by Willa Hart
I’d never met any of Max’s nephews, and I’d only seen them the one time. I’d been standing in Max’s private office, watching him talk to them through a two-way mirror that gave a full view of the lobby area. I still had a startlingly clear image of Kellum in my mind’s eye. I could recall every aspect of his appearance easily, almost as if there was a photograph of him pinned up inside my brain where I could consult it any time I wanted. Actually, I didn’t want to, but my brain didn’t care all that much, which meant sometimes his face would pop up at the most inopportune times — such as when some random guy at a club asked me to dance.
Good job, brain!
My phone buzzed and skittered across the wooden table, making me gasp and jump with surprise. I managed to grab it before it jittered to the floor, then sighed when I saw it was just a text from Zoe.
Where is this guy?
I rolled my eyes and glanced over my shoulder. Zoe and Alisha sat at a nearby table, innocently sipping their coffees. I’d brought them along just in case things got weird with Kellum. When they caught my annoyed expression, they broke into a fit of giggles.
Terrific. My backup was more interested in torturing me than watching out for me. Not that they could defend me against a full-blooded dragon, but my guess was that he wouldn’t risk shifting into his dragon form in a cafe filled with humans who happily existed without the knowledge that dragons lived among them.
I hated keeping such big secrets from my best friends, but Max had convinced me it was exceedingly rare for any human to accept the existence of ancient mythical creatures. Best to let them live their lives in sweet ignorance. Instead, I let them in on the smaller, less brain-busting secrets of my life — such as acting as witnesses for this meeting.
I couldn’t tell them why I was meeting with Kellum, just that it was for a case my uncle had entrusted me with. Having never worked in a P.I. office before, they both thought my job was full of excitement and adventure, no matter how boring I insisted it was. At least that misconception allowed them to accept my shallow explanation without much probing. They both were more curious than worried for my safety. That was fine, as long as they were there. I’m not sure I would have shown up otherwise.
Still, if they didn’t chill out, Kellum would pick up on the fact I’d brought accomplices to spy on our conversation. If he was half the asshole I thought he was, the repercussions could be ugly.
I glanced at my phone. Two minutes until our meet time. I couldn’t sit still for that long, so I headed to the counter and ordered a couple of coffee drinks as a peace offering — an olive branch, only tastier. My favorite Mexican Mocha — complete with a dash of cayenne — and an iced double Americano for Kellum. I had no idea what he might want, and it seemed like a safe bet. Chances were I’d end up drinking both and bouncing off the walls for the next two days.
I went back to my corner table and waited for my name to be called. I’d chosen the spot strategically because I wanted to see the door and keep my back to the wall. If it was good enough for spaghetti westerns and mob movies, it was good enough for me.
My phone buzzed again. Alisha this time.
We’re recording all of this as evidence for the trial.
I shot her a cold glare, then hammered out a quick reply.
haha v funny. now stfu!
Giggling erupted from their general vicinity, but I didn’t want to encourage them with a response. Keeping my gaze fixed on the door, I wondered exactly how angry Max would be that I was about to involve his traitor nephew in one of his cases. The only thing worse than facing his wrath about that would be if Kellum refused to help me and I lost the case altogether. Oh god, worse than that would be if Kellum stole it out from under me.
My heart thundered in my chest and my feet itched to bolt from the cafe when the door opened and my heart stopped. I knew him in an instant, even before my brain could catch up with my soul. It had recognized him before my eyes had — which wasn’t disturbing at all.
His eyes skimmed the crowd until they met mine, then locked on with the intensity of a guided missile. Every cell in my body became electrified and the world around and between us ceased to exist. He aimed right for me, without me having to wave or smile or nod. He knew me, just as I’d known him.
As he weaved between the tables, I got a better look at the rest of him. A bespoke suit that reeked of money fitted his tall, lean frame perfectly, unable to hide the power lurking underneath. His jaw and cheekbones could have been sculpted by an Italian master and my fingers twitched to trace the hard contours.
