Jorden: The McCade Dragon –Erotic Paranormal Romance (13 page)

“The only way we can get organized is if we start over. I should have been thinking about how many pieces there were and what I was going to do with them.” Aisha pointed out that she’d only had a few days. “In the event you can’t tell, I’m slightly overwhelmed.”

“Well of course you are. Come now, we can do this. How about you think where you want this piece here? By the way, I love this. I have no idea what its primary use is, but I like it. Just forget that there are a lot of pieces and focus on them one at a time.” Jasmine nodded and looked at the tall boy in front of her. Just looking at the piece, she felt a little calmness settle over her.

“It’s called a tall boy. See, it has drawers here and a wardrobe on top. Not to be confused with a highboy, which has a double, sometimes triple, set of drawers in one space. I think it has more pieces to it.” Jasmine pulled out her inventory sheet to look at the number she’d assigned it. “Yes. There is a smaller dresser, a headboard, as well as one nightstand. There were two, but the other one isn’t in good shape.” Two men came up with a large dolly and she told them to find the other pieces that had the same number and put them against the south wall. “This piece has two others that match it. We’ll put them in the same area. Sort of a bedroom furniture section.”

After that, things went better. And when she had an entire area filled with all the bedroom sets she had, Jasmine put some of the single items along with it just to fill out the area. There were boxes of decorations things too that she set in the area, lamps that would be set up to bring light to the area, and little knickknacks that were the biggest money maker to her when she’d flip things. And Jasmine had found boxes and boxes of doilies that she wanted to display and sell too.

The second floor had the kitchen department. There were a lot of single chairs…a few sets, but not many. And when she had a table brought up, a pretty oak that had three leaves that went with it, she put some of the oak chairs around it, making sure that none of them matched. The three sideboards were put against the wall, with several boxes of glass and pottery items set on them to be displayed later. There were also several pie safes, all in great shape, as well as cupboards that were used to make pies on. Two even had their flour sifter still intact. Those pieces alone were going to be a showstopper, she thought to herself.

As soon as Jorden and Lewis showed up with two new mattress and box spring sets, she sent them to help her make up the beds. She’d found several old quilts, as well as some gorgeous hand stitched pillow cases and sheet sets with the boxes of things that she’d gotten, and was happy to see how nice they looked on the bed. Going to the kitchen area again when Dalton came with sandwiches and drinks, Jasmine was happy to see that Aisha and Gavin had started laying out the dinner sets, as well as some of the older kitchen items.

“Do you have use for a jewelry case?” She asked Grady if he had one. “I do. There are a lot of things like that at my house. There are also a lot of jewelry pieces still in it that Emma didn’t want. I got one of her father’s homes when he passed away, and all the contents. If you want them, I have a lot of stuff that I have no use for. Some of them better than the things you have in here.”

“I don’t know a lot about jewelry. Furniture is more what I know, as well as some glass. I had books, a lot of them, at my old home. They’re gone now, but I guess we could look them up.” Gavin laughed. “You’re going to tell me that I have the Internet again and that I can just look things up that way, aren’t you? Well, I like looking things up in books. It’s more…I don’t know, I guess personal for me.”

“You have books here.” They all turned to Lewis when he spoke. “I saw them. I mean, there are a lot of them too. I moved them to the little area you said you were going to use for an office.”

As she followed him into the back room, all she could think about was how much Grannie would have loved this. But as soon as she entered the back room, all she could do was stare at it. It didn’t look this way a few days ago.

“We wanted to give you a business warming gift.” Jorden was sitting at the desk she had been wanting since she found it in the other building. It had been old and stained, the dust on it too thick to even tell what wood it had been. Now it was shiny, the brass fittings on the front like they were new. Tears filled her eyes when she touched her fingers to the top of it. “Gavin was very helpful in what you might need, and whatever we couldn’t think of, we just had fun. Do you like it?”

There was a nice computer on the desk that had her name sliding over the screen, as well as a printer that was already loaded with paper. Several shelves were loaded with books on everything from pottery to toys. There was stock too. Boxes of tissue paper, bags, and tags. When she moved along the back part of the room, she saw a refrigerator and a microwave, as well as a pot for tea and cups. Pulling down one of the tins of tea, she looked back at Jorden and saw that the others had crowded into the room, along with Kenton and Emma. They had done this for her, given her an office she would never have gotten on her own.

