Scientist Dragon's Assistant (Irish Dragon Shifter Brothers Book 9)

by Brittany White

  He kissed her cheek. “But job aside, I want to date you. Exclusively.”

  She twisted around and threw her arms around his neck. “Oh, thank God. That’s exactly what I want!”

  “When we get back home,” he said, “I want to take you out. On a real date.”

  She sighed in contentment and snuggled back closer into his warm, solid chest. “I’m looking forward to it.”

  She’d finally solved her dating problem. She’d just had to find a guy that was interested in the same things she was. And that guy was Dr. Eli Bennett.

  13

  Eli

  Eli woke up early, just as the sun was coming up.

  A grin stretched across his face. He was in Ava’s bed, and Ava herself was nestled in his arms, where she’d slept for the entire night. He pulled the blanket up over her shoulder where it had slipped down.

  They were officially dating now. He couldn’t believe it.

  He also couldn’t stop grinning.

  Eli wanted to tell Ava the truth about his true nature, but it seemed far too soon. His clan didn’t have an anti-human rule, but it wasn’t smart to tell a human before they were seriously committed to each other—there was too much at stake. The secret wasn’t just about him, it involved his entire clan.

  They only had one human member, and she didn’t even live in Oregon. And if he remembered correctly, she’d found out that her husband Garrett was a dragon shifter by accident during a fight.

  He did not want that for Ava. He would tell her the truth. In the meantime, he had to do some more recon on the group of investors from last night.

  He glanced over at her pretty face. She was still sound asleep. He slipped out of bed and left her another note, telling her he was going to grab breakfast for them. He planned to do that, but he also had another project in mind. He sent Niall a text, and Niall agreed to meet him at the university. Using their labs and some equipment Niall borrowed from the engineering and robotics departments, Eli put together a few trackers. He was going to keep them with him in case the investors came back.

  If they did, he’d also include Ava this time. She hadn’t been angry that he’d pushed her away from them the night before, but she was curious. She’d questioned him about it several times, and he had a feeling she wasn’t going to give up. She was well-traveled and she’d met people from all over the world. Despite his dragon’s instincts, maybe there was something he was missing.

  When he got back to the hotel, she was awake. Luckily, he’d stopped to pick up some coffee and blueberry scones. He settled next to her on the bed. This time, she seemed a lot happier to have him bring her breakfast in bed.

  A pink blush spread across her cheeks as she accepted the coffee cup. She seemed to know exactly what he was thinking. He ran his hand over her pink cheeks, caressing her soft skin. He wished they had time to indulge again, but their morning schedule was tight.

  “I’m certain those investors will be back today,” he said.

  She sipped her coffee. “Are you going to tell me what the problem was?”

  “I wish I knew.” He took a bite out of his own scone, wishing they were in a cafe somewhere far away from this issue. “I’m a scientist. But I also know that people are complicated and we have instincts, just like animals.”

  “And your instincts told you there was a problem?” she asked.

  “Absolutely. I’ve never had such a visceral reaction. There was nothing overtly wrong with them, but something was off. They all looked the same. They were all dressed the same. And none of them had an accent.”

  “I noticed that, too. Is it common for investors to approach you?”

  “No, it’s not common at all. Any major players know that I can’t determine what genetics research happens. It’s a multilayered process that involves the hospital board and the CEO of the lab. It can involve a legal team, too, if there’s relevant legislation or restrictions. And as you know, funding is always an issue. Of course, we’ve had people try to influence us in the past.”

  He picked up his own coffee, even though the caffeine wouldn’t affect him at all. He still enjoyed the taste of a dark roast.

  “You mean by donating money to the lab or hospital in order to push the research they want done to the front of the line?”

  “Exactly,” he said. “And it’s worked before. But that’s not my call to make. It never has been.”

  “And you don’t want it to be.”

  Ava already knew him so well. “No. I want to fix genetic disorders and improve quality of life, or at least find out why they’re happening. I don’t want to be the one to decide who gets that kind of help first.”

  “So, you think these guys don’t understand how the system works?”

  “They could just be from another country. A place that operates differently. Or they think I’ll do some side research for them and not document it.” He finished his coffee and smiled. “That seems to be a common enough movie plot.”

  She put her food down and leaned in to kiss him. “Mmm. You’re right.” She pushed the covers back and stood up. “I better get in the shower.”

  He wrapped his hand around her small wrist. He’d already felt protective of her before, but now that they were officially dating, the feeling was even stronger. “Hey, I don’t want to be an overbearing jerk, but if they come back today, and I think they will, please be careful. Don’t let one of them corner you. And stay with me the entire time.”

  “You’re not overbearing.”

  “I can be,” he said. So far, he’d kept his dragon under wraps. If he let loose, then he’d probably ask her to stay behind at the hotel. But he wasn’t going to do that. Not yet, anyway.

  They got ready together, which was pleasing to him and his dragon, and then made their way to the conference.

  As he’d expected, the group of investors was back. As soon as he was done with his first meeting, they were waiting for him in the hallway. His hand immediately went to Ava’s back, where he placed his palm flat against her lower back.

