Rockwell Agency: Boxset

by Dee Bridgnorth

  The pair left, holding hands, and Barrett closed the door behind them. As the lock clicked into place, he sighed. For a moment, while they were here, he remembered what it was like to feel like he was good at his job, and useful, and on top of things. He remembered what it was like to laugh with his friends and have success on a case. It was a welcome relief from lying awake all night, wondering if he was going to lose the agency and everything else at the same time.

  But now they were gone, and he couldn’t keep pretending like everything was fine. He had to go into the office, and he had to face the disaster that was waiting for him there with the break-in, and the missing money, and the tampered files, and all of the other evidence that pointed to him being a totally inept and perhaps corrupt leader.

  Except that he wasn’t. He knew he wasn’t. He just didn’t know how to prove it.

  Liam

  It was a short drive from Barrett’s house to Hannah’s. Both Hannah and Liam spent most of the drive in silence, both tired and still processing all that they had just been through. Everything had escalated so quickly and now it was …all over. The threat was gone. The curse was gone.

  “Wait,” Liam said, as Hannah pulled into her driveway. “What about the mediocrity curse that first brought me to you? That wouldn’t have been reversed when Winnifred died. Am I still destined to be mediocre?”

  Hannah raised an eyebrow at him, as she unbuckled her seatbelt. “Maybe that’s why you decided to settle for me and propose. Because it fits in with your new mediocrity.”

  Liam grabbed the back of her neck and yanked her to him for a deep, passionate kiss. “If you think that’s mediocre, then I don’t know what to tell you.” He pulled back to look down into her glassy eyes. He smiled with satisfaction at the look of desire on her face. “Definitely not mediocre.”

  Smiling, Hannah kissed him again. “Definitely not. I’m not sure that curse was ever all that effective.”

  They got out of the car, walking towards her house together.

  “You mean that one curse didn’t work, but all the others did?” Liam asked, as Hannah fetched a spare key and unlocked the door. “That doesn’t seem likely.”

  “I just don’t think it was a very sustainable curse,” Hannah said, walking inside and kicking off her shoes. “I mean, mediocrity is subjective, and subjective curses or spells are always problematic. And it was over the course of a whole lifetime. Spells aren’t that effective over such long spans of time. I think she probably wanted to scare you, and I think that the curse did throw you off your game for a while, but I don’t think that you’re destined for perpetual mediocrity.”

  Liam snaked his arm around her waist. “Well, clearly. Seeing as you said yes.”

  Hannah smiled, then gasped and laughed, as he picked her up off her feet and into his arms, cradling her against his chest. “Liam!”

  “That wasn’t mediocre either …” he said, walking her back to her bedroom.

  “Your back is still sore,” Hannah said.

  “Shhh,” he chided her, despite the pain in his back from the scarring Winnifred had left. “I’m being romantic by carrying my bride-to-be over the threshold to her bedroom.”

  Hannah rested her head against his chest and sighed. “It’s hard to argue with that. But before we get too off topic …I do want to mention that I still want you to go through a curse cleansing. Just in case. It won’t hurt. Well, it will hurt. But it won’t hurt long-term.”

  “That’s very comforting,” Liam said, setting her down on the bed. “I’ll do whatever you say, my beautiful dragon shifter. That is, as long as you do whatever I say right now …”

  Hannah flushed and grinned at him. “Liam ….”

  “Ah-ah,” he said, holding a finger to his lips. “The only sounds you’re allowed to make are moans.”

  Hannah’s grin grew, but then she opened her mouth and started to speak, forcing Liam to put his finger against her lips.

  “Ah-ah,” he said again, smirking at her, as she lightly bit his finger. “Not a word, beautiful. Take those clothes off …”

  Hannah did as he asked, her gorgeous brown eyes watching him, as she stripped her shirt over her head and tossed it aside. She had lost her bra long ago, shifting back and forth between human and dragon form, so her full breasts were on display, bare, and creamy, and round. Liam was already aroused, but the sight of her made him hard as a rock, and he could barely contain himself, as she wriggled out of her pants and lay back on the bed, completely naked.

