“Huh.” Damon was stunned. To him, being a ranger was a job—he liked doing it well enough, plus he could be outdoors, and more importantly, work in solitude. A “normal” job wouldn’t have worked for him, not after what happened. But he’d never really thought of it the way Matthew put it.
“You say I’m a straight shooter,” Damon began. “One of the reasons I became a ranger was because I need to be outdoors.” He clenched his jaw. “I’m sure Garret told you about it.”
Matthew nodded, but didn’t say anything.
“Well, this job—being chief—has its perks, but being stuck inside just ain’t me. And it ain’t cutting it for my animal either.” And that was one of the reasons he’d been even more frustrated the last couple of months. More responsibility, less time outdoors. No wonder he couldn’t keep his anger in check.
“I see.” Matthew tapped a finger on his chin. “Is that why your reports are always late?”
“Yeah, that, and I can’t seem to stop my assistants from quitting.” Okay, he knew he wasn’t easy to work with. He liked things done a certain way, and it annoyed the shit out of him when people couldn’t follow the simplest directions. But why the staffing agency kept sending him these timid little things that quit as soon as he lost his temper, he didn’t know.
Matthew looked deep in thought. “Garret liked the leadership position because it allowed him to spend time on things he was good at, like managing the rangers, meeting with visitors and donors, and making everything run smoothly behind the scenes. You have a different working and leadership style, so really, this position can be what you make of it, as long as the work gets done at the end of the day. Maybe you need some help and—”
The door flew open, cutting Matthew off. Damon slammed his palm down. “Don’t you fuckers ever knock—J.D.?”
J.D. McNamara blustered into his office with her usual no-nonsense, bulldozing personality. “Cooper, ya fartknocker, how’s it—oh, didn’t know you had company.” Her gaze dropped to Matthew. “Hey, Matt, how’s it hangin’? Can you let Catherine know her car’s due for a tune-up?”
“J.D.,” Matthew acknowledged. “I’ll let my wife know, thank you for thinking of her.”
J.D. owned the only garage in town so everyone took their vehicles to her for repairs and tune-ups. She also happened to be one of his oldest friends, along with Gabriel, and a general pain in his ass. If Gabriel had been his patient and silent support when he got back from the Army, J.D. was the one who pushed her way back into his life and bullied him until he snapped out of his funk. She never took no for an answer.
“So, how’s it going, Damon?” she asked sweetly.
Damon frowned. J.D. was usually not this cheery this early in the morning unless she wanted something. “What is it?”
“Huh?” She perched her hip on the side of his desk, not really caring that he was already in the middle of a meeting with Matthew. “Can’t I swing by and visit one of my oldest friends in the world, the one I’ve known since grade school, who I used to share my extra candy bars with?”
Oh, she wanted something all right. The only question now was what. “Spit it out, McNamara, so Matthew and I can finish our discussion.”
“Oops.” She put a hand over her mouth. “Sorry, Matt. Didn’t realize you were in the middle of something.”
Matthew smiled up at her, amused. “It’s no trouble at all, J.D. I can wait.”
“This’ll only be a second.” She turned back to Damon. “I know you fired your last assistant a couple weeks ago; what was her name? Claudine?”
“Justine,” he corrected. “Claudine was the one before her.”
“Well, it’s hard to keep track. Anyway,” she flashed him an extra sweet smile. “I have someone who can replace her. A friend of mine. Actually, she’s going to be my new roommate.”
“Roommate? You’ve never had a roommate before.” J.D. lived in the same house she had grown up in and inherited, along with the garage, when her father passed away.
“Yeah, it’s something I’m trying out,” she said. “So, whaddaya say? She needs a job; you need an assistant.”
Why did he have a feeling this wasn’t what it seemed? “I don’t know—”
“C’mon,” she said. “She came all the way here to interview for the position.”
“I’m not even taking candidates,” he pointed out.
