Beg Me to Slay

by Lisa Kessler

  He wasn’t sure what he expected, but she didn’t hug him or smile or give him any clue about what she might be thinking. Instead she opened the car door. “I still don’t understand why we’re at the grocery store.”

  “Flowers.” He locked the car and came around to Tegan’s side. “Every mom deserves flowers, right?”

  She stared at him for a minute and smiled. A simple gift. His favorite kind.

  He took her hand without thinking about it. She tensed beside him. Her fingers didn’t entwine with his. He tried not to take it personally. Much.

  “Loosen up. It’s only for tonight.”

  “I thought we agreed no public displays of affection. My mom can jump to her own conclusions.”

  Gabe released her hand. “Sorry. I got caught up in the…moment.” He was definitely getting caught up in her. Dangerous for both of them.

  “I just don’t want things to get complicated.”

  “Right. Good idea.” He cleared his throat and guided her into the store, the subtle weight of his hand at the small of her back. “Let’s get some flowers, and get to your folks’ house.”

  …

  The moment Gabe pulled into her parents’ wide, circular driveway Tegan’s pulse went into warp drive. Anxiety buried its claws into her shoulders, her muscles bunching up. Regardless of her deal with Gabe to refrain from leading her parents to believe they were in a relationship, her mom would make that assumption.

  This was a huge, monumental mistake. There was no way she could go through with this.

  She started in her seat when Gabe opened her door. Before she could open her mouth to call the whole thing off, he knelt down so they were at eye level. His gaze held hers and steadied her nerves.

  “Remember when you chewed me out after we killed that Viri demon in your parking lot?”

  She nodded and made no move to unfasten her seat belt.

  “You told me you weren’t a victim.” He reached for her hand. His rough fingers soothed her as she tightened her grip. “Don’t let that attack hold you back from living.”

  He glanced toward the house. His hair brushed along his shoulder. It looked silky. She wanted to run her fingers through it.

  Gabe met her eyes again. “That’s no demon in there. It’s your mom.” He squeezed her hand. “We can do this. Are you in?”

  Staring at this man, this “demon slayer,” holding his hand… It didn’t feel like a simple birthday party at her parent’s house. If she got out of the car, her mother would be thrilled. The truth never had to come out. But if she got out of the car, she would be closer to Gabe than she’d been to a man since that night.

  Maybe she was more of a victim than she’d realized.

  Finally, Tegan nodded and unfastened her belt. “I’m in.”

  Gabe helped her out of the Mustang and she handed him the flowers while they walked to the front door. Before he rang the bell, he smiled down at her. “It’s going to be fine. You’ll see.”

  “Remember, no PDA.”

  His crooked smile made her heart flip. “Not unless you start it.”

  “Not a chance.” Her anxiety eased up, and a grin caught her by surprise.

  Gabe pressed the doorbell. A moment later her mom opened the door and bubbled over with joy and hugs. “Tegan! I’m so glad you’re here.”

  Tegan held tight to her mom, breathing her in. “Me too, Mom.”

  Her mother pulled back, holding her at arm’s length. “You look beautiful. You’re glowing.”

  Her cheeks flushed with heat. “Thanks.” She glanced over at Gabe. “Oh, Mom, this is my friend, Gabe.” Her mother’s attention shifted. “Gabe, this is my mom, Nancy.”

  He offered her the flowers. “It’s great to meet you, Mrs. Ashton.”

  Her mom took the bouquet of daisies and sunflowers and grinned up at him. “They’re gorgeous. Thank you. Please come in…”

  Tegan stepped over the threshold, Gabe’s warm hand at the back of her waist. Instead of making her tense, his touch steadied her again, reminding her she wasn’t alone. He’d be right beside her if she needed him.

  Because I hired him. He’s doing his job.

  Her parents’ large living room featured a wall of glass that overlooked the La Costa golf course, with a massive slate fireplace opposite. The room was full of mostly familiar faces. Her parents’ friends from the club, some of the women from the children’s charity her mother helped run, and a couple of her father’s business partners.

  “Where’s Dad?”

