Chapter 6

After making love for a second time, Kristine lay in the warmth of Jayce’s arms and basked in the afterglow. She needed to know a little more about this guy. Who was he? What was he?

“Jayce?”

“Yeah, hon?”

Even the endearment was strange for her. She had been called Scott or Scotty for so long, it felt strange when anyone called her Kristine again. The only one who called her hon was her mother, and now…

“Jayce…”

“Mmm?”

“Can you explain what phoenixes are? You and your brothers are supernatural, obviously, but what are your unique abilities—exactly?”

Jayce caressed her hair and held her in his arms, breathing steadily. After a short hesitation, he said, “We have an advantage as firefighters, like you have. My kind may not be fireproof, but if worst comes to worst, we can reincarnate from the flames. We are known as firebirds. The phoenix is not as mythical as some people think.”

“So you call yourselves firebirds?”

Jayce turned her face so he could see into her eyes. “What my family and I call ourselves doesn’t really matter. What matters is what you and I call each other—I’m referring to what we have together.”

Kristine squirmed uncomfortably. What did he mean by that? She pulled away from his arms and sat up, using the sheet to cover her breasts.

Kristine wasn’t feeling shy, exactly. She just didn’t know how to respond. “What do you mean when you say ‘what we have together’? What do you want me to say?”

Jayce propped himself up on his elbow and tugged the sheet. “Please don’t be shy around me. After what we just shared, especially.”

Kristine let the sheet drop, watching as he appreciated her chest, which was a little on the small side—according to her mother. She was just as happy not to have huge boobs getting in the way of her active lifestyle. “All right. I’ll try not to be shy. It’s more like self-consciousness than shyness, anyway.”

“What do you have to be self-conscious about? I hope you’re not talking about your body. It’s beautiful, just like the rest of you.”

She laced her fingers with his and worried her lip. At last she took a deep breath and launched into it. “I have a hard time trusting men. I know that may sound ridiculous since I’m putting my life into the hands of my fellow firefighters every day, but that’s not an emotional thing.”

Jayce stared at her for a moment. “I think I understand what you’re saying. Of course emotions can run high during a fire, but those aren’t romantic feelings. I think that must be what you’re talking about as far as trust is concerned. Am I right?”

Kristine rubbed his knuckles with her thumb. “To an extent, yes. But it’s not just that. I think being abandoned by a father I never knew is part of the problem.”

Jayce’s brow furrowed as he held her gaze. “Explain, please.”

Kristine sighed. “Remember how I said I had a fight with my mother, just before she disappeared?”

“Yes, I remember.”

“The fight was about my father. I don’t know why he wasn’t in my life, and she won’t tell me. All I know is that she absolutely does know who he is because, in her words, ‘I’m not a slut.’”

“Why won’t she tell you?” Jayce asked.

“She won’t even tell me that much. It’s frustrating as hell. I feel like a part of me is missing, even though she has provided for me in every possible way.”

“I can’t imagine what that would be like. I have a big, boisterous family…half Italian, half Spanish. A mother and father, six brothers, and two sisters-in-law. And we’re close. We try to keep our schedules the same so all of us can get together for as many Sunday dinners as possible. Recently my parents had to buy a new dining room table to accommodate everyone.”

She chuckled. “It must be wild when you all get together.”

“That’s just it—our father keeps it from becoming too crazy. He rules the roost, pardon the pun, but in a gentle, loving, and joking way. Sort of like a benevolent dictatorship. Although he’s been a lot more serious lately—especially with me. When they move to the Caribbean for retirement, I’m supposed to take over as head of the family.”

Kristine smiled sadly. “And that’s why you can’t leave Boston.”

“You remembered.” Jayce rubbed her knuckles with his thumb. “I’d like you to come to Boston and meet everybody at one of our Sunday dinners.”

Kristine ran her fingers through her hair. “I don’t know if that would be wise. I meant it when I said I couldn’t leave New York. My mother is here for the duration because this is where her job is. It’s not like there’s another Broadway anywhere. And not only is she my mother and my roommate, she’s also my best friend.”

Jayce nodded. “I thought as much.”

“Then why do you want to pursue things between us? It seems impossible. You have your family obligations in Boston, and I have mine in New York. Just because I only have one person to think about and you have, like, a million doesn’t mean that my situation is less important than yours.”

