Chapter Ten

Magnus

Jade's expression appeared as though she'd just been slapped.

"I'll never let them hurt you," she snapped at Alix. "Besides, we don't know if he's telling the truth."

"It doesn't matter now," Alix replied, her tone soft. "I'm sorry. Tonight – that was just too real for me. Fire breathing dragons flying all over the place, shifting to walk as a human. Jade – I can't handle it. I love you. One day, I'll come to terms with it. With what you are."

"What are you saying?"

Alix breathed deeply, shot a rapid glance at me. "I'm saying I'm going to go away for a while. I'll hide from his dad, I'll be someplace he can't find me. Nor can you. Work this out, get this asshole off your back, then we'll spend a few weeks together. Just you and me."

Jade stared down at her cup. "Maybe that's best," she murmured. "With you safe, I – I'll leave the country. I'll fly to wherever, establish myself. Then let you know where I am. If you want to join me, you're welcome to. If not. I understand."

I cleared my throat, bringing two sets of female eyes to my face. "I, uh, actually have a different idea, Jade."

"Who cares?" she snapped. "You're not a part of this. Go fly away and quit bothering us."

"I want your help."

"To do what? Take your old man down?"

I smiled. "Exactly."

Her mouth went slack. "Why should I help you?"

My elbows on the table, my injured arm not bothering me much at all at the moment, I said, "Getting Alix away is the best thing right now. Okay? If you help me take him out, you won't have to run. Not ever."

"Why risk getting killed? He's not omniscient. He won't find me."

"He will." I met her green gaze. "You'll never stop looking over your shoulder. His dragons will always find you. And me. I'm on his shit list, too. Remember? Help me to bring him down, and we'll both be free of him. His organization broken, poof, tossed into the wind."

Alix touched the back of my hand lightly, tenderly. "What does he do in this organization?"

"He traffics drugs, guns, and slaves." I nodded shortly. " Sex slaves. Human trafficking."

"Oh, shit." Alix's mouth fell open. "That's awful."

"It is," I agreed. "Stop him, save a ton of lives. Right, Jade?"

"That's not fair," she growled, scowling. "You can't guilt me into helping you."

"He's right, Jade," Alix insisted. "You're a dragon. So is Magnus. If anyone can stop this shit, you can."

"And get myself killed," Jade snapped. "I'll take my chances and fly away from here."

"How much money is your dad giving you?" I asked, leaning back in my chair.

"Five million. Enough to live comfortably for the rest of my life."

I nodded, impressed. "Except you won't. Live comfortably, that is. Sure, you'll invest it, live off the interest, watch your money grow, skip American taxes. And use it to run. Then run again. Unless you're killed the first time out."

Jade narrowed her eyes. "Bite me."

"Yes, I'd love nothing better. I can bring my father down, but I can't do it alone."

"Just exactly how do you propose to do that?" she demanded.

I fished the new keys from my pocket and set them on the table. "With these."

"What do those unlock?" Alix asked, breathless.

"My father's front door," I replied, my eyes on Jade, "and his secrets."

"As in?" Jade prompted.

"Look," I said, leaning forward again. "He has to keep records, right? Payments to judges, prosecutors, cops. We get those records, take them to the feds, expose all this city's corruption with my pa at the heart of it. Bring down his empire in a swift explosion. His goons will be too busy running for their lives and freedom to track us down."

"You make it sound easy," Jade commented, her eyes narrowed.

"It won't be. He's suspicious, controlling, OCD. He knows where he put a speck of dust. And if that speck ain't where he put it, dying and going to hell will be the least of anyone's problems."

Jade studied her cup again, her brows furrowed. Alix watched her closely, hardly breathing it seemed, while I, too, waited with my breath bated. I willed her to say yes, to agree to help me, to become my partner in bringing Arnaud down. I needed her smarts, her fearlessness, her tough strength.

I had no one else I'd count on.

"All right," she said at last, looking up. "I'll help you. Once Alix is clear of any danger."

"Oh, don't worry about me," Alix said with a half-laugh. "I'll leave in the morning. I need some alone time anyway."

"I don't want to know where you're going," Jade said slowly. "But, please, tell me how you'll be safe. Please."

"Just know it's far from here, a remote cabin my grandparents owned and passed to my parents. No one has been there in years, it's probably dustier than hell, and I never got around to telling you about it. I'll leave the city, stop along the way for supplies. And since its not even in my folks' name, no one can trace it to my family."

Jade breathed deeply. "It sounds perfect. Stay there for a long time. Promise me."

"I need a vacation, sure, but I also need to work. I'll have to come back soon."

"I'll give you rent money. I can afford it."

Alix grinned. "Okay."

While she left us to go pack for her trip, I gazed at Jade over the table. "Thanks."

"Don't thank me, GQ. You got me into this mess."

I smiled. "I know. I still appreciate you and what you're doing."

"I'm doing it for my safety, and Alix's. Not you." She sniffed.

