Dragon Hunts Read online

  “Well…” he paused. “When I went to get a hall pass from the principal, I saw Scary Joe in her office.”

  “You what?” My voice raised an octave. “You saw him?”

  Scary Joe was Lorenzo’s wingman. He was big, ugly and as scary as his nickname. He handled most of Lorenzo’s dealings and had a rap sheet as long as ten rolls of toilet paper.

  “I ran back to class before Scary Joe could see me. Then I borrowed the phone and played hooky in the girls’ bathroom. Scary Joe won’t find me. If my voice sounds kinda funny, I have to talk like a girl so nobody will suspect.”

  I gripped the edge of the table. My heart filled with numbness. My son had always found humour even in difficult situations. He’d got used to cheering me up—he was the adult instead of me.

  “But you’re okay, right, sweetie?”

  “I’m fine, Mom. What should I do?” Behind me, I heard Declan stir from the bed and get up.

  “Call Curran to pick you up from school.”

  “But Curran is at work. I don’t want to bug him.”

  “I’m sure Curran wouldn’t mind.”

  Declan sneaked up behind me and snatched the phone from my hand. “Bobby? Hi, this is Declan. Where you at, Bobby?”

  I tried to grab my phone back, but Declan was too tall. “Declan!”

  He motioned me to be calm. “What you did is very clever, Bobby. Super. I’m so proud of you. Now, listen carefully. I want you to sit still in the stall, and I want you to put your feet on the toilet so no one will know you’re not a girl. I’m sending Braden to pick you up. You just stay there quietly. Don’t say anything until you hear Braden talking. Okay? Think you can do that, Bobby?”

  Declan nodded at me. His expression was grim. “Yes, just like in the spy movie. I know you can do that, easy peasy. Super. I’ll talk to you again when you’re with Braden. You’re a brave boy, Bobby.” He disconnected.

  “I still want to talk to my son!” I was furious and worried sick.

  “You’ll endanger him by talking too long. He’s a smart boy. You need to calm down a bit.”

  “But—”

  “Jessica. Let me handle it.” Declan herded me back to bed. “I’m going to make a few phone calls and take care of this, okay?”

  I swallowed a lungful of air and nodded. I didn’t want to cry in front of him.

  “I’ll be a minute.” Declan gave me my phone back and slipped into his boxers. He had been sleeping naked. He grabbed the land phone from the cradle and went into the other room. He closed the door.

  I paced around like a caged animal while Declan handled the situation. I eavesdropped on his conversations. He seemed to be talking to his brothers in New York. To Braden, especially. Then he called somebody whose name I didn’t recognise. By the time he’d finished and opened the adjoining door, I was ready to pounce on him.

  “Well?”

  “I have told Braden and Curran to pick Bobby up from school. We have a summer house in Alpine. I told Braden to bring Bobby straight there. He’ll be safe.”

  “I need to get back to New York.”

  “I know, baby. We’ll arrange that as soon as day breaks.” Declan pulled me into his arms and kissed the top of my head. “Don’t worry. Bobby is a smart boy. I’m sure he’s going to be okay.” He released me. “Why don’t you sit tight and I’ll order you some tea? I’m waiting to hear from Braden as soon as he gets Bobby.”

  I couldn’t sit tight. My son’s life was in danger. If Scary Joe knew where Bobby’s school was, then Lorenzo must have got wind of my whereabouts. I’d thought I had made a clean gateway when I left Nevada. My childhood friend, Christine, had got me the papers and been extra careful about wiping my former identity. Christine wasn’t a rookie in dealing with forgery. She made a living providing papers for illegal immigrants and people like me who needed a fresh start. I’d met her a couple of weeks before I decided to leave Lorenzo. I’d given Christine almost all of my savings.

  When Bobby and I had arrived in New York, I’d only had enough money to stay for a week in a crappy motel. I’d been working as a waitress in a café frequented by professionals in Wall Street when I’d overheard my customers talking about a financial firm desperately looking for a temporary secretary. The pay was exorbitant. It would enable me and Bobby to move out of the sleazy motel and live decently for a while. I dared myself to apply, even though I had no office skills at all. That was when I’d first met Declan and unexpectedly got the job.

