Jorden: The McCade Dragon –Erotic Paranormal Romance (2 page)

Her mind went in a single straight line direction. A group of men. Not a man, but a group. And they didn’t just want her dead for the earrings, but they wanted to control the dragon himself. That meant that the McCades, the very people that she was headed to, were in danger as well. And her son and grannie would be caught up in it because she had blindly sent them there. Christ, she wanted to crawl into a hole and cry. To just bawl her eyes out. But now she had to make her way to Ohio faster, to see to her family. And the only way to do that was go get some money to get herself a car. She told the dragon what she needed and why.

I will help you.
She nodded. He’d suggested that before, him helping her, but she’d told him that she would never cheat, steal, or lie to get what she needed. She’d had that done to her more than enough.
You will see; I’ll keep you as safe as I can.

And my family? How will you protect them?
He told her that until they connected with the McCades he had no way of knowing about her son and grandmother
. And they won’t until I get there. This is really fucked up; you know that, don’t you?

He said nothing, which was good…she wasn’t ready for him to tell her anything but that they were going to make it. How, she hadn’t any idea, but she so wanted to hear him say that to her. And as surely as she was sitting there, she knew that there was a lot more shit to deal with before she got to her son.

~~~

Jorden put the last of his paints in the box and set it on the floor. When he looked up, his entire being froze. The kid, a little boy, was standing there so still that he looked like one of his plaster casts. Jorden started forward to find out what he wanted when the kid lifted a gun and pointed it, steadily no less, right at him. Jorden stopped.

“I’m not going to hurt you.” The kid said nothing. There were lines of exhaustion under his eyes, and his face looked puffy, as if he’d been crying recently. “If you’re here to get some money or drugs, I’m afraid that I’m not going to be able to help you. I have neither here. The doctor isn’t in either.”

“It says there is a doctor here. There’s a name downstairs on the door. It’s the only reason I’m here. To get a doctor to come with me. It says McCade. Where is he?” Jorden tried to think where Kenton was when the little boy spoke again. “It doesn’t smell like a doctor’s office up here either. More like Mrs. Witt’s art class. Is he a physician or some other sort of doctor?”

“No, he’s a physician. A general practitioner, as a matter of fact. And this is where I work, the reason for the smell. I’m an artist. Well, people tell me I am, and that I’m pretty good at it, I guess.” He took a step forward and the kid told him to stop. “Do you need a doctor? I can call him here if you need him. Kenton, he’s the doctor, he’s off today with his wife doing.... Actually, I have no idea where he is. But if he’s not here, then he’s at his home.”

“I don’t know what else to do. I’ve been…I got up and she wouldn’t wake up. So I thought that I could find a doctor. But I know that she’s not going to be all right. My grannie, I believe she’s died.” Jorden nodded and sat down on the floor. He wanted to give the kid the impression that he was relaxed when he was anything but. “I need someone to come and look to make sure that I didn’t do something wrong. We’re on the run, my grannie and I.”

“What might you have done to her?” He just shrugged. Jorden decided to ignore the part where they were on the run for now. “I see. So you think you killed her then?”

“No. I didn’t kill her. She and I have been.... Last night she told me she was tired. She has been a lot lately. Powerfully tired she told me, and wanted to turn in early. So I was really quiet and got my shower and jammies on and played on my reader before I went to bed as well. When she didn’t get up before I did, I checked on her and her face and neck were cold. I think she might have died in her sleep last night or sometime.” The little boy scrubbed at his face and Jorden felt badly for him. “I can’t get in touch with my mom either. I’m all alone, so I thought a doctor could tell me for sure.”

“Where is she…your grannie, I mean?” The kid said nothing but did lower the gun. “I’m going to get my cell phone out and call Kenton. And when he gets here, we’ll go to where she is and we’ll call in the police to—” The gun came up again, this time a little less steady. For some reason that scared Jorden more than the steady handling of the gun had.

“No, you can’t do that. If you call the police, I’m as good as dead as I think she is.” Jorden felt his dragon move along his skin. Fear and sadness made him want to go to the young kid and hold him. “Mom, she sent us ahead of her so that we’d be safe. And we’ve been doing everything we was told. But Grannie was sick before. It was why we went to stay with her.”

