by Lia Davis
She placed a hand on his fist. “I know the risk and I was careful. I knew Henry was at work today.”
“How did you find it?” Nyna’s voice drifted from the living room. “You two don’t whisper very well.”
Releasing a heavy sigh, Cayden motioned to the living room. Kara stood and went to sit next to Nyna, pulling her into a hug so they could cuddle up on the sofa. Seeing them together softened Cayden’s rough edges. Well, most of them anyway.
Kara met his gaze briefly as she answered Nyna’s question. “I went to scope out Henry’s house here in Woodland Creek. At first I thought it was clean. Then I picked up on the scent of cordite and blood and followed it. He buried the gun in the backyard under the rose bush. But that wasn’t the only thing there. There was a knife wrapped in a kitchen towel with it, which led me to believe that he’d killed someone else.”
Cayden ground his molars together. The impulse to pick up Nyna and Kara and fly them far away from Henry or anyone else who could harm them was strong. The dragon paced under his skin like a caged animal, waiting to burst free and chase down its prey. “What did you do with the weapons?”
“I buried them again and left them there.”
Nyna lifted her gaze and stared at Kara. Then a small, sad smile formed on her lips. “I knew deep down that he killed Joan. I guess he did it to keep her from telling me what she knew or found digging into the financial records more. Hell, I don’t know him anymore. He’s no longer the uncle I grew up loving.”
Cayden’s dragon snarled. He wished there was something he could do besides kill the bastard. “What do you want to do?”
Shifting her gaze to him, she stared for several long moments before pulling out of Kara’s embrace. “I’m going back to work. I have a feeling he’ll stop by and check on things. When he does, I’ll spring the trap and let him know that I know about PurTech.”
It was thirty minutes from closing time when Henry showed. Nyna had known about a minute before the man entered the store because Kara—who was curled up beside her on the counter in cat form—growled and jumped down.
Nyna wanted to growl as well; and maybe bite the man. Yet, she had to play like she didn’t know what was going on. Even though she wanted to scream at him and ask him why he’d done it.
“I thought you’d still be mad at me for kicking you out yesterday.” She lifted her gaze and saw that his right forearm had scratches on it. Her gut burned with a mixture of dread and anger. He killed Joan.
“I came by to apologize for being an ass.”
Narrowing her eyes, she studied his face. He appeared tired and wired at the same time, if that made any sense. “Are you okay?”
He shrugged and glanced around the store. “Yeah. Just work stuff.”
Right. “Oh, I meant to call you earlier to ask if you knew anything about my mother owning a business called PurTech.”
His gaze snapped back to hers much faster than she’d expected. Guilty much? After a brief moment, he relaxed and asked, “She owned a business?”
Nyna lifted a shoulder for effect. “I guess you didn’t know either. Well, someone from Choice Bank called me this morning. Apparently, they just found out she died and tracked me down as her only heir.”
Henry shifted from foot to foot and glanced at his watch several times. “What did they say?”
“They just need me to come down and complete some paperwork to get my name on the account. They mentioned an offshore account, which I thought was odd.” Nyna moved around the counter to start cleaning up before she closed.
Henry moved with her, following her a little too closely. Her heart hammered in her chest. The fear that he may hurt her or kill her swirled in her thoughts, making her tremble all over. Don’t chicken out now.
“If you want, I can take care of it for you. I know you’re busy with the bookstore and all.”
She glanced at him with a focused smile. “That’s nice of you to offer, but it’s taken care of.”
And it was. Nyna had contacted her lawyer that morning and had him draw up the papers to transfer PurTech from her mother’s name to hers. In fact, she’d gotten the confirmation from him an hour ago that she was good to go. Henry no longer had control over his little embezzlement scam. The money that was in the offshore account had been transferred back to Carter Enterprises and the account closed.
Henry took a step toward her but stilled as the chime on the door sounded. Nyna glanced up and relief flooded her at the sight of Cayden. With a wide smile, she went to him and kissed him quickly on the lips. “I was beginning to think you’d forgotten about our date.”