  His dragon roared. He wanted to attack.

  Not now.

  The investors weren’t any less threatening to him today.

  “Would you all be willing to have lunch and discuss our plans?” one of them asked.

  He wanted to say no, but ignoring them was not the responsible answer. “Yes, we’ll meet you at the Kitchen Pub at noon.”

  “Very well. We’ll see you then.” The man gave him a saccharine smile and turned away.

  Eli shuddered. Just as Eli had told Ava the night before, the men were interchangeable. None of them were distinct at all, yet they weren’t identical like clones would be. It was bizarre.

  Quickly, Eli pulled his phone out and texted Nora. He wanted to get her opinion. He’d called her and Niall the night before, and she’d offered to run over and see the group. If they were demons, she’d be able to tell.

  She and her husband had fought a wide variety of creatures, and any insight they had would be welcome.

  At the lunch, the investors showed that they were knowledgeable about the specifics of genetic research, more so than any non-medical professionals that Eli had ever met. They had detailed questions and soaked up any information Eli gave them. But they were weird in every other way.

  They ordered food just like everyone else. When their ale and sausage arrived, they even ate it, but they looked strange, as if they’d never eaten at a table before. Nora was sitting at a nearby table and came over when he texted her, pretending to be an acquaintance. Eli hated that he couldn’t let Ava in on why she was there. As far as Ava knew, this was a coincidence.

  Eli could tell from the look on her face that she was alarmed after being around them for only a few minutes. His heart began to pound.

  He watched their faces. If they were enhanced, they’d hear his racing heart, but they showed no signs of noticing, and continued to peel their sausages apart with a fork, take small bites, and ask Eli questions about his researc
h.

  Eli put a couple of the trackers in two of the investors’ briefcases and then told them goodbye, wanting to get Ava the hell out of there.

  They walked Nora back to her car, and Eli made sure no one followed them. As Nora said goodbye to them, she whispered, loud enough for only Eli to hear, “They aren’t human. I’ve never seen anything like them before. Ever. Be careful.”

  He nodded and whispered a quiet, “Thank you.”

  “They aren’t harmless,” she said.

  The rest of the day passed in a blur. He went back to the conference and he attended the lectures, but it wasn’t easy to focus. That night, he took Ava to dinner, and when they were done eating, he checked the location of the four investors.

  The trackers showed that they were at the University of Galway, the same place where Niall worked and where he’d taken them to look at the astronomy equipment.

  As far as he knew, there was no reason for the investors to be there. He liked to rely on evidence, but this time he was going to trust his gut. His gut said they were up to no good. He was going to investigate. If they had a reason to be there, then great. If not, he’d put a stop to whatever they were doing.

  But first, he had to look out for Ava. He would not be leaving her alone in the hotel. He called Nora quickly and asked if both he and Ava could spend the night with them. They agreed, and he planned to go to the university after she was asleep.

  He didn’t tell Niall they were at the university. He probably had the right to know, but Niall had been through enough at the hands of evil. Eli didn’t want to involve him, not unless it was absolutely necessary.

  When Ava asked why they were leaving the hotel, he could only tell her that it wasn’t safe.

  As soon as Ava was asleep, he snuck out of Nora’s house. He was sure Nora and Niall would hear him, but neither of them came after him.

  Outside, he looked up. The night was clear, so he couldn’t fly. He grabbed his keys and got into the rental car. Once he was at the university, he could hear the investors from outside the building.

  Eli’s pulse raced. They were inside the biology lab and they were discussing the topic he’d lectured about that morning—cloning.

  14

  Ava

  Eli was up to something. That much was clear. He’d told her he was worried about the investors, but he never really said why.

  Why did it matter if they wanted something he couldn’t do? People were demanding, especially of scientists. They wanted answers, and sometimes they couldn’t accept that science couldn’t help them.

  Eli was kind, but he had a backbone of steel; she’d seen it over and over. She wasn’t sure why he didn’t just tell them no. Unless they’d threatened him or someone close to him. He’d been adamant that she not be alone with them.

  And if they’d threatened him, why hadn’t he called the police? Her father knew people in the FBI, the CIA, and the JAG Corps. She’d offered to get in touch with her father, but Eli had said it wasn’t that kind of problem. If there wasn’t a crime involved, then she didn’t know what the big deal was. But it was clear that it was a very big deal, at least to Eli. He’d been cagey when he suggested they stay at Nora and Niall’s house.

  She could tell he was worried, so she’d agreed without asking too many questions. But that didn’t mean she was just going to accept whatever he said.

  She lay in bed, pretending to be asleep, making sure to move a little and breathe deeply. Then, he proved her right—within ten minutes, he was up and sneaking out of the room. She followed him, taking care to be very quiet. She’d noticed in the lab that he had really good hearing.

  He was going to take the rental car. She saw Nora’s car keys on the countertop. She was going to take them and she’d apologize later. She waited a few minutes and then got in Nora’s car. Thankfully, the road was fairly clear and she was able to catch a glimpse of the car Eli was driving.

