Circle of Fire (23 page)

T
HERE WAS A MADMAN INSIDE HER HEAD, BEATING A THOUSAND
drums. Maddie groaned softly and wished he’d leave her alone. Though it wasn’t only her head that felt ready to explode. Her whole body ached, as if the madman had thrown her around like some rag doll.

She opened her eyes. The light, though murky, made her eyes water. She blinked the tears away, and dark gray vinyl met her gaze. She frowned in confusion and blinked again. The stretch of gray vinyl became a seat—the back of a car seat.

She was in a car. Hank’s car, she thought, without really understanding the reason for her certainty. And they were still moving.

She shifted slightly, struggling to look around without letting him know she was awake. She couldn’t see the second teenager, but Eleanor and Hank were both in the front seat.

She tried to shift again, but a sharp twist of pain ran down her arms and stopped her. She bit back a yelp and tried to ease her arms forward. They wouldn’t move. She pulled again, then realized they were tied—and so tightly that she was beginning to lose feeling in her fingers.

Cursing silently, she glanced up at the back window.
Rain beat against it—a torrent that made it impossible to see anything. There was no hope of telling where she was, or where they were going.

“Damn you, Hank.”

The sudden sound of Eleanor’s voice made Maddie jump. She squeezed her eyes shut and prayed they hadn’t noticed she was awake.

“How was I to know he’d already been inside? I told you, he came around the side, and the windows were shut.” Hank’s voice was an odd mixture of contempt and fear.

Eleanor gave an unladylike snort. “Shut, but not locked, you fool.”

Opening her eyes a little, Maddie saw Hank hunker down in the seat. “We still got one kid. Can’t we just go kidnap another?” This time there was definitely an edge of fear to his voice.

“I told you, we need the Gaskell kid for the ceremony. There’s not enough time to go through another cleansing.”

“Barnett’s probably handed him over to the police by now.”

“No doubt.” Contempt ran through her sharp voice. “But the police station is the least of our problems.”

Hank grunted. For several long minutes, the growl of the engine was the only noise to be heard above the heavy pounding of rain against the windows.

“Stop here.” Eleanor leaned forward in the seat as the car jerked to a halt. “Get the kid out of the trunk.”

Maddie shut her eyes again. The car doors opened, then there was a sharp rap of boots against loose gravel.
I should run while I have the chance
. But
what hope would she have against Eleanor, who had the shape and speed of a panther?

The trunk opened, and Maddie risked a quick peek again. The dark branches of an old Christmas-tree-type pine hung low over the car, protecting it from the worst of the weather. They were somewhere in the mountains, obviously, but beyond that there was very little to be seen.

Eleanor and Hank dragged something out of the trunk before slamming it shut.
The second kid
. The certainty made her stomach turn. She’d been so worried about Evan that the safety of the second teenager had slipped her mind entirely. She bit her lip, then slowly levered up on her elbows.

Hank and Eleanor were about twenty feet away, carrying a bundle wrapped in blankets down a steep incline. Now was the time to run. She sat fully upright and studied the area. The dark outline of trees met her gaze. A small dirt road disappeared past the pines on her left, and on her right, past the huge old Christmas tree, the land rose sharply. If there was anything else to be seen, it had disappeared into the rain.

It would be stupid to run when she had no idea where she was—or if there was even help nearby. Running might not achieve anything but making Eleanor angrier—and Maddie had a feeling that was something she might not survive.

She lay back down on the seat and, after several minutes, heard Eleanor and Hank returning. But only one door opened. The front seat squeaked as Hank climbed in, then the engine started.

“Now remember.” Eleanor’s usually mellow voice
was sharp and cold. “Dump our hostage at the warehouse and make sure she can’t escape, then find where they’ve got the kid. I doubt if Barnett will agree to an exchange, no matter what his feelings are for the woman, but she’ll at least still ensure his good behavior. Once you snatch the kid back, we can kill them both.”

“I’ve seen the two of them together. He won’t risk her life.”

“Maybe.” Eleanor’s tone made it obvious she didn’t agree. “Just find the kid, Hank. Remember, if you want your life extended again, you need that kid.”

