Coyote Gorgeous (10 page)

"
Then
what?
"
Madison enjoyed the
music of his voice.

Kal crushed the plant
between his palms.
"
They will
be smothered in maize. A necessary sacrifice. They won’t suffer at
all.
"

"
But why? It
seems so cruel.
"

He blew the wilted plant
off the canyon’s edge. A rising current picked it up and the grass
rose on the breeze.
"
So, the
innocent eaglets can join the Great Spirit as messengers of the
tribe, and testify that the Hopi live in harmony with nature, and
still follow the ancient laws they received from the
gods.
"

"
I don’t call
that harmony if you have to kill. And I’m sure the eaglets, given a
choice, wouldn’t agree either.
"
She couldn’t help the disapproval in her tone.

"
Maybe
not.
"
Kal straightened a
black-leather-clad leg.
"
But
now more than ever it’s important to respect the
traditions.
"

"
Why?
"
Madison found it
rather strange that a peaceful people perpetrated such cruel
traditions.

Kal glanced up at her and
hesitated.
"
There is evil
among us. The world is off balance.
"

Madison chuckled.
"
Tell me something I don’t
know.
"

"
Can you feel
it?
"
He looked so
serious.

"
I watch the
news. Greedy CEOs, corrupt politicians, serial killers, terrorists,
religious fanatics, take your pick.
"

Kal shook his head.
"
I’m talking about right here, right
now.
"

Madison remembered the
monster she’d shot only two nights ago.
"
Strange things are happening, for
sure. But everyone has a different definition of
evil.
"

"
Sure.
"
He gazed into
her eyes, so close she wanted to touch him but didn’t
dare.

To resist the temptation, she looked
down to the canyon floor. The eaglets in their slow descent now
reached the bottom of the mesa. The tribe danced in a circle around
the birds while a few tribesmen collected them with great
respect.

Madison glanced back at
Kal.
"
The white man, as you
say, considers some of your practices distasteful. Some would even
say evil.
"

"
But what
about this white woman? What does she think?
"
He picked a new stem of sweet grass and chewed on
it. His penetrating gaze never left her face.

Resisting the urge to stare him down,
Madison looked away, across Dry Creek canyon. The young braves now
hurried on an easier trail snaking down the mesa. The ceremony
would soon be over.

Did Kal really care about
her opinion? She glanced at him sideways.
"
I have no right to judge another
culture.
"

"
You have
every right. It’s your world, too.
"
Kal lay down, nonchalantly tucking his hands
under his head, offering the full length of his body to her
perusal.

She couldn’t help but
stare. She found him intoxicating. This man looked as if he could
keep the darkest secrets under a mask of charm and serenity.
"
How can you speak of evil with such
calm?
"

"
Good, evil,
it’s all part of life.
"
Something in his green gaze made her want to cling to him
like to a safety line. But he was totally wrong for her, from an
incompatible background, and she was on duty.

She couldn’t believe she had messed up
this assignment and been caught watching. The drums stopped beating
and the melodious flute ceased.

"
The ceremony
is over.
"
He smiled
invitingly, patting the ground beside him.

Madison could afford to
relax while waiting for her ride. A truck stationed on the rim
would have been too conspicuous. She lay down beside Kaletaka and
closed her eyes to the sun glaring directly overhead. The
temperature had risen despite the altitude. She welcomed the first
heat of the season.
"
It’s so
peaceful up here, don’t you think?
"

Something obscured the sun and Madison
opened her eyes.

Sitting above her, his face bent
toward her, Kal stared and smiled. His curtain of black hair shaded
their faces from the sun. He lowered his full lips towards hers,
slowly, giving her ample time to protest or refuse, or push him
away.

But Madison couldn’t move, hypnotized
by his raw animal charisma. Nothing could prevent them from coming
together. He wanted her and she wanted him.

She couldn’t think of anything else as
she watched his chiseled mouth come closer. Her lips parted
slightly in anticipation. Her heartbeat mimicked the rhythm of the
earlier drums. She felt his breath, sweet like the grass he’d been
chewing.

She wanted to grab his shoulders, but
it might break the spell. So, she let him kiss her, softly at
first, in tentative touches. When his kiss grew insistent, Madison
closed her eyes to give in to the powerful sensations pulsing
through her whole body. He tasted heavenly sweet. God, she wanted
this man.

Without warning, Kal leapt up, rising
with unexpected speed, alert like an animal catching the scent of a
hunter.

"
What’s
wrong?
"
Madison sat up. She
felt rejected and hated the void he left in his wake.

Kal sniffed the air and
frowned.
"
You have
company.
"
Without another
word, he turned around and darted down a narrow path winding into
the canyon.

"
Wait!
"
Frustrated by
his behavior, Madison couldn’t believe Kal’s reaction.

The faint sound of a vehicle coming up
the high road behind her reminded Madison of his words. Company?
Probably her ride. But how did Kal know? Had he left to avoid
getting her in trouble?

