Eve Langlais (22 page)

Spooned against his body, her cheek resting on his chest, lips curved in a smile, she fell asleep to the sound of his heart beating, and the feel of his hand stroking her hip.

* * * *

Watching her sleep, curled against him, Hunter smiled. He finally understood what his mother had tried to tell him all those years ago. He’d found love, or maybe love had found him. And having found it, he was never going to let it go.

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First, he’d take care of the Dragon. Quickly. Then, he’d come back and ask Suzie to be his wife.

Now that he’d found the one, he saw no reason to wait. An eagerness filled him at the thought of starting a new life with her and the twins. Smiling, he hugged her tighter, and for the first time ever, fell asleep with a woman.

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Hunter was gone again. They’d spent the rest of the night in his bed, spooning naked. He’d carried her back to her bed before dawn, tucked her in with the children and kissed her softly.

“I’ll be back as soon as I can. Wait for me,” he’d whispered.

And then, he’d left. But Suzie glowed. Hunter cared for her, and while they hadn’t said the words
I
love you
, she had a feeling it was only a matter of time.

Suzie felt too wired to sleep, her body sore in that pleasant way that happens only after a night of hot loving. She snuck off and had a bath before the children woke up. The musky scent of their lovemaking stuck to her skin, and while she would have loved to bask in it, she didn’t want the children asking why mommy stunk. She hummed as she bathed, running the cloth over her body and remembering his tongue and hands doing the same much more intimately the night before. Just the thought aroused her again and made her nipples tighten. Apparently, her body hadn’t had enough yet.

And she couldn’t wait till he came back to indulge some more.

She ran some cold water to cool down her body and libido, then got out and dried herself off.

Dressed in a new gown that Beverly had thoughtfully lent her, she went into the room to see if the children were awake. She made it just in time.

Jessica woke first, sitting up in bed, her hair all tousled, yawning. She hadn’t yet noticed the bed’s other occupant, but her movement disturbed Jared who was still asleep beside her. He grunted in his sleep and rolled over.

A piercing shriek came out of Jessica’s mouth. “Jar-Jar!”

Jessica dove on her twin, hugging him awake. Jared, to his credit, didn’t scream back, but hugged his sister just as enthusiastically. But Suzie screamed as the door came flying open, hitting the wall hard, and Nat dove into the room, sword in hand. A blonde warrior princess in action.

“Where is he?” Nat asked, eyes scanning the room, looking for enemies.

Suzie laughed. “Jessica was a little excited at seeing her brother back.”

Nat relaxed and grinned at the kids as she slid her sword back in its scabbard.

Jessica looked over at Nat, her beaming face, a rainbow of happiness. “Nat, loo, it my broder. Jar-Jar, dat Nat. She Hunta’s sista. She show me how fight.”

Jared looked at Nat with interest. “Thow me too?” he asked. “I wanna fight da bad man.”

“Sure thing, little fellow. How about we have some lessons after breakfast? Get dressed, and I’ll wait for you out in the hall so we can go down together.”

Two tousled heads nodded eagerly, and Nat went out the door, shutting it behind her.

Suzie started toward the twins when she heard a thump at the door. Who could be knocking? Nat had just left.

The door opened, and Suzie opened her mouth to ask Nat what she’d forgotten. But it wasn’t Nat.

Suzie screamed. “No!” Immediately, the twins echoed and hugged each other in fright. Her heart plunged down to her toes, and she could have sworn she heard her knees knocking. How had he found them?

Damian sneered. “Surprised to see me, Suzanne? I admit, your hunter boyfriend took me by surprise, but he’s not here now, is he? But I am,” Damian said ominously. “I’ve come to take my boy back, and this time, I think I’ll take the girl, too.”

“Never,” said Suzie, moving to stand in front of the children. “Go away, Damian. You lost. We’ve got a guard coming for us in a few minutes and more all over the castle. You’ll never take them. Leave while you still can.”

“Oh, if you mean that blonde giant, she’s out in the hall, bleeding. Someone forgot her training and didn’t think to check before leaving the room.” Damian made a tsking sound as he shook his head. “I’m 85

surprised. I expected better from the commander’s daughter. Needless to say, she won’t be coming to your rescue. No one will. That’s the beauty of stone walls. Sound doesn’t carry.”

