Mystic Danger 2: From the Ashes Read Free Page B

the journey.
    “I’d like to talk to your son alone, if that’s okay, Mrs. O’Reilly. But, yes, I’d be happy to stay. Thanks.” Rance took a deep, shuddering breath, bracing for Jake’s rebuttal.
    He seemed to be mulling things over. If he objected to Rance accepting his mother’s invitation, it’d be rude, and his mother obviously didn’t tolerate disrespect.
    Haley nodded, but her dark eyes looked troubled. “Jake, maybe our visitor would like to see a bit of the lake while you talk.” Then, in what seemed like an afterthought, she muttered softly, “It’ll give you something to do besides glare at him.”
    Rance waited until the other woman had left before squaring off with Sarah’s brother. “Do you have some place where we could speak in private? Because you really don’t want anyone else listening in on this conversation.”
    Jake seemed to study him, and the look in his eyes made Rance nervous. Jake was no fool, so it was best to level with him. What he didn’t know, however, was that Rance needed his input as badly as Jake needed the truth.
    Jake waved a hand towards the door. “We can talk on the boat. It’s tied up outside, to the right of the gas pumps.” He reached to grab Rance’s knapsack. Rance could tell he wasn’t snooping—he was simply being gallant.
    Rance held back. “You lead—I’ll follow.”
    A powerful sexual urge, more primitive than anything he’d felt in his life hit Rance’s solar plexus as he let Jake take the bag. Not an interest, not even a mere attraction, but a carnal urge to mate with him again. Jake’s male scent infiltrated his brain, and for the first time in his life, Rance was terrified of his own longings.
    He’d been repressed. He’d been reluctant to jump into life’s stream when he’d lost his sight, but now he thirsted for completion, and Jake O’Reilly seemed to hold the key to his fulfillment.
    He shook his head as he boarded the boat, quaking at the overpowering emotions assaulting him. Alone on his boat. Probably with me turning into a crazed nymphomaniac again. Great. Just great.
     

 
     
     
     
    Chapter Two
     
     
    Foreboding coiled in Jake’s stomach like a snake waiting to strike. He cursed himself for not recognizing Rance. How could he forget those eyes his sister had drawn so many years ago? She’d said the portrait was of her missing sibling, but Jake had felt anything but brotherly when admiring his sister’s handiwork. Even as a teenage boy, he’d been drawn to the blond in Sarah’s drawing, knowing they weren’t brothers, imagining what it would be like to kiss him, wanting to touch those sculpted cheeks.
    Now, the man was there. Why? And was he bluffing? He had to be. There was no way Rance could know about his last conversation with Sarah. The subject was one he’d never discussed with another soul, and he was certain Sarah would never have betrayed him.
    He helped Rance onto the twin engine Sea Ray he’d dubbed Tsu-Le .
    His guest noticed the boat’s name printed in his native language on the bow, just beneath the drawing of the thunderbird. “Why did you only print part of the word?”
    “Ran out of paint.” It was a quick, lame excuse, but he figured it’d shut up Rance. Besides, how the hell did Rance know he’d abbreviated the Cherokee word for phoenix? Jake looked at him skeptically.
    Rance seemed to be baiting him. “ Tsu-le-hi-sa-nv-hi . Phonetically, you’d say chew lay he saw nuh he . Right?”
    Jake nodded. Okay, so the white boy knew a few words in Cherokee. Big deal. Didn’t mean shit. It was just unnerving that he knew that particular one. “My sister and I used to sail a lot as kids. I got sentimental and named the boat for her and her passion for the phoenix.”
    “But this isn’t a sailboat.” Rance indicated the small yacht. “And it’s not named for her.”
    “No, it’s not.” Jake evaded elaborating and went through the motions of steering as he’d done thousands of times