“Of course not. I never said that, and I wouldn’t.” A sly smile stole across Jayce’s face. “But just because it’s impossible doesn’t mean we shouldn’t pursue this anyway.”

Kristine couldn’t help chuckling. “I wish I had your optimism.”

“So will you come home with me and meet my family sometime?”

Kristine heaved a big sigh. “After this is all over and my mother is safely home—”

“That goes without saying. Family comes first. Always.”

Kristine admired his values. They seemed to have that in common too. Why the hell couldn’t they be together? He was perfect. He was everything she needed and wanted.

“We have to get you out of this hopeless mind-set,” Jayce said. “So what can I do to help? Make you a cup of coffee? Take you out for some rocky road ice cream? What do you need?”

Kristine gave him a sad smile. “Not coffee, my nerves are shot as it is. Ice cream sounds good, but I don’t want to go out, and I don’t want you going out either.”

“Why not? I’m willing and able, just as soon as I get some pants on.”

She nuzzled his neck. “You are just about the sweetest firebird I’ve ever known, but the kidnapper may be watching. How about if I make us some cocoa?”

“Cocoa sounds great. I think we need to stop calling this asshole the kidnapper. We need to give him a less respectful name.”

Kristine slipped out of bed and strolled to the closet. “Like what? Dick?”

Jayce laughed as he rolled to the edge of the bed and stood up. “I was actually thinking more in terms of dickhead, shit-for-brains, or fuckwad,” he said.

Kristine thought about how she could swear with the best of them at work, but she didn’t want to be “one of the guys” with Jayce. “How about Donkey Pizzle?”

Jayce laughed hard. “Much better. More unique but still irreverent. Do you know where my pants went?”

She donned her fluffy pink bathrobe and wondered what he thought about all her girly accoutrements, but on the other hand she really didn’t care. This room was her domain. This was where she could express herself and enjoy who she really was—not the generic room at work. “On the floor, of course.” She pointed to the pile of clothes on the opposite side of the bed.

“Oh yeah, we got in on the other side, didn’t we?” His bold grin reminded her of the passion that swept them away earlier.

Damn. If only she could grab hold of Boston with one hand and New York with the other and then mash them together somehow… Oh well. She’d just have to enjoy whatever time they had.

* * *

The following morning, Jayce sat at Kristine’s kitchen table, sipping coffee. She was on pins and needles, waiting for the kidnapper to call with instructions. Jayce admired the way she had been holding herself together all this time.

But she was starting to lose it.

“What if they’ve seen you? I don’t understand how they could be watching me and not have seen you.” She paced back and forth across the kitchen, not touching the breakfast Jayce had made her.

“Sit. Eat. You’re driving yourself nuts.”

Kristine whirled on him. “You think sitting down will make me any less nuts? I thought they would’ve called by now.”

“Pacing won’t make Donkey Pizzle call faster.”

Kristine let out a sigh, and her posture sagged. “I know, you’re right. But I can’t stop wondering why they didn’t want this exchange to happen last night. Wouldn’t it be easier to hide in the dark? What if something’s wrong?”

Jayce thought about it and deduced that the kidnappers might be playing a mind game. If that were the case, it was working. Kristine was more unbalanced than he’d ever seen her.

“What if they think I disobeyed them? They could have taken it out on her. What if they—”

Jayce rose, moved to the chair on the opposite side of the table in front of her untouched omelet, and pulled her down onto his lap.

He linked her hand with his. “I don’t think anybody has seen me, or Donkey Pizzle would’ve said something last night. To be honest, I don’t think anybody is watching you at all.”

“How can you say that? You don’t know… How do they know I’m home? They only call when I’m home.”

“But you wouldn’t know they called if you weren’t here. It’s not like they’re going to leave a voicemail.”

She heaved a huge, frustrated sigh.

“Okay, maybe someone is watching from outside,” he said. “But I stayed away from the windows, and I really don’t think anybody can see in from the street.”

“Unless they live across the street on the third or fourth floor…”

He rubbed circles over her back gently. In as quiet and calm a voice as he could manage, he said, “I know you’re anxious. I am too. We’ll get through this.”

She draped her arms around him and leaned her cheek against his forehead. “Thank you,” she whispered. “I don’t know what I’d do without you right now.”