  “Oh, your father is on the patio with the caterers.” She touched Tegan’s wrist, encouraging her toward the crowd. “He’ll be in soon.”

  Tegan tensed as the partygoers looked her way. They’d wonder if she was all right now. There would be pity and sympathy in their eyes. This was too much.

  She started to pull away from her mom, and Gabe stepped in just in time. “I’ve heard so much about Mr. Ashton. I’d love to meet him.”

  Nancy turned, and Tegan swore she saw stars in her mom’s eyes. “All right. I’ll hold off the guests a little longer.”

  “Thanks, Mom.”

  Once they were out of earshot, she glanced up at Gabe. “Good save.”

  He ran his fingers slowly up her back, sending chills through her body. “Temporary diversion.”

  “Still counts.” She opened the French doors.

  Gabe followed her out into the fully decorated, candlelit patio area. “Wow.”

  Round tables draped in autumn shades of rust, gold, and brown filled the space. Each table had a vase with a fresh-cut sunflower, surrounded by tea light candles that warmed the entire patio area. The caterers were finishing up with the place settings, and her father stood nearby, his back to them.

  He hovered in the far corner by the covered buffet trays. On the lower level, a deejay worked on setting up his sound equipment near the black-bottom pool. Beside the speakers was a draped table with a large cake flanked by fresh sunflowers.

  It looked stunning, but even by her parents’ standards, this was over the top.

  “This is incredible.” Gabe took her hand, and her fingers surprised her by twining with his as though she’d been holding his hand forever. “I thought we’d just have pizza and birthday cake.”

  Tegan laughed. “My mother’s motto with a party is ‘go big or go home.’” She pointed toward her father. “Dad’s over there.”

  She pulled Gabe with her and tapped her dad’s shoulder. “Daddy?”

  He turned around and wrapped her in a bear hug that brought tears to her eyes. The world could be ending and her dad’s embrace would still make her feel safe. He was at least as tall as Gabe, with silver hair and a twinkle in his dark eyes as if he knew exactly what you were thinking.

  He loosened his grip and straightened up. “You’ve brought a guest along.” He offered his hand. “I’m Maddock.”

  “Gabe.” He shook her father’s hand. “Good to meet you, Maddock.” He released her father’s hand and clasped hers again. “That’s Welsh, isn’t it?”

  The corner of her father’s mouth curved up. “Sure is. I was the first of my family to leave the island.” He chucked Tegan’s shoulder. “I like this one.” He glanced at Gabe again, all playfulness vanishing from his face. “You be good to my girl.”

  “Daddy.” Tegan rolled her eyes. “It’s not like I’m ten.”

  But Gabe didn’t dismiss her father’s admonition. “She deserves no less.”

  “Damn straight.” Her father’s grin returned. “Tegan, go tell your mother the caterers have the food all set up. We should eat before it gets cold…”

  Her heart lurched a little at her father’s obvious attempt to get Gabe alone. The caterers could alert her mother the food was ready—in fact, they may have already done so. “I’m sure they’ve already told Mom.”

  Her father didn’t relent. “You know how she is with a roomful of guests. The caterers won’t drag her away like you can.” He winked. “Take care of it for yer old
dad.”

  She couldn’t leave Gabe. There’d be questions. How would she answer? What if their answers didn’t match? They should have discussed this.

  Panic threatened, but Gabe leaned in close to her ear; the sound of his voice sent a pang of longing through her, distracting her from worry. “Everything’s fine. We’ll compare notes when we get to the table.” His lips barely brushed her temple.

  She gulped down the mass of conflicting emotions, squared her shoulders, and made herself walk away toward the houseful of guests.

  Chapter Six

  Gabe watched Tegan walk away. The woman had no idea how easy it was to pretend to care about her. Being this close to her, touching her, blurred the lines. He didn’t get involved with clients.

  In fact, he didn’t get involved with anyone anymore. Those were dangerous lines to cross with demons nearby.

  “What do you do for a living?” Maddock’s voice jarred him from his thoughts. “Are you some kind of karate wizard like my daughter?”

