Treasure Tides Part 19

Joanna swallowed the aspirin, savoring the taste of ice cold water on a hot day. It was quite stifling at the moment, coc.o.o.ned as she was in Landon's arms and leaning against his broad chest. Water dribbled down the gla.s.s and splashed onto her chest.

Landon couldn't help watching the liquid as it rolled down between her b.r.e.a.s.t.s. Joanna felt his gaze on her. It seemed as if he had followed the trail of water with his fingertips rather than his eyes.

Cupping Joanna's face and tipping it toward him, Landon said, "You didn't answer me. Are you ok?"

How is a girl supposed to think in these circ.u.mstances? A bad-a.s.s Werewolf, normally chocked full of mischief and teasing, was looking at her all serious and concerned. Joanna shrugged out of his embrace and scooted to the side of the bed.

"Fine," she said as she hurried toward the head to wipe the blood away.

She turned on the water and steeled herself to look in the mirror. Her arms weren't covered in blood, so maybe she hadn't lost as much of it as she thought. As she forced her gaze to the looking gla.s.s, she was stunned to see that not a drop of blood could be seen anywhere on her face.

She knew, without being told, who had cleaned the blood from her face and arms. Tears threated, but she forced them back. No more tears! She had shed enough over the past few years to last a lifetime. They hadn't helped then, and they wouldn't help now. Joanna griped the door handle and turned it slowly. She opened the door bracing herself to deal with the embarra.s.sment of thanking Landon for what he had done.

The room was empty. She sagged against the door frame, feeling somewhat like a coward. Get on with it, Joanna. What are you afraid of?

"Joanna?" Landon spoke from the doorway of the bedroom. He had sent a quick text to Royce letting him know Joanna was awake. They would be heading that way soon.

She stiffened abruptly, almost as if he had frightened her. He saw genuine fear pa.s.s through her eyes for an instant, and then it was gone. As she smoothed her hair, Joanna smiled brightly at him.

"I'm ready when you are," she announced regally as she brushed past him on her way out of the bedroom Landon narrowed his eyes and followed Joanna closely. She seemed a bit unsteady. Didn't she get into this mess by pus.h.i.+ng herself too hard? Now she was starting to p.i.s.s him off!

"I just need to update the log before I leave. Why don't you rest on the couch, and I'll come to get you when I'm finished," Landon suggested.

"I have some notes to review. I'll jus--"

"You'll just rest on the couch until I come to get you," Landon growled.

Joanna narrowed her eyes and opened her mouth to argue with him. But, she decided she didn't have the energy. She stomped over to the couch and sat down, folding her hands in her lap.

Landon nodded and spun on his heel to make his way topside. Stubborn Witch. He had to smile at the picture she presented sitting primly on the couch, acting as if her blood wasn't boiling at being told what to do.

Landon pulled out the log book and groaned. Evidently, it had not been updated over the past few weeks. Closed within the pages of the log, were sc.r.a.ps of paper that needed to be permanently doc.u.mented. Sighing, he pulled the cap from his ink pen and began writing.

Landon closed the log book and put it away. He wadded up the stack of papers that he had just spent the last fifteen minutes doc.u.menting. Joanna was probably contemplating his demise at this point.

"Noooo!" Joanna screamed.

Landon felt her anguish pulse through his body. He leapt from his chair and vaulted down the stairs. Joanna had fallen asleep waiting for him and was fighting someone, or something, in her sleep. He touched her arm as he spoke her name.

"Joanna," Landon called softly. He didn't want to frighten her awake, but he didn't want to leave her in whatever h.e.l.l she was enduring.

"Joanna," he called again as she moaned and twisted away from him. "Joanna," he spoke her name for the third time before she suddenly opened her eyes.

"d.a.m.n!" Joanna lunged forward and would have risen if Landon had not placed his hands on her shoulders to prevent her from getting up too quickly.

Pulling her hair back from her face, she took a couple of calming breaths. She felt the couch s.h.i.+ft as Landon sat down beside her.

