Claimed by Ice (9 page)

“
H
enry
, if I could just call…” Jane trailed off, but not when she looked at Henry. It was his companion who concerned her. He hadn’t said anything, not since he’d first approached her, but he had watched her with cold, lizard-like eyes, eyes that unnerved her as completely as they had that first day.

“Sorry, Janie. But I’m sure we’ll get this wrapped up soon.”

She started to argue, but then reconsidered. Henry might not know it yet, but he wasn’t in charge here, and Jane thought his partner would be a less-than-sympathetic ear.

So she swallowed, tilted her body so that she could see them both out of the corner of her eye, but leaned into the wall, not that it would give her any protection. The apartment they had taken her to was one of those prefurnished units, probably rented out by the week. And it wasn’t too far from her place—her old place—and she thought she’d recognized the building as they approached. The man had had no qualms about her seeing where they were headed, a fact that made her more nervous than anything. But she’d keep a cool head, and she’d get through this.

Exander would come for her.

There was no doubt in her mind that this was about him. The people Jewel owed had somehow found out about Jane’s connection with Exander and were looking to exploit it. There was no reason that anyone would ever bother with her otherwise. But the question that burned, the one that seared in her brain, was whether or not Jewel was involved. She hated herself for even thinking it, for even allowing the possibility to enter her mind, but she couldn’t afford to be naive, not now.

Henry could never have come up with the idea on his own. Or rather, he could have, but there was no way he was focused enough to execute it. Jewel, though, Jane knew that she could be focused when it suited her. It seemed mind-boggling,
was
mind-boggling, but she couldn’t dismiss the possibility out of hand. And that hurt her almost as much as the man taking her had scared her.

Of course, there was also another possibility. Maybe this had been Henry’s idea, or maybe his partner’s, and Jewel wasn’t involved. Maybe Jewel was out searching for her now, frantic with worry, wondering why she hadn’t shown up.

Yes, that was it. It had to be.

“You think he’ll pay?”

The man’s voice was raspy, low, and Jane could feel the cold weight of his eyes on her.

“Yeah. He will—”

“I wasn’t talking to you, Henry,” the man said, never taking his eyes from Jane.

“Oh.”

Jane looked at Henry then, saw him swallow thickly, and thought she recognized an inkling of concern in his eyes. She could see the wheels turning, see as he calculated what might be about to happen. The low-level tension that had been here since she arrived ratcheted up.

“Asked you a question. Do you think he’ll pay?”

Jane looked at the man then, saw the cold, greedy calculation in his eyes.

“Yes.”

She turned away then, wanting to be as far away from him as possible, but having nowhere to go.

“Good thing for you,” the man said.

“Da—”

“Don’t say my fucking name!”

“Yeah, right,” Henry said.

And Jane felt her first moment’s relief. If the man was so concerned about keeping his name secret, even after she’d seen his face twice, maybe that meant he was less inclined to chop her into pieces and throw the parts out of a helicopter bought with Exander’s money.

Henry went silent then, and the already oppressive atmosphere got that much worse. With each second that ticked by, Jane’s resolve was tested.

He’ll come for me. He’ll come for me.

She said the words over and over in her head, not letting herself forget, not allowing a moment’s doubt to creep in.

When the phone finally rang, she couldn’t tell whether she or Henry was more surprised. He stared at it, eyes wide, until his companion said, “Answer it, asshole!”

“Right.” Henry nodded and then grabbed the phone.

“Jewel?”

His face lit up with excitement and then fell. “Put Jewel on the phone.”

His companion seemed almost as interested as Jane in the response, and they both watched as Henry’s face twisted in thought.

“No. No deal.”

“Put it on speaker,” the other man whispered urgently.

Henry pulled the phone away from his ear, pressed the button, and then lay it on the cheap laminate coffee table.

“You can talk to her after I have proof. Put Jane on the phone.”

She recognized his voice immediately, felt a tingle come over her at the sound of it. The only thing unfamiliar was the faint note of worry that she heard. She doubted the others noticed, but she heard it all the same, and it made this more real. If he was worried, so worried that he couldn’t hide it, the situation was very bad indeed.

“I’m here,” Jane said.

Henry and the man looked at her, the man seeming particularly displeased, though he said nothing.

“Have they hurt you, Janie?”

“No. I’m fine, but Jewel—”

“Look. Enough of this. You want the girl back, we get our money. Today.”

“No. I get Jane. Then you get your money.”

“And how do we know that you won’t just kill us all?”

“You don’t. But if you want a cent of my money, you’ll have to trust me.”

The other man grimaced, and Henry looked at him, confused, clearly searching for guidance. The moments that ticked by were excruciating, and Jane waited, well aware that it was her fate hanging in the balance, but feeling strangely detached from it all.

“You have three hours. I want the money in an offshore account. Any name you choose.”