  Gabe chuckled. “No, sir. I actually specialize in medieval weaponry.”

  “Weaponry?” Her father dodged a caterer carrying glasses. “Like bows and arrows?”

  “Sometimes. I also have swords, battle-axes, katanas, and flails. You name it. I sell a few replicas for renaissance fairs, too.”

  “Huh. You make money at that?” Maddock crossed his arms.

  “I do. You would be surprised what a collector will pay for an authentic dagger or bow.” Gabe reached into the inner lining of his coat and withdrew a leather-sheathed dagger. The blade was about six inches long, and carvings covered the handle. Welsh Gaelic carvings.

  It couldn’t hurt to see if Tegan’s father recognized the words.

  “This is a small piece I stumbled upon recently.” He handed the dagger to Maddock. “It’s worth more than my car, so I’ve been carrying it with me for now.”

  He squinted, bringing the handle closer. “Well, I’ll be damned.” Maddock twisted the dagger in the light. “Y Ddraig Goch ddyry gychwyn. The Red Dragon will show the way.” He lowered the weapon, meeting Gabe’s eyes. “This tells the Welsh story of the red and the white dragon. It’s part of our national flag.”

  Gabe started to smile. “So you can read the inscription?”

  “Aye.” Maddock handed over the knife with a probing gaze. “How did you come across a dagger for a dragon’s heart?”

  Gabe tucked the dagger back into his coat. It was actually a magic-imbued dagger that killed certain types of demons. The dragon slaying was a whole new angle. “I ran across it at an estate sale.” He’d appropriated it from a demon loan shark, but the demon was dead so technically the dagger was part of his estate.

  Gabe lifted his chin a little. “Don’t worry. I’m looking for buyers, not dragons.”

  Maddock broke the tension with a boisterous laugh. He clapped Gabe on the back. “Good answer.”

  The doors opened and Gabe turned to see Tegan and her mother chatting with guests. Now that he’d met her parents, it was obvious Tegan had gotten her dark-brown eyes from Maddock, but her smile was all Nancy’s. Seeing them together made his throat tight with emotion. He did his best to stay away from family events. He didn’t go see movies or read books that involved families. His was gone, and nothing would change that, so why dwell on it?

  But now he was surrounded. No escaping the empty chasm inside.

  Tegan approached him with a cautious curve to her lips. “How did things go with my dad?”

  “He’s crazy about his daughter.” He slid his arm around her waist, maneuvering her out of the way of a caterer with a tray of drinks. He hadn’t meant for her to end up so close to him, but she didn’t jerk away from his touch this time.

  “Thank you.” Relief flushed her cheeks as she smiled up at him.

  He nodded, glancing at the opulence around them. Good thing they had no future together. Even if she weren’t a client and if he didn’t have demons hunting anyone he cared about, he’d never make enough money to fit into this world.

  Tegan tugged his hand. “We’re sitting over here with my parents.”

  Almost on cue, the music piped up from the pool area. Gabe surprised her by helping to push her chair in. When he sat beside her, she patted his leg to get his attention, but he took her hand under the table, sending a hot zing of awareness through her body.

  Gabe met her eyes, and the fire in his gaze made her wish this wasn’t a charade. His thumb brushed across her knuckles, making her shift in her seat. It’d been so long since she’d been touched by a man. Her body acted as though it’d finally found an oasis in the desert, flooding her with unwanted heat in her belly.

  He leaned in close to her ear. “Are you all right?”

  “Yeah.” She squeezed his hand. “Let’s get through dinner and cake. Then we can get out of here.”

  They filled up on fresh lasagna, Caesar salad, Italian rolls, and sangria, and as Tegan had predicted, her mom gushed over Gabe all through dinner. On the other hand, her dad sat back in his chair, letting her mom do most of the talking. He kept watching Gabe, then glancing her way. Did he suspect something was off? Seeing her mother chatting without that concerned frown on her face made the whole charade worthwhile. She didn’t want her dad to break the spell.

  As if he’d read her mind, he interrupted. “Excuse me, Nance. Can I steal Tegan for a minute? I have something I want to give her.”