“You’ve been overworked and stressed.” J.D. sighed. “Matthew, did you know that Damon didn’t go home or even sleep during the entire blizzard? Gabriel says he had to practically shove food down his throat.”
“Gabriel has a big fat mouth,” he grumbled.
“Is that true, Damon?” Matthew asked. “I need my chief to be dedicated, but also alive and healthy.”
“It’s fine,” he said. “I’ve been in worse situations.”
“But this is what I’m talking about,” Matthew said. “Some real help could be just what you need.”
“I don’t—”
“Why don’t you show her in?” Matthew told J.D. “It’s a long drive up here. If she came all the way, then she must really need a job.”
“All right!” J.D. pumped her fist in the air. “She’s right outside.”
As J.D. disappeared through the door, Damon ran a hundred scenarios of who this person could be and what could happen. He was a planner, after all, and so he had to know what possible ways the enemy would react.
Of course, the person who did walk in through the door was the last person he expected.
Her.
Anna Victoria.
Mine.
The Demon roared in delight, seeing their mate. It had been cross the entire morning, ripping up at him from the inside when he let her go. When he fought back, the damned thing actually plunked down in the corner and sulked, seething at him. Now, that was definitely a first.
Anna Victoria was smiling when she entered his office, but when those large, pansy-blue eyes locked gazes with him, she grimaced. “What are you doing here?”
“Me?” He got up from his seat. “This is my office.”
Her face went pale. “Y-your office?” Her head swung to J.D. “You said you knew someone who needed an assistant?”
“Yeah.” J.D. jerked her thumb at Damon. “Him.”
“I don’t need an assistant,” he groused. “And if I did, you’d be the last person I’d hire.”
The look of hurt that crossed her face was unmistakable, and Damon felt his animal’s claws drag down his insides. Why he said that, he didn’t know, but he regretted it instantly. “I don’t mean—”
It was too late. The door to his office slammed loudly, and she was gone. “Fuck.” He raked his hands though his hair and sank back down on his chair.
“What the fuck did you say that for?” J.D. whacked her palm on his shoulder. “You didn’t have to be so mean to her.”
He was not going to play her games. “If that woman is your friend, I’ll eat my hat.” He knew everyone J.D. was friends with—and if Anna Victoria was one of them, she would have mentioned it this morning. “Did Gabriel put you up to this?”
“Damon Cooper, I know you’ve got issues, but can you for once not be an asshole?” J.D. crossed her arms over her chest and stamped a foot down. “That woman needs help. She’s lost and scared and has nothing to her name.”
“This morning, she didn’t even know she was in Blackstone,” he said. “And now she’s staying? Doesn’t that sound suspicious to you?”
“You’re being paranoid, Damon,” she said, not budging.
“She drove eight hours from New Mexico in a damned wedding gown and then stopped to get drunk at a bar,” he pointed out. “And I’m the one who’s crazy?”
“Please, Damon, won’t you—”
“If you want her to have a job, you give her one.” Let J.D. deal with that headache. Having her work here every damned day and be surrounded by her presence and scent—it would drive him bonkers.
The Demon, on the other hand, t
hought that was a very good idea.
“I don’t need help,” she said. “You do.”
“Can we talk about this later? I’m in a meeting with—” Looking around, he saw that Matthew was not in the room. When did he slip out? “Goddammit.” He couldn’t believe it. His boss walked out on their meeting and now Damon had to worry about his job.
Pushing himself out of his chair, he dashed outside. Maybe I’ll catch him before he leaves. Much to his relief, Matthew hadn’t left the building yet. He was near the exit, but he wasn’t alone. Anna Victoria was beside him, her face taut with despair. Matthew touched her shoulder and said something that made her expression relax.
Rage tore through him, and The Demon let out a deafening roar. How dare that male touch their mate? It didn’t care that Matthew himself was already mated—or a dragon. Its lips drew back and its teeth bared, ready for a fight.