  Liam groaned, stripping his own clothes off and covering her body with his, kissing her fiercely. “Nothing mediocre here.” He ran his hands down the length of her body. “You are extraordinary, and I love you, Hannah Reese.”

  Just as he’d instructed, all Hannah did was moan in response, as he began to kiss her neck. He kissed her everywhere, his fingertips following after his lips. He worshipped her fully and brought her pleasure after pleasure, and not once did he feel deprived. Her pleasure brought him pleasure in a way that he had never felt before, and he could easily have spent hours if not days or weeks just exploring her perfect skin.

  But he wasn’t made of steel, and eventually her soft moans, and gasps, and the sweet taste of her skin put him over the edge. He had to have her, and he had to have her now.

  So, he took her, filling her completely, as he looked down into her eyes. And as they moved together with perfect, synchronized rhythm, he knew that there had always been something missing in his life. And it was Hannah. It might have almost cost him his life to find her, but it was so worth it. She had shown him what he had never known he always wanted, and in return, he would devote himself to making her happy for the rest of her life.

  Liam spilled himself inside of her, groaning against her ear, as she shuddered through her own release. Pleasure filled him, lighting him up from inside. He had never felt so close to anyone before. He had never felt so whole. And as he collapsed on top of her, wrapping his arms around her, he couldn’t believe that this was his forever.

  PART V

  Prologue

  Norman Rockwell sat in his son, Gideon’s, living room, sipping on a sweet iced tea and looking out of the large window at the lush, green backyard dotted with flowering bushes and blooming trees. Spring was in full force, even though it was only April, and the weather was sunny and warm. The earth was waking back up after what, in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, only amounted to a light afternoon nap. It should have been a pleasant afternoon for the retired private investigator and oldest Rockwell dragon shifter, but it was anything but pleasant. Norman sat with his fingers wrapped tightly around the glass.

  “Dad, you’re going to break that glass,” Gideon said, sitting across the room on the large, plush couch that dominated the space. “Relax.”

  “How exactly do I relax?” Norman asked, taking his gaze from the window and looking over at his son. “The Rockwell elders have just taken a vote to remove my grandson—your son—from his position as head of the Rockwell Agency. This is unprecedented, Gideon. No Rockwell has ever been removed from a leadership position, and now it’s happening under our watch.”

  Gideon shook his head. “I don’t like it any more than you do, Dad, but we can’t stop it from happening. Whatever is going on with Barrett—it’s not something we can help him with at this point. There’s no doubt that the agency is falling apart around him, is there? Whether we like it or not, the facts are that there have been two break-ins now that look like inside jobs, missing money, missing files, leaked information—and actual videos of dragons flying that have been released to the public. He’s my son, and I love him, and I want to help him, but I don’t know how to fix that for him. Do you?”

  Norman shook his head, looking back out of the window. “If I knew how, I would have done it already. I’ve done what I can for him. You’re right that we can’t just step in and make these problems go away. But we can’t be hypocritical, either.”

  “What is that supposed to mean?”


  Norman cut his eyes towards his son and gave him a meaningful look. “You know exactly what that means.”

  Gideon’s gaze darkened. “Don’t.”

  “Barrett’s time as a leader is hardly the first to be plagued with …unfortunate events,” Norman said. He usually preferred to remain positive and to focus only on the things that would be helpful. He didn’t take life or himself too seriously, but this wasn’t the moment to sweep things under the rug or fail to say things that needed to be said. His grandson was going to be removed from the Rockwell Agency, and Norman couldn’t bear to see that happen.

  “Dad …,” Gideon said.

