Page 80 of To Match A Dragon's Fire

Eyes wide, I took a step back, letting go of Kieran’s hand. Chains held Tony against the wall. He struggled against them weakly.

And the smell.

I was going to be sick.

I took another step back, turning to Kieran. “What did you do?”

Kieran seemed a little confused at my response to seeing my ex-husband tied up in a cave. “He deserved to suffer for hurting you.”

Oh fuck.

Hillary and half the town showed up last night. They were right to be worried. Kieran had taken Tony. He’d brought him here, and from the looks of things, he’d been here for a while.

“You aren’t happy.” Kieran frowned.

I swallowed hard, forcing a smile. “While I appreciate the gesture, we don’t normally go around kidnapping and torturing people in caves.”

Did I ever think I’d speak that sentence in my life? No. But here we were.

“He deserves worse,” Kieran growled as he headed to the back corner, leaving the lantern behind.

“Listen to me, Emmie.” Tony rattled the chains as he tugged on them. “You need to find the keys and get me out of here. That freak will kill us both. You don’t know how sick he is or what he’s capable of.”

Ugh. Ihatedthat nickname.

I crossed my arms over my chest. “Seems to me like you’re the only one who needs to be worried. Kieran and I get along.”

“Are you fucking kidding me?” Tony cried out. “Emmie, he’s dangerous. He turns into a mutant beast thing. Let me go. I’ll get us help. We can move him off your ranch.”

“Now you want to help?” I rolled my eyes, pissed off that I was even having this conversation.

Kieran came back with a ledger book and handed it to me. “I wanted to be sure I knew what was happening before I brought you here. It seems he had his wife, a Mrs. Hillary Roberts, deposit the yearly tax checks you sent into the county, but they were transferred to his own personal bank account.”

“Emmie, please! Don’t believe him. He’s not even human,” Tony shouted as he struggled against the binds. “I don’t have your money.”

“Will you shut up for once in your life?” I said, moving to the lantern light to see the evidence for myself.

I figured as much after last night, but it still hurt to know he was capable of this. Knowing how easily he got us in debt, I doubted he had any of my money left.

It really sucked having to continue to pay for past mistakes.

“Did you spend it all?” I had to ask.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he lied. “I’ve never taken a dime of your money. Even when we got divorced.”

I hated how he twisted the truth. “That’s because I didn’t have a dime for you to take. I blew through everything I earned to pay for you to sit on your ass and play videogames for a year.”

“My knee was healing!” He jerked on his restraints, gritting his teeth. I could see it in his eyes. The words he really wanted to call me.

Cold-hearted bitchwent right up there with the nicknameEmmiethat he knew I despised.

But I didn’t have the energy to continue to fight.

“It was all Hillary,” Tony said. “Help me out and we’ll ask her together. I’ll figure out why she’d do that to you. I’ll find a way to pay you back.”

“You’re such a liar.” I closed the book.

“Emmie, I—”

---