Jayce cut off a piece of her omelet and fed it to her. He didn’t dare mention that he was going to follow her all day in bird form. On the other hand, if she looked up and saw him, she might have a fit right there in public.

No. He knew she wouldn’t put him in danger or do anything to put her mother in jeopardy. He’d have to risk it. But what could he do if she did run into trouble and needed him? Come to her rescue in another pink sweat suit three sizes too small?

Whatever he did, it would probably require some last-minute thinking. He liked knowing what to do. Even in a fire when he had to make decisions on the spot, there were protocols to follow, which helped. There were no protocols for this.

At last the phone rang, and she bounded off his lap, rushing to the counter where she’d placed it. Jayce was thankful for his supernatural hearing. He didn’t even have to lean in close to follow the conversation.

“Hello?”

“Are you ready for the next set of instructions?”

“Yes. I’ve been ready since last night. Why didn’t—”

“Shut up and listen.”

She paused with her mouth still open and then quickly interjected, “I was just going to say I have to go back to work tomorrow. This has to be over soon.” When he said nothing, she sighed and said, “All right. I’m listening.”

“Take the murse back to the spot where you picked it up in the park. You didn’t open the envelope, did you?”

“No. Of course not.”

“You say ‘Of course not,’ like ninety-nine percent of people wouldn’t do exactly that.”

“Well, I’m not about to place my mother’s life in jeopardy. I’ll do what you say in order to get her back.”

“Good. That’s very wise of you.”

“Will she be at the park?”

“No. As long as you carry out your part of the bargain, you’ll see her when you see her.”

She cursed under her breath. “How do I know she’s alive?”

“Hold on.” A moment later Donkey Pizzle said, “You can say hello. That’s it.”

“Mom?”

“I’m here.” Her mother didn’t sound as anxious as Kristine was. Maybe she was being treated better than her distraught daughter imagined.

“Are you okay?”

Donkey Pizzle said, “She’s fine. In fact, she’s being treated very well. Cooperation is rewarded.”

“Then you’ll return her as soon as possible because of my cooperation.”

Donkey Pizzle laughed. “You sound like you’re the one giving the orders. You’re not. Remember that. Now get that package to the park. If it takes longer than an hour, your mother will pay for your negligence.”

“I’m on my way,” she said.

The click on the line indicated that he had hung up and she’d received all the instructions she was going to get.

“I have to go.” She disappeared for a few moments and came back wearing her sweats and sneakers. “Will you wait here for me? Please?”

Jayce didn’t want to lie to her. “I’ll stay out of sight.”

She frowned and looked like she was about to argue. Then she checked the clock on the kitchen wall and said, “I’ve gotta go.” She slung the murse over her head and jogged to the door. “Please stay right here,” she begged and then let herself out, locking the door behind her. Jayce heard her footsteps running down the stairs.

As soon as he was sure she was on the sidewalk, he left the apartment, knowing he couldn’t relock the dead bolt. He rushed up to the roof, stripping off the sweatshirt before he got there. He shoved open the door and shifted while he still had the pants on. The door caught the bottom of the pants as it closed but not the bird that flew out of them.

He had to stay well behind and above her. Now that she knew what his alternate form looked like, she’d recognize him. It took him a few seconds to roll in the dirt and cover his tail feathers. When he took to the sky, he saw Kristine disappear under the trees. Good. The leafy-green foliage in the park would provide cover for him.

He knew where she was going because he’d followed her before. She had to jog all the way to the opposite side of the park, so it was a good thing she was in shape. She’d make it in an hour, but Donkey Pizzle sure hadn’t left her much room to spare.

He scanned the other people strolling, jogging, and lounging on benches. Even the bum who looked like he was passed out under a pile of newspapers could have been spying on her, making sure she was alone.

Jayce was relieved when she made it to the rock and placed the murse where it belonged. He hoped her mother was where she belonged too—at home. There would be hell to pay in Hell’s Kitchen if Kristine got there and the place was empty.

* * *

Kristine looked all around as she placed the murse behind the rocky outcropping. Before she reemerged from behind the rocks, just to be thorough she glanced up and saw nothing…at first. And then off in the distance she caught sight of the exact bird that Jayce became when he shifted. He rested high in a tree but in plain sight. For Christ’s sake, maybe he is stalking me.