Damon wrestled for control, even though a part of him wanted to rip Matthew’s hand away too. A small part, he told himself. Very small. When he calmed down enough, he managed to march toward the two, who were still chatting softly.
“Damon.” Matthew’s silver gaze locked onto him, and he frowned. It was like he could sense The Demon’s anger. Being a shifter, he probably could.
“Apologies for the interruption.” His teeth ground together so hard, it hurt. “We can continue our meeting or we can reschedule, whichever you prefer.”
“I think our meeting is finished.” The air around them turned cold as Matthew’s silver gaze went steely. There was no mistaking the dominant power of his dragon. Even The Demon deferred to it, and slowly backed away.
His fists tightened at his side. And he thought this morning had been a shitshow. “All right. I suppose you’ll want me out of the office by the end of the day?”
“What?” The atmosphere lightened again. “No, no. Jesus, Damon, I’m not going to fire you. I’d probably have a riot on my hands. Everyone here already respects you; they all had good things to say when my team did the reviews two weeks ago. I just came here to offer you the position permanently.”
He swallowed. “Oh. I accept then.” Frankly, if he did step down as chief, he wouldn’t know what to do. It was unlikely he or The Demon would take orders from someone less dominant, and he really would have to quit.
“But …”
Of course, there was a but.
“You’ll need help, like I said.” Matthew crossed his arms over his chest. “With an assistant, you can get more things done and spend less time at your desk. That’s what you want isn’t it?”
Yes, but he didn’t want her as his assistant. He wouldn’t be able to control himself, not with her around all the time. But it was obvious that Matthew had already made up his mind. “You got any experience?” he asked Anna Victoria.
Though her lower lip trembled, her shoulders straightened. “I was vice president of my sorority for two years. I basically had to do all filing and reports for the Dean’s office, plus organize our mixers and events.”
“And after you graduated?”
Her face turned red, and she swallowed. “I haven’t really, er, worked since I graduated two years ago.”
“It’s a tough job market, amiright?” J.D. added, looking at Matthew and then Damon hopefully.
“You need an assistant, and she’s here,” Matthew said. “I won’t tell you to hire her …”
But he already knew the score. His boss wanted her here, and so, if he wanted to score points, he had to play nice. “Fine.” He ground his teeth. “You can start tomorrow. But on a probationary basis. Two weeks.”
Her eyes lit up with hope and she smiled. “Thank you.”
But she wasn’t looking at him, rather, her gaze was on Matthew. And that annoyed the hell out of him. He only wanted her to smile for him.
Where the hell did that thought come from?
“She’ll be here at nine,” J.D. declared as she hooked her arm through Anna Victoria’s. “C’mon. We should go and celebrate.” With a final wave, she dragged Anna Victoria out the door.
Damon scrubbed a hand down his face. I’m going to regret this.
“Everything all right, Damon?” Matthew had the gall to ask.
Seeing as he didn’t want to pick a fight this early in the day—and certainly not with a dragon—he merely returned the smile sarcastically. “Everything’s fine, boss.” Turning on his heel, he marched into his office and slammed the door.
Chapter Four
Anna Victoria couldn’t believe what just happened. When she walked into that office and saw him, she thought for sure she was going to have to leave town, which she would have hated. She’d only been in Blackstone for a day, but it was starting to grow on her.
After lunch, she and J.D. had parted ways with Gabriel and they went to The Den to pick up her car. Luckily, the owner, Tim, was already there and had kept her keys for her. Afterwards, they went to J.D.’s house, which was in a quiet little neighborhood on the east side of town.
Her place wasn’t fancy, like her father’s sprawling mansion back in Albuquerque, but it was spacious and clean. Anna Victoria liked that it felt homey and lived in, with various knickknacks, trophies, and photos of J.D. and her father on the walls.
