Heart of a Fighter (Rocky River Fighters 1)

“Canada. Ivan has a bunch of land in a deserted area with enough room to shift into his dragon without being seen. Tell me you have a way to get us in and out without passports. I can forge them, but it’ll take time we don’t have.”

“I’ve got that covered,” Ian assured him. “I know someone who can do it, and they owe me a favor. Let’s go tell the guys, and then we’ll all go pack a bag. I need to make sure the MacKeltars will watch Shelby while we’re gone, too.”

Alex stared at the passing scenery as Ian drove them to the small private airport a friend of his owned in Cheyenne. It paid to have friends in the right places, Alex supposed. He never had friends before, other than Daria, but as he glanced at the three other men in the truck, he felt like he did now.

“You’re really a dragon?” Seth asked as he turned toward him in the backseat, voice still tinged in disbelief.

“I really am.”

“And we’re not kicking his ass, why?” Seth asked the other two men in the truck.

“Because he loves Cammie, and he’s done nothing wrong,” Ian replied calmly. “And he’s a good man. I know that kind of shit, remember?”

“A good man wouldn’t have lied to us,” Seth said testily. Jax didn’t speak, but Alex saw him nod his head once shortly.

Suppressing a sigh, Alex quickly explained everything, starting with Daria’s death. By the time he finished, they were pulling up to the deserted airfield. Ignoring Seth’s surprise at his story, Alex hopped out of the truck, staring at the small private jet already on the runway. Worry swamped him as he wondered if they were already too late, but he squashed the thought, trying to suppress the worry he felt, as well.

“

We’ll find her in time, man. I know it’s easier said than done, but don’t let the worry overwhelm you. You need a clear head for what’s coming.”

Jax clapped him hard on the shoulder and headed toward the plane, duffel bag in hand. Alex stared after him in surprise before he grabbed his own bag and followed. That had maybe been the most he ever heard Jax speak to him.

Walking into the plane, he took a moment to send out good thoughts to Cammie. Don’t worry, sweetheart. We’re coming to rescue you, and we’ll be there soon. Everything is gonna be fine. Feeling a little silly, but still hoping she somehow heard him, he turned to the other men and began strategizing.

Chapter Fourteen

Cammie frowned, fighting to open heavy lids. She couldn’t remember ever sleeping so deeply in her life, but maybe learning the man she loved was a lying, jerk dragon was enough to do that to her. Her frown deepened when, after putting all her energy into it, she could still barely crack her eyes open, and she licked her dry lips, but it did little good. Her mouth was ash.

Trying to scratch an itch on her face, she froze when she realized she couldn’t. It felt like her hands were cuffed behind her, and panic hit her in waves, adrenaline burning the lingering wooziness away. In a rush, she remembered the sting in her arm, and looking down to find she’d been struck with a dart. She remembered pulling it out, but nothing after that. Using her shifter strength, she tried to break the cuffs, but they held strong. Must be made out of some unbreakable metal even shifters couldn’t bust.

The adrenaline surging through her veins helped her pry her eyes open, and she looked around her. She was lying on her side on an uncomfortable cot, facing the wall, and the room around her was small, and looked sterile. The walls were made from concrete, and there was a single bare bulb burning brightly in the ceiling.

It was like a prison, bringing to mind the image she had all those weeks ago when Alex told her about the memories he regained. She froze, fury burning through her. He did this. He brought her here, apparently deciding the game he played was up, and knowing he didn’t have a choice if he wanted her. This place looked too much like what he described for it to be a coincidence. The nerve of him. Describing the place he was going to steal her away to, while he pretended he didn’t know what the memory meant. She never should have gone to her special spot, especially knowing he knew about it. Before meeting him, she was caution personified. But since him, she was the dumb idiot in a horror movie who walked straight into the bad guy’s trap.

Tears stung her eyes at how far he was willing to go to get her, but she willed them away. She turned her head back to the front, staring at the cold wall in front of her. He didn’t deserve one more tear shed because of him. She needed to channel her energy into figuring out a way out of this. It would be hard, because on top of not having a clue where she was, he was also aware of her shifter gift. She couldn’t rely on her speed to get her out of this.

She would just treat this like she would a fight. Let her instinct guide her, but never forget to use her smarts, too. She could do this. Her situation wasn’t hopeless.

The door opened, and she fought not to stiffen. Slamming her eyes shut, she focused on keeping her breathing deep and even, pretending to be asleep. Listening hard, she heard what sounded like two separate pairs of footsteps enter.

“Why hasn’t she woken up yet?” a heavily accented voice demanded to know.

“Don’t worry, Your Excellency. She should any minute now.”

“Well don’t just stand there. Go fetch a glass of water. I’m sure she’ll be parched when she wakes soon, if what you say is correct. And it better be correct.”

“I’ll fetch one right away,” the other voice said, tinged faintly with nervousness.

Eyebrows twitching, she listened as the door shut softly, and a heavy set of footsteps came closer. She’d been expecting Alex to come in, but maybe these were his lackeys. Although, one of them had called the other ‘Your Excellency’. It didn’t make much sense. But maybe Alex was working with another dragon. Her body went cold at the thought. Like hell would she be passed between too jerkass dragons. She’d die first.

She was caught off guard when a big hand grabbed her shoulder unexpectedly, and she was turned over. Unable to hide her grimace at the pressure it put on her cuffed hands, she let out a round of curses in her head.

“Ah, as I thought. You were just pretending to sleep.”

Reaching down to lift her into a sitting position, he pulled her up, and she waited until she was upright before she opened her eyes to glare at him. She watched as he pulled a chair from the corner and sat down, and then he looked at her with a smirk on his face.

Horror filled her and the blood in her veins iced over as she got a look at his face. It had been seven years since she saw him last, but his was a face she would remember to her dying day. This was the man who killed her parents. Trying hard not to hyperventilate, she focused on controlling her breathing. In and out, in and out.