Tianna Xander

by The Earth Dragon

  “Yes, sir.”

  Leaning forward, Damek knocked on the window between the backseat and the driver. The window slid down silently as the driver looked at him through the rearview mirror.

  “Yes, sir?”

  “You know where to go. Just make sure I get there on time. I don’t mind paying him for the property, but I definitely don’t want to give him more money because we’re late.”

  Damek leaned back and closed his eyes. With luck, Howard would have him at the airport in less than thirty minutes and he could meet with Jonathan Anderson for a pre-flight cocktail.

  Anderson was nothing if not punctual. Anyone he did business with need to be the same way or pay the price. While Damek wasn’t cheap, he didn’t like Anderson and he refused to give the bloodsucker any more money than he absolutely had to.

  Reaching up, Damek patted his breast pocket. He wanted to be sure that his checkbook was where it should be. He chuckled again and shook his head.

  The club owner wouldn’t take a check for half a million dollars, but Jonathan Anderson expected nothing less for his parcel of Alaskan land that would cost Damek over fifty-million dollars—and what a bargain it was. Besides, the human didn’t have the balls to tell Damek he thought he might try to pass a bad check. Men and dragons had died for less.

  Settling back in his seat, Damek smiled as he listened to classic rock on the stereo. He couldn’t wait to inform May Flowers that she had found her dragon. Technically, he had found her, but he didn’t think she’d argue over the matter. For once in his life, he felt totally relaxed. It was most likely the effect of knowing he could finally settle down. Finally, he would have a mate and a family of his own. After thousands of years alone, what more could a man, or a dragon, want?

  Chapter Three

  May dawdled as long as she dared. The last thing she wanted was to return to Drake’s house after that…that dragon bought this place because of her. Crap and double crap! She was between the proverbial rock and a hard place.

  Who was the strange dragon who bought this place just to get her out of her contract? She sat in front of the mirror, her makeup gone and her feathers in their case. She stared at her reflection, wondering how she would manage to avoid the strange dragon. She could refuse to attend April’s mating parties, but that wouldn’t be fair to the rest of her sisters whom April managed to browbeat into showing up for the irritating events.

  Every week, her sister brought different dragons into the house to meet them, and every week, May had turned her nose up at the muscular men. Why hadn’t she ever seen that huge dragon at one of the parties?

  How could she be so attracted to a man who didn’t fit into her mold of the perfect man in anyway? He was too tall. Well, to be fair, most of the dragons were too tall. Add to that, his too-handsome face with the little hitch on the nose that looked as though someone had broken it and didn’t heal properly. Those deep brown eyes of his seemed to stare deep into her soul. He just wasn’t the type she was normally attracted to.

  May stared into the mirror, her chin in hand, and sighed. What was she to do now? She couldn’t face her sisters or Drake, not after what she’d done. Why hadn’t she thought this through better? She should have realized that there was no way she’d be able to ditch Drake’s men once a month for the next year, anyway. Sooner or later, they would have been on to her tricks.

  Scooting to the edge of her seat, she closed the makeup case she’d managed to smuggle out of the house in the tote bag she’d used as a purse today and stuffed it back into the bag. Looking at the clock, she sighed. She’d probably put them off as long as she could.

  She didn’t want to go back to Drake’s where she knew that strange dragon could find her, and she couldn’t stay here. There was no way the dragons would let her return to her own home. Hell, they hadn’t wanted her to go back there to pack her things, much less live there again. Not while there was still a threat to her and her sisters.

  It wasn’t like she was stupid. May got it. She knew that if someone were to take her hostage, they could use her to get to her sisters. What she didn’t understand was why they had to stay with dragons? Why couldn’t they stay with someone else? One of their aunts or uncles would do. They were witches. Surely, between them, they could protect their nieces, couldn’t they?

  Another impatient knock on the dressing room door had her throwing her shoulders back and her chest out. She pasted an indifferent expression on her face and hoped it stayed in place at least until she got to her bedroom at Drake’s.

