Steph spoke on the phone with the answering serving of her firm. But when she hung up the phone in disgust that grabbed his attention.

“They won’t take my call,” she said. “Like yesterday they gave me nonsense about Mr. Watins or his assistant, Jared, not being available.

“Well, you tried,” said Ryan. But he worried that someone in the firm was trying to make trouble for his family. “Give me the phone.”

He dialed his father’s cell number.

“Ryan,” his father said. “Don’t call me here.”

The phone went dead. Ryan was stunned. He didn’t expect his father to cut him off.

“Damn. He hung up on me.”

“What did he say?”

“Don’t call me here.”

“Then call him somewhere else?”

“You know, that is a good suggestion.” He called the main house’s rarely used landline. His father was at the other end as if expecting the call.

“What’s going on, dad?”

“I’m glad you aren’t mad at me,” said the elder Kaur.

“The thing with the hypnotism was shitty, but I understand you were trying to protect me. But we have bigger issues than that. Did you see the news?

“Yes. And I issued a press release, but no one is reporting on it.”

“Too bad you didn’t own a newspaper company.”

“Whoever is blocking this is coming from the highest levels,” his father said. “It’s going to take a while to get the story out. I’ll have to use other channels.”

Ryan had no idea what other channels his father spoke about but knowing his father he’d find a way.

“Ryan, I can’t be sure this line isn’t tapped. But I’m reaching out to every resource.”

“I believe you. I was thinking of taking a trip. I’m sorry to disappoint you again, because I know how you feel about fraternizing with employees, but Steph and I have become quite close.”

“In a day?”

“Apparently, I’m made that way. You can spin it any way you want but one way or another Steph is here to stay.”

“Oh” said his father softly. “Then do what you think is right. I haven’t shut off any credit cards. Feel free to use the family resources.”

“Thanks, dad. I’ll keep in touch.”

Steph slid her hands up his arms to clasp them behind his head. Her body was tantalizing and he wanted her right then. But he had the sense, especially after the phone call with his father that they weren’t safe at the cabin anymore.

“Follow me,” he said, and he took her hand and led her to his mother’s bedroom. He opened a large walk-in closet filled with clothes. His mother was a practical woman who didn’t like the fuss of packing.

“You are about her size, so pack some things and get dressed. We’re living in fifteen minutes.

“I can’t,” said Steph looking through the clothes. “Most of these still have the tags on them.”

“Don’t worry. It’s her habit to buy several of each new thing she puts in her yearly wardrobe and ship duplicates off to various residences she visits often.”

Steph shook her head as if unable to wrap her head around this idea.

“And what does she do with her old wardrobe?”

“Donates it to charity.”

Ryan swatted her bottom, and she jumped.

“Chop, chop,” he said. He left Steph to make his own preparations. In the den off the living room he opened the safe beneath his father’s desk. It always made sense to him that his father kept pockets of cash. As a child he was fascinated with them. He called them hoards.

His dragon nature wouldn’t be denied.

With a few quick swipes, he pulled out around sixty-thousand cash. That should do for a while. After all there were other hoards in the other properties. And now he had a way to get to them as long as that first time he traveled here wasn’t a fluke.

From his room he grabbed a backpack and put the bundles of cash there. Then he packed a couple pairs of jeans and tees just to be prepared.

“Ryan?”

He walked out of his room and handed her the backpack.

“Put your things in there,” he said. “I hope you packed light. You’re going to wear this while we fly.”

She took the bag and ducked into his mother’s room and returned with the bag considerably more filled. Steph also had donned a heavy sweater and gloves.

He grinned at her.

“What? I’m not freezing my ass off in wherever we passed yesterday.”

“Then let’s get moving.”

Ryan grabbed her at the waist and gave her a kiss on the cheek as they walked to the front door. But a noise in the kitchen caught Ryan’s attention.

“What’s that?” whispered Steph.

“Maybe the caretaker:” whispered Ryan, “though I told her to stay away for a few days.” But Ryan didn’t believe his own explanation. The caretaker would have let him know she was in the house.

“Wait here,” said Ryan. He left Steph at the front door and walked stealthily to the kitchen. There was a door that separated it from the living room, but the wall on the left of it was hall wall to accommodate a counter. He took a quick peek in the kitchen and saw all he needed to see. A soldier outfitted in a protective armor and toting a rifle stood next to the frightened caretaker.

“Tell your boss that you are here and ask him to come to the kitchen,” said the soldier.

The woman shook her head. “You can scare me all you want, but Mr. Ryan is a good man. He wouldn’t hurt any woman. So take your rifle and stick it where the sun doesn’t shine.”

The soldier shoved the caretaker toward the mud room. Ryan had to assume there were plenty more where that came from. Dad was going to be pissed.

But more to the point Ryan worried whether the government believed he was a dragon. That would hurt his father in many ways and Ryan couldn’t bear the thought. And if the place was surrounded then he needed to finesse this hand. He needed to bluff.

He pushed the kitchen door open affecting a casual attitude. “Is that you Mrs. Robbins? Did you bring the gro-”

Ryan stopped in mock shock.

“Who are you and what are you doing in my house?”

“Get on the floor and put your hands behind your head.”

“Not until you tell me what is going on.”

“Down on the floor or I’ll put you there,” growled the soldier.

“Ryan, darling,” said Steph brightly bursting through the kitchen door then stopped with surprise written on her face. “What is going on here?”

“I don’t know, sweetheart,” Ryan said.

“Who are you?” demanded Steph in her coldest voice.

“Ma’am, are you Stephanie Brooks?

“I am.”

“We have information that you were kidnapped.”

“Kidnapped?” Steph laughed high and clear as if it was the most amusing thing she ever heard. Ryan thought she went overboard and made a little signal across his throat. Steph stopped laughing, and she stared at the soldier. “I most definitely am not kidnapped or held against my will. Mr. Kaur and I have been enjoying each other’s company. But that doesn’t explain what you are doing here. Why are you in this house?”

“The housekeeper gave us permission.”

The caretaker shook her head vigorously.

“Well, you don’t have the owner’s permission. Do you have a warrant?

“No.”

“Then vacate these premises, you and all your men. Or believe me a lawsuit will be filled for violating our Fourth Amendment rights.”

“We have probable cause.”

“You have probable nothing. I just told you that I’m here of my own free will and I’ve established that you have no permission or warrant to be on this property. When Mr. Watins, you know him, don’t you? Of Peters, Watins and Roe hears about this he most likely will file the papers himself. He just loves to sue the government.”

Ryan never heard anything of the sort about Mr. Watins but he had to admit that Steph was playing the role of outraged lawyer very well.

The soldier backed off and spoke in a radio microphone on his chest.

“Fall back,” he called at last. He glared at Ryan before he left from the back door.

The caretaker rushed forward. “I’m sorry Mr. Ryan. They came at me when I got to the back door.”

“It’s okay, Emelda,” said Ryan. “And I’m glad you didn’t believe I kidnapped Steph.”

“No, Mr. Ryan. You’ve done a lot of silly things but you’ve never needed to kidnap a woman.”

“That’s the most honest assessment I’ve ever heard of my behavior. And you are right. I’ve never had to kidnap a woman.” Steph glared at him which he supposed he deserved. “Which car has the most gas downstairs?”

“That would be the Escalade, Mr. Ryan. I use it for trips to town for supplies. I filled it last trip.”

“Okay. I want you to call my father and tell him what happened. Ms. Brooks and I are taking the Escalade.”

“Yes, Mr. Ryan.”

“Come on Steph. We’re making a break for it.”