“You’re not taking them, Damian. Kids, hurry, the bathroom, now.” For once, the kids didn’t argue, just bolted off the bed into the washroom, and Suzie dashed after them, turning to slam the door shut.

But Damian moved fast—faster than a regular human could. His fingers caught the edge of the door and curled around it. Suzie couldn’t fully shut it. She leaned against the door, but her smaller weight was no match for Damian, who slowly inched it open. Then, Suzie remembered one of Jessica’s defense lessons.

Suzie leaned over and bit Damian’s fingers. Hard.
Eew!
She felt the crunch of flesh and bone between her teeth and a spurt of blood, which made her gag and let go.

Damian screamed, and his fingers were gone. Quickly, Suzie slammed the door shut and bolted it.

Unfortunately, this would only give them a small respite. The door lock was only a flimsy affair meant for privacy and not keeping out big, bad men.

Suzie looked around desperately, her eyes scanning the bathroom for a weapon, something, anything she could use to fight him off. She knew Damian wouldn’t give up.

Bang!
The door shuddered in its frame. Suzie leaned against it, stomach clenching in terror.
Oh God,
help us.

The twins were huddled against the far wall under the window, eyes wide with fright, lips trembling as they choked back sobs.
This is so Goddamn unfair.
They were supposed to be safe here. Hunter had saved Jared. This wasn’t supposed to happen.

The door shook again and again as Damian threw his weight against it. The splintering sound of wood giving way made Suzie’s throat tight as it choked with tears of frustration and fear.

She needed a plan. But she wasn’t a hunter or a warrior, just a suburban mom whose only idea of violence previously had been beating the eggs and whipping some cream. They didn’t teach protecting your family from psychopaths in her parenting books. So what could she do? She needed to get the children to safety. Maybe, if she distracted Damian, the children could get out of the room and run for help. But how?

Suddenly, the banging stopped. Suzie held her breath, listening. Had Damian left? Suzie knew better than to open the door and check. He was probably waiting for her to do that. Hey, she’d seen enough suspense movies to know the bad guys didn’t just leave. She could picture him, crouched like some dark predator beside the door, waiting for her to be stupid and open it so he could pounce on her and steal her babies.

But Suzie didn’t know what else to do. Her plan to escape to the bathroom had become a trap of its own. The only way out other than the door was the window. She looked up at the window. While big enough to wiggle through, it didn’t lead to a balcony, but went straight down, and it was too high for the children to reach and cry for help. She didn’t dare leave the door for fear that Damian would burst in with one mad bull rush.

Jared, watching her, looked up at the window too. “I get help,” Jared said.

“No baby, the window’s too high.” And Suzie didn’t want him to fall to his death.

“I fly.”

What did he mean he could fly? Wait, he could, but only when in dragon form. “Can you turn into a dragon again?” Suzie asked, a spark of hope in her voice. Beverly had said it was a rare thing at his age.

But having done it once, maybe he could he do it again.

“I tink tho,” he said, scrunching up his face.

Jessica watched Jared as he clenched his little fists and held his breath, his little face going red with the strain.

“Jar-Jar, what you do?” Jessica asked. “You loo funny.”

“I be a dwagon,” he said, opening his eyes.

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Jessica giggled. “A dwagon, dat silly.”

Suzie almost laughed at her look, but the situation had gone beyond dire. The silence out the door had been replaced with a slithering sound, as if something heavy dragged along the floor. Had Damian shifted? If he had a tail like Jared’s, would it make that sound when he moved? Oh God, please let her wake up from this nightmare.

“I no thilly,” said Jared indignantly, unaware of their newest problem. “I was a dwagon. Ask Hunta.

He thee me. Mommy too.”

Jessica looked at Suzie as if expecting her to refute this claim.

“I know it sounds crazy, Jessica, but when your brother came back last night, he was a dragon.”

“Me too den!” exclaimed Jessica, closing her eyes. Unlike her brother, she didn’t turn red in the face or clench anything. On the contrary, she got a peaceful look on her face, lips slightly parted as if about to sigh. She began to hum, and as she hummed, her body became enveloped in a shimmery light so bright that Suzie had to close her eyes. When she opened them again, Jessica had disappeared. Instead, a little pink—yes pink—dragon sat there. Suzie looked at her in shock. Where had her baby girl learned to do that?