"That's all right. Together, we'll bring Arnaud and his evil works down. That's all that matters."

"And then, I'll be rid of you. Forever."

I chuckled. "So why does it feel as though we're fated to be together?"

***

"She'll be safe," Jade murmured as we watched Alix wave from the window while driving away. "Right?"

"A remote cabin with nothing tying her to it is as safe a place as any," I answered. "And Arnaud's attention will be on us. She's not nearly as important."

Jade rubbed her arms against the stiff wind, her red-gold hair whipped around her face as she looked up at me. "So what now? We can't stay here for very long."

"Nope. I found us a safehouse. We'll have to stock it with supplies, but it's not likely he can find us there."

Turning, Jade recrossed the parking lot toward Alix's apartment. After another glance at Alix's disappearing car, I followed. Inside the warmth, Jade paced into the kitchen to pour coffee into mugs. She handed me one, then sat at the table.

"What's first?" she asked.

I rubbed my bandage, thinking of renewing the poultice Alix put on it the night before. My ache had returned with a vengeance. "We need a new ride. Both of our vehicles are known."

She sipped her coffee, her brows furrowed. "We'll have to watch Arnaud's house, wait for him to leave. Does he have staff?"

"A cook. We can work around her easily enough. She doesn't leave her realm much, and her room is just off the kitchen."

"What a boring existence."

"Agreed." I studied her face. "I'd rather buy a decent vehicle than steal one."

"Smarter. We don't need cops pulling us over in a stolen car."

"Do you have the funds? I don't."

She sent me a crusty glance, then replied, caustic, "I don't know. You took my cell phone, my cards, everything when you kidnapped me. I don't have any way of checking my accounts at the moment."

I nibbled my lip, then drank a gulp of coffee. "Okay. I have a few thousand I can use to buy our supplies, get you a new phone. I need one, too. We'll get a temporary bank card, use public transportation until we get a vehicle."

"Okay, I can go along with that." Jade stared thoughtfully into the distance. "What's this safe house?"

"An abandoned house on the east side," I answered, picking at my bandage. "I boarded it up, there's plenty of wood for fires."

She looked back at me. "You really planned to bust me out."

"I did. I wanted to wait until my old man was gone. Then you escaped anyway. Whether I helped you or not, my old man blamed me." I shrugged. "It's time to get out from under his thumb."

"I didn't believe you. I wanted to, but I didn't dare. When I found my chance, I took it."

I grinned. "You missed out on a nice chicken dinner."

"I'll let you buy me another one."

"I reckon I owe you more than that." I picked again at the wrap.

"Quit that," Jade ordered. "You need to keep it immobile."

"It hurts. I don't suppose Alix left more of her magic elixir?"

"I don't think she took it with her. I'll check."

Leaving me, Jade went to the bathroom, then returned a moment later with the jar Alix used, plus fresh wrappings. "Give me your arm."

"Just don't bust it again. You could've killed me with that thing."

"That was the intent."

In quick, sure movements, Jade unwrapped my arm. The poultice left a greasy covering over my lavishly bruised and swollen arm. She applied a second coat atop the first, then bound it back up with the long strips of cotton. Her touch, light, almost tender, caused me no excessive pain as she worked. Almost as though she made sure to not cause me excess pain.

"We'll take that with us," she declared. "Alix won't mind."

"I want her recipe," I said. "Think we should go? I don't advise we stay here for very long. The enemy might soon be upon us."

"After losing that bozo last night, they'll know not to look for me at my place. They've probably checked yours, too."

I stood, reaching for my coat to put it on. "Which means, they'll go to your associates. Will they attack your father?"

"Now ask me something important."

I chuckled, watching as Jade added a few things to her backpack, including the miracle jar. "Okay, I guess we'll hoof it to a bus stop. I hope I have exact change."

"Me, too. I have nada."

We left Alix's apartment, locking it behind us, then headed down the stairs to the parking lot. The sharp, biting wind cut through me despite my jacket, and Jade lowered her head to avoid it striking her full in the face. The packed snow on the pavement told of cars coming and going, many others still buried from last night's storm.

"I hate leaving my truck," I muttered as we strode toward the busy street ahead.

"This's a decent neighborhood," Jade replied. "I doubt anyone will bother it."

"It's a pride thingy."

"Cry me a river."

I hunched my shoulders against the cold, my hands in my coat's pockets, thinking of Jade's idea to leave it all and fly someplace where it doesn't snow. Despite living here my whole life, I still disliked the cold.

A big, black Chevy SUV turned from the street and into the parking lot.

I knew that vehicle.

Spinning, I grabbed Jade's hand, and pulled her with me. "Run!"

Without questioning me, she ran at my side, her hair flying, keeping pace with no trouble. Bullets pinged off parked cars at the same moment automatic rifle fire sounded from the now speeding Chevy.

"My car's closer," Jade yelled, yanking me with her.

We're too late. We'll be shot long before we get to either one.