"Nightmare?" he asked.

"Yea, no big deal," she said, bending to slip her shoes on. He noticed the slight trembling in her hands which told him it was a big deal.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"What-- now you're a shrink, too? You want to a.n.a.lyze my dreams?" Joanna snapped.

"This must be the part Royce was referring to," Landon observed with a frown.

Joanna pinned him with a glare. "What part would that be?"

"The part where you are a tad bit grouchy."

Joanna glared at him for a moment longer and then covered her face with her hands.

Landon watched in horror as her shoulders began to shake.

"I'm sorry, Joanna," he said wrapping his arms around her. "I didn't mean to upset you. Don't cry."

At that moment she lifted her face and tears streamed from her eyes. But they weren't tears of frustration or sorrow, they were tears of mirth. She was laughing!

"Are you kidding me?" Landon protested with a scowl.

"I'm sorry," Joanna said as she wiped her eyes. "It just stuck me as funny."

"I'm glad I could entertain you this evening," Landon said with a grin.

They both rose from the couch finally ready to make their way home.

"I need to grab my purse," Joanna said as she spun around to open a nearby storage compartment. She evidently moved too quickly, because suddenly the room began spinning. The next thing she knew, strong arms were encircling her once again.

Landon caught Joanna as she crumpled, and then strode to the couch with her in his arms.

"You are going to hurt yourself pretending that you are ok when you're not," Landon reprimanded her.

"I just moved too quickly; that's all," she explained.

Joanna needed to get away from Landon. He had witnessed her emotions run from one extreme to the other today. He had played nursemaid and now savior. The truth was, she had enjoyed being wrapped in his arms a little too much for her own peace of mind.

He stood watching her, again. It was as if he were trying to peer inside her head, or as if he were trying to gain access to her private thoughts and feelings. Joanna suddenly felt as if the walls were closing in on her. She needed to put some distance between them.

"I think you should rest a while longer. There's no hurry."

"I told you, I'm fine," Joanna insisted as she rose quickly from the couch where he had deposited her moments ago. She charged toward the stairs intent on escaping Landon's piercing gaze.

Midway across the room it occurred to her that she had not thanked him for interceding on her behalf today with Royce. She stopped and turned to face Landon intending to correct the oversight. However, he wasn't where she had left him. As she spun back toward the stairs, she found her exit blocked by a seriously p.i.s.sed-off Were.

Darn, he could move fast. She took a step back. He took a step forward. He was stalking her! As she continued to step back, Landon continued to move forward. Soon she felt the wall at her back. Her retreat had reached an abrupt halt.

He kept moving forward trapping her as he flattened his palms against the wall on either side of her body. As he dipped his head, she drew a quick breath and braced her heart for Landon's blistering kiss.

Instead, he growled, "Don't. Feed. Me. That line of s.h.i.+t! Play the independent, cold-hearted, untouchable Witch with someone else."

This time tears really did fill her eyes. Joanna dropped her head on his chest as the first sob left her lungs. The arms that had been stiff with anger moments ago, wrapped around her to pull her tightly into his chest. The voice that had growled moments ago, now whispered. "Joanna, I know it hurts. I know you're afraid. I can smell pain and fear all over you. Don't shut me out."

"I'm fine," Joanna whispered. "I'm fine," she said, a little stronger this time. "I promise. It's getting better." Resting her palm on his chest, she continued, "Thank you, Landon. Thank you for running interference for me with Royce. I know he's really p.i.s.sed at me. Thank you for cleaning me up, and everything else you've done to take care of me today."

"Royce needed to cool down, and you needed to recover. Royce cares very deeply about you, Joanna. He would never forgive himself if something happened to you on his watch. Cut him some slack." Knowing that it would get her blood flowing, he added, "And, if this is too much for you to handle on your own, don't be too proud to call for backup."

Mission accomplished. Her eyes sparked with anger; which he preferred to tears.

