Chapter Eight
Marco hadn’t slept. How could he after Cara’s news?
He was going to be a father. Cara was pregnant. The prospect had never really occurred to him, perhaps in some abstract way but not like this. This was real.
Marco spent the night thinking. A part of him wanted to wake Cara up, tell her what he was thinking, but he could tell her just as well in the morning. So Marco stayed up, making plans, emailing people instructions, and calling his relative in Alaska.
By morning he was feeling antsy. He’d walked around the grounds, and under Cara’s window more than a few times. He’d been waiting to see her light come on but the sun came up first so he went inside to wait in the kitchen.
"Mr. Martinez, what are you doing here?" Mrs. Caulfield picked up an empty mug, filled it with fresh coffee, and handed it to him.
“Thank you,” He lifted the coffee in salute then took a long sip. Perhaps it was going to be a good morning after all. He smiled at the older woman, “I wanted to talk to Cara.”
Mrs. Caulfield’s face changed, “But she’s gone.”
“No, she was going to be leaving but I’ve changed all of that,” Marco felt a creeping sensation of misgiving begin at the base of his spine.
“Well she left me a note last night,” Mrs. Caulfield produced a piece of paper from a pocket in her sweater. “I checked her room this morning and she was already gone.”
“Gone?” Marco took the paper and unfolded it.
The note didn’t say where Cara was going or how she was going to get there, it only said that she was going and went on to thank Mrs. Caulfield for being so kind to her.
Marco put his coffee and the note down and ran out of the house.
How could he have been so stupid? He should have put a security detail on her the minute he’d talked to her. Had he really thought she would just prance off to Alaska after all of this?
So she’d left last night, at least some of her trip must have been made on foot, which gave him an advantage. How far could she have gotten?
Cara was sitting in the back seat of the SUV. Her head pressed against the glass of the window and her heart was thumping in her ears. The look on Dimitri’s face before his men had picked her up had been cold, cruel. Someone had hit her on the head before bringing her into the car and Cara was having a hard time focusing on anything.
He is going to kill me, the thought just kept running through her head. It was the only thing she really knew for sure. It had been in the look he gave her, in his voice. He knew it and now she knew it too. He had not been bluffing, he had found her and now he would kill her. Cara sucked air in through her nose, she had to make the pounding in her head stop. If only she could bring the world into focus around her.
Her wrists were bound with tape and there were two other men in the car with her and Dimitri.
She tried to think of every possible means of escape. If she could break the tape around her wrists, if she could get the door open and roll out—but what about the baby?
“I’m pregnant,” Cara’s words were loud and scared. She waited for a sound, some sort of confirmation to come from Dimitri. “Did you hear me?”
“Shut up,” the man next to Cara said harshly. He hit her hard on her upper arm and Cara’s body thudded against the side of the car.
“If you kill me, you’ll be killing an innocent baby as well,” Cara thought about telling Dimitri that the baby was Stavros’ but she was such a bad liar that she didn’t trust herself with the task.
“What the fuck is this? Why the fuck are you still talking?” Dimitri turned around in his seat and looked to the man next to Cara. The man hit Cara harder and she cried out as a sharp pain ran up through her arm and all the way down her body.
“What?” Dimitri looked at the driver who was eyeing the situation, “She’s a fucking liar.”
“I’m not a liar,” Cara talked to the driver, “I’m pregnant.”
Cara felt a huge thrust of power land on her face and she was propelled into the side of the car. Her mouth hit the window and she tasted blood.
“I won’t tell you again,” Dimitri’s voice was deadly. “I will take you out of the car right now and put a bullet in your head on the side of the highway.”
Cara tasted the salty tang of tears mixed with blood. She had to be stronger than this, she had to be stronger than him. Could she really have lived for more than a year with Stavros’ abuse only to die by his brother’s hand?
She couldn’t even think about it, she had to survive.
Cara looked out of the window. She wasn’t familiar with Miami and had no idea where they could be headed. She thought about asking but didn’t want to risk getting hit again so soon. If she banged her head again she could easily be knocked unconscious, or Dimitri could live up to his word and shoot her on the side of the road. She wasn’t sure why he hadn’t done that in the first place.