Kristine sent him a glare and then jogged out of the park, knowing he was going to follow her all the way back. She was both comforted and irritated. She had asked him to stay in the apartment. What if her mother returned and couldn’t get in?

When she reached her building, Jayce was nowhere to be seen. She realized he was probably on the roof changing back into his clothes. Or maybe she was mistaken and the bird she saw was just a bird. She’d know when she got inside. Unlocking the door quickly and running up the stairs at top speed, she reached her apartment at the same time Jayce did.

“I knew it! I knew you couldn’t do as I asked.”

“I’m sorry, but I’m not sorry. I had to be sure you were safe.”

Kristine unlocked her door, walked in, and tried to slam the door in Jayce’s face. He stuck his foot in the way, and the door bounced open.

“Argh!” She was beyond frustrated. “Mom?” she called. Racing through the apartment, she checked every room. When she didn’t find her mother, she began checking closets and under beds. “What the hell? Where is she?”

When Kristine returned to the living room, Jayce stood just inside the door.

She jammed her hands on her hips. “Aren’t you supposed to be on vacation? Shouldn’t you go see Rockefeller Center or visit the Met or something?”

Jayce glanced at his feet and kicked the floor. “Kristine, I think you know that this isn’t just a vacation. I came here to see you, and that’s what I want to do. I want to see you safe. I can’t leave until I’m sure that you are.”

Kristine glared at him for a few moments, saw the sincerity in his eyes, and wandered over to the couch, where she collapsed. Throwing her arm across her eyes, she started to cry. Jayce was at her side in a flash and tried to gather her into his arms, but she pushed him away. “I can’t deal with you and this at the same time. Please just leave.”

Jayce hesitated. Kristine rolled toward the back of the couch and hid her face in the pillows. A few moments later she heard the door open and click shut. Jayce had left her.

She burst into tears and cried harder than she ever had in her life. She was letting out feelings of disappointment, abandonment, and loss, all at the same time. Even though crying usually made her feel like a weakling, this time it was cathartic—and necessary. She felt as if she’d break if she had to stay strong a moment longer.

When she had finally pulled herself together, she sat up, plucked a tissue from the box on the coffee table, and blew her nose.

Her phone rang.

“Shit.” She grabbed the phone, took a deep breath, and answered, “Hello.” She was surprised at how normal she had made her voice sound.

“I have another job for you.”

“Where the hell is my mother?”

At that moment, the door opened quietly, and Jayce tiptoed back in. She wondered if he had gone any further than just outside the door. He was probably listening the whole time. As much as that irked her, she was actually glad he hadn’t deserted her. His quiet strength was exactly what she needed. She had to stop pushing him away. He didn’t seem like he was going to leave anyway. That in itself was oddly comforting.

The asshole on the other end of the line said, “Again with the demands? You should know by now that cooperation is the only way to get what you want.”

“But you’re not holding up your end of the bargain. You’re not giving me what I want at all. I want my mother back.”

Jayce moved toward her but didn’t come within touching distance, and she was grateful for that. She needed to concentrate on what the dickhead was saying. She could fall into Jayce’s arms later.

Donkey Pizzle said, “Why would I give up my leverage? Don’t bother answering that. That was a retro…reorertical…”

“Rhetorical question?” Kristine supplied.

“Yeah. You have to do one more job before I return her, and I’ll let you see her as your reward for doing this job.”

Kristine gazed up at Jayce. He nodded and stepped behind the couch, shrinking down so he couldn’t be seen.

“Fine. Let me see her.”

“Hang up, and I’ll call you on Skype,” he said.

Kristine disconnected the call and waited. She thought Jayce would say something, but perhaps he didn’t know what to say. She didn’t know what to say to him either.

The Skype sound came through, and she tapped the video button. A moment later she saw her mother sitting at a dining table with a fluted glass of orange juice in her hand—or perhaps it was a mimosa. She looked clean and well-dressed, but the clothes were not her own. Did they buy her a whole new wardrobe?

“Mom? Are you all right?”

Her mother nodded. “I’m fine, honey.”

“Are you being treated well?”

Amy glanced off to the left of the screen. She may have been checking someone’s reaction or direction. An anxious male voice was babbling something about a ship being boarded.

