The Curse of the Dragon God Read Online Free PDF Page A

hurt.”
    “Later,” Eden insisted. “I need to see the Professor first. I think Zhang is in trouble.”
    No sooner had they stepped out of the terminal and into the night air than a sleek black limousine pulled up before them. The driver was a young Chinese man, tall and muscular, wearing gloves and a chauffeur’s cap. Tufts of bleached hair, white as snow, peeped out from under the cap. Eden eyed him suspiciously.
    “One of Zhang’s drivers,” Jake informed him, noticing Eden’s guarded gaze. “The party at the tower’s already started.”
    “But we don’t mind being fashionably late,” said a voice from inside the limo. One of the back doors had already sprung open before the driver could offer assistance, and young Will Hunter, looking dapper in a tuxedo of his own, launched himself from the backseat of the stretch car in a maneuver that was straight off the football field. The 19-year-old college quarterback gave Eden a strong, hard squeeze, and the Brazilian tried not to let his pain show.
    “Easy, kid,” Jake said, stepping in and prying Will away. “Walking wounded, here.”
    “Jake, I’m okay,” Eden insisted.
    “You’ll be fine once we get you to a hospital,” Jake lectured him.
    “After the party,” Eden argued once more.
    At that moment, Shane Houston, the gentlemanly Texas cowboy, stepped out of the back of the limo in his dinner jacket and cowboy hat, and embraced Eden even harder than Will did. “Are you okay?”
    “I was,” wheezed Eden. “Where’s Luca?”
    Indeed, the five of them were only four tonight; Luca was missing. “He’s in Krakow,” Will replied. “Still tryin’ to dig up skeletons.”
    “It scares me to think what he might find,” Eden said gravely. Then as Shane gave him another tight hug, Eden grimaced once more.
    Jake hauled the cowboy off him. “Guys, you’re killin’ him with love. Back up. It’s time the doctor saw a doctor!”
    “What’s all this about doctors and hospitals?” The question belonged to the Professor, who sat in the open doorway of the limousine, a look of concern on his face. “Eden, are you all right?”
    “Professor, I’m fine. Probably just a broken rib or two. When we get back to the house I’ll do a full checkup on myself. In the meantime, all I need is a stiff drink!”
    “The bar is stocked!” Will winked, gesturing to the open back door of the limo.
    “Sounds good to me,” Eden said, smiling.
    “Eden, are you certain you’re all right?” the Professor asked again. “We’re attending this party as a measure of security, not necessity.”
    Eden took a deep breath and said, “I’m not so sure about that, Professor.” He shot another wary glance at the driver. “I’ll tell you more on the way to the tower.”
    The screen between the driver’s compartment and the back seats of the limo was closed. As the stretch car headed for the shimmering skyscrapers of downtown San Francisco, Jake helped Eden strip off his shirt, easing it off his broad brown back with care. The sleeves rolled inside out, freeing Eden’s hands in time for him to receive a tumbler of scotch on ice from Will.
    Eden drained the glass at once, then nodded at the rearview mirror in the driver’s compartment, watching the driver’s face. “Can he hear us?” The young driver didn’t take his eyes off the road for a second.
    Jake shook his head. “Intercom’s off. So what surprises you got for us?”
    Eden answered by unzipping his trousers and digging his hand deep into his underpants. He rummaged around for a moment or two, while Jake watched the sizable package shift from left to right and back again.
    Shane caught the pleased glint in Jake’s eye. “I don’t think it’s that sort of surprise.”
    He was right. Eden pulled his hand free, opened his palm, and everyone sat forward including the Professor, whose unseeing eyes sparkled in the reflection of the small diamond in Eden’s hand.
    “Is that what I think it is?” Will