“I was to keep you out of here until Kenton was finished up delivering a baby. Oh my, you gave me such a scare a couple of times when you started back this way.” Aisha smiled at her as she continued. “Honey, you should have seen us trying to get this ready for you. We had so much fun that it was a pleasure to see them working on it.”

“I just don’t know what to say. It’s all so.... No one has ever done something so grand for me before. I feel…I love you all so much.”

When Jorden came to her and held her in his arms, he whispered a question to her. But when she told him that Gavin should do it, he thought it was a great idea. Looking at her son, she only had to nod and she could see that he was proud to tell the family their news.

“Mom and Dad and I have something to tell you all. I mean, I get to tell you, but it’s from all of us. Well, us anyway. We wanted to wait, but with all this it’s—” Vance told him to get on with it. “Yes. Okay. We’re going to have a baby girl. I’m going to have a little sister.”

No one moved, and Jasmine was afraid that they were unhappy. But before she could tell them they’d fucking have to get over it, Aisha screamed. And not one of those girly kinds either. More like she was going to hurt something, it was so loud.

“You’re having a baby? A little girl? Oh my, this is the best news. When? Do you know that? A little girl? You’re having a little girl for me.” Aisha hugged Gavin to her and then three more times before she moved to them. “I’m so happy. A little girl? Oh Gavin, we’re going to have so much fun when she gets here. You and I have some major planning to do, and we have to go to the zoo to do it. What do you think? Zoo? Then perhaps.... Oh my, you’re going to have so much fun with Grandma.”

Everyone laughed and she turned to them, clearly embarrassed. Jorden hugged her and kissed her on the cheek before he spoke. “It’s okay, Mom, we know you love us. But yes, we’re having a little girl. Caelin told us this morning.”

Everyone congratulated her and Jorden. Even Gavin was told how glad they were that he was going to share his sister. After a little while, when it was apparent that they were going to be helping her more after this, she put them all to work on arranging not just the furniture, but all the displays as well. By nightfall, not only were they pretty much set up the way she’d wanted, but most of the items had been priced as well. Grady had helped with making pretty display signs on the sets too.

Walking to the pizza parlor, they were still talking about what sort of name the antique place should have. Several were tossed around, but she had an idea she wanted to discuss with Gavin and Jorden first. Then there was the business district that she wanted to talk to the family about now.

“How many of the buildings does this family own? Keep in mind that there are nineteen large buildings there that are empty, and two that will be soon if they don’t get some help. As well as four houses and a large restaurant that looks like it’s been out of business for some time.” As they counted them up, she pulled out her notepad and started writing down things she’d seen there. Jasmine had gone back to the place early this morning with Emma, and they had counted them and had ideas for the renovation of them. “Also, who owns them?”

“I own the debunked restaurant.” She looked at Lewis when he spoke. “And two other buildings that I no longer remember where they are. I got them when the city was doing something to get them off their books. I think we all did.”

“I think that as a whole we own all the buildings. Some of them we share with one or another of us, but for the most part, we each own a part of them.” Kenton nodded at her notes as he continued. “What is it you have in your head? Because I know as well as I’m sitting here, you have a plan.”

“Emma and I have a plan. And so you know, we did a quick inventory of all the buildings we could get into. A lot of them will need to be cleaned out, as in there are more than a few homeless using them. I would say kids as well, but homeless people are making use of the ones that are still intact enough to keep them warm and dry. We think, and I believe you’ll agree, that in order to make this town viable again, we have to start somewhere.” Lewis asked her what she wanted to do with the homeless, turn them out? “No. I think that with the help of the city, we can change a couple of the places into cheap housing for them. Maybe the houses could be used as a starting point. And barring that, a place they can get a shower as well as a decent meal.”

“I like that idea.” She nodded at Dalton. “Crime isn’t a huge problem in that area because there is nothing there. We’d have to think about that as we move forward. Then there is the added issue of what to bring in as businesses. Because as it stands now, there is little to offer anyone even if we were to get it in better shape.”

