Prodigal Son Read online

  “An estate, huh?”

  “Yeah.”

  “It must be really slick.”

  “It’s gorgeous. You should see the pool.”

  He went silent for a moment, then said, “So they wouldn’t press charges? And I’d get the reward?”

  “Yes.” She gripped the phone hard, willing him to agree.

  “You know I skipped bail, Cara.”

  “I know.”

  “I guess I’d have to go back to Vegas and take care of that, huh?”

  “Yes. But with all that money, you’d be able to hire a really good defense lawyer.”

  “Yeah, and maybe Montana would be so grateful to me that he’d help me out with that, right?”

  “I don’t know if he’d pay for a lawyer for you, Danny—”

  “No, no. I could handle that part if I have this reward money. But maybe he could give me the name of a good one, you know?”

  Her heart nearly leaped from her chest at his reasonable tone, his responsible thinking. “I think he would be happy to recommend someone, Danny.”

  “And he’s a good guy?”

  “Yes, John Montana is a really good guy.”

  “And what about his son? What’s up with you two?”

  “I’ll tell you about it when I see you.”

  “Yeah, I want the story on that. I don’t want to see you screwed over again like that jerk Warren did to you.”

  She laughed, part relief and part pain. “We’ll talk.”

  “Yeah, okay. So you won’t believe this, Sis, but I’m in Sedona, too.”

  “No way!”

  “Way. But I know how smart you are, and I bet you knew that already.”

  “Okay, you got me. I knew you were close. But Danny, those bad guys really are after you, and they will kill to get the stone. I don’t want that to happen. I can’t lose you, Boo.” Her voice trembled on his childhood nickname.

  “Yeah, I’m not crazy about getting dead, either. The reward deal sounds a lot easier than trying to sell this rock.”

  “Tell me where you are,” she said, “and I’ll send someone to get you.”

  He rattled off the details, then said, “I can’t wait to see you, Sis. I missed you.”

  “Missed you, too. See you soon.” She ended the call, then swiped away the tears streaming down her cheeks before heading back into the house.

  Danny was finally coming home.

  * * *

  Danny ended the call and stared at his phone for a minute. Was he a sucker for giving up the big dream for a sure thing? Once upon a time he would have thought exactly that, but now it seemed smarter to turn over the ruby, take the reward money from John Montana, and go back to Vegas to face the music. He was getting too old to keep chasing a dream that seemed impossible to grasp. He needed to make a change, and this seemed like the perfect time.

  His phone dinged and he looked at the text message Cara had sent him. Black SUV license plate MNTNS-5. Guy’s name is Murray.

  Okay, that was his ride. He got off the outside bench where he’d called Cara and turned to go back into the tour center to cancel his Grand Canyon reservation.

  “Danny Cangialosi?” Two guys in suits blocked his path. He looked from one to the other. They were both dark-haired, dark-eyed, and built like tanker trucks.

  “Sorry, no.” He tried to step around them.

  One grabbed his arm and snatched the cell phone out of his hand.

  “Hey!” Danny jumped for the phone, but the second guy yanked him back.

  First Guy brought up the text message. “They’re coming for him. Black SUV.”

  “Where are they meeting you?” Second Guy shook him. “Talk.”

  “Get the hell off me.” Danny struggled, but the guy had a grip like a vise.

  “Hold him.” First Guy shoved Danny’s phone in his pocket as Second Guy jerked his arms behind his back. First Guy did a quick pat-down, then gave a satisfied grunt as he discovered the stone in Danny’s sweatshirt pocket. “Got it.”

  “Hey, that’s mine!” Danny fought harder to get free.

  “Is it, Mr. Cangialosi?” A third man stepped into view, blond with a thousand-dollar suit and a politician’s smile. “Is it truly?”

  “Who the hell are you?” Danny demanded, fear curling in his gut at the look in the newcomer’s crazy green eyes.

  “My name is Jain Criten.” First Guy handed the ruby to Criten, who smiled as he studied it in his gloved hand. Who the hell wore gloves in the desert at this time of year? “Normally we would kill you where you stand, Mr. Cangialosi, but luckily for you, we need you breathing for a while yet.” He glanced at First Guy. “Do it.” He turned away and headed toward a sleek town car parked nearby.