"You think I can't handle it, Wolf-boy?" Joanna hissed. "You think I'm just a weak female? Let me a.s.sure you, I'm nothing like the kind of woman you are used to dealing with. I can take care of myself, and I don't need you, or Royce, or anyone else worrying about me," Joanna ranted as she pushed him away.

"I can take it from here. You don't need to see me home. I'll call a cab," Joanna said, wis.h.i.+ng he would just go. She had told him she felt fine, but that couldn't be further from the truth. She felt as if she might break into a million pieces at any moment.

"There is only one problem with that. I told Royce I would get you home safely," he countered. "That's just what I'm going to do, even if I have to tie you up to do it."

"Try it Wolf, I dare you."

"Just remember, you asked for it, Jo." Landon reached over to open a cabinet as he made his way slowly toward her. Without breaking stride or taking his eyes off her, he withdrew a coil of rope and clicked the door shut with soft finality.

Ok, so maybe things had gone too far. "Stop! Landon, this isn't funny," Joanna said breathlessly. At one time, being tied up by a man like Landon Smith would have been her idea of fun. But--?

Shaking his head slowly from side to side, eyes glinting he said, "I'm not laughing," as he continued to move toward her.

Joanna backed away taking care to make sure she was backing toward the stairs rather than into a wall. As she reached the stairs, she raised her hand. A little magic could slow him down enough to give her a head-start.

"Don't even think about it. It doesn't work well on us, and you know it. You don't have that much energy to spare right now anyway," Landon warned. But, he wasn't too sure about that. Her heart was beating rapidly, her cheeks were flushed. He smelled her arousal but also a hint of fear.

Landon's cell phone rang, shattering the moment. That particular ringtone could only mean one thing...trouble.

Landon dropped the rope and reached for his cell.

"You win this time, Joanna. Go to the office at the marina; they will call a cab for you. I'm sorry, but I have to go...now."

"Where?" Landon barked as he answered the call. He had cleared the stairs in one leap, landed on the pier with the second, and was currently unlocking his truck. He couldn't risk s.h.i.+fting here. People would notice a Wolf. He had to get away from the crowd.

"Kurt's." His second in command confirmed what his gut had already told him.

"Are the girls home?" Landon asked. Dread settled in his stomach like a cement block. He slammed the truck in gear and sped out of the parking lot.

"Yes. Becki's there as well. They are all locked in the house at this point. But I've got to tell you; it's shaping up to be a real b.i.t.c.h out there, Landon. I know you don't want the girls to know, but things are about to get loud and ugly."

"Protect them at all costs. If anything happens to those girls, I'll kill who ever let it happen without a second thought. I'm on my way!"

Landon loved Kurt's girls as if they were his own pups. He did not want them to know about the darkness in the world. He didn't want them to know that things really did go "b.u.mp" in the night.

After ending the call, Landon threw the phone into the pa.s.senger seat. Fear, frustration, and rage combined making it nearly impossible to keep his Wolf restrained.

"Ouch!" Joanna complained as the phone landed forcefully in her lap.

"What the h.e.l.l do you think you are doing here?" Landon was already furious and rapidly losing ground to an increasingly agitated Wolf. This is just what he needed-- an overly-tired, stubborn (not to mention smart-mouthed) Witch to worry about.

"I'm going, too. I can help," Joanna announced as she settled in for the ride.

"No... You're not." Landon swore as he turned the vehicle sharply and skidded onto an abandoned service road. "I'm s.h.i.+fting so I can travel faster. Joanna, I don't have time for this. Stay put... I'll be back for you when I get this situation handled," he ordered.

Mistaking her silence for agreement, he leapt from the truck s.h.i.+fting mid-flight.

Joanna's breath caught in her throat as an enormous Wolf shrouded in thick silver fur landed on all fours. He was beautiful! His coat practically s.h.i.+mmered like spun silver in the sunlight, and then in an instant he had disappeared from view.

