Raintree: Oracle (Raintree 4)

She smiled. Good Lord. Dimples. “I’m actually looking for a particular man. Ryder D

uncan. Do you know him?”

“I do,” Tully said in a booming voice. “And so do you, pet.”

Rye turned, ready to face the inevitable. Nevan pointed a crooked finger in his direction. The Raintree woman turned around slowly. Maybe she paled a little.

There was no running from it, he supposed.

“I’m Duncan. What the hell do you want?” he asked sharply.

Yes, she definitely paled. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes.

If someone was going to come for him—for the child more likely—why her? She was alone, she was not particularly powerful in that special Raintree way, nor was she physically strong. But she was a woman, and a pretty one at that. Did the Raintree think he was that weak?

More importantly, did they know?

Chapter 2

Oh, no. Not him! Echo was no fool. Well, she was occasionally a fool, especially where men were concerned. She already knew it would not be a good idea for her to spend too much time with this one. There had been an instant attraction. Nothing she couldn’t handle, of course. He was kind of a jerk but he was a pretty, sexy jerk.

He was also her last chance. She hadn’t come all this way to flake out because Ryder Duncan was not at all what she’d expected him to be.

“Maybe we can have a word in private?”

“No need,” he said sharply. “You can say whatever you need to say here and now, before you’re on your way.”

Yes, definitely a jerk. “I’m looking for a...a...” How much could she say in front of the three older men? Duncan wouldn’t expect her to know who and what he was, so he wouldn’t be worried about what she might say. “A teacher,” she finally said. “A trainer.”

“For you?” He all but scoffed. His lip curled a little.

She wanted to call him a very bad name and walk out with her head held high. But then what? Where would she go from here? Maybe he wasn’t her absolute last chance, but she didn’t have a plan B at this moment. She took a deep breath, swallowed her pride and said, “Yes, for me.” More swallowing. “I need your help.”

He turned and walked toward the bar, calling out as he went, “I don’t do that anymore.”

The three old men listened closely. They no longer bothered to even pretend to engage in their own conversation. The one on the far end must be hard of hearing, because he leaned over as far as he could, tipping in her direction.

Echo didn’t want to say anything that might give her true intent away. It was best to keep magical abilities hidden from those who did not have them. That was a bridge difficult to cross, and anyone who found themselves human in a supernatural world almost always became resentful, in time. In the end, they wanted what they could not have. No ordinary human could ever understand her desire, her need, to be rid of all magic.

Gideon’s wife, Hope, was the exception to that rule. Ungifted to the bone, with a husband and two little girls who were anything but, she was fine with who she was. More than that, she didn’t want magical abilities. She said she had her hands full enough as it was. And she wasn’t wrong.

Echo followed Duncan to the bar. Slinking away after one or two rebukes was not her style. “You’re too young to be retired. I’ll pay you.” This was one purchase she would gladly dip into Raintree family money for. “I’ll pay you well.”

He didn’t even bother to turn to look at her, which offered an interesting view. Echo tried not to notice the nicely shaped butt, the way his gray shirt stretched across broad shoulders, the thick, wavy hair.

“I don’t need your money, and I certainly don’t need the hassle,” he said as he rounded the bar.

“But I need...”

From behind long expanse of scarred wood that stretched between them, he turned to look her in the eye. Big hands on the bar, he leaned forward in a way that was unmistakably threatening. His expression alone stopped her words, made them freeze in her throat. “You need. You want. You have my answer, love, now be on your way.”

She lowered her voice, edging toward desperation. She had no idea what might come next if he continued to refuse her. “You don’t even know why I’m here, what I need.”

He was unmoved. “I don’t care.”

Echo turned, mustering what little pride she had left to walk out the door before the tears came. She could not speak another word without losing what little control she had left. Dammit, she would not cry in front of that jerk! He wasn’t her last chance, couldn’t be. There had to be another way.

She just didn’t have any idea where to look for it.