“We have a plan for that as well.” Emma stood up and addressed them. Jasmine admired her a great deal, and loved her as much. “In order for us to get groceries, we have to travel to the next city over. Also, we’ve looked into it, and while we don’t have the population to have our own post office, we can have them put in a few more boxes, as well as a place that can sell stamps and other sundries. Jasmine and I also spoke with Mom, and she thought we could have a florist, as well as a dry cleaning place. I think that Abby even mentioned that a place to have things repaired, like small appliances, would be useful as well.”

“If we’re making a list of things that we could use, even with the growth, we’ll need a closer dentist, veterinarian, as well as a pharmacy.” Grady also said that he’d like to see more kid zone places, such as old fashioned soda shops and a dairy bar. When the pizzas arrived, she had a list and also help. The men were going to contact friends to fill positions that had been mentioned. Clean up crews were talked about, as well as zoning laws that had to be looked at.

By the time they were headed to their homes, Jasmine thought that they’d made a great dent in what was needed. The town, all of it, would only benefit from all this influx of new places. And she’d make sure that it didn’t fall through the cracks when the newness of it wore off.

Chapter 11

Wilburn moved to his living room and paused. Something was off. He looked around before committing himself fully to the room, but he knew that something was wrong, just not what it was. As soon as the door closed behind him and something hit him hard in the back of his head, he knew first of all it was a gun; secondly, he was in deep shit.

“Sit in the chair over there.” The voice was dark, low, and male. As he made his way to the chair that he’d been directed to, the man said nothing. Wilburn wasn’t sure he had any scent to him either. Not a whiff of cologne or even body smells. “We’re going to have a little conversation, then I’m going to make sure that you’re out of my way, you and that idiot brother of yours.”

“I’m assuming you have a good reason for coming into my home uninvited.” Wilburn sat down but still couldn’t see the man. “What is it you think someone is going to do to me? And you should know that I have cameras all over the place…you’ll be caught.”

The wires fell into his lap. Not only that, but a hand drawn map did as well, and Wilburn could see that he’d gotten most of them, if not all. Dropping the stuff to the floor, Wilburn bent to pick it up and get his little gun when the man touched his own gun to his head again. Christ, this man was good. Perhaps, he thought, he’d see if he wanted to come work for him.

“Touch it and you’re dead right now. And no one is coming to help you; the staff that you had is gone for the day, and all the phones are disconnected from the source. You’re mine until I say differently.” Wilburn sat up but said nothing. This shit was bad. Really bad. “You should also be aware that your man in California, Quincy, has been detained as well. Well, he’s dead. And the two men he was with. The piece that he was sent to look at is in the hands of someone else. Not that you’re going to be around to know this, but I’ll have it by the end of the day tomorrow or before.”

Wilburn tried to ignore the fact that he’d been told twice now that he was going to be killed. Nothing was ever settled, he thought, when he could buy his way out of it. And he would, he just had to find the man’s price. Wilburn knew that everyone had a price.

“You’re very informed. I’m assuming that my brother has been talking to you. And I’m betting that you’re Vance McCade as well.” The man only laughed. “Well, what is it you want, Vance? I’m assuming you don’t mind me calling you by your first name, since you’ll be going to prison soon.”

“I’m not Vance. And no, I’ve not been talking to your brother, other than to invite him here so that he too will be out of my way. The police are going to have a time trying to figure out who killed you both. And with such precision.” The light flared on and Wilburn felt his balls tighten to his body and sweat trickle down his back when he looked at the man seated at his desk now. “I can see from the expression on your face that you are well aware of who I am.”

“Yes. I know of you. You’re Fredrick Winslow, one of the richest men in the country. Ruthless, and not without your fair share of trouble.” Wilburn wondered what the fuck was going to happen now. Because the way he was seeing it, there could only be one outcome of this. He would be dead, just as the man had told him. “Is this about the pieces from the McCade ancestor?”