“I’ll call you in three hours,” he said. And then he disconnected.

“Can you fuckin’ believe it?” Henry exclaimed.

“No, kid, I can’t. Thought for sure you were full of shit,” the other man said.

“See. Told you. We’re gonna be rich, man!” Henry said.

“I am.”

And with smooth, casual efficiency, the man pulled his gun and shot Henry right between the eyes.

“
I
t’s set up
?”

“Yes,” Sebastian said. “I have the account, and the money has been transferred. And Kyr has eyes on Jane.”

“Good. Tell him not to go in unless it’s absolutely necessary,” Exander said.

“He won’t. He says she doesn’t seem to be in any immediate danger, dead body notwithstanding.”

“Go and make sure it stays that way,” Exander said.

He hung up and looked at Jewel, who sat in the chair across from him, eyes watering with unshed tears.

“Is it true? Is Henry…?”

“He is. Why am I surprised that you are more worried about your boyfriend than your sister?”

“I am worried. It’s just…”

“Just what, Jewel?”

“I mean, he can’t do anything to her until he has the money.”

Exander shook his head, disgust filling him. How was it possible that she and Jane shared blood?

“Let’s go,” he said when he finally regained his calm.

“Go? Go where?”

“Where do you think?”

She shook her head. “No. I’m not going anywhere near that. You said that I do this and get my money.”

“You’ll get your money, Jewel. But you’re going to look at her. Let her see what you did, see what she meant to you. Or not. And then you’ll have nothing.”

“She won’t believe you. That’s why you never told her that I tried to kiss you. You knew she would never take your word over mine.”

Jewel stood, looking almost triumphant. Exander shook his head again. “You have it all wrong, Jewel.”

“What?”

“I didn’t tell her, but not because she wouldn’t believe me. Maybe she would have, maybe she wouldn’t have, but I didn’t want to break her heart to find out.”

H
e will come for me
. He will come for me.

Jane had said the words in her mind, practically screamed them more times than she could recall. Every time she glanced at Henry, saw the red-brown blood that had pooled around him, the metallic scent filling the room, she said it even louder, prayed even harder that it was true.

The other man stared at her, expression still flat, but in it she could see the malice, the greed, the threat. It had almost brought her to tears, had made her heart pound with the ferocity that almost drowned out her thoughts, that almost made her believe that Exander wouldn’t show.

But he would. He would.

“It’s a shame. Henry was a good kid. Dumb, but good.”

“So why’d you shoot him?” Jane asked.

She immediately regretted the words, but the man didn’t seem too bothered, and in fact seemed to welcome the conversation.

“It was nothing personal. Without him I never would have stumbled across you, the opportunity of a lifetime. But fifty million is way more than thirty-three and a third. So it’s simple math. Two is less than three.”

“Who’s the third?” Jane asked, a sinking feeling growing in the pit of her stomach.

The man looked almost sympathetic. “Doesn’t matter, does it?”

“It matters to me. Would it matter to you?”

“Probably not. And if I know anything, I know that people always look out for number one. No matter who it is. Family, friends, all of them will sell you out in a minute if it puts another dime in their pocket.”

Jane stayed quiet, watching the man, wondering if she would soon be convinced that what he said was true.

“You know,” he said a moment later, “you aren’t so bad. I hope the dragon pays, because I would hate to have to do anything to you. Tell you what, if it comes to that, I’ll make it quick.”

“Thanks. I guess,” she said.

In a way, she supposed she meant it. This man was a monster, but he couldn’t compare to the betrayal that was rocking Jane to her very core. If she’d been able to feel anything at all, her heart would be broken in two. And she knew the feelings would come later, if she made it out of this, but for now only one question pervaded her mind. Why?

She had given Jewel everything, had dedicated her life to making sure she had everything their mother hadn’t been able to give either of them, to making sure that she had things that Jane had never been able to give herself. And this had been her reward.

A tear slipped down her cheek.

“
I
’m going in now
,” Exander said.

Sebastian nodded. “I’ll keep an eye on her,” he said, not even sparing a glance at Jewel, who sat in the back of the van, head down.

“Thank you. I will be back shortly.”

Exander walked toward the dingy building, drawing the stares of curious onlookers. Not that he cared. The only thing he cared about, the only thing that mattered, was getting to Jane, and getting her out of there. And then finding his vengeance.

He ran up the four flights of stairs quickly, keeping himself in human form, but unable to ignore the urgency that beat at him, the need to unleash his dragon. In time, he told the dragon, trying to soothe the beast that he barely controlled.

When he reached the door to the apartment where Jane was being held, he paused, took a deep breath, and then he knocked, three hard raps. He knew she was inside, could feel her as if she were a part of him. And he heard the other person, the one who would soon pay for what he had done.

“If you want your money, you’ll open the door. Now!”