  Reba, one of the regular exotic dancers, grinned. “My, they’re in a hurry, aren’t they?”

  “They can’t wait to get me out of here.” May gave her a half smile. “I guess I’ve stalled as long as I can, huh?”

  Tears filled her eyes at the thought of all the hungry children who wouldn’t eat because she couldn’t manage to ditch her brothers-in-jaw for a few hours a week. Who would give the shelter…the money they needed so desperately?

  Her shoulders slumped when she thought about her failure. The shelter had come to depend on her usual donation. Now, there would be no more and she could do nothing to change that—at least not until they caught the person responsible for sneaking into their houses and installing mini cameras all over the place.

  The dragons would never agree to let her go to a conventional job day in and day out. What made her think they wouldn’t find out about this? She should have known better. Maybe, if she’d talked to Drake, he would have allowed her to come here to dance if she had an entourage. Who knew? It was certainly too late to ask now, and if she did, he was certain to say no after all the trouble she had caused.

  Hell, she’d be lucky if all he did was say no and slap her hands. May was no stranger to action and reaction. She had taken action by signing on with the Pussycat. Now, she had to pack up, go back to her sister’s new home, and face the reaction.

  With a sigh, she carefully finished packing her costume away and picked up the case. It was time to go and face the music. One thing was certain. Whatever Drake’s reaction was, it couldn’t be any worse than what she imagined. Whatever the reaction was, it couldn’t be worse than being stuck inside all day, every day.

  Standing, May picked up her things. “It was nice to meet you all.”

  “It was nice to meet you, too,” Reba said as she turned toward the door. “Who knows? You might find a way to get back. When you do, I can’t wait to see your performance.”

  Turning, May smiled at the little brunette. “I’d like that.”

  Once facing the door again, May took a deep breath, then reached out with her free hand and opened the door.

  “Here goes something.”

  When she exited the dressing room, Drake took her case, and her sisters crowded around her. She wanted to cry at their unconditional acceptance and the love they all exuded. Each one of her sisters hugged her in turn. May knew then, how lucky she was to have her family, even when Lance scowled down at her. After a minute, even he managed to push his anger aside and pulled her into his arms.

  “It’ll be okay, lil sis. I’ll send them a check every month.” He kissed her temple. “Don’t worry about the kids. The rest of the boys and I will see that they don’t go hungry, I promise.”

  May stood in her brother’s embrace for a few moments longer. Of course, he would see to it that she didn’t worry about seeing that the children were fed. He knew why she tried so hard to see that the shelter had the money they needed every month.

  It was Lance who had found her scrambling around town, searching trashcans for a bite to eat once her parents had died. She didn’t know who to trust. Her mother told her to run, to hide, and to trust no one, then pushed her out of the house before she died.

  Sometimes, May could still hear her mother’s screams as her parents died in the horrible fire that consumed her home when she was little more than five years old.

  She wasn’t sure what happened to the others’ parents, but May remembered
hers died in the fire.

  After weeks of living on the street, starving, a ten-year-old Lance had found her eating out of trashcans and took her home like a stray kitten. That was the day she’d met her oldest sister, April. June had been next after May, then she sort of lost count after that. She only knew that the first three Flowers girls were named after the months in which they were found.

  She snuggled closer to Lance and let him hold her. He always felt safe, like home. Maybe that was because he, more than anyone, knew why she had to help the homeless kids. She wouldn’t be able to live with herself if she didn’t.

  Chapter Four

  Damek was pissed. He’d expected to be back in the states by now. Hell, he hadn’t been gone five days like he expected. Johnathan Anderson had all but ignored him while he kept Damek nearby while he bought two golf courses and a hospital. Not once did the man allow him to bring up the subject of his land in the tundra.

  Somehow, the man had gotten wind of Damek’s interest. The idiot most likely thought Damek was after oil. That couldn’t be farther from the truth. He wasn’t after oil or even natural gas. The treasure Damek sought was far greater than one of wealth. What he sought was an antidote for the Dragon’s Desire.