“Call him,” Dimitri said to the man sitting next to Cara, “I want him to see what happens to people who cross me.”
The man next to Cara dialed out then handed the phone to Dimitri. Is he calling Marco, Cara wondered if that was even possible if Dimitri could really be that stupid? Didn't Dimitri understand the power Marco had?
Cara looked at Dimitri. He seemed to wear a permanent scowl even when he was partying, which was most of the time. Cara knew that Dimitri liked to hurt people and things, she knew that he thought it was funny and his right. He might just be cocky enough to think it was a good idea to push Marco’s buttons.
“I have your pregnant girlfriend,” Dimitri used a taunting voice and Cara cringed just to hear it. She could hear Marco saying something on the other end but she couldn’t hear what.
Dimitri started laughing loudly and Cara recoiled at the sound of it. There was traffic ahead and a sign.
“We’re near Ives Dairy Road,” Cara yelled the words toward the phone. The driver swerved and Dimitri dropped the phone. “On 95 going north,” Cara yelled again.
Then Cara screamed. The man next to her had grabbed her by the hair and pulled her across the seat, his elbow smacked into her face and Cara screamed in pain.
The car propelled into the side of the road and Cara felt herself being pulled out by her hair. She tried to get her feet under her but Dimitri had moved in and he was pulling her too violently.
“Get up,” Dimitri pulled her body and hair but Cara couldn’t get up, “fine.” Dimitri let go of Cara and pulled out his gun.
She heard someone scream from one of the cars near them, then a large dark shadow crossed over her.
Cara looked up, one of her eyes was beginning to swell closed, but she could still see the perfect outline of a dragon.
“Marco,” Cara opened her mouth and his name floated out.
Dimitri lifted his gun straight over his head and fired off three shots into the sky. Cara lifted her gaze to the man in front of her and gathered her strength. With everything she had, she punched her bound hands into Dimitri's stomach.
Dimitri doubled over with a wheeze and Cara kicked the gun out of his hand. The gun went skittering under another car.
Hearing shouts from behind her, Cara turned to see Dimitri's henchmen running for her. The one who had been sitting next to Cara raised a gun as he ran forward. She closed her eyes. She felt the shadow drift over her body again without having to see it, when she opened her eyes she saw Marco landing on the roof of a nearby minivan.
There were shouts and screams coming from every direction. People fled, all dispersing in different directions.
The man with the gun stopped his movement. He looked at Dimitri then at Cara, then turned and ran back the way he’d come from.
Marco inhaled and exhaled a scorching stream of fire straight up in the air above him.
“You fool,” Dimitri yelled. He ran forward and jumped up toward the minivan where Marco was perched. Dimitri morphed as he jumped, his body becoming a mixture of red and yellow scales.
Marco was a brilliant every changing mixture of violet, gray, and orange. His body was huge and muscular and his eyes shone just the same as they always had.
Dimitri knocked into Marco who tumbled with him. They went over another car and into the oncoming line of traffic. Dimitri lifted off the highway and shot into the air, Marco followed close behind.
Cara looked around her. She should be looking for a safe place to hide. But what place could be safe from a dragon if Marco didn’t come out of this battle the winner?
“Come on Marco,” Cara felt the words rip through her throat. She felt a tumble in her stomach and Cara moved her hand to her belly. Their unborn child already knew its father, “That’s your daddy,” Cara whispered to her stomach.
There was a shriek from someone behind her and Cara turned to find the driver reaching up to grab ahold of Cara. He pulled Cara in close to his body, a gun pushing in next to her face.
“No, no,” Cara cried as she was pulled from the side of the road and toward a car.
“Marco,” she screamed his name as loud as she could.
The man pushed Cara into the car and began following behind her. Cara slammed her hands into the horn and left them there.
“Get the fuck…” the man struck her hands away from the steering wheel.