The door slammed shut and Maddie kept her eyes squeezed closed. The wheels spun as Hank took off, and for several seconds the car did nothing but drift sideways. Hank cursed fluently and, as if suddenly fearful, the car surged forward. She didn’t know whether to feel relieved or not. Granted, she was free from Eleanor’s sharp gaze, but she still had Hank to contend with.

She frowned and wondered what Eleanor had meant by her last statement. Life extended again? Did that mean this was not the first time she’d extended their lives through magic? Sure, sixteen kids had disappeared, but would Eleanor need a blood sacrifice every month to extend her life and Hank’s?

She didn’t know, but she had a feeling Jon would. She rubbed her thumb against the cold metal ring on her finger. Its presence was oddly comforting, if only because she knew he’d come back for it.

The car bumped along, the rhythm hypnotic. After what seemed like ages, it slowed and turned, then stopped.

Her stomach rolled. She closed her eyes and listened to Hank getting out. After a few minutes the back door opened. Hands grabbed her shoulders and hauled her out. She kept her eyes shut and forced herself to relax. Her only chance of escape might lie in convincing Hank she was still out.

“Christ, how can a little thing like you be so damn heavy?”

His mutter was almost a curse as he hauled her up and over his shoulder. The rain and the cold hit her immediately, and the air was ripe with the smell of sea and fish, suggesting they were down near the docks somewhere. Moisture ran down her back and around her throat as he hurried across wet asphalt. She risked shifting her head slightly and saw the old wooden wharf posts and, beyond that, the shadows of boats. They were definitely back in Taurin Bay and, as she’d guessed, at the docks.

The scream of a hawk suddenly cut across the rain-swept silence. Hank yelled, letting go of her legs as he dove out of the way. Air swooped past her, and Maddie had a brief glimpse of brown-gold wings as she tumbled from Hank’s shoulder. She hit the ground hard and grunted in pain, struggling to breathe and briefly seeing stars. Hank cursed and reached for her. She kicked out at him and heard the hawk scream again. As Hank’s gaze jumped skyward, she rolled away from him, then scrambled to her feet and ran, desperate to get as far away from him as possible.

The hawk swooped, and Hank’s scream of terror filled the air. Maddie jerked around, but she was still dizzy from being dropped and the movement was far
too quick. She ended up on her knees, battling the urge to puke.

Another scream rent the air, and this time it wasn’t from any human throat. Her heart leaped into her mouth as she raised her gaze and watched the hawk sweep around for another attack.

Hank ran. The hawk circled around, then with a flick of its wings, came back to her. As it neared, a gold haze crawled over its form, and the hawk became Jon.

“I didn’t think you’d find me so quickly,” she said, blinking back tears of relief and pain.

He knelt beside her and quickly undid the rope binding her hands. “Neither did I.” He touched her face, momentarily brushing his fingers over her bruised and swollen cheek. “Are you hurt anywhere else?”

Everywhere
, she wanted to say, but bit the words back.
You’re not going to be a burden, remember?
Life rushed back into her fingers, fast and furious. She swore and blinked back the tears still threatening to embarrass her. Jon took her hands in his, rubbing them gently.

“Maddie, look at me.”

She took a deep breath and glanced up. His eyes were a deep blue ocean in which she could so easily drown.

“Are you hurt anywhere else?” he repeated slowly.

She shook her head. Her head ached almost as fiercely as her arms, but not enough to mention. And that wasn’t the question he was really asking, anyway. She swallowed and gave him a shaky smile. “He didn’t touch me.”

She saw the flash of relief in his eyes before he smothered it. She shivered—and knew it was more of a reaction to the warmth of his hands against hers than the cold rain dribbling down her back. Still, he took off his jacket and wrapped it around her shoulders. “Can you stand? We have to get out of this weather.”

“If you help me.”

He rose to his feet and gently guided her upright. Then he pulled her against him, holding her tightly. She leaned her cheek against his chest and listened to the thunder of his heart. It felt so good, so right—as if she belonged right there in his arms, and nowhere else.

“Next time I tell you to stay behind, will you kindly listen?” he whispered into her hair. “I think I’ve aged ten years in the last few hours.”

His breath brushed past her cheek, and something deep inside shivered in reaction. She swallowed and forced a smile as she pulled away slightly. “I’ll consider it.”