  First Guy locked eyes with Danny. “You will take us to Cara McGaffigan.”

  Danny blinked and shook his head. Dizzy. Must be stress. Or the heat.

  “Where are you taking us, Danny?” a voice asked.

  He glanced up at the big man in front of him. “To see Cara. Isn’t that what you wanted?”

  The guy smiled and nodded. “Exactly so.”

  CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

  As soon as Mendez radioed them that Danny was coming in, Darius pulled into a shopping center parking lot to make a U-turn. Rafe had expected to drive, but his brother had made the argument that he’d be of more use driving in the search than riding shotgun. And given Dar’s specially outfitted van with its hand controls on the steering wheel, Rafe couldn’t argue. Rafe could run if needed, and Dar could drive. Worked out for all of them, provided his moody brother didn’t decide to leave Rafe stranded somewhere just for kicks.

  Rafe’s cell phone rang just as they were pulling out into traffic. “Hello?”

  “Rafe, it’s me.” Just the sound of Cara’s voice made his pulse skip a beat. “Danny just called me.”

  He ignored the pang in his chest and focused on business. “Yeah, Mendez just radioed us. Said Murray went to pick him up and bring him back to the house.”

  “That’s right.”

  “Good work, Cara. How’d you get him to come in?”

  She cleared her throat. “Um … I told him there was a reward for the stone and that no one would press charges.” Her voice roughened. “I hated lying to him, but I was worried he would run again.”

  He wished he were there to hold her. “How much of a reward?”

  “A quarter of a million.”

  “Wow. No wonder he’s coming in.”

  “I know, I know. But I didn’t know what else to do.” What to do about us, either. He picked up the thought in her mind, though he doubted she was aware of it.

  This is for the best, he reminded himself. “Sounds like you did just fine.”

  “I just hate lying. I hate manipulating him. It’s not my style.”

  “I know.” His voice softened despite his determination to push her away. “This was one time where Danny really did need you to save him, Cara, and you did it.”

  She let out a long, soft sigh. “Thanks. It helps that you said that.”

  “Listen, all the search teams are heading back. We’ll get this all squared away, and then we can all get back to our normal lives.”

  “Yeah.” The word caught, and she cleared her throat. “That will be good. See you later.”

  “See you.” But the call ended before the words left his lips. He looked at the phone, watching as the call info disappeared and went back to the date and time display.

  “You’re breaking her heart, you know,” Darius said.

  “I know.”

  “She’s the best thing that ever happened to you.”

  “I know. But she’s better off without me.”

  “Maybe.” Darius shrugged, his gaze on the road. “But if you’re stupid enough to let her go, I guess we’ll never know.”

  “Guess I’m not as smart as I should be.”

  “I usually love it when I’m right.” Darius turned the van toward home. “But not this time.”

/>   * * *

  “They’re here.” Weatherly looked away from the video monitors and smiled at Cara. “Let’s go meet them at the door.”

  As soon as the words were out of his mouth, Cara turned and raced for the front door. Everything with Rafe had fallen apart, but if she could help Danny out of this jam, then everything else would work out okay. She had to hang on to that.

  It was all she had left.

  She flung open the front door as the SUV stopped in front of the house. Men got out of the car—more than there should be. Murray, Danny, two men in dark suits and a third man, blond and smiling with black gloves on a warm day.

  “Ms. McGaffigan,” the blond man called out. “At last we meet. I’m Jain Criten.” He signaled to one of the dark-suited men, who took her brother’s arm and led him toward the door. The other turned to Murray, pointed a gun, and shot the security man point-blank in the head.

  A scream rose up in her throat as Murray crumpled. She clamped both hands over her mouth, folding into herself as bile leaped into her throat. He’d killed him. Sweet, geeky Murray. Just killed him. Just like that. As if Murray were nothing.

  Weatherly came up behind her. “What—”

  She shoved him away before he could be seen. “Run! They killed Murray. Call for help. Go!”

