Page 20

Avery

Jacy troubled me.

She healed at a fantastic rate, yet seemed preoccupied. Upon my return home from the office, she busily prepared mac and cheese while Declan ran around the TV room, laughing wildly while his kittens chased him. Max watched the drama from the sofa with an air of resignation.

“I’m almost to the point of being sick of noodles with fake cheese,” I commented lightly, kissing her neck.

She offered a distracted smile. “Sorry. I just couldn’t think of anything else.”

“We haven’t unthawed those steaks in the freezer,” I said, dropping my jacket over a chair and yanking my tie off.

“I completely forgot about those.”

I sat, watching her profile closely. Her instincts apparently failed to let her know I stared at her. She never glanced at me nor asked, “What?” as she normally would. Her stiff posture and slightly tightened lips informed me of her tension. When the boiling pot of wieners overflowed, she didn’t notice until the hot stove sent a flurry of steam upward and hissed, spitting water everywhere.

“What’s wrong?” I asked as she hastily cleaned up the mess.

I received another distracted smile. “Nothing. Why?”

“You seem off. Uptight.”

“I’m fine. No worries.”

“You don’t look it.”

Ignoring me, Jacy strode to the TV room. “Declan, wash your hands. It’s time for dinner.”

Whooping, Declan charged into the kitchen, the cats, as usual, tagging along. If he noticed Jacy’s odd stress, he said nothing. Rather, he climbed onto his stool to wash his hands at the kitchen sink, happy over the prospects of yet another mac and cheese dinner.

Just as she started to dish up the dinner, the front doorbell rang. Max went ballistic, barking while rushing to the door. I eyed Jacy in surprise, who returned the same confused expression. “Expecting someone?”

“No.”

I got up, envisioning Carter on the far side with a gun, and grabbed Max’s collar. Tense, I unlocked the door, then opened it enough to peer around the edge. Max continued to lunge, yanking my arm, exercising his lungs and his duties as a dog.

Detective Jenkins gave me a sheepish grin. “Hey, sorry about not calling first. May I come in?”

I opened the door wider. Max wagged his tail, excited to have a visitor, even if my enthusiasm for such hovered somewhere around my ankles. “We were about to have dinner.”

“Smells great.”

He bent to pet Max, then stepped around me as though I’d invited him in. Sighing, I shut the door and locked it as Jenkins, escorted by a bouncing, grinning Max, strode toward the kitchen. I followed to find him greeting Jacy with a quick hug and ruffling Declan’s hair. Doffing his coat, he hung it on a chair’s back.

“I really need to talk to you,” he said, seating himself at the table while eyeing Declan. “But not in front of the child.”

I met Jacy’s glance with a shrug. “He can eat watching TV,” I said. “Come on, little man. Let’s set you up in there.”

“No feeding a wiener to Max,” Jacy warned him while fixing Declan’s plate. “He’ll just puke it up later.”

“I won’t.”

I settled Declan on the sofa with his tray and dinner, a goofy cartoon on the tube. With him happily eating his mac and cheese, I returned to the kitchen and found Jacy setting a full plate in front of Jenkins. I sat in my usual chair and asked, “What’s so important that you invite yourself to dinner?”

Jenkins offered up his shit eating grin. “Thank you for feeding me. I sorta hoped you would.”

Jacy also sat, her tension not fading in the least. “It’s my brother, isn’t it?”

“Yep.” Jenkins dug into his mac and cheese with a happy moan. “Delicious. I’ve got local, county, and state police looking for him. The feds want him on all kinds of charges, not just the killing of your dad.”

“Maybe he’s left this area,” I suggested.

Jenkins shook his head, his mouth full. “Got witnesses IDing him at a convenience store here in town, plus he’s on several security cameras. He’s hanging around and, of course, we know why. Right, Jacy?”

“Because he wants to kill me.”

Jacy nibbled at her dinner, her face lowered, her tension all but making her shoulders shake. My dragon possessiveness and protectiveness rose as did my sudden surge of anger.

“He can try,” I snapped. “If he comes here with evil intentions, he’s one dead brother.”

“Now what did I tell you about doing stupid shit?” Jenkins demanded. “The kind that’ll land you in a jail cell.”

“It’s called self-defense, dumb ass,” I growled. “He comes here with a gun, tries to kill her or Declan or me, I’ll end him and there’s nothing you can do about it.”

Jenkins locked eyes with me for several long seconds, then shook his head. “Make damn sure it’s self-defense, man. Don’t end him on the street, then drag his dead ass inside. I’ll nail you for murder if you do.”

“I won’t break the law,” I told him. “You won’t be arresting me.”

“I don’t suppose you’ll try catching him rather than killing him?” Jenkins sighed. “Scratch that. You’re a stockbroker, not a member of SEAL Team Six.”

“Thanks for the vote of confidence,” I commented dryly.

“Maybe I’ll end him and end this useless argument,” Jacy grated. “I’m not helpless, you know.”

Jenkins’s eyes widened. “You? You’re just a teensy lil thing.”

“I don’t need to be big to pull a trigger.”

“There you both go.” Jenkins sighed dramatically, then munched a wiener. “Planning to kill a member of your family. I reckon this is what happens when one commits patricide. You piss off the surviving blood relations.”

“Feuds get started that way.” I chuckled. “Incite a clan war.”

“I reckon one has started.” Jenkins sighed again. “Look, kids, Carter’s been fingered in two other murders. He’s one dangerous dude. I’m thinking I should post twenty-four/seven police protection outside your house.”