The spare room wasn’t large, but she did like that it had a sliding door and access to the wraparound deck and backyard. She was already planning on getting some plants and maybe a nice lounge chair so she could sunbathe in the back. Of course, that would all be dependent on if she could even get a job so she could pay for all this, which is why she was eager to meet this potential employer J.D. had told her about.
Well, Damon was not just a potential boss—he was her boss, at least starting tomorrow.
“What did I tell you?” J.D. said as they strolled out of the Blackstone Rangers headquarters. “That was easy-peasy, and now you can stay.”
“Why didn’t you tell me the job was to be his assistant?”
J.D. looked at her innocently. “What do you mean? I thought I mentioned it.”
“No, you didn’t,” she said. “You said the job was assistant to the chief of the Blackstone Rangers.”
“Who happens to be Damon,” J.D. finished.
Unlinking her arm from the other woman’s, she turned and faced J.D. “You know what I mean.”
J.D. blew out a breath. “If I told you who it was, would you have come.”
“Of course not.” Why would she? He had been mean to her this morning, plus he’d seen her at her worst. Being around him would mean she would have to relive the most humiliating twelve hours of her life, under his glare.
“Then it’s a good thing I didn’t.”
She opened her mouth then quickly shut it.
“Why did you accept the job if you didn’t want to work with him?” J.D. asked.
“I …” That was the question. “That other guy—Matthew—he seemed really nice. He spoke to me for a bit, and asked me if I was okay. He said he heard from you about my situation and was sympathetic. I just told him how much I liked Blackstone and really wanted to stay. Then you guys came and …”
“It must be your lucky day,” J.D. said with a chuckle.
“Why?”
“Because Matthew came to your defense. He’s the boss around here, and the Blackstone dragon doesn’t just give everyone a chance, you know.”
“The-the—what?” Matthew was a dragon? “Jeez.”
“Don’t worry, he’s not going to eat you,” J.D. assured her, as if that was something she said everyday. “And the fact that you have his stamp of approval means a lot.”
“So, the only reason Damon hired me was because his dragon boss told him to do it?”
“And is that so bad? C’mon.” J.D. dragged her to where her truck and the Mercedes were parked side-by-side. “Maybe you can find another job later. I mean, I’d hire you, but I, well … no offense, but I’d guess you probably don’t even know how to change your own tire.”
“You’d guess right.�
�� She let out a long sigh. “I guess I’ll have to just take it one day at a time.” Frankly, she was glad she could stay; with no other prospects, she could only go so far, even with the cash in the trunk of her car. At some point, she might have to go back to her father. At least tomorrow she’d have a job and a paycheck in two weeks.
Who knows, maybe working for Damon wouldn’t be so bad?
“You can do this,” Anna Victoria said, giving herself a little pep talk as she stood outside the Blackstone Rangers headquarters.
She wiped her sweaty palms down the front of the blouse and black jeans she’d borrowed from J.D. While there was still some cash leftover in her wallet after buying some groceries, she would still need to make do with what clothes J.D. could lend her until she got her paycheck. It should be enough to afford some basics she could mix and match. Then maybe if things went well, she could also get some other luxuries, like makeup. For now, the lipstick and powder she kept in her purse would have to do.
The large wood and stone building that served as the headquarters of the Blackstone Rangers was exactly what she imagined it would be—rustic and functional, but it perfectly fit the surroundings. It was a long drive into the mountains, but as she got deeper into the forest, she could see the appeal of being out here—everything seemed fresh and the mountain views were beautiful. J.D. did caution her about driving up the steep roads, but she didn’t exactly have much of a choice, so she drove her Mercedes up carefully. There was still snow piled up on the side, probably from that big blizzard everyone kept talking about.
With another deep breath, she pushed on the heavy wooden door and let herself in. It looked like any typical office she supposed, except that everyone was wearing khaki uniforms, hats, and boots. Oh, that, and everyone around here was hot.
Blackstone Ranger Chief Page 5