  Weatherly pulled his gun. “I’m not leaving you.”

  “Go. Please!”

  “Now, now, Ms. McGaffigan.” Criten signaled to the guard behind him. The man charged into the house, shoving Cara aside and disarming Weatherly before she could blink.

  “Please don’t kill him.” She turned pleading eyes to Criten as he reached the doorway. “Please.”

  “How sweet.” Criten tilted his head. “Gadi, let him live for now. He might be of use.”

  Gadi nodded and stared into Weatherly’s eyes. “You work for President Criten now. You will obey his orders without question.”

  “I work for President Criten now,” Weatherly repeated. He nodded at Criten. “Sir, how may I be of assistance?”

  “Stand guard here at the door. If anyone tries to come in, kill them.”

  “Yes, sir.” Gadi handed back Weatherly’s weapon, and he immediately took a position at the door.

  “And you, Ms. McGaffigan.” Criten turned his eerie green eyes on her. “You will take me to the family tenplu. To the vault that holds the treasures of Atlantis.”

  She opted for ignorance. “I’m not sure what you’re talking about.”

  “Stop with the games. Or Danny here will die.”

  Cara glanced at her stepbrother. He just smiled at her, a goofy grin she knew so well, clearly under the same kind of mind control she’d experienced herself. “Hey, Sis,” he said.

  He sounded so normal, except for the dazed look on his face. She swallowed past the bitterness in her throat. “Hey, Danny,” she managed, then looked at Criten. “I think what you want is upstairs.”

  Criten swept a gloved hand toward the stairs. “Lead the way.”

  She turned toward the staircase and started upward, sending one, desperate heartfelt thought out into the universe. Rafe, it’s a trap. Stay away.

  * * *

  Rafe, it’s a trap. Stay away.

  Cara’s voice echoed loud and panicked in Rafe’s mind. He frowned. Where is Cara?

  He could see her at home, going up the stairs. Danny was there. And other people, but he couldn’t get a fix on them. And she was terrified.

  “Something’s wrong,” Darius said.

  “There are people at the house. I can’t see them.”

  “Criten?”

  “I don’t know, but Danny’s there, too.”

  Tessa’s voice sounded in his mind. Rafe, something’s wrong. Cara’s in danger.

  I know. She reached me.

  Has to be Criten. Adrian’s mind voice sounded strong and in control. What’s the plan?

  Rafael. His mother slipped into his thoughts. Your father says for all of us to meet at the old mine. He’ll explain when we get there.

  “Dad wants us to meet at the old mine,” Rafe told Darius.

  “I heard. Listen, these men that are with Cara … one of them is borderline crazy. Obsessed or something. I felt it even this far away, and then it just cut off, like a switch.”

  “Thanks, Dar. Just what I needed to hear.” Rafe reached for the Hunter. His crystal responded as quickly as before, fully charged with a bright, vibrant energy that made the hair on his arms stand up.

  “Don’t amp up too fast,” Darius said. “You’re a little too close for comfort.”

  “It’s okay, Dar.” Rafe thought of Cara, reached for her. Stopped.

  “Not to harp on ancient history,” Darius said, “but the last time you powered up around me, it put me in the hospital.”

  The words sliced like a dagger through an old wound. “What choice do I have?” Rafe demanded. “I get that you still don’t trust me. Sorry. But someone has Cara. Do you expect me to sit this one out?”

  “No.”

  “Good. Because you would be disappointed.”

  “I figured.”

  They didn’t say anything else until they arrived at the old mine. Everyone else was there already except Tessa and Gray, who showed up as Darius and Rafe were climbing out of Dar’s van.

  “It has to be Criten,” Rafe said as everyone gathered outside the blocked entrance to the old mine. “Dar could feel him.”

  “Just for a second,” Darius said. “The guy’s nuts.”

  “Obsessed,” Gray corrected. “He lives and breathes Mendeku.”

  “What the hell does that mean?” Mendez demanded. “My men are in there, too.”

  “Blood vengeance,” Maria said. “He hates our family.”