  “Now?” Her mom gave him a pleading look, but he didn’t relent. “Fine, but don’t keep our guest of honor long. We still have to cut the cake.”

  Panic seized her. He knows.

  Tegan gripped Gabe’s thigh. Hard.

  He surprised her by draping his arm across her shoulders and giving her a gentle squeeze. “See you soon, birthday girl.”

  He brushed his lips against her cheek, but there was nothing chaste about the way his breath caressed her skin. When he pulled back, his eyes held hers, that same smoldering fire in his gaze, and for a moment, she would have sworn time stopped. Her entire body melted, and she wished she could make all the people around them vanish.

  He swallowed. His voice was soft, gruff. “Don’t keep your dad waiting.”

  Tegan nodded, suddenly mute and completely distracted. She stood, laid her cloth napkin over her plate, and walked to the French doors where her father waited.

  Once they were inside, he walked her to his office. “This Gabe. He seems…different. You really like this one?”

  So much more than I should. “Don’t you?”

  He sat with her on the couch across from his desk. “I’m not sure what to think. You didn’t tell us you started dating again, and you show up with this man that you introduce as your friend. You look like more than friends to me.”

  She bottled up her sigh of relief. He believed it. For now. “Well, it’s new.”

  “I’m glad you’re finally getting out after…” He glanced toward the door. “But this one doesn’t seem like the type you used to bring around.”

  “He’s not.” A defensive ember simmered in her gut. “Gabe’s much better than any of the other guys I dated. He respects me and my work.”

  “Did you tell him about the attack?”

  Tegan sighed and stared at her hands in her lap. “Yes, Dad. And he’s ready to kill the bastard if we ever seen him again.”

  Her father’s laughter surprised her.

  She raised a brow. “You find that funny?”

  “No.” He patted her leg. “That’s exactly what I wanted to hear.”

  He stood and walked behind his desk. After opening and closing the drawers in a certain succession, a concealed drawer dropped from the bottom onto the floor.

  Tegan squinted, struggling to see the contents. “What’s that?”

  He scooped it up and laid it on top of the desk. “After you were attacked, I talked to the doctors at the hospital. They couldn’t explain the wound. They tried to tell me he stabbed you and that the wound was cauterized with acid. It w
as the only way they could explain it. You should have been bleeding.” He stared at his desk. “But then I watched them change the dressing on the wound, and I knew.”

  Tegan scooted to the edge of the couch. “Knew what, Daddy?”

  His dark eyes met hers. “Y ddraig goch. The red dragon. Ever since he defeated the white dragon and saved our land, his people have been hunted.”

  “I was not attacked by a dragon.” But she wasn’t ready to tell him it was a demon, either.

  He waved her contradiction away. “He would not look like a dragon in our world.”

  She frowned as he handed her a worn leather book filled with faded Welsh Gaelic scribblings. Years ago he’d taught her his language, but without anyone to practice with, she was rusty. It looked like names and dates mostly.

  “That’s our family ledger, Tegan. You weren’t the first to bear the mark.” He swallowed and cleared his throat. “Just the first to live through it.”

  “The mark?” She closed the book. “What are you talking about?”

  “You weren’t stabbed. You were bitten.” His eyes welled with tears. “I was so grateful you were spared. I’d hoped it was over. But tonight, when yer ‘friend’ showed me a Welsh dagger with ‘Y Ddraig Goch ddyry gychwyn’ carved into the blade…” He shook his head slowly. “He’s more than he seems, that one. Anyway, it was time. I wanted to tell you. Everything.”

  Tegan’s heart pounded. “Why didn’t you say something sooner?”

  “Would you have believed me?” He stared at the ledger.

  “All this time I thought I was crazy.”

  “I’m sorry.” He rubbed his wrinkled brow. “I had no one I could turn to, and when days, weeks, months passed…” His gaze met hers. “I started to believe the doctors were right. I was foolish for believing the old stories.”

  He sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose, holding back any stray tears. “I have no idea how you escaped, but there might be something in the ledger that could help.”