Jorden pulled out his phone and pressed the button to call his brother. The kid never moved, just stood there with the 9mm pointed at him like he would most assuredly use it if he fucked up. When Kenton answered his cell laughing, Jorden almost wanted to hang up and call someone that wasn’t having as good a day as Kenton seemed to be having.

“Did you decide that you needed some help moving out anyway? I told you that it was—”

Jorden cut his brother off. “I’ve got a visitor.”

Kenton must have noticed something in his voice and asked him through their link who it was. “I have to speak to you this way. He has a gun pointed at me, and I don’t want to be shot if it’s all the same to you.”

“I’m on my way.” Jorden told him to just come alone. No police. “I’m not going to fucking come into a situation without some sort of back-up. You want me to tell Mom that you got us both hurt? You know how well that might go over.”

“Kenton, you’re going to have to trust me on this and come here alone. I’m talking to him now. I would say that he’s about ten or so years old.” The kid told him how old he was. “He’s ten. Just last week as a matter of fact. He came here looking for a doctor. A doctor named McCade. He said his grandma didn’t wake this morning. And that he has been sent here ahead of his mom so that they’d be safe. He said that he’s all alone in this world.”

Kenton put together a string of curse words that made him smile. “Dragon said to ask him if he is Gavin. If his mom is Jasmine.” Jorden asked and Gavin said that was right. “She’s another part. The wings. Dragon said that she’s fine, but he had no way of keeping in contact with the boy and his mom until one or both of them found us. I’m assuming that’s why he doesn’t want the police or the media involved. His mom is protecting him even now.”

“Christ.” Gavin lifted the gun again after having just put it at his side. Jorden had a feeling that he was making him nervous. “Come here first and bring Mom. I have no idea why, but I think he could use her. I know that I could right now.”

“I’m on my way. I’ve contacted Dalton as well. He’s not in uniform right now, so that might not be so bad. Can you ask Gavin if he is hurt?” Again he asked the boy, who just stared at him. “Jorden, did he tell you where his grandma is? Or where his mom might be?”

“No. He said that his mom sent them ahead and that his grandma didn’t wake up.” Jorden reached out to Kenton on their link.
I think he’s hurting, but not physically. Also, he looks exhausted, and I can hear his belly growling from here. If he’s been on the run since Dragon told you that she was coming, then they’ve been on the run for over a month.

Poor kid. Christ, to try and stay safe like this and to have your grandmother die would be horrific. The kid has guts; I’ll give him that.
Jorden agreed, but told him he still had a gun pointed at him.
It’ll be fine, Jorden. I’m at the door now. Can you warn him that I’m here?

Jorden said that he would and the elevator motor kicked on, telling him that Kenton must have been right in the lift when he told him. Jorden watched as Gavin lifted the gun again and pointed it at him. It wasn’t nearly as steady, and when he lowered it once again, Jorden realized how heavy it must have been for this kid.

“My brother. He’s coming up with my mom.” Gavin said nothing, but swayed just a little. “We won’t hurt you, Gavin. We will protect you.”

“The dragon, he told my mom that she needed to go to the McCade family and give them the earrings. He said that we’d be safe here. I’m not saying you had anything to do with my grannie dying, but I don’t really feel very safe right now.” Jorden nodded and watched his brother and mom come out of the elevator as Gavin continued. “He warned us the night that these men showed up at the hotel we were in. I was going to the bathroom when the door just flew open and there they were. One of them cut me with a knife when Mom said she couldn’t give him whatever jewelry that she’d stolen from them. My mom doesn’t steal. But they weren’t taking no for an answer. So she hit the big one with a bat, then she shot the second guy. We got out of there right away.”

“Good for her. But men like this one, they think that if they want something that it should be theirs. My name is Aisha McCade, by the way. And this is my son, Kenton. You’ve met Jorden.” Gavin said nothing. “If you would put the gun down, I’d feel so much better.”

