her.
The blaze licked the sides of the building, sending off a wall of heat. “I’ll try to go in through the front door,” Logan shouted as he took off for the front.
Nessa peered into the side window. No! No! No! Her vision faded, and her legs weakened. Kyle was inside, tied to the post that supported the roof, his chin on his chest. A band squeezed her heart so hard, it took effort to breathe. Before she could decide what to do, part of the roof collapsed and landed in front of Kyle’s feet. Oh, shit. He would be engulfed in flames in seconds. She had to do something.
Logan rushed back to her. “The front door is on fire. I can’t get through.”
Shit. “Kyle’s in there. We have to save him.”
If she returned to her shifter form, the only way to get in was to rip off the rest of the roof. If she did that though, the pole would fall, taking Kyle down with it. With no time left to think, she partially shifted her hands into claws and smashed the side window.
Ignoring the jagged shards, Logan and Nessa ripped the opening wider. “I’m coming, Kyle.” Her voice shook.
“I’m going first,” Logan said.
They didn’t have time to argue. “I’m right behind you.”
He slipped a leg inside, and as he approached Kyle, more of the ceiling fell and nearly crushed her brother. Fear she’d lose both of them. Moving faster than she ever had in her life, she dove through the window. In the process, the sharp glass cut her thigh, but adrenaline blocked much of the ache.
The heat from the fire stung her eyes and nearly choked her. If she hadn’t had dragon blood coursing through her, she doubted she would have survived staying in the cabin more than a minu
te. Kyle’s body was limp, and she prayed he was still alive.
He isn’t dead, is he? she asked her dragon who would surely be able to tell.
I don’t know.
Nessa darted around the fire, but a blast of oxygen from the open window flared the flames, blocking her access to him. Fuck. Logan was battling a wall of flames himself trying to reach Kyle. Inhaling, she forced a partial shift, covering her body in dragon scales, and then charged right through the flames. Had it not been for her excellent eyesight, she might not have seen him through the smoke. She rushed behind him, and with her claws extended, cut through the rope tying his hands. Her eyes burned even worse than before, and her lungs struggled to draw in some much needed oxygen.
Logan had partially shifted as well. When he reached Kyle, he undid the rope around her mate’s ankles.
We need to get him out of here, her dragon begged. You have at most thirty seconds before the fire kills him.
Logan jumped up and stomped out the flames that were catching Kyle’s pants on fire while Nessa dragged him back a few feet. Just then, the roof creaked and groaned as the pole fell and the roof lifted off. The beam crashed next to them, missing Kyle by only inches.
When she looked up to see the damage, she spotted a huge black-scaled dragon overhead. Oh, shit. It was a Royal. Those evil bastards were always out to destroy her and her family. It didn’t seem to matter to them that the queen and her mom were sisters—albeit somewhat estranged.
Nessa’s anger nearly felled her at the injustice of it all. Before she had the chance to shift, the animal above turned into the most beautiful shade of aquamarine and shot out a torrent of water that swept her away from Kyle. She choked on the liquid and had to spit it out in order to clear her throat.
Seconds later, she realized the influx of water had actually put out the flames. When Nessa glanced upward again, the dragon was gone, and a million questions filled her head. Who was that water-spitting dragon, and how had he known that someone was inside the cabin?
It didn’t matter right now. She crawled to Kyle, praying he was alive, but Logan reached him first and lifted up his limp body.