But it had been enough, Marco had heard. Cara watched as his large, proud body swooped down toward the road and the car. A claw snagged the driver and flicked him up over two other cars to land in the street.
Cara got out of the car.
“Behind you,” she yelled. Dimitri had come back for Marco and was about to hit Marco full force in the back. Dimitri opened his mouth. A stream of fire left his body and Marco moved out of its reach just in time.
Instead of following Marco’s movement, Dimitri turned to Cara. He jerked his body forward and Cara dove back into the car just as Marco slammed Dimitri to the side of the road.
A fury of emotion passed in Marco’s eyes. Cara sucked in a breath as she watched the man that meant more to her than her own life. He crashed into Dimitri, lifting the other dragon up and over his head as he somersaulted forward.
Dimitri pushed five sharp claws into the thick skin of Marco. Marco leaned his head back and with a loud cry he hit Dimitri with his tail. The red and yellow dragon went sliding along the pavement, collecting three smashed cars along the way. Dimitri stood, shaking his head, he looked to the sky then jumped off the ground and took to the air.
Marco howled an angry call off pursuit. Marco took to the sky behind Demitri.
Cara watched the two tumble through the air. Two streams of fire met in the middle and Marco broke off to move positions around his opponent. Dimitri dropped several hundred feet and Marco pursued.
Marco took hold of Dimitri and flung the other dragon, with rage, toward the ground below. Dimitri shot down toward the earth, his body crashing fast. Marco followed so fast behind him that he looked like nothing more than a blur.
“No, you’re too fast,” Cara called the words out as if Marco could hear them. She watched as both dragons plummeted from the sky, the streaks of violet and orange causing her heart to stop.
“I love you, please slow down, please…” she said the words softly as she watched Marco’s falling body.
Dimitri began to pull up against gravity, fighting against his rapid descent. But Marco didn’t slow down, he actually picked up speed.
“What are you doing?” Cara raised her hand and traced Marco’s fall.
Marco made the slightest shift as he dropped. He now moved into position so that Dimitri was perfectly in line to break Marco’s fall. Marco crashed hard into Dimitri and the red and yellow dragon hit the ground first with a thunderous explosion followed by Marco.
"Marco," Cara screamed. She was out of the car and running toward the crash sight. She wasn't sure if her heart was still beating at all if she was even alive anymore. Smoke and dust filled the air from the crash site.
Cara ripped the tape around her wrists as if it were nothing at all. The ground was still moving from the crash and Cara nearly fell over as she tripped her way through debris and rubble. The adrenaline that pumped through her body had her sprinting to find Marco.
A truck was sprawled out on its side in front of her and Cara ran around it, desperately searching. She coughed as the smoke hit her lungs and she put a hand to her eyes. As she made her way past the huge truck body she saw Marco. He was standing up, his body in pain, but alive.
"You're alive, you're alive," Cara flung herself forward and into Marco.
“Oomph,” Marco put his hands around Cara.
“I’m sorry, did I just hurt you?” Cara pulled back, looking over Marco.
Marco smiled at her, “No. You were perfect. You are perfect.”
Cara flung herself again with slightly less force into Marco’s arms. She let the tears come freely from her eyes.
“And what about…” Cara pulled herself back again sniffing back her sobs and looking for Dimitri.
“You don’t need to worry about him anymore,” Marco put his hand to Cara’s face. She smiled and pushed her face against his hand. “You’re hurt,” he brushed his fingers across her face.
“I don’t feel hurt, I feel great. We both feel great,” Cara smiled down at her stomach. “She made such a fuss when you were up there—I think she knows who her father is.”
“She?” Marco paused.
Cara put a hand to her mouth, “I have no idea why I said that. Just my instincts I guess.”
"This has really been a most incredible twenty-four hours," Marco laughed loudly. "Let's get out of here."
Marco and Cara were both limping and in pain when they pulled up to Marco’s estate.
“Mr. Martinez…Cara? What on earth…” Mrs. Caulfield ran out with her mouth gaping wide.
Cara felt a great sense of well-being pass over her at the sight of the older woman.