“I’m okay, honey. Just please do what they say, and I’ll be allowed to come home very soon.”

The Skype call disconnected. That’s all she was going to see of her mother, but it reassured her that she wasn’t tied up.

Jayce rose up behind the couch. “Did she look all right?”

Kristine huffed. “She looked better than all right. She was well-dressed and sipping a mimosa. It looked like she was even wearing makeup.”

“Did you recognize the surroundings?”

At that moment, the phone rang again. Kristine answered immediately.

“Hello,” said a computerized voice. “We’re taking a survey—”

“Agh!” she screamed and poked the end call button. Then she gave in to a fit of giggles. She peeked at Jayce, figuring he must think she was insane. He just smiled. In a way, it was handy that he had supernatural hearing and she didn’t have to explain everything she heard on the other end of the line.

When the phone rang again, she prayed it wasn’t a telemarketer, a charity, a survey, or any other kind of intrusion. Didn’t people know her mother’s life hung in the fucking balance?

“Hello.”

“Who did you talk to just then?”

“It was a computerized call. I hung up right away.”

“What did they want?”

“My participation in some kind of survey.”

There was no response on the other end for a few moments. Then the underwater voice said, “Don’t you hate that?”

She almost giggled again. How inappropriate would that be? “Uh, yeah. I do.”

“I hope you know I’m going to have to check the room again to be sure there’s no police or surveillance equipment.”

She sighed. “Sure. Why not?” She waved Jayce toward the front door.

He nodded and strode over to it. When the phone clicked off, he opened and slipped around the door. He managed to close it behind himself before the Skype call began.

Kristine knew the drill. She walked Donkey Pizzle all through the apartment, under beds, and in closets. The shower curtain was already open, so she didn’t have to do that again. How long had it been since she’d showered? Sheesh.

“Satisfied?” she asked as soon as the tour was complete.

“For now,” Donkey Pizzle answered. “You’ll need to memorize the address I’m about to give you. Don’t write it down.”

“Okay.” She hoped it wasn’t complicated. Her stress level might affect her memory, and the location was probably where she was supposed to go to meet his next set of demands.

“1483 Park Avenue. Repeat that.”

“1483 Park Avenue.”

“Good. You’re to wait until the middle of the night, then huff and puff, and set the place on fire.”

“What?” she exclaimed.

“You heard me.”

“But…you’re aware that I’m a fire fighter, right?”

“Yup. But you’re also a dragon.”

“I have to work tonight.”

“You can slip out, do what you’re told, and get back before the dispatcher gets the call.”

“No! I can’t! I’ll lose my job if I’m discovered.”

“You’ll lose your mother if you don’t do as I say. Call in sick.”

“Holy crap. That’s a residential neighborhood. People could be asleep.”

“It is. And, hopefully, they will be.”

“Shit! I can’t do this. You must know that.”

“Didn’t your mother tell you to do whatever I said?”

Kristine placed her elbow on her knee and dropped her forehead into her hand.

“Headache?” Donkey Pizzle asked.

“What the fuck do you think?” she growled.

“Oh now, now. That’s no way for a lady to talk.”

The door opened quietly, and Jayce peered around it. Then he snuck in and closed the door silently. She would have waved him away, but they were still on Skype and she could be seen. She couldn’t see the caller, however. They must still have tape over the camera lens.

“Who are you looking at?” Donkey Pizzle demanded.

“No one,” she said. “I was just staring at the window.”

“Show me.”

Jayce moved with supernatural speed to hide behind the couch.

Kristine flipped the phone around and scanned the side of the room where Jayce had been. “See?”

Donkey Pizzle’s hesitation frayed her nerves even further, if that were possible.

At last he said, “All right. I’m going to hang up, but before I do, I have one more detail about the job you’re going to do tonight.”

She gulped.

“You need to fly up to the top floor at the back of that building. That’s where the fire should start. See? No one but the target gets hurt.”

“How do you know he won’t wake up and run out of the building when the smoke alarms go off?”

Eerie laughter followed her question. Then he said, “Oh, don’t worry. He won’t wake up.”

The call disconnected. “Shit!” Kristine threw her phone toward the back of the living room. As it whizzed by, Jayce popped up and caught it.