Madison stood, straightened her hair
and adjusted her cap. Retrieving her sunglasses from her belt, she
slipped them on to meet the patrol car. The jeep stopped in the
middle of the dirt road, and Jake, in an impeccably pressed tan
uniform, stepped out of the vehicle.

"
What
happened to my ride?
"
She
couldn’t believe Jake left the office.

"
Reassigned
elsewhere. I’m your ride. We are pulling out.
"
He stared at Madison as if she’d done something
wrong.
"
Anything to
report?
"

Why did he make her feel
like a child caught stealing? She hoped she didn’t blush.
"
They took two eaglets, just as
agreed.
"

"
All right.
Get in.
"
Jake’s proprietary
smile made her want to slap him. But he was her boss.

Madison simply nodded and climbed into
the Jeep. Why had Jake come all this way to supervise in person?
Was he keeping tabs on her?

Chap
ter Five

Madison examined the fancy turquoise
and silver invitation. The front displayed a photograph of Kal
standing next to his striking metal sculpture of the Great Coyote.
Apparently, the whole exhibit was about his art. She turned the
card over. Printed, not signed. Disappointing, but still, he’d
supplied her name for the prestigious guest list. The return
address indicated the Bagatelle Fine Art Gallery in Scottsdale,
very upscale.

Setting the invite next to her satin
clutch on the floating shelf of her apartment’s small foyer,
Madison preened in front of the full-length mirror. The flaring hem
of the metallic blue cocktail dress flirted just above the knees,
revealing bare tan legs and toned calves, enhanced by matching blue
stilettos. The empire bodice pushed up her small breasts, creating
cleavage, and the slim cut made her look taller. With blue shadow
setting off her eyes, and pink gloss plumping her lips, Madison
felt ready for battle. Kal had ignored her too long.

She winked at her
reflection.
"
Kal, eat your
heart out.
"

She may have looked ordinary in her
navy sweats when he’d cooked her a fancy dinner, but tonight she
would dazzle him.

She paused, staring at herself in the
mirror. What if he had another date? She pushed away the thought.
No matter. After two weeks of silence, Madison deserved an
explanation. Why had he sought her out and kissed her if he didn’t
intend to call? Was the invitation his way of asking for
forgiveness? Did he only want her friendship, or something
more?

Men could be so confusing. Although
Kal was wrong for her, she couldn’t stop thinking about him. But
she couldn’t let him play with her feelings. She would arrive
fashionably late. And even if he courted her tonight, she would
remain strong and wouldn’t give an inch. Let him drool.

Grabbing her evening clutch, barely
large enough to fit the sidearm and the badge that never left her,
Madison walked out. The setting sun lengthened the shadows of the
tropical palms shading the elegant apartment complex. She descended
the outdoor stairs and strode resolutely toward her red Miata
convertible. Tonight, she would face Kal and get answers as to his
feelings and intentions toward her.

As she stepped into the convertible,
the small hairs at her nape prickled, as if someone watched her.
Pretending to adjust the rear view mirror, she glanced into it but
saw no one. Just silly anxiety. She turned the ignition and drove
off, trying to shake the uneasy feeling.

*****

Craning his neck to see around the
older woman in the pink Kentucky Derby hat, Kaletaka kept glancing
toward the entrance of the Bagatelle Fine Art Gallery. The crowd in
designer suits and mostly bare dresses revealing perfect silicone
orbs obstructed his view. Waiters, in black and white tuxedos,
carried silver trays of champagne glasses and finger
food.

Darryl, wearing a raw silk
Pierre Cardin suit that matched his sandy hair, smiled to the group
of would be art connoisseurs. He caressed the head of Kaletaka’s
bronze
Mother Holding a
Child
.
"
The opening is an unprecedented
triumph.
"

Kaletaka raised his glass to the
guests circling the bronze for a better view, and they murmured
approval.

Darryl winked at
Kaletaka.
"
We already sold
two sculptures.
"

"
Good.
"
Kaletaka leaned
toward Darryl and whispered,
"
You know I can’t stand these formal
shindigs.
"

"
That’s the
price of success, man.
"
Darryl flashed a smile of encouragement.

"
None of
these people know art. To them, it’s an
investment.
"
Kaletaka forced
a smile to an older woman in black sequins who stared at him from a
distance.
"
I hate the
pretentious conversations.
"

"
But you are
good at it. They love you, man.
"
Darryl nodded to a man in his fifties walking by.
"
Just
smile.
"

"
Do you think
she’ll come?
"
Kaletaka
immediately regretted the question.

"
Get it
together, man.
"
Darryl
obviously thrived in such surroundings.
"
You got mad when I told you I’d
already sent her invitation, and now you can’t wait to see
her.
"

"
The Great
Coyote help me. Kissing her was a mistake.
"
Kaletaka smiled inwardly.
"
A delicious
mistake
...
"

"
You want
her?
"
Darryl’s blue eyes
pierced him with intensity.

"
Of
course.
"
Kaletaka yearned for
her contact. But their proximity would endanger her
life.