Drantos didn’t blame him for being leery. It would be unnerving to have a woman attempt to stab him in the heart during sex.
Still, one thing was clear. The ultimate fate of the sisters wasn’t to be decided until he found out what they knew.
He’d hate to have to kill them. But that didn’t mean he wouldn’t if he was left with no other choice.
He peered down at the one he held in his arms. Dusti. She had pretty blue eyes, confusion and fear shining clearly in them. It was easy for him to read her emotions, but he couldn’t make sense of either. Decker had to have warned them that they might be met by the enemy. She could be faking whatever physical flaw she seemed to have just to appear weak. It could be a cunning game they played, hoping to get him and his brother to let down their guards. They wouldn’t escape, if that was their plan.
Dusti had said her mother was the tie to that family, and he tried to remember details about Decker’s daughter, but Antina Filmore had run away from her father shortly after her mother’s death. Nobody had heard from her again. It was assumed by Drantos’s clan that the girl had known or suspected her own father had murdered her mom, and she had also likely known what he had in store for her future. Antina had never resurfaced.
It was possible she hadn’t told Dusti or Bat the truth about their grandfather. Did Antina want to save herself from the fate her father had planned for her badly enough to offer up both of her daughters instead? She could have sent them herself, making some kind of deal with Decker. He wasn’t the type to forgive anyone for what he’d consider a betrayal, but he’d bargain for something if he wanted it bad enough. The bastard was totally ruthless.
Drantos studied the woman staring back at him with fear. She trembled in his arms and a sudden sense of protectiveness hit him.
She was the best actress he’d ever met, if it was indeed an act. Then again, she really might not know what her grandfather had in store for her—but Drantos could guess.
Decker would use his granddaughters to begin the bloodbath he so desperately wanted.
Chapter Two
The large bonfire kept the darkness surrounding them at bay. Dusti inhaled the scent of leather coming from the oversized jacket wrapped around her. She tracked Drantos’s movements when he strode closer to the fire pit he’d dug. He’d made sure she hadn’t had a moment alone with Bat since her sister had given her the iron shot. As a matter of fact, he kept her at least ten feet away from all the other passengers, who huddled around the fire he’d lit before the sun had gone down.
Drantos had carried Dusti off the plane and made a camp while Bat and Kraven had helped the injured off the damaged aircraft. Both pilots had died and there were no survivors in the tail section. Kraven had gone to look while Bat had been ransacking the plane for blankets and supplies. Drantos constantly watched Dusti, and her sister had gone right along with his plan to keep them separated, agreeing that Dusti should lie down to avoid fainting. Bat was worried about her.
“Don’t say a word about what Kraven and I discussed—to your sister or anyone else,” Drantos had warned.
She’d taken the threat to heart. He was a big man, muscled, and probably had some kind of criminal history that would be terrifying if she knew the extent of his rap sheet.
His dark gaze fixed on her from across the small clearing while he crouched by the fire, adding broken branches to the flames. The harsh expression on his face scared her but she remembered that he’d said he didn’t kill women. He’d even removed his jacket to wrap it around her to help keep her warm.
That has to mean something, right? How bad can the guy be if he would worry about me being cold? Then again, don’t forget there are always people on the news being interviewed about how the serial killers they were friends with are such nice guys. But there are witnesses. He can’t kill us all. Well, he could, so maybe he’s just playing nice for right now.
Bat walked out of the woods with Kraven. He carried a bunch of cushions that they’d removed from the plane, while Bat clutched the handles of a few small suitcases. The two had worked together for the past couple hours. It shocked Dusti, frankly. Her sister was abrasive at best around men so she’d expected yelling and a little bloodshed to ensue.
Bat smiled encouragingly at her after she dropped the suitcases and approached. “How are you doing? Your coloring is much better. You hadn’t taken your shot in a while, had you?”
Dusti shook her head, glancing toward Drantos. He was watching her. She was afraid to speak.