  Norman held up a hand, brushing off his son’s protests. “I’m not going to talk about it, so don’t worry. I know the rules. There are things that we never speak about, and it’s better that way. But you take my point all the same, son. What happened during …your time at the agency … Well, it was arguably much worse than anything that’s happened under Barrett’s time so far, and I don’t think it’s right what we’re about to do to him. To take a man from his rightful place like that …”

  “You’ve said too much already,” Gideon said, through gritted teeth. Gideon wasn’t a man of anger. He had been known, during his time with the agency, for being level-headed and good under pressure. But there was one thing that could trigger Gideon’s temper like nothing else, and Norman already knew he was walking a fine line. “That was an entirely different situation, anyway, Dad. Entirely different, in fact. That was not a failure on my part to maintain some semblance of order.”

  “But it was a failure on your part,” Norman said, “and people rallied to you, rather than abandoned you. They have kept your secret ever since. In fact, it’s almost astounding to what degree people have kept your secret. Especially from your only son.”

  “Enough,” Gideon said, getting to his feet. “I think you should go, Dad. It’s been a long day, and this is hard on all of us. I’m not going to let them throw Barrett under the bus, but I can’t stop them from asking him to step down while there’s an on-going investigation into the way the Rockwell Agency is being run. And none of that gives you any right to bring up things that are long buried now.”

  Norman stood up as well, setting his glass on the coffee table and sighing as he looked at his son. “You had a father who made sure that you got through what happened to you, Gideon. Make sure that Barrett knows that you’re going to be there for him through this.”

  “Of course, I’m going to be there for him,” Gideon said. “Are you implying that I’m a bad father? That this is somehow my fault?”

  “No,” Norman said. “I’m flat-out saying that you might be letting your guilt from what happened while you were in charge color how you’re handling this situation. You don’t want the elders starting to ask whether or not you’re a bad father, now do you?”

  Gideon’s dark eyes flashed with anger. “You need to go.”

  Norman headed towards the door. He knew that Gideon didn’t want to hear what he’d said, but Norman didn’t regret saying it. Gideon had been through a lot during the time that he was in charge of the agency. It was impossible for it not have affected him. And it made Gideon feel as though he couldn’t take a hard stand with the Rockwell Clan elders to fight for his son.

  It was true that they couldn’t protect Barrett from all responsibility, but they didn’t have to roll over and take it either. Gideon might be too worried about dragging out the past, but Norman wasn’t, and he didn’t think that Barrett deserved what was happening to him. Norman didn’t know why things looked so bad with the agency, but he was confident it wasn’t because his grandson was corrupt or inept.

  There was something else behind the scenes, and Norman was going to help Barrett get to the bottom of it. Even if Gideon wouldn’t.

  Chapter 1

  Barrett

  “At the end of the day, Lana …,” Barrett said, looking across his desk at the woman who sat in a chair beside her boyfriend, his hand gripped in hers. “You just have to accept this. Both of you. I know you wanted a different answer than what I have to give you, and I’m sorry I don’t have better news. But the werewolf gene can’t be undone.”

  Lana shook her head. “No, that can’t be right. It can’t be. That’s not a real thing.”

  Barrett restrained his sigh and leaned back in his chair, holding his hands up, palms out. “It’s a real thing, and you know it’s a real thing, Lana, because you’re the one who discovered Jim in the garage, hiding the fact that he’s turning into a werewolf every month. You’ve seen it with your own eyes. Once bitten, there’s nothing anyone can do,” Barrett said. “What you and Jim have to do now is figure out a way to adapt. I can provide you both with plenty of information about how to manage life as a werewolf.”

  “I’m not going to manage life as a werewolf,” Lana said, sounding shocked at the suggestion. “No—this isn’t something we just move on from. No way. I’m not doing it.”

  “But, Lana,” Jim said, squeezing her hand, but she immediately pulled away from him. “I can’t help it. I’m sorry that this is the way it is now, but I love you, and I need you. We can get through this together, can’t we?”

  Lana laughed in disbelief. “I’m not dating a werewolf. That’s crazy.”

  “I was going to propose,” Jim said, his voice cracking. “We talked about getting married.”