  “So this is definitely the guy who hired the shooter?”

  “Most probably,” John said. “Rigo, I trust you and Lee here to keep what you’re about to see to yourselves.” Both men nodded, faces grim.

  “Why are we here?” Rafe asked. “Cara’s in the house with this maniac, and I’ve got to get there.”

  “He’ll be expecting us to come in the front door,” his father said.

  “Well, yeah,” Darius said. “How else do we get in the house?”

  Their father indicated the entrance to the mine. “Right here. With your mother so worried about the people hunting her family, you don’t think I would build a house without an escape route, do you?”

  Mendez slowly smiled. “You built a secret tunnel?”

  “You bet I did. And this is how we’re going to get into the house and take these guys by surprise.”

  Rafe grinned. “Dad, you’re brilliant.”

  “Why, thank you.” John smiled and swept a hand toward the mine entrance. “Let’s go. The secure door is just a short way down the passage. It’s all been reinforced, so don’t worry about cave-ins.”

  As Mendez and Harmon led the way into the mine, Rafe’s mother came up to his dad and gave him a big kiss. “I’d forgotten about this. Thank you, darling.”

  “Anything for you, my love.”

  The tenplu was on the third floor. Cara stepped inside, scanning the room. It had to be the oddest place she had ever seen. To the left was a door to what looked like a rooftop garden. For an instant she considered running for it, but even if she could somehow get through it, where would she go? The roof was a dead end.

  The rest of the room had a massive pit of sand stretched along the length of it, like a piece of the desert indoors. Short stone pillars stood in a semicircle, different-colored gems gleaming from each of them in the sunlight that streamed in through the glass roof. Plants thrived all around the room. On the other side, a heavy vault was built into the wall.

  “How quaint.” Criten looked around with a smirk. “A monument to our lost culture. And there lies the vault that holds the lost treasures of Atlantis. I find it hard to believe the Seers were so foolish as to leave it unguarded.”

  “Allow me, Your Excellency,” said the man who
’d killed Murray. At Criten’s nod, he stepped into the sandpit. He’d gone two steps before a loud hum rose from the pillars. The stones glowed in a rainbow of hues. Power surged from one to another in a visible arc, met at the center, and blasted as a single stream into the bodyguard. He went flying from the pit and lay crumpled on the ground, motionless.

  “What?” Criten surged forward but stopped short of stepping in the sand. “An Agrippa Boundary? No one has seen one of those for centuries.”

  Criten reached into his pants pocket and pulled out a pyramid-shaped gem. It glowed blood red in the sunlight against his black glove, and Cara swore she could see patterns swirling in it like fluorescent dandelion seeds. It seemed to vibrate.

  “I underestimated these Seers,” Criten murmured. “They have technology long forgotten by my people. The stone senses it. But no matter. The key to an Agrippa Boundary is the right energy.” He turned his cold green stare on Cara. “You will attempt the crossing.”

  “I can’t do that!” Her mouth went dry, and she held up her hands in protest. “I’m not like you guys. I’m just a normal person.”

  “You will try, or Danny dies.”

  “Okay, okay, hold it.” She lowered her hands and considered the sand, her mind racing. “Let’s say I make it to the other side. What then? I can’t open the vault.”

  “I think you can.” He gave her a slow, terrible smile that made her stomach sink. “Go.”

  “But—”

  Criten nodded at Danny in the grip of the remaining bodyguard. “Gadi, kill him if she fails.”

  Gadi caught Danny with an arm around his throat. He whipped out a handgun and held it to Danny’s temple.

  Cara sucked in a breath, her knees going wobbly as she fixed her gaze on the weapon. One wrong move, one wrong breath, and they would snuff out Danny’s life in a single shot. Just like Murray.

  Her heart pounded so hard she could barely breathe. She turned her gaze to Criten, struggling to keep her expression calm. “Wouldn’t it be easier to just hold us hostage in exchange for whatever it is that you want?”

  “What I want? I already have the prize.” Criten held up the stone. “Thousands of years we have been searching for this. And now it is mine.”