Exander heard something, and then the lock snapped. “Open it slow, and come in with your hands up.”

He pushed the door open, looked into the dim interior, eyes immediately landing on Jane where she stood, a tallish man behind her, one meaty arm wrapped around her waist, the other holding a knife to her throat.

Only through sheer will did Exander keep his dragon in check. And he only managed that through repeating the silent promise of retribution.

“Why the fuck are you here? That wasn’t the deal!”

The man tightened his hold on Jane’s waist, and Exander risked taking a step closer. “I’m trying to expedite the matter. I showed your partner the account, and I have it here,” he said, reaching into his pocket.

“Hold it up, out in front where I can see,” the man said.

Exander unfolded the paper, then extended his arm as far as he could. “You see, one hundred million dollars in an offshore account for S. Smith. Congratulations, you’re very rich man, Mr. Smith.”

The man smiled, loosened his hold. Then he froze, seeming to reconsider.

“Wait, how do I get out of here?”

“The stairs worked just fine for me,” Exander said, sounding almost casual, like his usual self, though he was anything but.

“Very funny, asshole. But you know what? I think I’ll have Jane here escort me to the airport, have her see me off safely.”

“No deal. You leave now and take your money with you. But Jane stays here.”

“No. She’s coming with me.”

“As I said, Mr. Smith, that’s not an option. I suggest you take your money.”

It wouldn’t have made a difference. There was no corner of the globe where this man would be safe from him, but he wouldn’t allow Jane to be in his presence for a single second longer than absolutely necessary. And one look at Mr. Smith revealed that he was so busy spending his newfound wealth that he wouldn’t press the issue.

“And you’re just gonna let me walk out of here?” he asked, voice incredulous.

Exander nodded. He didn’t look at Jane, couldn’t, or he’d be too distracted, might lose the bit of control he had.

He lowered the knife slowly. “Okay, okay. Just hand me that paper, and I’ll be out of your hair. And I’m very sorry about this, Jane. You didn’t deserve it.”

Any other time Exander would have taken a moment to reflect on the fact that Jane had even managed to win over her kidnapper. But that moment wasn’t now.

The man moved away slowly, then lunged to snatch the paper from Exander’s still-outstretched hand.

“Jane, did he hurt you?” he asked, not looking away from the man.

“I’m fine,” she said, though he could hear the nervous waver of her voice, probably a mix of fear, adrenaline, shock all rolled into one.

“Jane, would you look away please?” Exander said, eyes still on the man.

S
he’d been unspeakably
happy when she’d seen him, but now she was perplexed by his request. He looked away from her, eyes still lasered on the newly dubbed Mr. Smith, but as Exander watched him, he quickly stepped out of the sneakers and jogging pants he wore, peeled off the jacket, and stood naked.

And by the time she opened her eyes she could see that Exander was more than halfway shifted, his legs now powerful, claw-tipped, and covered with scales, copper wings sprouting from his back.

Mr. Smith started to run, but to no avail. In the next blink, Exander had shifted fully into his enormous blue-copper dragon. He lifted his scaled head, the iridescent color shimmering even in the dim apartment.

He inhaled, his great chest heaving, and on an exhale he released a blast of blue-copper fire. The ball of flame caught Mr. Smith, and he ignited, his entire body engulfed by the flames. He still struggled, though, took one step, two, and then he fell to his knees, screaming at first, and then silent, his body roasting until he was unrecognizable, a charred, blackened lump that Jane wouldn’t have known had once been a human unless she’d seen it herself.

Exander slithered toward the lump, nudged it with his nose, seemingly unbothered by the flames. And then, he inhaled, and the flames flew back into his mouth, leaving only wisps of smoke as a clue that they had even been there.

Emotion swirled inside Jane. Relief, fear, gratitude.

Heartbreak.

The dragon turned toward her, and she looked into its eyes, Exander’s eyes, and all else faded.

And in the next blink, the dragon was gone, and in its place stood Exander, naked, powerful. Worried.

Jane’s feet were rooted to the floor, but he came to her, reached out to graze his fingers across her face. He didn’t speak, but she could see the emotion that passed across his face.

Then he pulled her close, swamped her in his hold, and the dam of emotion that she’d kept welled up inside broke. After her first broken sob, she seemed unable to stop them, and they came one after another, each wrenching from her, giving power to the next.

But through them all, he held her, kissed away her tears as fast as they came.

Jane felt weightless, then saw that her feet were no longer on the floor. Exander held her now, cradled her against his chest as if she were the most precious thing he’d ever held, a treasure to be protected. Jane stilled in his arms as he went to the small fire escape, and by the time he reached it, his dragon had returned. Jane gripped him as tight as she could, lay her head against his scaled chest.

And then he jumped, the sound of his wings flapping, the thud of his heart against her ear, pushing everything else away.