  How did Lorenzo know we were in New York?

  Had Christine been compromised? I hadn’t told Christine where we were going. As soon as I had my papers, we’d climbed onto a Greyhound bus and left hot and arid Nevada behind.

  “I’ll take a shower and start packing,” I said. I was too overwrought to just sit idling. “As soon as it’s business hours, I’ll call the airline to change our departure.”

  “All right. In the meantime, I’ll call room service. You seem like you could use some hot tea.”

  I could have used a stiffer drink in a situation like this. But I needed a clear head. With my deranged ex on my tail, I had to make a decision about what I was going to do. Declan had offered me a safe haven, but he didn’t know what kind of monster Lorenzo Filocamo was. Declan was a businessman and came from an upper-crust, prestigious family. He didn’t know how things worked in the underground world of thugs, drug dealers, and Mafiosi. My ex had a beef with me. My connection with Lorenzo could get Declan and his family killed.

  I couldn’t let that happen.

  Not in a million years.

  “I’ll take a shower now.” I excused myself to the bathroom.

  I cried silently under the hot shower, lamenting my life. I tried not to be full of self-pity, but I couldn’t help it. Just when everything had started to look bright for me and my son. I had a well-paid job, a cosy apartment, and I had been able to put my son in a decent school. I’d met Declan and he was pretty much crazy about me. And then this had happened. The past had finally caught up with me. I wondered when life was ever going to give me a break.

  Declan heard from Braden when I was packing my things. A surge of relief washed over me to hear that Bobby was in Braden’s custody. I talked to my son. He seemed calm and unaffected by the incident. Probably because he had seen worse. Bobby and Braden were heading to Alpine. They would be there when we returned to New York.

  The rest was a blur.

  As soon as the airline opened, I booked the earliest flight home. Twenty-five hours later, we touched down in John F Kennedy Airport. Braden picked us up at the arrival gate. I was antsy to see my son.

  I almost broke down in tears when I saw Bobby. He protested when I hugged him too hard. He tried to be cool and mature by not acting like a normal eight-year-old would.

  “Did you bring a souvenir for me?” Bobby asked.

  I slapped my forehead. I’d been so worried I’d forgotten to pick up a little present for him. “I’m sorry, sweetie. I was in a hurry to get home to see you. I didn’t think to buy anything.”

  “That’s okay, Mom. Maybe next time?”

  “Yes, next time.” A fat tear almost rolled down my cheek. I looked away and rubbed my eyes.

  Declan put down his luggage and patted Bobby on the back. “Lucky for you, I didn’t forget.” He reached into his pocket and took out a gift-wrapped box.

  Bobby’s eyes brightened. “Wow. What is this?”

  “Why don’t you open it and find out?”

  Bobby tore open the box. “A Nintendo DS! Is this really for me?”

  “Yes. It’s for you, for being a brave boy.”

  Bobby laughed happily. “Thank you, Mr Cairne.”

  “Call me Declan.”

  “Mommy said it’s not polite.”

  Declan gave me a sidelong glance. “Mommy won’t mind.”

  “Where did you get a Nintendo DS?” I asked Declan when Bobby was out of earshot.

  “Duty free shop in the airport.” Declan tugged my hand and
herded me into another room in the house. “Come on. I know you’re tired, but we need to talk.”

  The room turned out to be some kind of home office. Dark mahogany panelling covered the walls. It was filled with bookshelves from floor to ceiling, lined with fat tomes with gilded edges. I sat on a burgundy leather sofa. I felt much better knowing that Bobby was fine and he was with me. Scary Joe wouldn’t hurt Bobby physically. But Lorenzo was a different story. During the four years we’d lived together, fortunately, my ex had never laid a hand on Bobby. But he had threatened to teach Bobby a lesson whenever I’d displeased him. He’d called it moulding the boy into a real man. And that included ‘hard love’.