“Some of it. More about you and that idiot brother of yours.” He leaned back in his chair and smiled at him, the gun never wavering as it was pointed at him. “You’ve been busy. I would have said very busy, but I don’t care to give you credit when you’ve done nothing progressive so far. I mean, you’ve had the earrings nearly in your possession twice, and you’ve lost them. The brooch, which I’m assuming is what you thought was in California, is no longer yours. Your man there, Quincy, never stood a chance of getting it for you. Sadly, I didn’t get it either, but that isn’t any concern of yours, now is it?”

“Was it the one?” Winslow said nothing. “Come now, you know as well as I do that you’re dying to tell me. Was it a part of the set?”

“Dying is about right. You will be soon enough. The piece? I have no idea. I have no magic to speak of, so I, like you, have no way of knowing. Your grandda, he had a little, enough to see what was right there when he saw it. However, you did not inherit it. Neither did Richard.” Wilburn had heard that before. That one needed to not just be pure of heart, but also magical. He no more believed that than he did he was going to walk out of this room again. “There are two that I’m in pursuit of now. One of them is the torque.”

“Torque? There is no listing for that. You’re mistaken.” A drawing was handed to him. He could see that someone had taken their time with it. Added in some color too, but Wilburn thought that was all it was, a drawing of a sort of bracelet that someone wanted him to believe was part of the set. “This proves nothing. My grandfather was told there were five pieces. Not six.”

“You know as well as I do why there are six pieces.” Wilburn had heard that as well, but it didn’t make it any truer. “It matters little, really. You’re never going to see them together. Nor will you be able to profit from it.”

“I suppose this is your plan. To take control of one of the pieces to have the dragon at your beck and call. Good luck with that one. It’s not as easy as you’d think.” Winslow laughed once again and Wilburn felt his temper rise up. “What is this really all about?”

“I can tell you because, as I have said, you won’t be here to see it. I plan to not have one of the pieces, but all of them. And I will not be fucking around to get them either. I see an opportunity to take one, the bearer of such a gift will never know what happened to them.” He thought of his brother and his attempt to get the earrings. “Anyone wearing my pieces will simply have them cut from their body and taken. I will have them all before this is done.”

“Then what? Without the women and the dragons, you know that you cannot summon him.” He said nothing but smiled again. “You mean to sell them to the highest bidder, knowing that they won’t work.”

“They won’t work with this generation of McCades, but there will be more of them. The lineage has been waiting for a time to have the pieces together forever, and one more generation will not matter to me. But I will be paid handsomely for them while they wait.” Wilburn thought his plan brilliant, but said nothing. “But now I must end your life, because you have gotten in my way enough. First the ring, and then the torque and brooch.” He stood up, and so did Wilburn.

“I can help you. I have a lot of contacts that can get you as much information as you want.” When Winslow laughed this time, he raised up the gun so that it touched Wilburn’s forehead. “Don’t do this. I can help you.”

Wilburn heard the laughter. It was hard and dark, like the man’s voice had been. When he heard the door open to his office, he nearly cried out to be helped, but he heard Richard’s voice then and knew that he’d sold him out.