“No.”

Jacy and I looked at one another after speaking at the same time.

“We can handle Carter,” Jacy said. “This is a small town, and the inhabitants need cops responding to their problems.”

“I don’t want to have to explain to my son why there’s a cop cruiser parked outside,” I added. “Thanks, but no.”

“This is a mistake.” Jenkins shook his head. “I don’t like it.”

“What’s to stop him from blowing a local officer’s brains out, then attacking us?” I demanded, angry again. “You’re just putting another in harm’s way.”

“The police are trained –”

“Blow me,” I snapped. “The cops here aren’t trained to deal with a guy like Carter. They dole out traffic tickets and settle domestic disputes. He’s merciless as we know, and he won’t hesitate to kill a cop to get at us.”

“You insult the people I work with,” Jenkins replied stiffly.

“No. You know I’m talking the truth here. You don’t want to see anyone else hurt any more than we do.”

“Then will you go on an extended vacation? Until Carter is either caught or goes home?”

Jacy and I looked at one another, surprised. “Maybe,” I replied. “I could use a break, siesta on a beach somewhere.”

“Can we afford it?” Jacy asked.

“Sure. As long as we don’t order tons of lobster and mai-tais.”

“That’s good then.” Jenkins beamed. “You three will head south for the winter, stay safe from the bad guy until we can catch him.”

“Are you going to pet watch?” I inquired politely. “Two cats and the dog.”

“Er.”

“I didn’t think so.”

“I’m sure you can find a kid to feed the critters,” Jenkins said easily. “Once Carter knows you’re traveling, he’ll depart for his home territory.”

“Or wait until we get back.” Jacy stood to start clearing the dishes away. “Pounce when we least expect it.”

“Believe me, he can’t stay away from his business too long or he loses both clients and goons. He can’t afford to sit on your house for weeks at a time.” Jenkins also stood and grabbed his coat. “Let me know where you’re going. And when. I’ll need to keep tabs on you.”

He kissed Jacy’s cheek, then dropped his coat over his shoulders. “Thanks for dinner. Stay in touch now.”

“We will.”

I walked him to the door, Declan, cheese smeared around his mouth, watched with curiosity. Jenkins waved to him and received one in return.

“Cute kid,” he muttered as I opened the door. “You and Jacy planning on perpetuating the species?”

“We don’t know yet. In time maybe.”

“You two make a great couple,” he added before stepping out into the cold darkness. “You look good together. Make beautiful kids.”

“Are you married?”

He waggled his beringed finger in my face. “Yep. And have a daughter. Around Declan’s age.”

“And are you and the missus planning to perpetuate the species?”

Jenkins sent me a bleak smile. “I’m afraid she’ll be an only child. Take care, Avery.”

He strode down my walk to his car parked at the curb, then got in. I watched him drive away, suspecting there was much more to Detective Jenkins than what I saw. Much more.

I returned to the kitchen and Jacy. “Are we really going to hide away and let the cops deal with your brother?”

“Nope.”

“I didn’t think so.”

“We’re dragons. Dragons don’t run and hide.” She glanced at me over her shoulder. “I can handle Carter.”

“You’ve just learned what you are, babe.” I put my arms around her from behind. “You’ve never fought another dragon.”

“Have you?”

I said nothing. Jacy laughed shortly. “I didn’t think so. Look, I doubt he’ll be dumb enough to waltz in here and start shooting. He doesn’t know we don’t have machine guns waiting to cut him in half.”

“What if he thinks we’re sitting ducks? We don’t have any guns much less machine guns.”

Jacy turned in my arms to face me. “He kept telling me he wanted to talk. He could have killed me but didn’t. Maybe all I have to do is talk to him and he’ll go home.”

I lifted my brow. “And the shooting that nearly killed you?”

“We don’t know if that was truly his doing.”

“Who else would shoot at you, us?”

Jacy shrugged. “A random idiot with a gun? A gang initiation?”

“No, babe. Jenkins said witnesses saw the shooter waiting. For us. Carter just wants to keep you off guard.”

“Maybe.” Jacy rested her brow on my chest. “Then we should go to a beach someplace. Get off his radar. Let the cops bust him, then he’ll be out of our hair for good.”

***

“Night, little man.”

Jacy and I both kissed Declan as we tucked him into bed. His cats busily took their evening baths beside him, assuming yoga positions to wash their butts. Yawning, Declan rolled onto his side, his hand tucked beneath his head. “Night, Dad. Night, Mom.”

Hand in hand, we returned downstairs to watch TV for a while. Jacy, again, seemed preoccupied and said little as I poured wine for us both. Still, she relaxed against me as I put my arm around her.

“Where should we go?” I asked.

“Mexico,” she answered. “Beautiful beaches, not that expensive.”

“You worry about money too much.”

“Comes from never having any.”

“We’ll be fine. I promise.”

“You can take the time off work?”

“Have computer, will travel.” I kissed her brow. “I can work on a beach. Can’t wait to see you in a bikini.”

Jacy laughed. “You’ve seen me naked.”

“Yeah, but a bikini on the beach is oh so sexy.”

“If you say so.”

“I do.”

***

I don’t know how long I’d been asleep when the sound of my garage door rattling closed woke me. Sitting straight up in bed, I listened, tense, expecting to hear Carter sneaking in through the kitchen door, a gun in his hand.

Yet, Max, the ever-watchful guard dog, stayed silent.

“Wait here,” I began, climbing from the bed.

Even as I spoke, I saw Jacy’s side of the bed was empty.