  I had always distracted Lorenzo and shielded Bobby so that Lorenzo wouldn’t have the opportunity to show Bobby what his hard love was. Bobby, who had always been on the small side, had avoided his father like the plague. I didn’t think they’d ever exchanged more than two words together. He was frightened of Lorenzo. Each sudden movement from Lorenzo had made him flinch. He’d never looked happy, either. His eyes had been burdened with fear and worry for my sake each time he looked at me. A child his age should never have had to endure that. I’d known then that I had to get him out of Lorenzo’s clutches. My relationship with Lorenzo had been dysfunctional. If I couldn’t give my son everything he deserved, I should, at least, provide a healthy, abuse-free environment for him to grow up in. It was my duty as his mother.

  Declan sat next to me. “Tell me what you know about Lorenzo.”

  “Well, he’s the biggest son of a bitch I’ve ever known.”

  Declan gave me a look.

  “He’s the Don’s son and he’s taking over the family business. He’s involved in prostitution rings, illegal gambling, drugs, money-laundering—you name it. The Feds have been trying to nab him and his father for years, but they’ve had no success. He has a lot of important friends. But he also has plenty of enemies.”

  Declan frowned slightly. “I read about him when we did a background check on you. I know of him, but I didn’t know the extent of his”—he made a tiny gesture—“obsessions. I presume it’s because Bobby is his heir and you’re the mother of his child that he wants you back so badly?”

  I sighed. “Lorenzo is the only son in the family. He needs his heir.” I shifted my leg. “You must have wondered why I consorted with a man like Lorenzo. It was a one-night stand and, trust me, he was charming back then. Lorenzo didn’t want anything to do with me when I told him I was pregnant. So I raised Bobby by myself. I was surprised when he came looking for me and wanted to start over.”

  “That was after his accident.”

  “Yes. It was stupid of me, but I thought getting back with him would be good for us. I needed someone to help shoulder the financial burden and Bobby needed his father. But it was a mistake.”

  “Is there any other reason why he wants you back so badly?”

  “Probably because I know too much. We lived together for four years, and during that time, I heard some things I shouldn’t have. Names. Business dealings. Secrets.”

  “Did the Feds ever approach you?”

  I nodded. “Once. I turned down their offer.”

  Declan grabbed my hand and squeezed it. “We’ll handle this together. Don’t worry. Braden will get you and Bobby new IDs. We have the connections to make that happen. We’ll put Bobby in a new private school. We’ll hire a security company to monitor you and Bobby’s safety. Everything is going to be okay.”

  “What about my job?”

  “Why do you need a job? You have me. You don’t need to worry about your finances anymore. I will take care of you and Bobby well.”

  “I feel like a freeloader.”

  “Jessie,” he chided. “I love you. When I said I wanted you to consider me a part of your future, this is what I meant. I want to be with you and this is part of my responsibility. To protect you and make you safe.”

  “I… I don’t know what to say.”

  “You’re still rattled by this whole thing. How about you relax and take a nap? We’ll talk more about this later. Bobby is safe and now you can rest your mind.”

  “That sounds like a good idea.”

  Declan kissed me on the lips. I closed my eyes and savoured it.

  “Shall I show you your new room? You’ll be living in this house for now.”

  “This big house?”

  “Yes. Or do you want a bigger house?”

  I grinned. “No. This one is good.”

  “I’m glad to hear that.”

  Chapter Five

  Even though Declan said everything was going to be okay, deep in my mind, I knew things weren’t as simple as he made them out to be. Declan’s offer to shelter me and my son was a tempting one but, as much as I wanted to, I couldn’t accept. Before Scary Joe had popped up uninvited in Bobby’s school, I’d thought I could keep my new life and my new lover. But the game had changed. If I didn’t tread carefully, someone was going to get badly hurt. If Scary Joe knew where Bobby’s school was, it was only a matter of time before he found out where I worked and the nature of my relationship with Declan.

  In Lorenzo’s twisted mind, since the accident, I was the only woman for him. I’d never ridiculed him for his problems and I was submissive enough to live under his iron-clad thumb. If Lorenzo ever found out I had taken a new lover, he would hunt Declan down and kill him.

  I shuddered.

  Sometimes, the nightmare was too vivid to be forgotten.