“Damn it, hon. You know better. Your body needs the iron it can’t produce or you get all chalky white and go unconscious. You’re supposed to take one every other day at least, even if you’re feeling fine.” Bat reached into her dressy suit jacket to pull out a small black case. “I’ve got good and bad news. The bad news is your purse is toast. It was torn up when it was batted around during the crash. The good news is I found your shots. The case protected them from breaking.” Bat crouched down to hand over the container. “Don’t lose those, Dusti. I mean it. I only have one of your shots left and you have the five I found in your purse. I’m certain we’ll be rescued soon but we both know these need to last us until we return to California.”
Dusti decided this might be the only chance to speak to her sister alone. “Bat, we’re in trouble. I—”
Drantos suddenly appeared next to them, sporting an unhappy expression.
Dusti stopped talking, terrified that he might have overheard her whispered words. His gaze narrowed on her in silent warning. She tried to appear as innocent as possible by holding his stare for a few seconds. He didn’t seem to be buying it when he continued to give her a dirty look, so she swallowed hard, breaking eye contact.
“Don’t worry,” Bat assured her. “We’re going to be rescued. They’ll have a fleet of planes searching for us in the morning. That’s procedure when a plane goes down. I just hope the emergency beacon is working. I believe they’re usually a part of the tail section. That will help them pinpoint our exact location.” Bat peered up at Drantos. “I forgot to ask your brother how bad the tail section was damaged when he went looking for it. Do you know? Is it possible the beacon still works?”
“I don’t know.” The big man shrugged.
“I should ask Kraven.” Bat glanced around, seeming to search for him. She waved her arm to get his attention then focused on Drantos again. “We’re safe from animals with the fire burning, right? It will scare them away? Dusti and I don’t want to end up having to take rabies shots.”
Dusti bit back a groan. Bat had clearly mistaken her few words for worries about them not being found, or being in danger from creatures in the woods. Dusti was more concerned about the two brothers. It wasn’t possible to correct her with Drantos right there, so she just shook her head. “I’m sure that won’t happen, Bat. Thank you for finding my shots. I didn’t like that purse anyway.”
“We found some snacks and water bottles on the plane,” Kraven announced, joining them. “I’ll pass them out to the survivors.”
“They were talking about the emergency beacon from the plane.” Drantos stared at his brother. “How it’ll make it easier for the plane to be found. You tracked the tail section. What do you think?”
Kraven shook his head. “I’m sure it didn’t survive. The tail was completely destroyed.”
“You don’t know that for certain,” Bat argued.
Kraven narrowed his eyes, fixing them on her sister. “It hit a tree and was wrapped around it. Everything in that part of the plane is smashed to hell and back. I checked for anything I could salvage but it was a lost cause.” He turned his attention back to Drantos. “I’m going to go hunting. Everyone could use some fresh meat.”
“Sure you are,” Bat muttered.
Kraven glared at her. “What?”
Bat stood and faced him. “What are you going to use to hunt with? Your bad manners? Maybe you can just talk to the animals and they’ll commit suicide.”
Kraven
inched forward to glare down at her sister with an intimidating-as-hell look. “I told you to shut up. We have an agreement, remember? I don’t whip your ass if you keep your lips sealed together.”
Bat opened her mouth but she held her tongue, to Dusti’s amazement.
Her sister actually backed down. It was something that never happened, ever. But now, Bat just nodded silently and brushed both of her hands down her tailored skirt. She looked everywhere but at Dusti or Kraven.
A smirk twisted Kraven’s lips before he winked at his brother. “I’ll be back soon. I’m going to scout while I’m out there to see just how fucked things are.”
“I’m sure rescue crews will be searching for the plane at first light. They’re going to have to fly out of Anchorage. The smaller airport won’t have helicopters. And with no place to land, the best the planes will be able to do is help with the air-spotting.” Drantos sighed. “The question is, do we leave on our own or wait for help?” He darted a glance around the group by the fire. “They’re helpless if we walk out of here on our own. I’m afraid they won’t be found and will die from exposure. Not one of them has survival skills. I asked.”