  As long as the synthesized version of it floated about the world, his kind was in danger. Long ago, evil men used it to imprison and kill dragonkin. He could not allow a repeat of that. The last onslaught nearly wiped them out as a species. Another attack would certainly mean the end for his people.

  Carter opened the door and Jonathan Anderson slid onto the opposite seat. Damek glanced up at him, then back to his paperwork. The bastard might be important, but Damek was through treating him like royalty. The asshole could stay there and ride backward as far as he was concerned.

  Damek scrawled his signature on one more form, then fastened his pen to the clipboard and looked up. “It’s about time you showed up.”

  Anderson gave him what he suspected was a bored look that he practiced quite often in the mirror. “I had other business to attend to.”

  “And you had business with me. I came here from out of the country to settle this matter with you.” Damek stopped there. He wanted the other man to know he was pissed, but he didn’t want to alienate him. Damek dismissed anything Anderson might have said with a wave of his hand. “It’s of no consequence now. You’re here and I’m here and most importantly, my checkbook is here.” Reaching into his briefcase, Damek pulled out his checkbook and picked up his pen.

  “Not so fast, Antaeus.” Anderson held up his hand. “Who says I still want to sell that property to you?”

  Damek almost growled at him. He could feel himself starting to change. He was sure it showed in his eyes. It was a good thing he’d still been looking at that asshole’s hand. “Why would you change your mind?” His temper under control, he allowed himself to meet the other man’s gaze. “We had an agreement, Anderson. We even shook on it last month. Is it no longer a matter of honor to keep one’s word when one has made a verbal agreement?”

  “It’s a gray area.” Jonathan shrugged. “After you left, I decided to do a geological survey and I’m not sure I want to part with it now.”

  “I see.” Damek nodded and deliberately put his checkbook away. “Just so you know, Anderson, I don’t have any desire to develop the land, nor is there anything of value beneath the surface. I merely wanted to reacquire the land for my family.”

  Anderson’s brows rose. “Your family?”

  “If you check the history, you would see that it belonged to my great-grandfather long ago. He sold it to finance a business venture that, I’m sure, you’ll agree, was a complete success since I still own that business today and it has made us quite wealthy.” He shrugged. “If you do not wish to part with it, I’m sure I can wait until you do, or I can simply approach whoever you do decide to sell it to in the future.”

  Damek sat back in his seat, closed his briefcase, and fastened the clasps. Setting the case on the floor, he pressed the button to alert his driver to turn on the intercom.

  “Yes, sir?”

  “Turn us around, Howard. Mr. Anderson is no longer interested in selling his property. We must drop him off at his club and return to the hotel. I have urgent business in the United States.”

  Damek’s temper boiled beneath the surface of his civility. He was a man of his word. He always had been. It was an insult for this ass to back out now.

  “Whoa! Wait a minute. I never said I didn’t want to sell it to you.”

  “You said you wanted to rethink the situation, Jonathan. I can only assume you meant you wouldn’t part with it because you have another buyer in mind. If you think you’re going to get another damned dime out of me, you are mistaken.”

  The money wasn’t the issue. If the man had said, I’ve been thinking that I have asked too little for the property, would you mind renegotiating the price, there wouldn’t have been a problem. However, Anderson chose to lie to him, to tell him he’d ordered a survey. That had been a ploy to get Damek to panic and offer more. No, the money wasn’t the issue. Anderson’s integrity, or lack thereof was the problem at hand.

  Jonathan’s face turned red when he discovered that Damek was not fooled by his duplicity. “I just wondered why you wanted it so badly.”

  Damek stared back at the man, his brow raised. “Well, now you know.”

  “Yes.” Anderson nodded. “And I’ve alienated you in the process.” He leaned forward in the seat. “I don’t want this to tarnish our business relationship.”

  Too late. “It has not been tarnished beyond repair.” Damek looked out the window. “But you are correct in assuming that it changes things for the future.”