  Eli drove straight to the university and went in one of the back doors. She felt silly at first, assuming that he was going to check on his space equipment. But he didn’t go to that area of the campus.

  When she got to that door, she figured it would automatically lock behind him. But no. The lock mechanism was completely broken off, as if he’d forced it.

  She touched the fragments of the lock that were left behind. Had he used a tool? What in the hell was going on?

  He went down a hallway she hadn’t been down before. All of the signs and posters indicated that they were in the biology wing of the campus. At the end of the hallway, there was one light on. From inside, she heard voices.

  She stopped outside the closed door and peered inside a large window. She was looking into a traditional lab with tables and sinks and all kinds of glass equipment.

  Eli stood in the middle of the room. And so did the four men. They were talking and their voices were raised, but she couldn’t make out the words. Eli was the loudest.

  Ava’s jaw dropped open.

  To her shock, her sweet, nerdy boss, who was now also her boyfriend, lunged forward and grabbed one of the men by the lapels. He lifted him right up off the ground until his legs were dangling.

  The other men didn’t move at first. Then, one of them moved closer. Eli dropped the first one and whirled around, punching the second one. His fist connected with the guy’s face, making a cracking sound. The guy stumbled and fell backward, but he didn’t stay down. He turned back to his briefcase and pulled out what looked like a weapon.

  Oh God, no! She loved Eli. She wasn’t going to let anything happen to him, not if she could help it.

  Ava fumbled for her phone. She couldn’t risk talking from this spot, but her hands were shaking so badly she could barely hold the phone to text. She crouched down and crawled, moving to a classroom with an open door. She scurried to the back and huddled in a closet.

  Please have decent cell reception!

  As soon as she opened her phone, she realized she had no idea how to call Emergency Services in Ireland. Dammit. She hit the button to call Nora, thankful that she’d saved her number.

  Nora answered on the first ring and she was wide awake. “Ava,” she said. “Where are you?”

  How did she know Ava was gone? “The university.”

  “We’re on our way,” Nora said. “We’re getting in the car right now.”

  “I’ll call the police, or the Garda—I think that’s what they’re called,” Ava said. “Just tell me how.”

  “No!” Nora was emphatic. “Don’t do that. I promise it’ll be fine.” She cursed under her breath. “Just don’t.”

  She heard car doors slamming and the start of an engine. She couldn’t fully process what was happening. What was Eli into? How was he really connected to Niall and Nora? And what were they doing that they didn’t want the authorities nearby? Obviously, there was a lot going on that she wasn’t aware of. “How did you know that something was happening?”

  “Don’t worry about that. Just stay safe.” Nora paused. “Are you inside?”

  “Yes, I’m in an empty classroom.”

  “Ava, get outside right now.” Nora’s voice was urgent. “Get as far away from the school as you can.”

  She didn’t say anything. She didn’t want to leave Eli. He might be involved in something that would blow her mind, and even make her break up with him after only one day of dating, but she couldn’t abandon him. “What if he needs help?”

  “He doesn’t. He’ll be fine, trust me.”

  “How can you say that?” She raised her voice to a harsh whisper. “There are four of them and one of Eli.”

  “I can’t explain right now. Just get outside. I promise that’s what he’d want you to do.”

  “Okay. I’m hanging up right now.” Ava put her phone on silent and shoved it back into her purse. She crept back to the doorway of the empty classroom. She just couldn’t walk away from Eli without checking on him.

  She wasn’t sure what she could do if he was in trouble, but mayb
e she could create a distraction or make some noise.

  She tiptoed back down the hallway, not making a single sound. When she peeked back into the room, the five of them were standing still, all staring at each other. No one was saying a word. She turned her head to see Nora and Niall walking briskly down the hallway.

  Her heart jumped. They were here. Ava pointed straight ahead to the room Eli was in.

  Nora came to stand next to her, surveying the room.

  Niall came behind her and whispered in her ear. “Let me get you out of here.”

  She flung her arm out. “No.”

  “That’s what Eli would want,” he said.

  “No. We need to get him out of there,” Ava insisted.

  “We will.” Niall touched her shoulder. “You go sit in the car.”

  She stepped back, although she had no intention of leaving the building. Not until she knew if he was okay. “Okay, I’ll go.”

  They both sighed with relief and turned away from her. But she didn’t leave. She couldn’t. Not yet.

  Niall didn’t hold back. He burst into the room, announcing himself. And Nora went in behind him. Neither of them seemed to have a gun or a weapon of any type. They moved in without hesitation, and now Ava couldn’t see any of them. She pressed her body tight against the stone wall and listened.

  “Eli,” Niall said. “What’s going on?”

  “Where’s Ava?” she heard Eli say.

  “She’s outside. She called us.”

  “Thank you for taking care of her.”

  “Tell us what’s going on,” Nora said.

  “These four gentlemen,” Eli said the word with a twist, “do not belong here. I’m trying to convince them to go home—back to their world.”

  Their world?

  With both hands on the wall, Ava pushed her way forward. She had to see what was going on in that room.

  The four investors were standing in a row. Niall stood in front of them with Nora and Eli off to the side.