18. Dragon
Chapter Eighteen
DRAGON
Ididn’t call Horse right away. I worked on cars, actually talked to the guy who’d had a messy divorce when he came over to ask if he needed new tires.
We didn’t do tires unless he wanted a patch.
Did we look like a tire dealer? No, so maybe he was interested.
He wasn’t direct enough for me to notice, except that his sister had been very clear.
Was I interested? No. However hot he was didn’t matter because my heart was married to Horse, whoever he actually was. Even the idea of being with anyone else was horrifying.
One evening, I checked the computer before I went to bed, and someone had commented on my post. I checked, and there was a comment with a link to another video of a go-kart exploding on a track.
I<3Pizza57 said my video looked more like an intentional tamper.
He also linked other videos of car bombings.
I’d been reading the books about explosives, but they were all old.
Maybe I should have been studying up on modern makes.
I studied the videos, but everything except my grainy black and white recording had sound.
That was the most distinctive difference between an accidental impact explosion and something else.
And I couldn’t remember what it sounded like.
If Horse had perfect recall, like one of those shadow monsters, then he would.
I took my phone outside, cicadas filling the night along with the distant buzz of a freeway, and I called him.
It rang, rang, and then went to voicemail. “This is VanBuren. You know what to do.”
I hung up. I wasn’t leaving a message. What kind of obsessed stalker didn’t even pick up when I finally called him? He should be waiting by his phone, not buying hotels in Mongolia. Heat flared in my chest as I called again. Again with the answering machine. Seriously?!
My whole body was filled with hot rage as I called again. On the fourth ring, he picked up.
“Charles, I was sleeping. You keep telling me I should sleep, but then the second I do, you call me like a fanatic squirrel who can’t find his nuts. I don’t want to keep track of your nuts! I have enough nuts of my own to keep track of!”
I blinked at the roughness and anger in his voice. He didn’t sound great. And he was yelling at his secretary like he was on the edge; otherwise, he wouldn’t be rude to an employee.
I cleared my throat. “Sorry. I’ll let you get back to that. I just wanted to ask you a question.”
His sharp inhale was like a dagger to my insides. “Trix,” he murmured, and it was the whisper of death, anguish, and all the stars falling from the sky.
I swallowed hard while my whole body went hot and cold. I wasn’t here to be seduced by his whispers, but my body didn’t know that. “Do you remember the crash? Specifically, the sound of the explosion? Think about it.”
His breathing was ragged on the other side of the line. “I can’t. I can’t talk to you and think about anything else. Sorry. I will, but just a second, let me listen to you breathe. You sound so good, Trix.”
I wasn’t sure what else to do, so I stood there on the edge of the lot, looking up at the diluted stars, breathing. His breathing grew less ragged. That was good, because listening to his rough breath was bringing my whole body awake, anticipating his touch, his love, his care.
“Sorry,” he said again. “I was sleeping, so I’m not sure what’s real. And I was dreaming of you. I didn’t want to wake up from that dream, but now it’s you, and I’m not sure if it’s real or not.”
“I’m real. I washed my hair with curl shampoo tonight. I’ve been using a soap bar for months.”
His breath caught. “Your poor curls. I’m glad you’re not going to neglect them anymore. Have you been in for a checkup?”
“The baby’s not your problem,” I said, scowling. “Do you remember, or not? I have things to do.”
“Right. You need to dry your hair. And maybe take some vitamins.”
I rolled my eyes. “I’m taking prenatals and I’m not biking.”
“Not that it’s any of my business. Yeah. I remember the sound. Roar of flames, then the smash and everything dampered as I flipped and hit the dirt embankment. It was almost quiet, and then a click and roar. The second roar was the biggest and lasted longer than the first explosion.”
“Was it only one roar, or was there a break and then a slightly smaller one? That’s what it looked like on the video: small flames, big flames, medium flames.”
“That would explain the sound. The loudness, the second wave of sound, but not as loud as the first, and that made the big boom last longer.” He was quiet for a second and then said in cool tones that reminded me that he was a billionaire who ran worlds.
“Full disclosure, I now know that you have access to video feed of that crash, so I could narrow down your location without much effort. I’ve put a lot of effort into not knowing your location, but this is an irresistible clue that I would follow to the ends of the earth.
Talking to me at all is against your interests because the tech I have access to can trace any and all calls made to this phone.
Who gave you this number? It’s not the one I gave to you.
Nix. Because he wants me to trace your phone, because you called him on a phone he couldn’t trace, and he’s worried about whether you’re safe.
So now what do I do? Give the information to him so he can track you and protect you without you knowing about it, or do it myself? Which would you prefer?”
I sighed heavily. “You sound so arrogant when you say that.” And yet my whole body wanted him to say that while he was leaning over me with my hands in his strong grasp, holding me tight.
“I am arrogant.” That same cool and aloof voice. And my same physical reaction.
“I know. Why is arrogance hot?”
He was quiet for a beat. “It isn’t.”
“No? It’s like you in a suit. So you’re wearing a suit right now?” Not that it was any of my business what he was wearing. I was wearing my new pajamas and slippers. Pickles and tiger lilies were printed on the flannel. Maybe I could plant some tiger lilies around the garage.
After a long break, he said in a strangled voice, “No suit. I’m wearing shorts. I was sleeping. I don’t sleep in suits. Do you want me to sleep in suits? I could if you planned on calling me again, just so I was prepared. Or I could lie about being in a suit.”