“Oh good, the security code worked.” It was the last sound he heard as the bullet penetrated his head.

~~~

Dalton stepped over the first body as he made his way deeper into the room. He’d been called out on double homicides before. Had even been called to a couple that had more than two bodies. But this one, these two men, had him a little nervous. He was sure that Vance had a hand in this.

No, I did not. Fortuitous for sure, but I didn’t do it.
Dalton sagged a little on the desk he’d been standing next to when Vance spoke to him through their link.
There are other players in on this thing, Dalton. You might want to gird up your loins and become better armed. All of us should.

Do you know who did this?
Vance said he had an idea but couldn’t share just yet.
And this person, the one that murdered these men, you think he’s after the dragon as well? That he’s got it in his head to kill off the women when they get them?

Yes.
It was a simple answer, but terrifying as well
. This man, and lets just call him Smith, he’s playing a different game than the others. He wants all the pieces, and will not stop until he gets them.

You know this for a certainty?
Vance said he did.
And what does he plan to do with them? I mean, if he kills us all off, the dragon can’t come out anyway.

He hopes to sell them to someone who has his eye on the future. Not ours, but one that our children’s children will inherit.
Dalton asked him how that was going to be possible if they killed the women.
I don’t think he’s thought it through all the way to the end conclusion. But his plan, while not really workable, will make him a very wealthy man, as well as all of us dead.

Dalton instructed the men with him to look for anything that might be a clue. Vance told him that there would be nothing, the man was that good. Dalton told him he had to do something. It was that or feel like he’d failed somehow. Vance assured him that he had not.

Do you know where any more of the pieces of jewelry are? Or perhaps if anyone else has them? I’d really hate to think of some poor woman out there trying on something that she liked, and being killed before she has a chance to figure out she needs to come to us.
He said that he was keeping an eye out for them.
Vance, what is it you do? I mean…what are you?

Your brother.
Dalton wasn’t satisfied with that answer, and he was sure that his brother knew it.
All right, but you’re going to wish you’d just left it at I’m your brother. I’m with the Special Forces. And by that I mean I do what the government tells me and how they tell me. I kill what needs to be killed. Kidnap who needs to be questioned. Sometimes there is very little difference, but I do it. I’m a ghost, a shadow that lurks in corners and comes out on the other side with a knife or gun. I’m not a good person. And I haven’t been for a very long time.

Dalton didn’t believe that any more than he did he was going to find a clue in this house. Vance might do things that were scary, but he was a good man. A great man he thought. But he could hear the fatigue in his voice, see it on his body when he was around them all.

Are you all right, Vance? I mean, you’re okay, aren’t you?
He asked him what he meant.
You sound.... Well, I’ve been a cop for a very long time, and I can see that you’re beginning to show signs of being burnt out. Sometimes, even when you’re home, you’re not there. How much longer can you do this?

Someone has to.
Dalton told him that wasn’t an answer.
I don’t know. You and the others, you can have your pretty lives. I don’t think.... Hell, Dalton, I know that any woman out there for me is going to have to be saintly. Stronger than even Emma is to be with me. As I said, I’m not a good person.

I think you’re a wonderful person.
When Vance said nothing, Dalton decided it was time to change the subject for now. But he would talk to Vance, maybe convince him that he was better than he thought.
We know that someone shot Wilburn first. Then Richard when he came in second. We know this thanks to the security cameras on the front of the house. But what we don’t know and can’t find is who the shooter is.

He’s not going to be on the cameras, and even if he was, it’s doubtful that you’d be able to make him out.
Dalton asked if he was human
. Yes. He is. Most of the men working for him are as well.

Do you know if he killed them over the jewelry?
Vance said that he had.
I see. So we have someone in this town that will kill whoever gets in his way.

Pretty much. But he doesn’t live in the area. He only came here…if this is the man I think it is, he only came here to kill these two. Which I have to admit, they had served their purpose anyway.
Dalton didn’t want to think what that meant.
The bugs that were planted in your office, as well as one in Jorden’s, they’re from Richard. You’re going to be able to figure that out now that you have his body. Wilburn is the one that put the second one in Jorden’s office, and in the antique shop as well. I’ll have them removed now that there is no one listening in on them.

This other player, do you think he’ll set up more of the same?
Vance said he wasn’t sure, but he’d let him know when he did.
I’d like that. Thank you.

I have to go away for a bit. Shouldn’t be any longer than about a month.
Dalton started to ask him what was going on, but Vance cut that thought off.
Don’t ask me. As much as I’d like to tell you it’s fine, it’s not, and I don’t want to have to explain what I’m doing to you. Leave it alone.

Will you be safe, at least?
Vance told him he was forever safe. But for some reason, Dalton didn’t believe him.

I’ll keep in contact with you should I hear any more about this other man. All right?

Yes. But I wish you’d let me know more.
Vance told him he didn’t want to know.
Perhaps. But at least I’d know if I need to call in the others if I don’t hear from you.

If you don’t hear from me, I’m dead. And there would be nothing that any of you could do but get yourself dead as well. Stay safe.

Dalton felt the loss of connection immediately and profoundly. As he stood in the middle of his crime scene, all Dalton wanted to do was hunt Vance down and hug him. He wasn’t sure how he’d take that, but that was all he wanted to do. When someone said his name, it took him a few seconds to think what he was doing. Dalton took the file that he was handed.