During my slightly wayward teenage years, I’d certainly had brushes with more dangerous men than him — the kind of guys who liked to prey on the naïve, the vulnerable, the easily intimidated. Sadly for them, I never considered myself any of those things. Maybe it was spending the first five years of my life with loving parents who taught me how to be strong, but I had a pretty sensible head on my shoulders. I considered myself pretty damn unshakable, and yet Kellum shook me to my very core.
Before I could get my lungs to work properly, he sat down across from me. To my utter surprise, he smiled. A brilliant, panty-melting smile. And yet, behind that grin, I sensed something totally at odds with the relaxed expression on his face. He was tense, worried about something I couldn’t quite define. I knew it instinctively, the way a sparrow might sense an oncoming storm long before the clouds could gather. The way I knew when Max lied to me.
“What’s bothering you?” I asked bluntly, surprising us both. We hadn’t even introduced ourselves yet.
The smile faded and his thick, dark brows knitted together. Ah, there it was. The storm. He leaned back and studied me, as if he was sizing me up.
“You’re right,” he said, his voice low and rumbling, like approaching thunder. “Something is bothering me.”
“What?”
“I’m worried you already hate me and we haven’t even been formally introduced.”
He crossed his arms and waited. I don’t know how he did it, but he made me feel all those things I’d never considered myself to be — naïve, vulnerable, intimidated. Maybe it was that he’d just echoed my own thoughts back at me, which totally unnerved me. I crossed my arms too, to protect myself a little.
“Why would I hate you?” I asked, feigning innocence.
“Because of Uncle Max,” he said simply, his words tinged with sadness. “Max raised my brothers, cousins and myself after our parents died. He taught us everything we know about investigative work. On top of that, he’s the casique of our weir. We owe him everything. You have no idea how much it kills us all that he sees us as traitors.”
I quirked an eyebrow. “If the shoe fits…”
He didn’t react to my sharp tongue, but simply continued his story. “He blames me. For all of it. He thinks I was the ringleader, that I somehow convinced the others to follow me. I get it. As the eldest, I’m automatically in a position of assumed power.”
I listened closely, trying to detect any note of deception in his tone, but it all rang true. “So you understand why he feels betrayed.”
Kellum nodded. “Of course I understand. The problem is that he doesn’t understand why we left.”
“And why was that?” I’d heard Max’s version — that they’d left to earn more money with his competitor — but now I wanted to hear Kellum’s.
“As I’m sure you’re well aware, Max is a bit…stubborn. Set in his ways. Old-fashioned. He’s a good man and a formidable, yet principled, dragon. Honestly, I admire his reverence for tradition. But his unwillingness to evolve, even a tiny bit, is less admirable.”
I couldn’t help smiling a little. “He’s pretty old school, I’ll give you that.”
“I take it you’ve seen his office?”
“Oh yeah. I work there, you know.”
“Aunt Shirley told me,” he said, uncrossing his arms as he relaxed. “She’s pretty stubborn too, so she’s kept us in the loop. Honestly, as strange as it sounds, I almost fe
el like I know you already.”
“Oh really?” I teased. “What do you know about me?”
His eyes sparkled when he smiled, like sapphires in the sun. “Let’s see… I know your father was a respected dragon keeper, and Max is training you to be one as well. I know you spent most of your youth in the foster care system until Max and Shirley found out you hadn’t died along with your parents. I know you like spicy food, the spicier the better. I know you’re rabidly loyal to Max, which is why I also know you wouldn’t have met with me unless something was wrong and you needed help.”
Damn, he knew more about me than most of my friends, and I rather liked the thought of that. I only wished I could say the same about him. I had a rough sketch in my head, but no matter how much Shirley praised her “boys,” I couldn’t see past Max’s pain. Now I regretted not paying more attention to what Shirley had told me about them.
“I’m impressed,” I said, giving him a genuine smile. “You know they saved me, right? Sometimes I think about where I’d be if they hadn’t claimed me as family, and I don’t like where that train of thought leads. I owe them everything, Kellum. Everything.”