“It easy,” Jessica said to her brother. “Cwose your eyes and hold my hand,” she said, reaching out to take Jared’s hand.

Jared looked in slack jawed amazement at his sister. He held her hand and closed his eyes. Calming himself, aping his twin, he started to shimmer.

Here we go again
, thought Suzie, shutting her eyes tight.

Opening them, she now saw two dragons sitting on the floor, pink Jessica and blue Jared. What do you know? Even dragon colors were sexist.

“We get help, Mommy,” said Jessica, fluttering her little wings. Suzie swallowed in pride, tears shimmering in her eyes. Here they were, in the midst of danger, and her little girl was cool as a cucumber and taking charge. How quickly they were growing up. How unfair that they had to.

Jessica’s pink dragon body fluttered up to the window. Using her hands—er, claws—she opened the window wide enough to fly out.

“Come, Jar-Jar,” she ordered, poking her head back in.

Jared looked at Suzie. “I wuv you, Mommy. We come back and thave you.” Then, he flew out the window too, his flight a little wobblier than his sister’s. Looked like Jessica was a natural at being a dragon. A thought to ponder for another day, if she ever woke to another day, that is.

Suzie sagged against the door. At least now whatever happened, hopefully the children would be safe. All they needed to do was find some people. But Suzie had doubts about her own well being.

Unfortunately, her situation hadn’t changed. She still remained trapped in the bathroom with a very pissed off dragon on the other side.

She felt something lean against the door at her back and a smell wafted through the cracks, a dry, leathery smell that tickled her nose unpleasantly.

“Suzanne,” hissed a rough voice. “Open the door, Suzanne. I’m getting very angry. And I’m also getting very hungry.”

Holy freaking psycho. Thankfully, the children were gone because Suzie almost wet her drawers in fear. Eat her? He wanted to eat her!
Help. Please. Anyone.

The door rattled again. Suzie closed her eyes and prayed.

“Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with. . .”

Harsh, barking laughter sounded. “Your god isn’t listening. And even if he was, he’d be too late. I’m going to count to three, Suzanne. Open the door like a good girl and maybe, just maybe, I won’t kill you.

Don’t open it, and you will feed me while the children watch,” he said in a whisper that sent shivers up Suzie’s spine.

One bright spot. He didn’t know the children were gone. She needed to buy time.

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“One.”

Oh shit. What am I going to do?

“Two.”

Why the hell isn’t anyone coming to help me?

“Three.”

Dammit, Suzie wished she’d taken lessons from Nat. She heard him pull away from the door, stepping back, she imagined, to rush it. Inspired, Suzie counted to five, then flung open the door as a large, black creature came rushing through only to hit the far wall with its momentum.

Ha! Take that.
Not waiting to see what happened, Suzie dashed out the door and flew on swift feet to the bedroom door. She had the handle in hand when sharp claws dug into her shoulder.

“Aaah!” she screamed at the fiery pain as Damian dug his talons in.

“Where are the children, Suzanne?” he asked, turning her cruelly by digging his claws deeper into her.

Suzie gasped at her first glance of her ex-lover. Facing her stood a man sized lizard, something from a horror movie, and she knew how those ended. Ebony in color, scales covering him all over like plate armor. Only his eyes looked human. Oh, and did she mention he had big fucking teeth? Gulp. The better to eat her with.

“Answer me,” he raged, shaking her like a rag doll. “Where are the children?”

“Gone,” Suzie said triumphantly even as tears ran down her cheeks from the slicing pain. “They’re safe now. Do what you want. You’ll never get them back.”

“Bitch!”

Suzie felt herself flying through the air, too quickly to scream, before crashing into the wall. She didn’t even have time to shake the stars from her eyes when he picked her up again and shook her.

“Where are they, you annoying cow? Get them back here now, or I swear I will. . .”

“What?” Suzie spat. Where she had found the courage to talk back, she didn’t know, but dearly hoped it would stay with her a little while longer. The excruciating pain throbbed through her, a ball of fire eating her shoulder from the inside out. But even amid the pain and terror, she mustered up all the strength she’d never realized she had. Damian and his threats were becoming tiresome, and if she was going to die, then by God, she’d do it fighting. “What will you do, Damian? Kill me. Eat me. Do it. I don’t care. The children are gone. And you won’t be getting them back.”