At his quick frown, she reached up and brushed a kiss across his rain-wet lips. Only to be caught totally unprepared by the sudden flaring of heat and her own intense need.

He groaned slightly and splayed his hand across her back, holding her close as she deepened the kiss. Their bodies molded together, and heat trembled through her veins. When the tremulous ache began in her heart, she knew, really knew, that she was more than just attracted to this man. God help her, she was falling in love with someone she barely knew.

His hand moved from her back to her hair—then stilled. “You’re bleeding,” he said, pulling away.

She glanced at his hand. It was smeared red. She frowned and touched the back of her head. It felt tender and sore. Then she looked at her fingertips. They were bloody.

“So I am.” She felt absurdly calm and wondered why. “I probably opened the cut when I fell off Hank’s shoulder.”

Jon swore, then swung her up into his arms. “Let’s get you out of the rain.”

She nodded and rested her head against his chest as he ran toward the nearest warehouse. The warmth of his arms and the strength and gentleness with which he held her were both comforting and arousing. Or maybe it was just the hit on the head affecting her senses.

He kicked the door open, then gently sat her down on a large crate. He checked the wound on her head, muttered something about a doctor, then squatted in front of her. “That cut might need stitches. How did you get it?” He took her hands again, rubbing them briskly.

She shivered, more from the force of his touch than from the chill beginning to creep through her body. “I think it happened when he hit me.”

He paused, his fingers tightening around hers momentarily. “He hit you?” he repeated, his voice oddly devoid of any emotion.

She nodded. The little man with the drums was starting up in her head again, and it hurt.

“The bastard has to pay,” he muttered. He glanced
past her, listening intently. She could hear a distant wail of sirens, growing closer with every breath.

“Don’t move.” He rose and ran back out into the wind and the rain. After a few minutes he returned and wrapped a blanket around her shoulders.

“Maddie?” He shook her shoulders slightly, forcing her to look him in the eyes again.

Such nice eyes
, she thought with a smile. Eyes that she’d love to wake up to in the morning—all the mornings—for the rest of her life.

“Maddie, are you listening to me?”

She smiled again. “No.”

He frowned and suddenly looked more worried. “I said, I called the police before I attacked Hank. A man called Mack is in charge. His men have Evan. You’ll be safe with them until I get back.”

Evan—lord, she’d forgotten all about him! Guilt washed through her, thick and strong, and momentarily cleared the fuzziness from her mind. “Is he hurt?”

“He’s in better condition than you are.” His gaze ran past her again. “Mack, get some medical help, will you?”

His gaze came back to hers. Anger and worry burned deep in the wild blue depths of his eyes. Her heart did an odd flip-flop. She reached out, touching his full lips with her fingertips.

“Let the police handle it,” she said, suddenly realizing he was going after Hank. That he would make Hank pay for the hurt he’d inflicted on her.

“I can’t.” He reached up and took her hand, gently kissing her fingertips. “Hank and Eleanor are my field of expertise. I’ll handle them.”

“You can’t go alone. Let me come.”

“Ah, Maddie, you continue to amaze me,” he whispered. Leaning forward, he kissed her lips, his mouth hot and yet so gentle against her own.

Heat whispered through her soul and made her heart ache. She closed her eyes and leaned her forehead against his. It was scary to realize just how far she’d fallen.

“Don’t go,” she whispered after a moment.

“I have no choice.” He kissed her forehead, then pulled back and glanced toward the doorway. “Mack, this is Madeline Smith. Maddie, Mack’s from the FBI.” He rose and squeezed her hand. Then his eyes became cold, so cold. “He’ll look after you until I get back.”

“Damn it, Barnett, just wait—” The big man cut his sentence short and frowned darkly as Jon disappeared through the doorway.

“Not one for taking assistance or orders, is he?” he commented. With surprising grace, he knelt down beside her.

She shivered. “No, he’s been alone too long to depend on anyone but himself,” she said softly. And wondered where the hell that left her.

H
ANK HAD A GOOD TEN MINUTES
’
START ON HIM, BUT THAT
was nothing when you could fly. He barely even felt the wind and the rain buffeting him. All he could think of was the pain in Maddie’s amber eyes, the touch of her blood against his fingers.