He nodded, his expression solemn and thoughtful. “It must have been hard for you to agree to meet with me. You’re probably worried Max will see it as yet another betrayal.”
“Wow, you’re good,” I said, dropping my eyes to my hands.
Having this all out there felt cathartic and freeing. The weirdest part was that it didn’t feel weird at all for a total stranger I’d hated only moments before to understand my deepest fears. It only made me want to open up to him even more.
“I can’t tell you what it’s meant to me to find out more about my past, my parents. I was really young when they died. And to discover my recurring nightmare about their death actually happened…” I swallowed hard before continuing. “It’s given me closure. I don’t need — or want — the gory details to know the truth of my past. Simply knowing the evil dragon responsible has been held accountable gives me comfort and has allowed me to live again.”
“Two coffees for Favor,” called the barista, giving me the perfect opportunity to compose myself as I collected them. On the way back to the table with the drinks, I glanced over at Zoe and Alisha, who were both fanning themselves and panting at Kellum’s broad back.
Placing his coffee in front of him as I sat, I said, “I didn’t know what you liked.”
He took a sip and his brow creased in confusion. His ridiculously blue eyes latched onto mine. “Aunt Shirley told you, didn’t she?”
“Told me what?” I asked as I sucked down a mouthful of spicy chocolate goodness.
“Iced double Americano. It’s my favorite. How’d you know?”
I stopped mid-swallow, trying to figure out if he was lying to get into my good graces. But once again, I caught nothing but sincerity from him. I shrugged in response, not wanting to pull on that thread. Not yet, anyway.
“How can I help you, Favor?”
Finally, the moment had come. There would be no turning back after asking for Kellum’s help. But I had no other choice. Max was apparently still off helping his buddy and I needed to move on the Trinkas case. If Max didn’t like it, I’d just have to deal with him when he returned.
“Max left town to help a friend and he dropped a missing person case in my lap. Missing dragon,” I corrected, keeping my voice low. “I need to talk to the client about his missing brother, but he’s been…less than cooperative.”
Kellum smirked and shook his head. “Because you’re human?”
“Yup, and he won’t talk to me. Name’s Bertram Trinkas. Do you know him?”
“Not personally, but I know of him. And I definitely know his type. Even other dragons have trouble dealing with him.”
“Why does that not surprise me?”
Kellum smiled. “He might talk to me, though I can’t guarantee anything. If he has a bias against me because of Max…”
“It’s worth a shot, isn’t it? Maybe he’ll overlook all that to try to find his brother. He tried to act all indifferent, but I could tell he was genuinely worried.”
Kellum studied me before replying. “You really did inherit your father’s talents, didn’t you?”
Heat flooded my cheeks. I loved the idea of being just like my father, but all I could really remember about him came to me in my dreams. “If you say so.”
“I think we can handle ol’ Bert, don’t you?” Kellum winked and set my skin on fire. “Let’s meet at Max’s office tomorrow around eleven. I’ll bring my brothers along, for good measure. I think he’ll be more…cooperative if we’re all standing by your side.”
Emotion surged through me at his words, emotions I couldn’t quite identify. Anxiety? No, that wasn’t right. Excitement, perhaps, mixed with a bit of inexplicable joy.
“And it goes without saying,” he continued as I tried to get a handle on my reaction to him, “that we have all the resources at Drakonis Security Systems available to help find Bertram’s brother.”
I bristled at the mention of Max’s rival, but I couldn’t very well ask for their help while simultaneously insulting their new boss. I took a deep breath and gave him a grateful smile.
Kellum glanced at his watch — a big shiny thing that no doubt cost a small fortune — and flinched. “I’m sorry, Favor, but I need to get back to the office. Can I walk you to your car?”
