Page 26 of Serving my Dragon (The Dragocracy Chronicles #2)

Chapter Twenty

To my surprise—and a pleasure that most likely had to do with me finally getting a meal and not the person who would be supplying it—Matias appeared to the rescue.

“Of course I came,” he said to Kayleigh, not me. As if she were more important.

Not!

“And to think Polly and I only a moment ago discussed how we needed a hero.”

The man’s chest swelled. “Just doing the right thing. We’ll have to move quick,” he advised. “Blake won’t be distracted for long.”

“He’s not the only one you should worry about,” Kayleigh stated as Matias helped her to her feet. “He’s got a few thugs working for him.”

“Already taken care of.”

“Sally’s with him, too.”

“I know,” Matias admitted softly. “They’re both in the office prematurely celebrating.”

Kayleigh grimaced and it took me a moment to grasp what Matias meant. When I did, I made a face too. EW! Humans and their need to constantly fornicate.

“Can you undo my hands?” Kayleigh asked, showing him her bound hands.

“He needs to get me out of this prison first!” I exclaimed.

“I don’t have anything to cut through the ties or the lock on the cage,” Matias murmured in apology.

“Worry about that later,” Juan barked, appearing behind his nephew. “You help Kayleigh get down the steps and I’ll carry Pollita.”

“The pilot?” Matias inquired as he led Kayleigh to the exit.

“Sleeping a lot harder now.” Juan grunted as he heaved my cage from the floor. He smartly made no remark about my weight.

We emerged from the plane—which I didn’t approve of because machines shouldn’t fly—into a well-lit building. Kayleigh stood waiting at the bottom of the steps while Matias climbed them to help his uncle with my prison.

The wide-open hangar doors displayed the majesty of the storm outside and the two bodies lying on its threshold. At least now we knew who’d been shot. When we’d heard the crack of a gun, Kayleigh had trembled fearing she’d be next. No trepidation for me. My importance kept me safe.

“Quickly. Vamoose,” the old man hissed as we reached the floor. “I cannot fight with my hands full.”

“Are you sure we shouldn’t find a bolt cutter? There is a toolbox over there,” Matias noted with a tilt of his head.

“No time, unless you want to see how good you are at dodging bullets.”

Given Matias’ expression, he preferred not to. They didn’t make protectors like they used to. My memories had them standing as shields against enemies. Then again, in my time they only had to worry about arrows and blades. Guns brought a whole new level of danger.

The men carried the cage between them, their stride rapid as they headed for the open hangar doors. Kayleigh stepped first into the storm and her drying clothes got immediately drenched.

“Where to?” she asked.

“Head for the fence to the left and behind the hangar.”

“I thought the family was meeting us here,” Matias noted as he continued to help Juan lug my prison.

“Not anymore. I texted them after I handled the pilot. They’re supposed to bring the cars around and snip a hole in the chain link for us to slip through.” The old man glanced at me. “Those same bolt cutters will get you out of the cage.”

Good. It really was undignified.

A yelp of pain had Matias stopping dead and his head swiveling left. “Kayleigh fell.”

And remained on the ground, face twisted in pain. “I’m sorry. I slipped and twisted my ankle.”

“Help her. I’ve got Pollita,” Juan stated, spreading his grip on the bars.

The cage rattled slightly as Matias let go and went to Kayleigh, kneeling to scoop her in his arms, but before we could get moving again, calamity!

“Stop right there,” Blake snarled as he emerged from the hangar, pointing a gun.

“It’s over, go home,” Matias declared, showing more cojones than I would have expected in the face of such danger.

“I’m not going anywhere without the dragon. Put the cage down.”

Before anyone could tell him where to put that suggestion, Blake fired the weapon and Matias cried out as he crumpled to the ground, his leg oozing blood from a wound.

Since he held Kayleigh, she fell too, smacking her head on the ground hard enough she didn’t make a sound. She’d have to be conscious to do that.

That left only Juan to protect me. Not great odds, but I didn’t lose faith yet. The old man could be wily.

“You going to make me shoot you, too?” Blake threatened.

“Mierda,” Juan cursed as he lowered my cage to the ground.

“Hands on your head.” Blake approached, revolver pointed, looking entirely too smug. “Did you really think you could steal my ticket to billions?”

Billions? Nice to know I was worth so much, but, at the same time, how dare this human think he could profit off me!

Juan lifted his hands and laced them behind his neck. “A dragon isn’t something anyone should own.”

“You’re just saying that because I took it from you before your dumb ass could figure out how to profit from it.” He waggled the gun. “Move away from the cage.”

