now. Peals of thunder split the night and lightening sent flashes of light into the barn.
He pulled up a barrel, placed a booted foot on top, rested one arm over his bent knee and stared down at her. “Why don’t we get down to business? You aren’t going anywhere and I’m betting that as long as I keep you away from the sun you won’t be able to do your tricky little shifting thing.”
Shye looked past him into the distance through an open space near the roof. An eerie shade of red hung around the moon in spite of the raging storm.
“Fine.” He sighed. “Play the silent game. You won’t hold your tongue much longer.” He reached around the corner of a wooden wall and pulled a long stick into view. “What do you think, little miss, should I sell it? Give it to you? Or maybe Natayla would offer me the best price to back up her story.”
She bit the inside of her cheek until the taste of blood oozed into her mouth. No way would she bow to this man! Go ahead…shake it, you idiot! Her eyes must’ve been blazing with the fury she felt in her soul because he actually faltered and took a few steps back. Unfortunately, he quickly recovered.
Squatting on bent knees in front of her, he sneered. “I see the rage in your eyes. You’re the feistiest and most alluring Indian chick I’ve ever met. If you’re nice to me then maybe I will give this rain stick to you.”
There it is right in front of me. The ancient rain stick taken from my land—the same instrument that summoned the Rain Riders. She longed to touch it. Just take hold and never let go. In her lost moment of contemplation Pike must have sensed her wavering because he leaned closer. She tried to back away, but only tumbled backward off the bale of hay. Before she had time to catch her breath he was on top of her with fast hands and seeking lips.
She averted her face to stop his lips from touching hers. The rain stick lay right beside them.
“Get off of me!”
“The choice is yours,” he growled. “If you want the relic then I come with it, we’re a package deal.”
“Never!”
He didn’t back off. She continued dodging his attempts to kiss her, struggling for a position where she could knee him in the groin. Suddenly the door burst open.
“Pike Draven!” a woman’s voice barked. “What ARE you doing?”
Immediately he rolled off of Shye. She shook the hair off her face and scrambled to her knees. Natayla! What is she doing here? Shye held her tongue and waited. Then to her shock and dismay La walked in behind her. Can this night possibly get any worse? What the hell is La doing here, too?
“I was trying to get her to talk,” Pike said rather weakly.
Natayla threw her bag to the dirt floor. “By sticking your tongue in her mouth? We had an arrangement. I don’t take lightly to betrayal. Don’t forget that I know everything about you and could easily make you front page news tomorrow.”
He brushed hay from his jeans while walking toward her. “Look, Nata, maybe I got carried away. It’s that damned rain stick.” He pointed at the stick lying there. “I haven’t been myself since we found the thing.”
“So she is the one?” Natayla shot Shye an intrigued look with arched brows.
“Yeah…she’s the one. If you hang around long enough I’m sure you’ll get to see her shift. She seems to need a shadow or something from the sun to do her trickster thing.”
“This is fabulous! You were telling the truth.” Natayla chirped then planted a long, affectionate kiss on his lips. “You’re forgiven.”
Shye wanted to retch at the sight of them kissing. Never had she seen a more disjointed couple. Not only was this woman working with Trip’s enemy, but she was involved with him as well. The entire revelation was both shocking and sickening.
La stepped into the dim lighting cast by a lantern and pointed a finger at her. “You little bitch! So that’s how you knew about the missing money and how you drove everyone in town
He pulled up a barrel, placed a booted foot on top, rested one arm over his bent knee and stared down at her. “Why don’t we get down to business? You aren’t going anywhere and I’m betting that as long as I keep you away from the sun you won’t be able to do your tricky little shifting thing.”
Shye looked past him into the distance through an open space near the roof. An eerie shade of red hung around the moon in spite of the raging storm.
“Fine.” He sighed. “Play the silent game. You won’t hold your tongue much longer.” He reached around the corner of a wooden wall and pulled a long stick into view. “What do you think, little miss, should I sell it? Give it to you? Or maybe Natayla would offer me the best price to back up her story.”
She bit the inside of her cheek until the taste of blood oozed into her mouth. No way would she bow to this man! Go ahead…shake it, you idiot! Her eyes must’ve been blazing with the fury she felt in her soul because he actually faltered and took a few steps back. Unfortunately, he quickly recovered.
Squatting on bent knees in front of her, he sneered. “I see the rage in your eyes. You’re the feistiest and most alluring Indian chick I’ve ever met. If you’re nice to me then maybe I will give this rain stick to you.”
There it is right in front of me. The ancient rain stick taken from my land—the same instrument that summoned the Rain Riders. She longed to touch it. Just take hold and never let go. In her lost moment of contemplation Pike must have sensed her wavering because he leaned closer. She tried to back away, but only tumbled backward off the bale of hay. Before she had time to catch her breath he was on top of her with fast hands and seeking lips.
She averted her face to stop his lips from touching hers. The rain stick lay right beside them.
“Get off of me!”
“The choice is yours,” he growled. “If you want the relic then I come with it, we’re a package deal.”
“Never!”
He didn’t back off. She continued dodging his attempts to kiss her, struggling for a position where she could knee him in the groin. Suddenly the door burst open.
“Pike Draven!” a woman’s voice barked. “What ARE you doing?”
Immediately he rolled off of Shye. She shook the hair off her face and scrambled to her knees. Natayla! What is she doing here? Shye held her tongue and waited. Then to her shock and dismay La walked in behind her. Can this night possibly get any worse? What the hell is La doing here, too?
“I was trying to get her to talk,” Pike said rather weakly.
Natayla threw her bag to the dirt floor. “By sticking your tongue in her mouth? We had an arrangement. I don’t take lightly to betrayal. Don’t forget that I know everything about you and could easily make you front page news tomorrow.”
He brushed hay from his jeans while walking toward her. “Look, Nata, maybe I got carried away. It’s that damned rain stick.” He pointed at the stick lying there. “I haven’t been myself since we found the thing.”
“So she is the one?” Natayla shot Shye an intrigued look with arched brows.
“Yeah…she’s the one. If you hang around long enough I’m sure you’ll get to see her shift. She seems to need a shadow or something from the sun to do her trickster thing.”
“This is fabulous! You were telling the truth.” Natayla chirped then planted a long, affectionate kiss on his lips. “You’re forgiven.”
Shye wanted to retch at the sight of them kissing. Never had she seen a more disjointed couple. Not only was this woman working with Trip’s enemy, but she was involved with him as well. The entire revelation was both shocking and sickening.
La stepped into the dim lighting cast by a lantern and pointed a finger at her. “You little bitch! So that’s how you knew about the missing money and how you drove everyone in town
Similar Books