He stood and offered his hand, but all I could do was stare at it. The callouses on his long fingers contrasted sharply with the rest of his perfectly styled image. They looked warm and inviting, and I imagined slipping my hand into them would feel like diving into a warm swimming pool. I had to find out…
Ahhh, my fingers practically moaned as our skin made contact. It was a small touch, nothing really, but it affected me more than a kiss ever had. My entire body tingled and I could barely think straight. Then, as he gently guided me through the crowded coffee shop, he dropped his hand to my lower back and I thought my body might actually explode. I was barely conscious of anything except Kellum. The next thing I knew, we were standing in front of my car and he was chuckling.
“Oh god, the Caddy.” He must have mistaken my daze for confusion because he quickly explained. “I used to drive it. All of us did, at some point. That car has been passed around more than a bottle of tequila at a frat party.”
My breathy laugh reminded me of a teenage girl with a huge crush on the captain of a football team. Worse than that, I felt exactly like that teenage girl, all fluttery and giggly that the cutest boy in school was paying attention to me.
Kellum stared down at me, his eyes burrowing into my very soul, and I was suddenly warmed by something other than the afternoon sun. He stood just inches away from me, and my body yearned to lean into him, but my brain told me to back the fuck up.
“It’s nice to finally meet you, Favor,“ he said softly, his voice rumbling low enough to reach my very core.
The words I wanted to say died on my tongue as I once again forgot how to breathe. I needed to get out of there. I needed to get away from the intense magnetic pull between us before it tore me in half.
I managed a wimpy, “Mmmhmm,” then turned to the car and somehow fumbled my way inside. My hands shook so badly I could barely hold the steering wheel as I tore out of the parking lot and headed for home. It wasn’t until I was halfway there that I realized I’d left without my coffee or my friends.
Right on cue, my phone buzzed with a text from Zoe.
WTF? Where did you go?
I’d explain later. Although, how the hell could I ever explain it to my friends when I couldn’t make sense of it myself?
Chapter Four
The river of students leaving the classrooms and heading into the parking lot the next morning branched out among the cars like little tributaries. And as usual, Zoe, Yazmin, Alisha, and I were in one of them.
“Oh, you didn’t miss much,” Zoe was saying to Yaz, who wanted to know every dirty de
tail of my meeting with Kellum. “I’m only like, ninety-five percent sure Favor simply forgot we existed after he showed up.”
“Hold on, that makes it sound like I did miss something,” Yaz said, looking to me for an explanation.
I rolled my eyes, though I couldn’t stop my cheeks from turning beet red. After leaving the coffee shop the day before, I’d hedged and texted Zoe that I hadn’t forgotten her and Alisha, I’d just needed to get back home. Clearly, she hadn’t bought it.
“I’m surprised she didn’t get murdered in the parking lot,” Zoe went on. “I bet she would have happily crawled right into a windowless rape-van if he’d asked her to.”
“Oh my god, she wasn’t that bad,” Alisha said, jumping to my defense. “He seemed really nice!”
I couldn’t argue. Kellum was the first dragon I’d met who was somewhat close to my age — in appearance, at least. I had no clue how old he and his brothers actually were, but it was safe to guess somewhere in the hundreds, with what I knew about how slowly dragons aged. Of course, he didn’t look any older than thirty.
Regardless, I’d felt an immediate connection with him, as if he was someone I could really talk to, maybe even trust. What made my cheeks pink up even more was that I was pretty sure he’d felt the same about me.
“Look how much she’s blushing,” Zoe pointed out triumphantly, and Alisha and Yaz laughed with along her.
“I’m sure she was just nervous,” Alisha said, even though her tone said even she didn’t believe her own spin.
“Whatever. He looked like he wanted to have you for lunch, Favor.”
“Nuh uh,” I objected.
Zoe whipped out her pink, bedazzled phone with a flourish. “Let us consult the video evidence, shall we?”
“Oh shit,” I laughed, curious and nervous at the same time. “Did you really take a video of us, you creepy stalker?”
“You told me to keep an eye on you, so I kept an eye on you.”
“Careful Favor, she might be after your job,” Yaz teased.
