Free Kiss of the Phantom: Sexy Paranormal (Book 3, Phantom Series) by Julie Leto

turning tail from a blatant attack seemed cowardly and unwise. They knew nothing of their enemy. What would save them from falling prey to yet another offensive assault?
    “Who do you think attempted to steal the stone?” he asked.
    She shrugged. “I wish I knew. I’d suspect Hector Velez sent them, but he didn’t have the time. I’d only just gotten off the phone with him. Unless he was having me followed or tracked, which, I suppose, is a distinct possibility.”
    “Who is Hector Velez?”
    “A collector I pissed off.”
    “A collector of what?”
    She kept her vision trained through the glass windows of the helicopter, her mouth turned downward in a frown. She did not like his question.
    “Antiquities. Coins, usually, but statues and jewelry and tools—anything associated with the Mayan empire. Or Incan. Or Aztec. I, um, acquired a collection of rare gold coins for him a month ago, but through absolutely no fault of my own,” she said, sarcasm tingeing her tone, “I had to dump them in a Mexican jungle. When I went back for them, the GPS device I’d attached to the package would not work. I couldn’t find them, and he’s not happy about it.”
    Rafe spent the next hour asking her questions that would lead him to understand what she’d just said. She explained about a place called Mexico, about Spanish exploration and invasion against the native people, about the value of artifacts from this era, about her talent as a pilot of various aircraft and the basics behind a system of electronic tracking...and then electricity.
    “There is so much I don’t understand,” he admitted.
    She reached over and patted his hand. The minute their skin made contact, Rafe pulled back. Now that she’d explained the concept of electricity, he finally appreciated the sensation of her flesh on his. So much like lightning, yet more deliberate. More controlled.
    And yet as wild as the open sea.
    Her frown returned.
    “So you think this Hector Velez sent his men to take the stone to replace the gold you lost?” he asked, hoping an increase in conversation would make up for his unfriendly reaction to her touch.
    “It’s a theory, but it doesn’t quite add up. I told him I might give him something else willingly, after I found out what it was worth. But I never told him what it was. Those men who attacked me knew what they were looking for.”
    Yes, they’d known about the stone. Had Rogan sent them? Had he also found a way to cheat death and was now seeking Rafe out? To what end?
    He gazed out of the windows, marveling at the glow of a city beneath him. With miracles like electricity and air travel at the disposal of so many, a man like Rogan might never have risen to power. Despite the fact that Rafe had only hours ago fought against his release from Rogan’s cursed stone, his curiosity and natural need to understand the world around him fueled his desire to remain free.
    If he had to battle the rogue in this century, he had to be prepared, though having Mariah Hunter as his guide in this new and fascinating world posed both problems and solutions. From her description of her profession, she was undoubtedly untrustworthy, and wily as a fox. He’d once believed his sister to be headstrong and resourceful, but Mariah’s actions thus far made Sarina look every bit the child she’d been. Even his wife, Irika, who possessed the wisdom of centuries, had not known how to fight like a man or how to protect herself against attackers intent on doing her harm.
    Mariah navigated this strange world with a confidence he’d never seen before in a woman and a sensuality he believed she greatly underestimated or, perhaps, ignored completely.
    “What will you do now that you know that I am still tied to the stone?” he asked.
    She spared him a sidelong glance. “You’ve certainly complicated my plans.”
    “I apologize,” he said, wholly unrepentant. “Of course, I might point out that I did not ask you to remove the stone from