Circle of Danger (13 page)

“Put your seat back and lie on your side and dig in for a rough ride.” Once she did it, he shoved the brake as hard as he could.

Tires squealed and the smell of rubber filled the interior. The high screeching sound of metal tearing metal hurt his ears. The SUV behind him travelled up the back and from what Ryker could see as he glanced through the sunroof, the automobile flipped in midair. Cars were hitting their brakes and the other SUV landed on the side of the road about twenty yards away, rolling down the side of the interstate.

Before they could recover, a pop reverberated inside their SUV as the window behind Ryker shattered. Someone shot at them. No way could anyone recover fast enough in the rolled SUV. The gunfire had to have come from another car.

Not wanting to give them an opportunity to release another round, he punched the gas again. This time the headlights in the mirror appeared to belong to a late-model sedan.

“For goodness' sake, how many are there?” Marie's voice had a touch of panic, but she remained where he'd ordered her.

“Hell, I wish I knew.”

Their chances had dropped drastically. He wasn't sure how much damage their SUV had sustained. He only knew they needed help.

“Get my cell phone out of my right pocket.”

He lifted his hip a little to help her put her hand inside. As he navigated through the light evening traffic, the sensation of Marie's hand tunneling into his pocket caused his cock to stand up and pay attention. He stared hard at the highway ahead. When did he lose control of his own body? Yeah. Sick fuck.

She pulled the phone out and the interior of the SUV lit up as she flipped it open.

“Hit speed-dial two. That's Jack's number. Tell him we're being chased and under fire near Cartersville. We'll get off there, exit 288.” He waited until the last minute before jerking the steering wheel and exiting I-75.

He hoped by going down smaller roads, he could find a way to lose the car. His wheels sprayed gravel into the other lane as he headed through a signal light. The four-lane road made it too easy for the sedan to keep up. Pushing the gear into off-road, he hit the median and shot across to a dirt road.

He glanced at Marie. She'd pulled the seat upright and was squinting at the phone's screen in frustration.

Returning his attention to the rearview mirror for a second, he hoped with no road lights and the rough terrain, the sedan would bottom out. It did but continued moving, minus the muffler rolling in the grass.

The maintenance road or whatever it was continued smoothly for over a mile. Then they started bouncing around, unable to avoid the potholes and deep ruts. Slowly, the headlights in the dust behind him became smaller.

“Did you get him?” Ryker glanced over to Marie. Tree limbs and bushes scraped the sides of the SUV as the road narrowed to something slightly wider than a dirt trail.

“About the time he answered, we lost connection. This must be no-man's-land—it keeps reading no signal.”

Her calm voice made him proud. The woman handled the insanity and danger with the mere lift of an eyebrow.

“Are you—” He closed his mouth and glanced at her again.

“I'm okay.” She smiled. In the dim light he couldn't tell much more.

“Good.” He returned his gaze to the windshield just as the road, path, whatever disappeared.

She cried out as the SUV slammed into the water. The hood popped opened and bent backward, cracking the windshield. The airbags exploded about the same time. White powder floated thick in the air. His nose slammed into the nylon bag. Unsure of how deep they would sink, he didn't waste time unbuckling the seatbelt and shoving the door open.

“Ryker! Oh, my God! The water—”

Her panic reminded him of her mind-numbing fear of drowning.

“Everything will be fine. Unbuckle and take my hand.” A light coating of white on her cheek told him she'd been looking his way when they hit the water. “Keep your eyes on me. We'll be okay.”

Muddy water rushed over the floorboard and their feet. He wrapped her legs around his waist and pressed her face to his neck. Her whole body shook but she held on tight. By the time they reached the water's edge, the sunroof was the only part of the SUV they could see. The interior lights flickered and blinked off.

“Let me go. The water is no higher than my knees.” With a show of bravery, she released him and reached out for the embankment. Panting as they climbed hand over fist through the weeds and shrubbery, they wrestled with the slippery leaves and mud. The moonlight helped a little to guide them up the slope.

Ryker reached the top and turned to help Marie. Soaked from head to foot she probably looked the same as he did. Like a mud wrestler.

“Now what do I have here?” A huge man with a V-shaped scar on his face stepped out of the shadows, his MP5 pointing straight at them.