“We’ll worry about it later.” Kraven shot a glare at Bat. “I’ll be back.” He turned on his heel to march out into the darkness.
Bat watched him go before turning her attention to Drantos. “Are you sure it’s safe for him to be traipsing around the woods at night? We didn’t find a flashlight or anything to use as a weapon. Aren’t there wild animals around here that we should be worried about? The fire is here, not out there. He won’t be able to see them but I’m sure the same can’t be said for anything that might attack him.”
Any hope Dusti had of warning her sister died when Drantos settled down crossed-legged right next to her. Only inches separated her hip from his knee. It was probably intentional, to remind her of the warning.
He shook his head. “We live in Alaska and were raised not too far from here. We know what we’re doing. It’s not unusual for us to hunt at night and nothing out there can hurt Kraven. Trust me on that one. He’ll be back within the hour and have something for us to eat.”
“I couldn’t even find a real knife, just plastic ones.” Bat carefully sat down on a cushion and tucked her skirt neatly around her legs. “How will he skin it? I guess he could try to tear off part of the plane. Some of it is pretty jagged and sharp.”
Dusti wanted to scream in frustration. They were in danger but her sister seemed fixated on how someone would get them food. Bat didn’t realize missing dinner was the least of their worries. They may have survived a plane crash, only to become victims of two men who had something against their biological grandfather. It just wasn’t fair or right.
Drantos reached inside his boot and pulled out an impressively large folded switchblade. “He’s got one of these.”
“But those are illegal to take on planes,” Bat sputtered. “How did you get that past security to smuggle it onboard?”
He arched a dark eyebrow. “We have our ways, and the smaller airports are more lax about rules up here. It’s common to carry weapons when you’re flying in and out of smaller airports. It’s life in Alaska. Don’t worry about it.” He shoved the knife back inside his boot. “He’ll be fine. He’s going to bring back something tasty to eat and then we’ll all get some shuteye.”
Bat turned her head to peer at Dusti. “Help will find us tomorrow. I bet they’re already putting together a huge search party to look for us as soon as the sun rises. We’ll be rescued in no time and will arrive at our grandfather’s house by tomorrow night.”
Dusti noticed Drantos tense up next to her. Her heart raced but she said nothing, afraid he might hurt Bat if she did. He and his brother looked like real badass thugs with their muscular bodies and dark looks…and they did dress as though they were bikers. They kept switchblades inside their boots, for cripes’ sake. Nice guys didn’t do that.
Then she noticed something else when she studied his handsome features.
“Your cut is gone.” She stared hard at his once-injured cheek.
He frowned. “I washed my face. The blood wasn’t mine. I’m assuming it splattered on me from someone else in the crash.”
Confusion had Dusti shaking her head. “It was cut. I saw it myself.”
“Do you see it now?” He cocked his head toward the firelight to show her that side of his face better. “It was just blood, not even mine. It wiped right off.”
Dusti let it go. She’d been traumatized at the time and must have just assumed he’d been cut when she’d seen the blood. He obviously didn’t have a mar on his skin.
Bat sighed. “I’m really sorry I dragged you along, Dusti. You’d be safe inside your apartment right now, watching one of those lame shows you love so much if it wasn’t for me. I…I manipulated you into taking this trip. I knew you’d insist on coming with me as soon as I told you who I was planning to visit. I didn’t want to go alone, and I thought it would be nice to spend some time together since this is technically my vacation.”
“It’s not your fault. You didn’t know this would happen. No one could have. I did insist on coming, remember? We know each other well. I’ve manipulated you a few times into doing what I wanted. We’ve never kept track before. Stop beating yourself up. Shit happens.”
“You made me go watch a few movies with you.” Bat teared up. “Big difference. I might have been bored but we were always safe.”
“The neighborhoods weren’t the greatest,” Dusti reminded her. “You were always pointing out that we could get mugged, carjacked, or murdered when I took you out. Flying is supposed to be safer than driving.”