Cayden’s eyes flashed silver for a brief moment before he returned her smile and wrapped his arms around her. “I could never forget about you.”
Just then, Kara came out of her hiding place to rub against Nyna’s and Cayden’s legs. After releasing Nyna, Cayden scooped up the black cat and stroked her back. Kara purred. Nyna’s heart filled with something she hadn’t felt since losing her parents—love.
Facing Henry, she asked, “Is there anything else?”
He worked his jaw and shoved his hands into his pockets. “No. I’ll be at the office if you need anything.”
He left, and only after he was out of sight did Nyna release the breath she had been holding, sagging against Cayden in the process. “I was sure he was going to kill me.”
“Not on my watch.” Cayden lifted her chin so their eyes met. “I need the two of you to stay at my house tonight. I can’t stand to let you out of my sight, especially after the level of anger I smelled rolling off your uncle.”
Nyna hugged Cayden’s waist. “You’ll get no argument from me. Do me a favor?”
“Anything.”
“Let’s pretend none of this is happening. Just for tonight. I want the three of us to start the web.”
Cayden stilled for a brief moment before asking, “Are you sure?”
“I’m not sure about anything anymore. I do feel that the three of us belong together. We can work this out. I feel it in my heart. Besides, I want you to chase the ghosts away for the night.” She lifted her gaze. He smiled at her, then kissed Kara on her head.
“I can do that.”
Nyna’s fear turned into nervousness at the promise of pleasure in his tone. She should run away from everything and become a hermit. But she wasn’t the type to give up or lay down and let life trample over her. No, she was a fighter. She loved life too much to let Henry ruin what she’d worked so hard for.
The idea that her future could include two people she cared for greatly warmed her and gave her the strength to come out of this better than she ever was. Rising on her toes, she kissed Cayden. “Take us to your lair and show us what it means to be caught in a dragon’s web.”
***
Once Cayden released Kara in his living room, she shifted back to human and crossed her arms. “I hate that man.”
Cayden let out a chuckle. “So do I, kitty.”
She narrowed her eyes at him, but her lips lifted in approval. Warmth and a thrill he hadn’t felt before filled him. Closing the distance between him and Kara in two steps, he framed her face in his hands and kissed her. Passion exploded the moment their lips touched, but it was nothing compared to the desire that burned through him the moment Nyna joined them, threading her fingers through his hair, her nails gently scratching his scalp.
There was no jealousy, no tension between the females. It was as if they were already connected through the love they’d shared before Henry turned everything upside down. All he had to do was cast the spell that would close the dragon’s web and seal their union.
“What do we have to do?” Nyna asked.
“Just open your heart and mind. I would never force this on either of you. Other dragons would, but I can’t.” He paused, then shook his head. “I told you I was cursed. As I mentioned, a wizard cursed me to live a long, lonely life. He apparently didn’t believe in true love, because he said that the only way to break the
curse was by magically binding myself to my true love. One pure of heart.”
“That’s a serious spell.” Kara shook her head as if in disbelief.
“He was pretty upset that I slept with his wife.” He held up his hand when both Nyna and Kara opened their mouths to speak. “Like I told you before, I didn’t know she was married. It was a one-nighter, and I was young and stupid.”
Nyna sucked in her bottom lip to keep from showing her amusement. It appeared even dragon males thought with their dicks. “So, what happens when the curse is broken?”
He frowned. “I’m not sure. As far as I know, I stopped aging at thirty-five, so I’ll probably continue to age at a normal rate if the hex breaks with our union.”
“If it doesn’t?”
Cayden sighed. “That’s why I want to magically bind us. We’ll forever be united.”
Nyna linked her fingers with his. “Whether we have seventy years together or seven hundred, I still want to do this. I can’t shake the feeling that we belong together. I felt it in my heart long before I realized it.”
Kara shrugged. “I told you. I’m a package deal. I go where Nyna goes.”