 

C
HAPTER
F
IFTEEN

M
arie froze. Water and mud dripped off her hair and nose. The crickets chirped louder, as if they protested the disturbance. Unsure of what to do, her gaze remained frozen on the huge man.

Ryker stepped in front of her, facing the new danger.

“I'll be. If it ain't the brain-damaged brother.” Though the man's voice sounded friendly, he kept the submachine gun pointed at them. “What are you doing in our neck of the woods, asshole?”

“Put that gun down before you get someone killed, Drago.” Ryker looked behind the man and asked, “Who's with you?”

“Just me.” The man lifted his chin toward her. “Who's she?”

“I'm Marie Beltane,” she said before Ryker could respond. Then she reached around to shake his hand. “Are you Rex Drago?”

“Yeah.” He tilted his head and squinted at her from the corner of his eyes. “And?”

“I know your brother, Jack.”

The big guy hesitated for a second but finally lowered his gun and clasped her hand. His engulfed hers, his touch gentle. Unlike Jack, Rex wore his dark hair long, down to the collar of his shirt, and had no visible piercings. He looked to be taller too.

“Speaking of assholes, how's he doing?” He released her.

“Last time I saw him, pretty good.” She wrapped her arms around herself as she began to shiver. The early-summer evening was warm, but the breeze off the water—or shock—caused chills to run up and down her spine. Considering she'd endured a high-speed chase that ended with them flying off the road and crashing into the lake—and then almost drowning—any of the three could easily send a person into shock.

“Come on. I'll turn on the heat in the truck and you can wear my jacket while you warm up.” Rex held out his hand, palm open, indicating a path between two sweet gum trees.

Marie eased between the trees, avoiding the prickly seed balls as she'd lost her sandals in the suction of the mud. Two strong arms lifted and pressed her to a warm chest. Except for a sharp intake of breath, she accepted the unexpected help as she knew who held her.

She grinned up at Ryker. His boots squished with each step. She bit the side of her mouth. If she burst out of laughing, would he dump her on the side of the trail? He didn't look happy at all. Maybe she'd better keep quiet. They would make better time if he carried her.

A black oversized pickup truck with chrome glistening in the moonlight stood idling a few yards away. Thankfully Ryker helped her into the cab; otherwise, she would've needed a rope to climb inside.

With Rex driving and Marie squeezed between the two men, they drove down another dirt road. About three minutes later, they bounced onto a paved drive. Roughly a hundred yards away stood a ten-foot-high brick wall. The full moon glinted off what appeared to be glass on top. Every four feet or so, a little globe broke up the length and prevented the wall from looking too prison-like. Most likely the small globes housed cameras keeping an eye out for intruders.

Rex lowered the window. Next to the truck, about a foot lower, was a decorative stand. A button and a two-way immersed into the design hid its utilitarian purpose.

“Hey, it's me. I have guests.” Double doors opened up and Rex drove into a small tunnel.

“What is this? OS?” Marie's eyes widened as they emerged into a large grassy area. Nothing like what she'd imagined. Landscape lighting lit the large pool in the middle and the multi-level patio that ran the length of the one-level house. In one corner, a simple wooden swing hung from a large frame. A man stood silhouetted in the middle of several French doors leading to the patio.

“No.” Rex snorted and looked at Ryker. “This is Collin and Olivia's country home.”

What kind of country home had an enclosure like a castle?

She caught shadows moving along the interior wall and at the corners of the house.

And guards standing every so many yards apart?

Ryker lifted her from the truck. Marie placed her arms around his neck, pressing a little closer to whisper in his ear. “Will we be safe here?”

“Don't worry. I'll make sure you are.” His attention centered on the man who hadn't moved from the shadows.

She hated feeling helpless. On realizing that Ryker would be at a disadvantage by holding her, she pushed at his shoulders.

“Let me down. The grass looks like carpet. I doubt if any sweet gum balls would dare land here.”

She wiggled until he released her legs. He dropped his arm from her back as they reached the patio. Ryker stopped.