  “I’m not marrying a werewolf!”

  Jim reached for her again, grabbing her arm. “But think of all the …new role-plays.” He lowered his voice but not nearly to a level quiet enough that Barrett couldn’t hear him. “I mean, our sex will be so animalistic now, right? And it’ll be exciting. I’m so strong now … so powerful.”

  Lana’s expression changed from one of horror to one of impish arousal. “Jim!” She swatted at him and giggled. “Don’t!”

  “It could be amazing …” Jim said, tugging her closer. He kissed her passionately right there, both of them leaning over their chairs to meet messily in the middle. “Right?”

  “Oh, Jim,” Lana said, throwing her arms around his neck.

  Barrett pinched the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes. Then he cleared his throat loudly. “Okay, so now that we have that settled, I’ll just put together some information for you, and you can both be on your way to start …adjusting to life as it is now.”

  Lana glanced over at him, still very much engaged in kissing and petting with Jim. “You’re really sure there’s no pill?”

  “There’s no pill.”

  “Or a potion?”

  “There’re no potions or cures for being a werewolf, “Barrett said, glancing at the clock on his computer. “Listen, guys, let’s meet again tomorrow. I’ll have some stuff for you then. Otherwise, it looks like you’re both feeling better about the situation.”

  Lana giggled, pushing Jim off her. “Well, I guess it’s not so bad.”

  “I’m going to tear you to pieces,” Jim said, standing up and pulling Lana with him, his hands roaming all over his girlfriend’s body. The two, twenty-somethings were at it again, completely unperturbed by having an audience.

  Barrett, however, was quite perturbed. He stood up and walked over to his office door, pulling it open. “Okay, the meeting is over. Head out now. Thanks very much. And try to remember not to go telling anyone about your new secret. That’s very important.” He watched as Lana and Jim made their way past him, still giggling, and kissing, and flirting. “Not that either of you have time to use your lips for speaking, anyway …”

  When they were gone, he went back to his office and closed the door. Leaning up against it, he sighed and dragged a hand over his face, feeling the thickness of the stubble that was adorning his jawline these days. Shaving had become a luxury that he didn’t have the time or energy for most mornings, and the dark growth that was coming in matched his dark mood lately.

  He walked back over to his desk and sat down, trying to concentrate on making some notes on recent
cases that he’d worked on or closed, before shifting his attention to putting together information for Jim on what to do now that he had been bitten by a werewolf and would forever be one himself. He was glad that shifting was genetic, and that shifters didn’t have to worry about going around accidentally creating more of themselves. Werewolves were very different from wolf shifters, though he had no intention of explaining the nuances to Jim. That was getting a little too close to his own experiences, even though he was a dragon shifter rather than a wolf shifter. Best not to open that can of worms when there was no need to.

  Barrett didn’t notice the hours passing as he worked. He kept his door shut, and no one called in. It was unusual for him to get an afternoon like that these days, because the Rockwell Clan elders were always dropping by to inspect how things were running or to take a look at the agency’s books. Or a new client would come in. Or there would be some other problem that cropped up—like rearranged files. The latest thing that he’d had to deal with was finding one client’s confidential notes put into another client’s file. Ryan had taken a return client who had worked with Jordan previously, and when he’d gone and pulled that client’s file. He hadn’t known that the notes were inaccurate. So, he’d read them out to the woman, confirming they were correct. The woman had previously come to Jordan for a simple spouse investigation case—nothing supernatural. Ryan had read notes to her about a vampire case that Quentin and Hannah had worked on together about eight months ago. The woman had left, shocked and upset, and there was no way to know what damage she might do talking to other people about what a Rockwell agent had told her.

  It was just one thing after another, and Barrett couldn’t account for any of it. He’d put up cameras around the agency, but that hadn’t stopped the two break-ins that had occurred, and there had been no footage during the time of the break-in. It was as though whoever had broken in, and taken money, and caused chaos had known how to disable the video.