Fortunately, Joanna had placed a tracking spell on him earlier this afternoon. She had spelled all of the divers temporarily... just as a precaution. But she hadn't seen the need to share that bit of information as Royce tended to get p.i.s.sy about those things. She had wanted to be able to locate them if something unforeseen happened during their dive.

She closed her eyes and "saw" Landon as he ran like the wind. His movements were gracefully fluid. Joanna smiled, thinking he reminded her of liquid silver. As he reached his destination, what Joanna saw made her blood run cold. Vampires were surrounded by a pack of Werewolves; in a neighborhood subdivision no less! And the icing on the cake? Royce stood smack-dab in the midst of the fight....

As Becki glanced out the window, her heart practically stopped beating. Royce was surrounded by both men and beasts. When did he get here? What the h.e.l.l were those things? What does he think he's doing out there? She physically stuffed the girls in the panic room, a converted closet under the stairs, and swung the door closed with a thud!

"I'll be fine." She spoke to them through the locked door over their loud protests. "I love you all and will get you out of there when things calm down," she promised. Becki prayed she would live through whatever was unfolding in the front yard.

Kurt had been so insistent that they all know how to access the panic room and activate the lock. Now things were becoming clearer. Becki mentally thanked Kurt for his preparedness. The instant the lock had tripped on the panic room, Kurt would have received a text message. He would be freaking out about now and p.i.s.sed as h.e.l.l when he found out that she had not joined the girls in safety.

Becki was not a child; she was not going to hide and wait for someone to rescue her. She sprinted to the gun safe trying to remember the combination. Thirty-three to the right, twenty-four to the left, and.... Think! Calm down and think.

Becki closed her eyes and drew a calming breath before trying again. Thirty-three to the right, twenty-four to the left...and thirty-two to the right! Click! The electronic mechanisms began to move. As the safe door swung open, she frowned at the confusing selection of weapons. Wooden stakes, a cross bow with an a.s.sortment of arrows with varying tips, wooden bullets, vials of liquid, and a case of s.h.i.+ny bullets marked 'silver'. What the h.e.l.l?

Pale men, large canines, all at once it made perfect sense! The wooden stakes were for Vampires and silver bullets for Werewolves. Judging from what she had witnessed, the Wolves were on their side. This is what Royce had been trying to keep from her.

" Royce!" Becki screamed. She s.n.a.t.c.hed a wooden steak and tucked it in the waistband of her pants. With hands that shook, she loaded Kurt's rifle and hand-gun with wooden bullets. Lord, help me, she prayed as she moved toward the front door.

A flash of silver leaped into the pack of snarling wolves. Royce knew instinctively it was Landon. As he touched Landon's flank, the ma.s.sive Wolf swung his jaws toward Royce and snarled. In retrospect, perhaps he should have patted his head instead; however, Landon got the message and signaled the pack to quiet down. The Wolves immediately broke ranks and divided. Half the pack formed a semicircle around Royce and Landon while the other half positioned themselves as a barrier between the Vampires and Kurt's house.

"You know you can't win this," Royce advised the pale group. "You also know it can't go down here. You are all risking execution at the hands of the Council for causing a public spectacle as it is. What is your interest in this place?" Royce asked.

"There is a house full of sweet smelling females," taunted a bloodsucker with an accompanying flash of his fangs.

"Rouel," snarled at one of his minions.

"Some are only large enough for a snack, but one in particular interests me on several levels. Adult entertainment and dessert, you might say, all rolled into one. I've hungered for her ever since I caught her sweet scent on Trevor," Rouel leered.

"We need to finish this," another nervous Vamp insisted. "Get the maps and the girl and let's get out of here."

"Over my dead body," Royce promised as the Wolves began snarling.

"That can be arranged. We know you have the original maps. We know you've found the hidden tunnels. We suspect that you have not recovered the coin yet. Otherwise, you wouldn't still be hanging around. That's how it works with Special Ops, right?" Rouel snarked. "Oh, don't worry... I'm in no hurry. You might say I have all the time in the world. I can stick around for a while after you are gone just to, shall we say, tidy up some loose ends."