She'd met Collin only once. He'd been dressed in all black. Better to blend in the shadows as at that time he'd broken into The Circle. Tonight, he wore a simple light-blue polo shirt and khaki slacks. Lean with wide shoulders and not quite as tall as Ryker, he held himself in a way she recognized, a man with a self-confidence in his ability to kill. His amber eyes watched Ryker with suspicion.

“What are you doing in Georgia?”

“Like I have to tell you. Was that your sedan following us?” Ryker crossed his arms, his feet planted apart as if he stood on the bow of a ship.

A small grin lightened Collin's face.

“No. But he's a guest of ours now. Would you like to talk with him?”

“Yeah.” His tone betrayed a little of his impatience.

Out of the corner of Marie's eye, she noted movement. She smiled at Olivia. Collin's wife had always been kind to her.

“Sorry we barged in on your time off.” Marie waited to see how she would react. Of the two dangerous people standing in front of her, Olivia was the most deadly. She'd been The Circle's lead assassin before she'd fallen in love with Collin.

Dressed in jeans and a buttoned-up white shirt that looked as if it belonged to her husband, Olivia glanced over to Ryker and lifted an eyebrow. In a blasé movement, she flipped her hair over her shoulders. Her auburn hair swayed and brushed above the small of her back.

“What is this?” She slinked over to her husband and hooked her arm with his. “A family reunion?” Her tone wasn't exactly friendly.

With the high wall, the evening breeze barely moved the air, but Marie shivered.

“Bring Marie a blanket,” Olivia ordered one of the guards. Then her gaze drifted down Ryker's damp clothes and returned to look him in the eye. “Do you need one?”

“I'm almost dry,” Ryker said.

Olivia released a simple humph. “What brought you here?”

“We stumbled across Rex,” Ryker said, and then explained his concern about the new drug and deaths in his territory.

Marie was happy he'd left out her drug flashback problem, although he told more than she had expected. Ryker appeared to respect their opinion of the situation even with trust being an issue.

While Ryker talked, a guard handed her a blanket. She wrapped it around her shoulders, and her shivers instantly started to ease.

“Maybe we can encourage the fellow into talking,” Collin said to Ryker.

Ryker grunted and nodded.

Collin leaned down and whispered into his wife's ear. Then he kissed her cheek and walked into the house.

Without a glance toward Marie, Ryker followed.

Olivia remained on the patio, watching her.

Marie tightened the blanket around her shoulders and tried to act unworried about having Ryker out of her sight. He obviously felt she was safe. But she wasn't concerned so much about her safety than about his. Collin was a master strategist. Ryker preferred dealing with people head-on.

“Does he treat you well?”

The question startled Marie.

“Ryker?” She caught the concern in Olivia's eyes.

“Yes. Is he like Theo?”

“Oh, goodness, no. He doesn't keep a harem of young kids.” Marie shivered this time more from bad memories than her wet clothes.

“Let's go inside and get you changed into some dry clothes.” Olivia closed the French doors behind them and led the way down a wide hallway. Every room Marie passed reflected Olivia's class and style. Sleek furniture and classic designs filled the home. When she walked into the bedroom, she almost blushed on seeing the huge bed with rumpled sheets. Knowing how Ryker hated to be interrupted during times like that, she was glad Collin and Olivia didn't hold it against them.

Olivia pulled out a wispy-looking sleeveless peach-colored dress and a thin white sweater. Just right for an early summer evening.

“You can take a hot shower and dress in there.” Olivia pointed to a door on the opposite wall. “There's a drawer next to the tub with extra brushes and anything you might need.” She turned back to where they'd entered. “I'll go and fix us a cup of hot cocoa. So much better than coffee to warm you up. When you're ready, walk down the hallway; one of the guards will point you to the kitchen.”

Marie flipped on the light in the black-slate-and-glass bathroom. A large white shag rug covered the center of the room. The light above was a modern-style crystal chandelier. A mirror covered one wall, reflecting the claw-foot tub and separate huge glass shower and her.

“Oh, hell.” She covered her mouth with one hand.

Hair plastered to her head and eye makeup running down her mud-streaked cheeks, she looked like a zombie in one of the books Charlie loved to read. Not wasting any more time, she started the shower and checked the drawer. Several travel-sized bottles of shampoo and conditioner and little tubes of makeup were nestled in the front with brushes and combs wrapped in sleeves in the back. Did they have unexpected guests to use their bathroom often?