I shook my head. Yeah, he wouldn’t have any trouble lying about anything. “Never mind. It’s none of my business. You are business, but it’s hard to wrap my head around. Nix wants me to move back home, get a rental, stay away from you, but apparently you own most of the housing out there.”
“Not most. Some. Actually, as my wife, you own most of the housing in Las Vegas. Pick a house. I didn’t sign a prenup, so it’s all yours. Not that you’d ever take anything, but it’s already yours so…”
“I didn’t save you for money. You insulted my family, said we were low-lifes who couldn’t save anyone, so I saved you. Also, it was my worst nightmare, being trapped in a burning car without any way out. But I didn’t do it for you or your money.”
“I know. But I wanted you to. I wanted to hire you and make you my bodyguard. Because then I’d get to keep you.
You won’t be kept, so I started messing around, experimenting with my blood, enhancing what I already had until I was indestructible.
I was such an obnoxious sixteen-year-old.
You would cry if you knew how many beautiful cars I totaled just because I wanted to prove I wasn’t afraid of crashing anymore, that I could walk away on my own.
And then I started saving people because why not?
If you could do it, so could I. That became my therapy. ”
I wrapped my arm over my stomach and felt something slide under the skin, a ripple of movement completely independent of my body.
I held my breath and put my hand where it had been, and it happened again, like a little foot stretching out to push its limits. It was so incredible.
“Wow,” I whispered, in awe.
He came back, voice taut. “Wow? I’m just trying to be honest. I know it’s stupid, that I’m stupid, but I’m trying to deal with the psycho, the impulsive, compulsive, obsessive.”
“Wow, the baby just kicked for the first time. That’s so cool. He hasn’t kicked before. Maybe he can hear your voice.”
It was quiet for a long, drawn-out moment while I touched my belly, really tuning in to the little bumping, live thing.
“Are you trying to break me?” he asked, voice harsh. “Because that’s what’s happening here. I’m breaking.”
Did he have to make everything about himself?
“I don’t break people. I called you to find out about the explosions.
I’m almost positive that it was intentional.
Someone tried to blow you up. And I’m almost certain I know who did it.
The baby decided to kick on his own for the first time.
You were talking openly, so I did the same.
Are you trying to break me? Is that how you think people are? Is that how you think I am?”
“No! I just…I’m sorry. I’m so happy for you.
Don’t worry about the past. Focus on the future.
I’ll send Nix a list of properties I’ve been considering but don’t own.
There’s a lot of trashy housing in Vegas.
Sketchy neighborhoods. But you know that.
I’m not going to trace this call. I’m not going to think about where you got footage of the crash.
Too late. You’re at your uncle’s. Fits the timeframe and distance and…
” He groaned. “I can’t stop thinking. I don’t know how to turn it off.
” He sounded absolutely agonized about it.
It was kind of funny. Melodramatic. I felt…
Well, I missed him and wanted him, but the baby was even more real to me now.
And someone had intentionally put a bomb in a kid’s cart.
In his cart. I had a purpose. For now, that would have to be enough.
Until I figured out my feelings and what I wanted my future to look like.
Whether I could be like my dad and settle with someone complicated.
Horse was so incredibly complicated. Still, I was finding it more amusing than irritating.
Could I live with who he actually was? Did I want to try?
I shrugged. “Okay. Knowing where I am isn’t going to change anything. You’re still in Mongolia or wherever buying hotels.”
He laughed, but it wasn’t happy. “Nix told you I was buying hotels in Mongolia?”
“Yeah. Anyway, I should get to bed. My feet are getting cold.”
“I should get back to sleep before my sleeping pill wears off.”
“Yeah. Sleep is good for psychos. And eat healthy. Keep your blood sugar even so you don’t get upset and yell at Charles again. Poor thing. Maybe I should hire him, save him from your crankiness when he calls you in the middle of the night.”
“Maybe you should. No doubt he’d go with you and put all of my assets in your name before he found an incredibly good divorce lawyer. He’s like that. And he likes you better than me. I mean, he didn’t tell me about the secret wedding. What kind of secretary does that?”
“A bad one. But why would I want to hire a bad secretary?”
“He has an amazing attention to detail, and he’s a foodie, so he’s really good at snacks.”
“Patty’s pretty good with snacks. I mean, at first there were just spaghettios and canned chili, but things aren’t so dire now.”
“He broke with the family after the crash. Closed up the track even though I specifically didn’t sue him over it. Sorry. Just can’t stop thinking.”
“It must be more annoying for you than for me. Get some rest.” I hung up on him before he said anything else, and before I said something too.
I walked slowly back to the house, hand on my belly and a little less hurt in my heart.
Talking to him was good for me, good for my baby.
And he knew that it was intentional. A rich little kid like that should be kidnapped, not blown up.
But the shadow monsters had agendas. Killing the next generation while it was vulnerable might serve that purpose.
And my mom was so good at explosives. And they had a huge debt they had to pay off to Uncle Ni?o, like they got involved in a job gone wrong. A job I’d messed up.
No, my mom wouldn’t ever murder a little kid.
She was scary, but she wasn’t evil. And my dad would never support that.
Unless he hadn’t known about it until later.
And then stepped in to protect her, and ended up paying, and me.
Uncle Ni?o accepted my payments like it was my due.
Hard eyes. Soft smile. And Lucas had helped me. What did that mean?
Something hit my shoulder, and then my legs got wobbly. I reached over and pulled out the dart. Seriously? I make two phone calls and I’m getting tagged and bagged?
Seriously. I guess my vacation came to an end.
Everything went dark.