Drantos cleared his throat. “You were on your way to visit your grandfather?”
Bat seemed to get her emotions under control. “Thanks, Dusti.” She turned her attention to Drantos. “Our grandfather is terminally ill and he wanted me to come say goodbye to him. He’s a mean old bastard but he’s the only family we have left. He and Dusti never got along, so he didn’t bother to invite her, but I told her I was going to see him. I’d hoped she could make her peace with him before he dies.”
“Why don’t they get along?” Drantos’s tone sounded casual but Dusti knew better.
“Oh, as I said, he’s a tough old bastard. Our mother ran away from home as a teenager and moved to California, where she met our father a few years later, and they had the two of us. When we were young…” Bat hesitated, thinking. “I must have been seven and Dusti about five when our grandfather showed up at our front door. He’d somehow found out where we lived. We moved after that, but we still saw him again when we were about ten and twelve. He invited me to visit him for the summer but he didn’t want my sister to go. I guess he just didn’t like the way Dusti refused to speak to him, or maybe he thought she’d be a pain in the ass.”
Bat chuckled, winking at Dusti. “You always were a brat. She pitched a fit to stop me from going with him, so I stayed home. I didn’t want to go by myself anyway. I didn’t know him that well.”
“He was cold and he never talked to me,” Dusti informed Drantos quietly. She focused on her sister. “He gave me the creeps. It wasn’t that I didn’t want you to go spend the summer in Alaska. It was that I didn’t want you to go with him. I still think something is wrong with that guy, like maybe he’s a pervert or something. Mom always refused to talk about why she ran away from home except to say he planned a life for her that she wanted nothing to do with. If you’ll remember, it was Mom who refused to let you go anywhere with her father. That should have spoken volumes that something is really off with him. She flat-out told us to have nothing to do with him and we moved both times after he showed up. It was obvious she hated him. Maybe he tried to molest her. He was too nice to you.”
“She would have just told us if that were true.”
“She always tried to protect us, Bat. I’m the quiet one, remember? I tend to watch people,” Dusti reminded her sister. “And Mom seemed almos
t afraid when he showed up. She wouldn’t even talk about the birds and the bees until we were teens and already knew everything. Do you really think she was going to explain perverted sickos to us when we were that young?”
Bat fingered her jacket hem. “It doesn’t matter anymore. He’s rich and dying. We’re his only family that I know of. I think it’s a good idea if we spend a little time with him.”
“What she means is,” Dusti looked back at Drantos, “she hopes he’ll leave us something in his will. I don’t want his money. I hope when he dies, they stuff it all up his ass and he takes every dime with him.”
“Damn it, Dusti.” Bat shot her a glare. “You live in a crappy-ass apartment, barely scraping by. I tried to talk you into going to college after I graduated but you wouldn’t go.” She switched her attention to Drantos. “She’s seriously pissed at our grandfather. Our parents died the year I turned eighteen and I tracked him down via phone. He refused to send us any money. We had to sell the house to survive. I had just started college full-time, with a heavy study load, and we had to use the money from the house to support us until Dusti graduated high school. We couldn’t afford college for both of us at the same time, so when I graduated, it was supposed to be Dusti’s turn. She worked to help me finish law school and I wanted to do the same for her, but she refused to go.”
Dusti turned her head to stare directly into Drantos’s dark gaze. “We haven’t seen that asshole since we were kids. We’re not close to him and he didn’t send us one cent in all those years we were struggling. He doesn’t care about either of us. I don’t think he would have even called Bat if it weren’t for the fact he’s dying and probably trying to be nice for once, thinking he’ll earn some brownie points to get him into heaven.” She shot a dirty look at her sister. “Not that it will work. That bastard is going straight to hell.”
“You’re right. He is an asshole but I’m still hoping he leaves us something in his will. Why should it go to total strangers?” Bat huffed. “You say I’m the negative, jaded one. You have more compassion for strangers than you do for your own family. He was our mother’s father.”