She picked one of each and then stepped into the shower. Twenty minutes later, her hair still damp even after blow-drying it, she emerged from the bathroom wearing the dress Olivia had given her. She also wore hand-washed underwear dried by the same blow-dryer. The dress made her feel so feminine, and she lifted the thin material, swishing it back and forth. When she lifted her head, she stopped and stared at her visitor.

“Hi, Marie.” A. J., The Circle's former security officer, sat on a cushioned chair near an old-fashioned vanity. She looked good. The premature winkles around her mouth and eyes—Marie remembered—probably caused by stress from Theo's demands, had faded. But her eyes still showed sadness buried deep inside.

“I thought I was using Olivia's bathroom.” During the shower, Marie had realized the bedroom and bath were actually for guests. The rumpled bed obviously belonged to A. J. Had she gotten back with Rex? Marie had heard they'd been lovers long ago.

A. J. nodded. “I couldn't believe this was a guest room and bath either. Olivia has never believed in doing anything halfway.”

“You're staying here?” Marie had heard A. J. and Olivia were big pals.

“Yeah.” The woman continued to stare at her.

“Thanks for letting me use your shower. Ryker and I had a little run-in with a lake. It won.” Marie picked up the sweater off the bed and slipped it over the chill bumps on her arms. Had the room become cooler?

“Rex had your SUV towed out. It looked like you had a little more trouble than that.”

Marie remembered why she never felt comfortable around the woman. She always doubted every word that came out of Marie's mouth. Plus, she'd heard how dangerous she was, especially when Theo had ordered her to punish some of the more disorderly operatives. Did she enjoy giving pain?

“What's the real reason you and Ryker showed up? If your new master does anything to Olivia and Collin, I'll make sure you live long enough to regret it.” A. J. stood, towering over her.

At five-foot-one, having a person tower over her wasn't unusual. So she ignored the attempt at intimidation.

“Olivia knows it was a coincidence.”

“There's no such thing as a coincidence—”

“Abby, leave the poor girl alone. She's been through enough today.” Rex blocked the doorway, his hands grasping each side of the doorframe. “Brain Damaged is looking for you.”

Was he talking to Abby? No. He was looking her way.

“Brain Damaged?” Then she remembered Rex calling Ryker that at the lake. “Why do you call him that?”

“I guess that was before your time. I'm not surprised he doesn't tell anyone.” Rex shifted and leaned against the wall. “When his parents' car exploded, Ryker ran out of the house and tried to open a passenger door to get them out. Another explosion threw him several yards away. Shrapnel and gasoline burned part of his face, arm, and back, but when he landed, his head bounced off the asphalt. They had to open part of his skull to relieve the swelling. The doctors were never sure if he suffered damage or not.”

Once again the thought of such a terrifying scene for a child to witness and then survive saddened her.

“Then you have no reason to call him that.” Marie refused to let anyone belittle the horrible trauma he must've gone through. His mom and dad had loved him and taken care of him and then they were gone in a fiery explosion.

She pushed her way past Rex as she heard A. J.—Abby, whatever she was called—laughing behind her. No, she never liked that woman.

Voices drifted down the hallway. She reached the room with the view of the pool and noticed a light from a nearby archway. No guards in sight. So she leaned to the side and peered inside. Brass cookware hung from the vaulted ceiling over a massive cabinet island. Near the stove, Olivia poured hot cocoa into black ceramic mugs.

On the opposite end of the huge country kitchen, arms crossed and head bent to listen intently, Ryker stood next to Collin. The brothers were almost the same build, though Ryker's arms and chest gave away his preference for weight training. Collin's hair was lighter—possibly from swimming in their pool—and Ryker's longer, most likely to cover scars and the band that held his patch.

She never really looked at the scars as more than being part of Ryker. The pain and suffering he'd endured as boy, she couldn't imagine and would rather not. He'd obviously gone through months of skin grafts on top of losing the vision in his eye—without his family nearby to comfort him. She hurt for that young boy. Then Master had lied and told Ryker his brother was dead. Surely he'd felt lost and alone.