Juan shuffled a pace sideways, standing unafraid in the face of danger, undaunted by the storm buffeting his frame.

His bravery might have been bolstered by Matias who, despite his injury, had risen, his lips flat and tight, his eyes blazing with anger.

He stood silent and unseen behind Blake who’d foolishly dismissed him as a threat.

Now who was dumb?

“Thank you for giving me a clear shot. Wouldn’t want to accidentally kill the one thing I came for,” mocked Blake before karma clubbed him with a pair of linked hands.

The man went reeling, and Juan darted close, delivering an uppercut that snapped Blake’s head back while Matias grabbed the arm holding the gun.

To my surprise, Blake proved stronger than expected.

He yanked free of Matias’ grip and snarled as he swung back at my old protector.

Juan ducked and delivered a blow to Blake’s midsection, causing him to grunt and fold.

Seeing his chance, Matias once more grabbed hold and let his good leg buckle.

He dropped hard to the ground, wrenching Blake’s arm. Crack!

The scream of pain and the suddenly unnaturally bent limb indicated something had broken. Blake lost his grip on the gun and it hit the ground. A moment later, so did Blake, pinned under both uncle and nephew, who punched him several times.

This was better than a telenovela!

But like every drama, what should have been victory hit a snag.

Bang.

The gunshot, not fired by any of the males, drew our eyes to a new player.

Sally.

The redhead, undaunted by the storm and wearing pinched lips, had a weapon aimed at my protectors.

Juan rose from Blake’s prone body. “You might as well give up. We both know you can’t shoot that thing with any accuracy.” A comment that took into account Sally’s shaking hands wobbling the barrel of the gun.

“You’re right, I can’t.” Sally pointed the gun at my defenseless servant at her feet. “But I doubt I’ll miss from this close.”

“She’s supposed to be your best friend,” Matias stated, getting to his feet.

“Until she tried to ruin my ticket to infamy. She could have just promised to keep her mouth shut, or even better, offered to help, but no. Leigh just had to threaten us with exposure.” Sally’s lips twisted.

“I wish things could have been different. Then again, friendships come and go, but fame, the kind I’ll get from being the first to reveal a dragon’s existence to the world, will last forever. ”

“And how are you getting out of here with Pollita? You can’t exactly carry her cage and shoot us at the same time,” Juan pointed out.

“I’m aware. Which is why I brought these.” Sally flung something in their direction. The same plastic manacles Kayleigh still wore. “Matias, you will put them on your uncle first. I want his hands behind his back and make it tight unless you want your girlfriend sporting a new hole in her body.”

A grim-faced Matias did as he was told, his scowl as deep as his uncle’s.

Once he’d finished, Sally had more orders. “Now loop your cuffs through his before cinching them on your hands.” The demand led to both men being bound and quite useless. My rescue had failed.

As the elements whipped at me through the bars of the cage, I wished I could have taken some time to enjoy the wildness of the storm, especially since it would probably be my last one. I’d likely not see much of the outside once I got placed in a more secure prison.

As if raging for my dilemma, the tempest became more violent. Lighting crackled, big and jagged streaks plunged from the clouds, and had everyone cringing but me. On the contrary, it exhilarated. I turned my face upward and tingled at all the electricity and ozone zinging through the air.

“Well, this was fun, but it’s time to blow this godforsaken country,” Sally quipped just as Blake groaned and pushed himself to his knees. “Get your butt moving, baby. We are getting out of here.”

“Did we get clearance?” Blake stood, holding his head.

“Fuck what that tower says,” Sally spat. “We’ll tell the pilot to stay low. They’ll never see us leaving.”

Blake groaned. “I’m injured. I need a hospital.”

“Suck it up, baby. Time to go.”

“Fuck me,” Blake muttered.

“Later, once we’re in the air. Grab the coop and let’s get it loaded.”

“Grab it how?” he whined. “I only have one good hand.”

“Must I do everything?” Sally huffed. “Take the gun and cover me while I get the dragon.”

She handed over the weapon before swaggering in my direction, but before she could lay a hand on my prison…

A bolt of lightning streaked from the sky and struck my cage. A metal cage sitting in a puddle. A puddle soaking my bottom. And you know what happens when electricity hits water?

I was electrocuted. My whole body jiggled as the current passed through me. So many volts.

Through the ringing in my ears I heard screaming, and I smelled something sizzling, quite possibly me. Really unpleasant, and I might have voiced my displeasure, only I collapsed before I could say a word.