Dragon's Lair Read Free Page A

just a small office in the basement.
    â€œNo problem, babe.” He laughed. “You think a little thing like a lock will slow me down?”
    She wasn’t going with him. Alexia dug in her heels and fought frantically to get him to release her arm. It was like trying to shake off a mountain lion.
    He stopped and faced her. “You’re wasting my time.” To add emphasis to his words, he tightened his grip until tears formed in her eyes. “I’m not letting you go.”
    Alexia gritted her teeth to keep from flinching. She was not going into the museum with him, and she had to act before he met up with his accomplices. She’d rather die.
    In the end, she might die, but not without a fight. She stiffened her spine. “And I’m not going with you.”
    Before he could finish another laugh, she kicked him. The hard heel of her boot caught him in the kneecap. She wished it could have been higher, but she’d take what she could get.
    He gasped. His eyes widened and she planted the end of the three-inch heel into his kneecap again. And that was all she needed, because he released her arm.
    Before he could grab her, she whirled away, pulled the Beretta from her pocket, slid the safety off with her thumb before pointing it at his chest. Her lack of experience would require both hands for a good aim, but she wasn’t letting go of the package in her other arm. No matter what her instructor insisted, one-handed would have to do. He was close enough that she only had to calm herself and hold the gun steady.
    He shook his head. “That’s a joke, right?”
    Alexia shrugged. “It’s a real gun with real bullets, if that’s what you’re asking.”
    The man took a step closer. “You aren’t going to shoot me—I can see it in your eyes.”
    In all honesty she’d never shot anything except a target at the local gun club’s shooting range. And she’d only done that out of pure necessity. Alexia suggested, “Perhaps you need to look again.”
    He started to reach inside his jacket.
    She took a deep breath before pulling back on the trigger. The reverberation shivered through her, but she held her stance, and then heard a satisfying whoosh as the bullet tore through his leather jacket.
    â€œYou bitch!”
    She spun and raced for her car, not caring how badlyshe’d injured him. From the curses he spouted, she assumed he’d live.
    His angry shouts brought his buddies to his side just as she reached the car. Before they could catch up with her, she wrenched the door open, tossed in the padded envelope and her gun, threw herself into the driver’s seat, started the car and took off, tugging at her seat belt as she drove.
    A quick glance in the rearview mirror revealed that while she may have shot the man, it hadn’t stopped him. He held his arm and screamed at the other two as all three of them raced for their light-gray four-door.
    Alexia drove with no destination in mind. There was little doubt that they’d soon be on her tail, but where could she go? Not to her sister’s—she wouldn’t put Maureen or the kids in jeopardy.
    To the police? No. What would she tell them? That she was in possession of an ancient Druid text containing secrets to powers unimaginable? They would either ask if Halloween had arrived two weeks early or think she was a kook.
    Alexia checked the rearview mirror again. No headlights shimmered off the mirror. So, now what? Her relief faded. Where could she go?
    Outside of two twenties in the pocket of her jeans, she had no other cash on her and her cards were in her desk drawer—at home. Alexia swore. Of all times to start leaving home without plastic, why on earth had she picked this month?
    She rolled her eyes. Simple. She hadn’t wanted the temptation of a credit card when she was saving every dime for her upcoming trip to England.
    She had to go home. Alexia frowned. What if