Dragon's Lair by Denise Lynn Page A

you.”
    â€œNo.” Braeden grasped her arm, pulled her away from the car, pushed the door closed, then glared down at her. “Perhaps you didn’t understand what I said. You aren’t leaving here until I say you can.”
    She jerked free of his hold. “You can’t stop me.”
    â€œI could stop you physically if I so desired. But I don’t need to use brute force.” He crossed his arms over his chest. “You won’t get too far without finances.”
    Had he slipped into her mind without her knowing it? No. She’d have felt his intrusion. Since he didn’t know for certain that she was broke and had no credit cards, he planned something else.
    Alexia dredged up what little bravado she had left and returned his glare. “Do you always resort to magic to get your way?”
    â€œMagic?” To her complete shock, he laughed. “It’s the twenty-first century, Alexia. We have these little boxes called computers. I can close your nearly empty bank account and cancel your credit cards with the push of a finger.”
    â€œYou wouldn’t.”
    A challenging smile crossed his mouth. “Try me.”
    Certain he was overestimating his power to keep her in place, she retorted, “You don’t have that kind of capability.”
    â€œDon’t I?” He frowned as if thinking, then spouted off her checking account number and miserable balance before adding, “Your last credit purchase was three days ago at the bookstore down the street from your town house. You paid $24.99 plus tax for a book called British Folk Tales. ”
    Alexia nearly choked on a scream of outrage before shouting, “You’ve been tracing me?”
    He shrugged. “Obviously, not closely enough.”
    Sean whistled softly. “Good God, Braeden.”
    â€œWhat?” Braeden turned his attention to his brother. “You don’t find it a little odd that people started dying after her paper was published?”
    â€œWhat are you saying?” Alexia grasped the sleeve of his suit jacket. “Are you saying that I’m to blame?”
    He looked down at her hand. When she released her hold, he asked, “Can you prove you aren’t?”
    She had no way to prove it except by her word. And she knew how much he’d trust that. While she wasn’t personally to blame for what was happening at Mirabilus, she was indirectly at fault. She had to find a way to right what had gone wrong. But how?
    â€œThen she needs to leave here.” Danielle repeated her suggestion.
    â€œNo.” Braeden glanced from her to his aunt. “No. If it is a Learned, she’s in way over her head. She’s staying. We can use her knowledge.”
    Danielle visibly bristled. She literally shook from her toes to the top of her head. “What can we possibly use from her?”
    Good question.
    â€œNone of us can change the fact that the paper on the Dragonierre’s Manual is out there. We know what trouble it’s already caused. There’s no telling what else will happen before this is all finished.”
    Alexia flinched.
    â€œJust burn the thing and get it over with.” Sean’s suggestion sounded so simple.
    â€œNo.” Braeden was adamant. “That was tried centuries ago and somehow it turned up again—bringing more grief along with it.”
    Apparently he’d already thought this out. The realization only fueled a throbbing in her head. Had he calculated everything every step of the way just to get her here?
    He reasoned, “If it’s translated, we’ll learn why people are willing to kill for it.”
    â€œAnd you want her to do it?” Danielle pointed one long, red-nailed finger at her.
    â€œWho better? She knows her job and she’s here.”
    â€œIsn’t that convenient?” Alexia cringed at Danielle’s bark of laughter. “Oh, yes, she knows her job. At whose