  Lorenzo, breath reeking with alcohol, had pinned me down in bed while he’d raped me with the handle of his favourite knife. My back had been bleeding and I’d wondered just how badly he’d cut me this time. He’d asked me how I liked it. Told me I was his favourite bitch whore. And if I ever left him, especially for a new cock, he would make that man’s face look worse than my already scarred back.

  Declan was sweet and caring. He was everything I ever wanted in a man. He accepted me for who I was. But he was a mere businessman. He didn’t know how things had worked in that side of my past life.

  He had no idea just how crazy Lorenzo really was.

  So I made my decision.

  I had to leave Declan and discard this life to start over again. Hopefully, this time, I could elude Lorenzo forever.

  I checked my bank account and withdrew all my savings. I had about three thousand dollars. I had always been frugal and I’d carefully saved every penny I’d made. It would be enough to hold me over until I got a new job, in a new place. I was thinking about Los Angeles this time. The city was big and crowded with all kinds of people looking for a slice of the Hollywood dream. It would be easy to disappear into the general population.

  Two days after arriving in Alpine, I packed my bag and sneaked out with my son from the Cairne’s summer house. Bobby didn’t ask me anything as I told him to get quietly into the taxi. The driver drove us to the nearest Greyhound terminal. Only when we were on the bus did my son look me into the eyes and ask quietly, “We’re going away because of Dad?”

  I nodded. My chest felt constricted.

  “I like Declan,” he said. “I like Braden and Curran, too. They’re super nice.”

  I bit my tongue and tried hard not to cry.

  As Alpine faded into the night, I slept restlessly through a nightmare about Lorenzo and his knife.

  We settled in a small motel in the outskirts of Los Angeles. The room cost me two hundred dollars per week. It was dingy and gloomy and totally awful. This was the second time I had subjected my son to a crummy environment like this. I had no choice. I had to watch every penny I spent until I got a new source of income.

  I left Bobby in the room, entertained with a bunch of comics, while I went job hunting. The room came with TV and microwave. Bobby was self-sufficient. And the Nintendo DS he’d got from Declan helped him to pass the time until I got back.

  There were quite a few places in Los Angeles who would hire someone without papers like me. They, of course, paid me under the
table and asked me no questions. On the fifth day after our arrival in Los Angeles, I got hired to work in a Mexican restaurant. I tended tables and took orders. I helped out in the kitchen when needed and cleaned up the bathrooms and the floors. The pay barely sustained us, but I thought I was only going to do this temporarily, until I knew someone who could get me new papers so I could hunt for a better job.

  My feet were killing me as I left the restaurant for the night. The weekend had been particularly busy. My mood was slightly elevated because of the tips I’d received. It could buy us groceries for a week. I walked to the motel, which was only a few blocks away from the restaurant. I stopped by at a convenience store to buy Bobby the Lunchables he was so fond of.

  When I entered the motel’s courtyard, I felt like I had been punched in the guts.

  I saw Braden leaning by our door, smoking a cigarette.

  I felt numb as my feet carried me to my room. Braden saw me. He nodded.

  “Evening, Jessica.”

  I looked towards my door and back to him again. The invisible lump in my throat became harder to swallow. “Does Declan know you’re here?” My voice was shaky.

  “He’s inside with Bobby.”

  “How did you find us?”

  Braden lifted an eyebrow. “I have my ways.”

  “Seriously?”

  “Relax, Jessica. I wouldn’t be the head of security if I couldn’t take care of simple things like this, would I?”

  Oh God.

  For a moment, I didn’t know what to do.

  “Go on. My brother is waiting for you,” Braden urged.

  Taking a deep breath, I turned the doorknob sideways and opened up the door. Declan was sitting on the bed, reading a book with Bobby.

  “Hey, Mom, look who’s here,” Bobby greeted me cheerily.

  “Bobby. Didn’t I tell you not to open the door to anybody but me?”

  “I know, but it’s Declan!”

  Goodness. My son was fond of my former boss.

  Declan got up from the bed. “Bobby, why don’t you go outside with Braden? Your mommy and I need to talk.”