“It’s so nice to see you again,” Cara said with a smile.
“You should both be in the hospital, at least let me call the doctor,” Mrs. Caulfield was stricken and Cara didn’t blame her, she knew they both looked terrible.
"I called Dr. Stevens—he's on his way." Marco exhaled happily with his arm wrapped perfectly around Cara's body. "In the meantime, I have something to show Cara," Marco lifted his eyebrows and smiled.
“Something to show me?” Cara was mostly interested in being shown the bath and a plate of something delicious.
“This way,” Marco grinned in a way Cara didn’t know the man was capable of.
The two hobbled into the house and up to Marco’s room, but before they went in Marco turned to the door next to his own.
“I sent this all out in the middle of the night, so I’m not sure what this will look like…but knowing my people it will probably still be great…” He opened the door and let Cara walk in.
Inside was the most spectacular baby room. There were books all along one wall, little dragons decorating the walls and bedding. In the corner was a live tree that had been planted into the floor.
“I thought it would be a nice touch, something alive that also cleans the air…do you think it’s weird?”
“Weird? I think it’s the coolest thing I’ve ever seen,” Cara traced her fingers over the bark of the tree. “What happens when it outgrows the room?”
“We can change the house if we need to,” Marco said as if it were the most natural thing.
“The colors. It’s all in violet, gray, and orange,” Cara couldn’t stop smiling. “I love it.”
“…and I love you. I’m sorry for—the way I reacted or didn’t react—I’ve never done any of this before. When I realized the feelings I had for you, I…” Marco shook his head.
“That doesn’t matter now,” Cara put her hands around Marco’s face. “This is what matters,” she looked around the room.
“Look,” Marco moved to the light switch and flicked it off. When the lights dimmed the room lit up and sparkled.
“It looks just like your eyes,” Cara turned all the way around. “She’ll want to sleep all the time.”
Marco laughed, “There you go with the gender again.”
“Well now that my instincts have picked out a girl I can’t stop myself.”
Marco nodded his head, there was something glinting in his eyes and Cara pushed at his shoulder.
“What is it?” she demanded.
“Nothing,” he looked at her then looked around the room. He walked over to the baby’s crib and pulled out a little boy’s blanket. “It’s just that my instincts tell me that it’s a boy.”
Cara pulled the blanket to her face and smelled its fibers. It was softer than anything she’d ever felt.
“I guess we’ll just have to wait and see,” Cara threw the blanket back at Marco.
The two went back to Marco’s room to wash before the doctor came over. Marco wanted to have the doctor check on the baby and to make sure Cara was in full working order after their ordeal with Dimitri.
Later that night they sat under the starry sky on Marco’s balcony. They both wore terrycloth robes and slippers. Cara’s eye was swollen and her head had been throbbing all day, but she hardly noticed the discomfort, she was so happy.
The doctor informed them that Marco had walked around all day with a broken arm and some painful ligament damage, but everything else was fine.
Cara turned her gaze from Marco back to the stars.
“Do you think you’ll be happy here with me?” Marco looked at Cara. Cara saw such raw, open love coming from him that, for a moment, she could barely breathe.
“I don’t think I would be happy anywhere else,” she squeezed his uninjured arm.
“Well, it was either stay in Miami or we could both move to Alaska,” Marco smiled up at the sky.
“…a tough choice but I think we made the right decision.”
“Look,” Marco accidentally tried to lift his broken arm then winced in pain.
“What?” Cara sat up with a start. She hadn’t realized how programmed her body still was to the danger she had faced only hours before.
“No,” Marco pointed with his good arm to the sky, “it’s good. A shooting star.”
Cara saw a spectacular ball of light shooting across the sky. It fizzled out and disappeared before Cara realized she’d been holding her breath.
“Did you make a wish?” Marco asked.
“I didn’t know I was supposed to,” Cara looked up to the spot where the star had been only moments before. “Did you?” she asked.
“I don’t need to,” Marco winked at her then leaned back into his chair.
Cara looked at the spot again and smiled.
*****
THE END