Free The Chosen by Theresa Meyers Page B

smacked Colt in the face. “Family first with you Jacksons. That’s the way it works, ain’t it?”
    “Why does that seem to irritate you so much, Miss McGee?”
    A flash of darkness clouded the silver shine in her gaze for just a moment. “Maybe we just have different definitions of family.”
    Remington let that thought roll around in his head for a bit. He really didn’t know all that much about where China had come from before she’d met up with Colt. What exactly made her so prickly when the subject of family surfaced? There was more to her story than she was telling any of them. The attorney in him could sense it—and the danger it posed to him and his brothers.
    “Looks like they’re preparing to pull up that ladder. I’d better get on quick.”
    He grasped her by the upper arm, and she turned those unnerving silver eyes his way. “How are you going to get back here safely?”
    “Don’t you worry about me none. I’ve got my ways.”
    Her silver eyes blurred as her form dissolved, changed shape, and shrunk in size. The tiny golden mouse sat up on its haunches, its front feet clasped before it, impossibly small nose and whiskers twitching. Remington crouched, holding out his hand in the powder-fine dirt of Allen Street. China scampered into his hand, her little mouse feet tickling his skin. He scooped her up and held her level to the rope ladder.
    China ran off his hand and clung to the rope as the ladder was hauled upward. Her golden color blended in perfectly with the tawny color of the rope, and after a few feet he couldn’t even see her any longer. He watched as the props on the airship began to spin faster and faster and the ship lifted higher into the piercing blue of the desert sky.
    There was nothing left for him to do but wait. And pray.

Chapter 6
    China dug her tiny mouse feet into the rope for all she was worth and bit her teeth into it too for good measure. The last thing she needed was an errant hawk spying her and ripping her off the rope before she made it to the decks above. She could shift quickly, but not fast enough to defend herself from a bird of prey.
    Distance seemed to infinitely increase when her size changed to something so small. She was just grateful they were pulling the rope ladder up so she didn’t have to climb the whole damn thing. The dark wood of the teak deck hovered into view, and China jumped off the rope before she was crushed in the tangled heap of the ladder.
    She glanced to the side and saw the tips of Miss Arliss’s scuffed and dusty black boots right beside a pair of knee-high black boots that were polished so highly they gleamed like Oriental lacquer. Each shoe seemed the size of a train car. Her gaze traveled up an equally shiny expanse of blue-black taffeta the color of raven wings that stretched upward as far as she could see. China took a sniff. Definitely another Darkin; she would bet her whiskers on it. Likely the vampire noblewoman Winchester had mentioned.
    “Another Mr. Jackson, I presume?” Blue-black taffeta asked. Her Eastern European accent made “Jackson” sound more like “Yakson.” Definitely vampire.
    China scampered for cover when Colt nearly squashed her beneath the heel of his cowboy boot as he sprung up from the deck where he’d landed after clambering over the edge of the dirigible. He dusted off his hands on his denim pants before taking the woman’s hand, which was covered in fine black kidskin. He kissed it lightly on the back, then flashed her that smile. The one that could make women melt. “The youngest, and the most handsome, at your service, your ladyship . . .”
    China squeaked in indignation. Colt was still the same cocky bastard with the ladies he’d always been. At one time she’d thought he found her special. How stupid of her. His charm was just how he related to women—all women. What she wouldn’t give to sink her tiny needle teeth into his ankle right about now. ’Course with his boots on it wouldn’t do