The Price of Discovery by Leslie Dicken Read Free Book Online Page B

She’d bettered Erin in everything.
    Drakor was Erin’s story, damn it. He would lead her to solve the mystery of John Doe. Hell, he might have a mystery of his own to share.
    The tapping of heels clicked behind her.
    â€œDon’t think you’ve won the war,” Rita sneered, coming around to block Erin’s progress. “There are many battles left to fight.”
    Drakor was nowhere around and Erin didn’t know what she was talking about.
    â€œThere’s only room for one of us at that paper. It’s going to take someone with ambition and guts. Do you have what it takes? Oh look, here comes your boy now. He’s far beyond you, my dear. Don’t think his intentions are sincere. He’s using you for one thing or another.”
    Drakor’s easy, powerful stride brought him beside her. Rita waved good-bye. “Ta ta, you two. And, Erin, I saw your brother inside with some sleaze-bag. I’ve got my trained eye on him and it doesn’t look good.”
    Erin’s jaw dropped. Why did Rita care about Greg and why didn’t Drakor defend his sister? He said nothing…only watched Rita walk away.
    â€œWhy didn’t you say something to her? She just insulted Ankra.”
    â€œI believe that female is not your friend.”
    â€œNo, she isn’t.”
    He shrugged. “Then her opinion does not matter.”
    Hell, he had a point there. “Let’s go.” Erin climbed in the driver’s seat.
    They said nothing to each other on the way home. He pressed himself against the car door, his face shining and his cheeks flushed. Dare she ask him if it was lust that caused him to behave this way? She wasn’t quite that bold.
    When they pulled up to the house, Erin saw someone move away from an upper window.
    â€œWho was that?”
    He sighed. “My younger brother.”
    â€œYou have a brother, as well? Who else lives here?”
    Drakor got out of the car. She watched his long, lean body take two of the porch steps at a time. He hung his head then leaned against the mauve-colored post. He stared out into the trees, where courting fireflies lit up the shadows.
    â€œMy entire family lives here,” he said at last. “My parents, Ankra, younger brother and sister.”
    â€œOh!” Certainly not what she expected. Some reporter she was. She had come to this house to investigate her John Doe and somehow the sight of Drakor made her forget everything she’d learned in Journalism 101. “How old are your younger siblings?”
    â€œBrundor is…” he hesitated and then said, “seventeen sun-cycles. Sitora is five.”
    â€œSun-cycles?” He really was strange sometimes.
    His dark eyes settled on her face. “Earth years.”
    Erin snorted. “Oh, sure, that makes more sense.”
    The way he talked, it seemed like he was from another planet. Crazy, of course.
    And now her instincts told her nothing felt normal at this antique house in the middle of the woods. This man, with his gripping gaze and secretive nature, and his sister, with her voluptuous figure and naiveté, had to be something more than foreigners. She had to find out what. Could she use her feminine charms to get him to divulge his secrets?
    Someone with ambition and guts, Rita had said. Erin once had them both in spades, but she didn’t trust herself anymore. Ambition and guts had nearly ruined her, how could she know what was right anymore? Especially when thoughts of kissing this man kept her awake at night.
    She noticed Drakor staring up at the half moon. “Kind of cool, huh?”
    He turned those intense eyes on her. A tingle raced down her spine.
    Erin cleared her throat, then started babbling. Anything to keep her focus. “I especially love it when it’s full and hangs really low and huge. It’s like you can reach right out and touch it. The craters are so clear I think it’s just beyond the trees. If only I