There was a slight tease in Kara’s tone. She couldn’t fool him. There was an attraction between the two of them that went beyond the one she shared with Nyna. The love between the three of them would grow over time. Hell, he was already half in love with both females.
“Alright. Like I said, open your hearts and minds to me. You have to be sincere about joining the web.”
“Cayden, you’re stalling.” Nyna touched his arm, forcing his gaze to hers. Golden-brown eyes looked up at him, melting his heart. She was right. Whatever happened was meant to happen, right?
He raised his arms and spoke the enchantment that would weave the web and bind them as life partners. “I weave the web of eternal love and choose Nyna Carter and Kara Mitchell to be my life partners for as long as we all shall live.”
An electric charge cut through the air and twined around them, weaving between them and around them in the shape of a web. The energy sped up and drew them closer, tightening the magical threads around them. A flash of white light followed by a zap of power ended the cycling energy. Almost instantly, he felt the connection to both females.
Nyna sagged against him. “Wow. That was…I don’t know what that was.”
Kara laughed. “I feel you two, inside of me. If feels great.” She hugged them both.
Cayden guided them to the sofa and sat so they snuggled against him, one on either side. “It’s much better than I dreamed.”
He felt energized, but could sense Nyna’s and Kara’s fatigue. Kissing each of the females on the head, he conjured a fire in the fireplace with a wave of his hand. “Sleep.”
A frown formed as the girls drifted off to sleep. He wished he could erase Nyna’s grief and worry. Henry will pay. I’ll make sure of it.
Nyna tapped her nails on the arms of the chair as she and Kara waited for Detective Marcs to retrieve them from the waiting area of the Louisville Police Department. Cayden had a deadline to meet, so Nyna told him to stay home and work on the book. She really didn’t see a need for him to be there. After all, she was just answering some questions.
“Ms. Carter.” Marcs glanced to Kara in question but didn’t comment as he stepped into the room. A heaviness settled in, as if another power stronger than the hum of magic Kara put off beside her were in the air. Nyna was so much more sensitive to everything now that she, Kara and Cayden had completed their bond.
Locking gazes with the detective, Nyna noted a flash of light ripple through the detective’s irises. Was he a shifter? No, it was different then Cayden but still magical. He cleared his throat and focused on the folder in front of him as he continued with the interview, breaking off her thoughts. “Sorry to keep you waiting. I hope you don’t mind if we take this into one of the interrogation rooms.”
Nyna shook her head and laced her fingers with Kara’s. “No, that’s fine.”
Kara squeezed her hand gently as they followed Detective Marcs. It was comforting to have Kara there. Plus, she would know more of what to say—and not to say—to the detective.
They came to a stop at an empty room, and Marcs held the door for them. Once inside and seated, Marcs began. “Would either of you like a drink?”
Kara made a purr-like growl. “If there’s alcohol in it.”
Marcs ignored her comment and proceeded with the interview. “How well did you know Ms. Hackett?”
Sadness gripped Nyna’s heart. The ache in her chest eased when Kara took her hand. “She was my father’s assistant until he died.”
“You said on the phone that you had information about her murder.”
Kara squeezed her hand to encourage her to continue, and Nyna told the detective everything she knew about her uncle and the fake company he’d set up in her mother’s name. “I shouldn’t have let Joan leave my house.”
Nyna sagged into herself, and Kara drew her into a hug. “I saw Henry burying something in the rose garden at back of the house he owns in Woodland Creek.” She stood, taking Nyna with her. “I’d check with the Woodland Creek police to see if they found anything interesting. I’m taking Nyna home to rest.”
Glancing at Marcs, Nyna didn’t bother to contain the disappointment in her tone. “My lawyer has all the financial information for PurTech from before and after I dissolved it. That should be good enough for you to get my parents’ murder case reopened.”
Kara guided Nyna out of the station, not giving the detective a chance to respond. “Now we wait.”