“I can’t put it down, Mrs. McCade. My mom told me that this thing might be the only thing between her seeing me alive again or in the morgue. I don’t want her to come see me there. I’ve had a really hard time what with missing her, and I’d really hate to disappoint her by getting my butt shot up.”” Mom told Gavin of course he didn’t want to disappoint her. “My grannie, I think she died. If it gets out that she is gone and her name, then they’ll know that I’m here.”

“Do you know who they are? The men that your mom is being chased by? Do you know them? Have you seen them lately?” Jorden wasn’t sure who could be coming now, but they’d been warned that someone would. And if Gavin had any information they could use, it might help them. “Have you seen them since you and your mom separated?”

“No. And I can’t call her either to let her know what’s happened. The dragon, he said that it would be too dangerous. Mom said that determined people could track a fly fart if they thought it would give them what they wanted.” Gavin flushed brightly. “I’m sorry. I’m really tired and hungry. Do you think you can tell me if my grannie is really gone? I need to figure out what I have to do next. Like where to live, and find something to eat.”

“Yes, I can go now. But for as much as I’d like for you to stay here, I think it would be better if you came along with me. Just in case the owner might question why I’m there.” Gavin sat down, his poor little body just giving up. When Kenton went to him to see if he was all right, Jorden noticed that he didn’t bother trying to take his weapon. He wasn’t sure if that was smart or not, but it wasn’t pointed at any of them now, and Jorden thought he could live with that.

The hotel was within walking distance of his building. Kenton went in first with Gavin. Jorden stayed outside, just waiting while his mom went to get Gavin something to eat. He wasn’t sure what to say to the kid, not having a lot of experience with them, but when Kenton came out of the room shaking his head, Gavin simply crumbled. Jorden was glad to have been closest to him to gather him in his arms while he dealt with his grief.

Jorden held him while he sobbed. He kept saying he was all alone now and that he wanted his mom. Jorden didn’t blame him…right now he wanted his own. But when she showed up with a burger, fries, and a cola, Gavin said he wasn’t hungry.

“You have to eat, kid. You want to get sick and end up somewhere you don’t want to be? Someplace that you can’t control? Like a hospital or something?” Gavin just looked at him—glared was more like it—and Jorden was impressed. Then Gavin told him he was already where he didn’t want to be. “Yeah, okay, I’ll give you that one. But eat and we’ll get this figured out. My brother, Dalton, is coming by. He wants to talk to you too.”

“How many brothers do you have?” Jorden told him five. “Sheesh. I bet they’re all as big as you and Dr. McCade too. I guess if the bad guys are coming, it would be best if you weren’t puny little guys like me.”

“Yes, we’re all pretty big men.” Jorden snagged a fry and ate it as he continued. “Dalton is a cop, so don’t freak out on him if he starts asking you cop questions. To be honest, I’m not sure that Dalton knows any other way to ask questions. Anyway, as you know, Kenton is a doctor. Private practice now. I paint. Grady fancies himself some sort of computer wizard, which really he is, but he works for this asshole that sort of takes advantage of him. Lewis, the baby, is a chef…a pretty good one, I guess, since he’s got all these awards for his cooking. He lived with me until a little while ago, so I’m thinking he’ll be finding him a place to put his hat. And Vance is.... Well, Vance is Vance. He has a job that pays well, but I’m not entirely sure what it is he does any more. He was in the service until recently, and has been known to disappear from time to time.”

Jorden told himself he wasn’t babbling but biding his time until Gavin finished his meal. Besides, he was going to be staying with them now, so he needed to have the scoop on all of them.

By the time Kenton had made arrangements to have the body removed, Jorden and Gavin had moved back from the place and into the diner across the street. He hadn’t wanted to leave, but Kenton explained to him that they were going to Jane Doe his grandma so that her name would never come out, and he had to keep a low profile. And if the press showed up, which was highly likely, they didn’t want his picture taken.

In the end, Jorden took him to his house. By the time they were pulling up in front, not only had Gavin fallen asleep, but Jorden had spoken to Kenton and his mom twice about him. Jorden was glad now that he’d hired himself a staff. The house was fucking huge for a single man, but the kid was going to need someone to cook and clean up after him. Jorden hadn’t the slightest idea what to do with a ten-year-old, but he liked him and figured they could work something out.