  “What if I discounted it for you? Say, knock a few hundred-thousand dollars off the price?”

  “That isn’t necessary, John. All that I ask is that you keep up your end of the bargain. The money was never the issue.” Damek leaned forward. “Remember this if you remember nothing else of this conversation. In everything in life, your word should always be your bond. If you don’t have that, you have nothing.”

  “You are absolutely correct.” Anderson nodded and sat back. “I apologize for creating this rift. I hope to be able to close it one day.”

  “It is forgotten.” Damek waved his hand in a dismissive gesture. “Shall we get back to business?”

  Chapter Five

  May was going mad. She’d been under a form of house arrest for the last two weeks. Sure, she could leave, but she had to clear it with Drake and his henchmen.

  She threw the book she’d just finished across the room. Normally she would never treat a book like that, especially a library book, but she was going insane here with nothing to do.

  The book landed on the floor, its cover open and the pages bent. With a sigh, she stood, walked over to the wall, and picked it up. She smoothed the pages and closed the book, setting it gently on the table next to her bed as though the careful treatment would somehow negate her abuse.

  Walking to her window, she looked out over the grounds at the back of the house. With the swimming pool and patio just outside the sliding glass doors in the great room, to the lush, trimmed gardens beyond, she could have loved this place. Well, that is, if it weren’t for the fact that she felt like a prisoner here.

  With a sigh, May went to her dresser and pulled out her bikini. It was the one she bought on a whim while visiting one of the expensive shops April had taken her to. She smiled when she held it up in front of herself to look in the mirror. She’d never even tried it on. She bought it at April’s suggestion that it might make her feel better to make Drake pay two-hundred dollars for a scrap of material barely big enough to cover the pertinent parts.

  April had been right. The little scraps of white material, covered in yellow polka-dots, at least made her smile. She didn’t smile because of what it cost her brother-in-law, she smiled because she was now the proud owner of a teeny yellow polka-dot bikini.

  Still
smiling, May undressed and donned the swimming suit. What the heck? If she couldn’t go anywhere, she could at least take a dip in the pool and get some sun on her white legs.

  She’d just closed her bedroom door, when she heard one of her sisters ask, “Going for a swim?”

  May turned to give Ginger a sideways glance. “Uh, no. As a matter of fact, I was just going to church. Wanna come?”

  “Okay. I deserved that one,” Ginger said with a giggle. “Though, I wouldn’t mind worshipping at the chlorine temple myself.” She hooked her arm around May’s and pulled her along beside her. “Will you wait for me to change?”

  “Of course.”

  Nothing was worse than swimming alone. Though Drake had cameras all over the place, and security personnel, it didn’t mean she wanted to be out there by herself.

  What if something happened and she got a cramp in the deep end? What would she do other than drown? She was safer with one of her sisters along. Every one of the Flowers children had taken water safety courses.

  While water magic was common, their parents had insisted that each of them learn safety measures. In fact, all of them had lifeguard jobs in the summer while they were in school.

  For some reason, their parents had feared for their safety when around lakes—they never did figure out why.

  May was glad for her sister’s company. She hadn’t been looking forward to swimming alone. The last thing she wanted was Drake’s security personnel ogling her while she was getting in a few laps. At least with Ginger there, they would most likely look solely at her sister if they decided to hang around.

  Drake never used to have security patrolling the grounds inside the walls until her sisters, Rose and Tansy, climbed a tree and snuck out over the eight-foot tall brick enclosure. After that fiasco, he posted guards to keep the unattached Flowers sisters in as much as keep others out.

  “Can you hurry? I need to get out of this house before I go mad,” May said as they entered Ginger’s room. Like May’s room, it was large. However, that’s where the similarities ended. May’s room was lavender with an ivy border just below the crown molding. This room was light blue, almost the same color as Ginger’s eyes, with some sort of pink, flowery plant decorating the top few inches of the wall. Even the furniture was different.