“Do you really think he’ll reopen the case?” What worried Nyna the most was Henry’s reaction and the feeling that he was up to something. He’d obviously been upset when she told him she’d taken over the fake company he started.
“I’m pretty sure. We definitely sparked his interest.”
When they reached the vehicle, Kara froze and let out a growl. “Get in the car. When I say go, you go.”
“What is it…?” Just then, Nyna saw two men emerge from a black Range Rover. Her heart skipped a few beats, and fear heated her blood. “I’m not leaving you here.”
“Go, Nyna. Now.”
“Kara, I can’t…” Nyna stepped forward and reached for her friend but was stopped by one of the men. He grabbed her arm while the other one grabbed Kara and placed a collar around her neck. Nyna started to scream for help, but her captor slapped a hand over her mouth. The sting from the too-hard connection of his palm to her face fueled he the mounting anger toward her uncle.
The coward couldn’t even do his own dirty work.
“I’d advise you to shut your mouth or the kitty dies,” he snarled and shoved her into the SUV.
She whirled around to try and escape, but the door slammed shut. A moment later, Kara was thrown in the back seat with her.
“Are you okay?” Kara touched her cheek.
“I’m not hurt. You?”
“Pissed.” She tried the door with no luck. They couldn’t be unlocked from the back. “Henry will pay for this.”
Yes, he will. “What do I need to do to help make it happen?”
***
A ripple on Cayden’s subconscious made him pause as he reached for the knob on his front door. Glancing at the clock, he let out a curse and jerked the door open. Nyna’s car wasn’t in her driveway. The girls should have been back.
Picking up his phone, he dialed Nyna’s number. The call went straight to voicemail. With a curse, he called Kara. After about the tenth ring, Cayden growled and shoved his phone in his pocket before he broke the damned thing.
His control over the dragon slipped a little, but he reined the beast in. With deep, calming breaths, he focused on Kara. God, he hoped he could locate them. He’d never tried to while they were together, so he didn’t know if whatever blocked his power of sight from Nyna would also prevent him from seeing Kara, as well.
Magic tingled from within, growing in power
with his mounting anxiety. A spark of fear sliced his gut, but it wasn’t his own. Kara. He locked onto that fear and called out to her. Suddenly, Nyna’s face flashed in his mind. Anger lines were etched on her forehead, and an inner fire made her eyes appear as if they glowed. She was channeling his power? Impossible.
The web sometimes formed a psychic bond between the pairings, but he’d never heard of the spell allowing the other partner or partners to share the dragon’s power. After all, it was a magical bond, not a soul binding.
“Cayden.” Both females spoke his name at the same time. His heart pounded in his throat.
“Where are you?” He tried to search the surroundings in the vision, but it was no use. They were in a car. As long as they were mobile, he couldn’t get a lock on their location. Damn it. Fury swirled in his chest then spread throughout his body. The dragon wanted blood. No one harmed what was theirs. Henry would know firsthand what happened to those who stole from a dragon.
Just then, Cayden’s phone rang. He answered on a growl. “You will return the females to me.”
A bitter, humorless laugh echoed over the cell connection. “Easy, dragon. Yes, I know what you are. Just as I know Kara and many others are also shifters. How do you think I managed to stay so successful?”
Cayden worked his jaw and fought to keep control over his dragon half. Henry didn’t know shit about the shifter world. If he did, he would have been a lot smarter and not nearly as sloppy cleaning up after his murders. “You will only get one warning, human. Your laws don’t apply to me.”
“Is that a threat? You might want to tread lightly if you want to see your precious girls again.” Henry paused and Cayden let out a deep growl. The human continued as if unfazed by Cayden’s aggression. “You will retrieve the PurTech ownership paperwork from Nyna’s lawyer and meet me in an hour at the old farm northeast of Woodland Creek.”
Henry ended the call. Cayden let out a roar and threw his phone across the room. It hit the wall and shattered into pieces, debris pinging off the furniture and floor. With a single thought, he teleported to his cave in the forest, then shifted into his large black dragon.
