by Becca Van
Blondie held his hand out to her and she hesitated before she clasped it. The moment she did carnal fire shot through her body and she knew in that moment that these three men were the ones she’d been dreaming of. When she met hungry blue glowing eyes she knew she wasn’t mistaken and she felt like pieces of a puzzle had just clicked into place, making up the whole picture.
“Why don’t we get a table?” Brown eyes stepped around her and Blondie.
Without releasing her hand, Blondie lowered the sunglasses from the top of his head to cover his eyes. And even though she wanted to demand he take them off so she could look into those amazing eyes, she didn’t want anyone else to notice the anomaly she had. He guided her to the last table in back which she would never have seen was empty because of her diminutive height but didn’t protest. If any other stranger had tried this with her she would have put him on his ass or drawn her gun. However, this was right and she didn’t want to be cautious. She wanted to know everything about them and spend as much time as she could with them. Niki just hoped that they felt the same way.
Blondie guided her into the booth and she sat down before scooting over on the horseshoe-shaped seat. Green eyes was on her right with Brown eyes next to him and Blondie on her left.
“I’m Randy Holmes and these are my friends Rex Humphries and Russ Charge.”
“Hi,” Niki said breathlessly.
“What’s your name, darlin’?” Russ asked.
“Oh, shit. Sorry. I’m Nikita Stravinsky.”
“You’re from Russia?” Rex asked.
She shook her head. “My parents were born there but when they got married they decided to come to seek a better life in America.”
“Were?” Randy asked.
Niki nodded again but kept her gaze lowered when grief tightened her throat. She took a moment to get her emotions back in check and then looked up at Randy’s sunglass-covered eyes. “Yeah, they’re both dead.”
“I’m sorry, Nikita. I didn’t mean to upset you.” Randy reached for one of her hands in her lap and gave it a squeeze.
“Are you ready to order,” the middle-aged waitress asked when she stopped at their table.
“Um…” Niki hedged since they hadn’t had a chance to look at the menu yet.
“I can come back in a few minutes if you’d like. But the specials of the day are pulled pork with garlic mash and vegetables. Marinated ribs and roast beef.”
“I’ll have the roast beef with vegetables and a black coffee please,” Niki said.
“I’ll have a burger with the lot and fries as well as the pork, mash, and veg.” Rex grinned and rubbed his hands together.
“I’ll have a burger and fries and the roast beef and vegetables,” Randy ordered.
“I’ll have the burger and fries and the ribs and vegetables.” Russ leaned his elbows on the table. “Black coffees all around.”
The waitress eyed the three big men and smiled. “Coming right up.”
“Are you sure you can eat all that?” Niki asked with awe.
“Darlin’, do we look like weeds to you?” Russ asked.
Niki laughed because that was so far from the truth. “No. Do you normally eat like that?”
“Nope,” Randy squeezed her hand. She hadn’t even realized he was still holding it until then. “We usually eat a hell of a lot more.”
“You must be very active otherwise you’d get fat putting that amount of food away all the time.”
“We have fast metabolisms, love.” Rex lifted his glasses back on top of his head and winked at her.
The waitress came back with the coffees and they all took a sip. She sighed and sank further into her seat as the tension in her muscles began to wane.
“How long have you worked as a deputy?” Randy asked.
“Three years.”
“Do you like it?” Russ questioned.
“For the most part.”
“What don’t you like about it?” Rex asked.
“My boss is a bit of a hard ass and difficult to work for.”
“But I’m sure you handle him just fine. Don’t you, baby?” Randy asked.
“I do all right.” Niki grinned.
The waitress brought the food and they were quiet while they did justice to their meals. The three men devoured the burgers and fries quickly but they had good manners. Niki’s plate had been so piled high with food she was full by the time she’d eaten half.
“You going to eat that, darlin’? Russ eyed her plate.
She pushed it toward him and couldn’t believe they had all polished off their second meals. “I’m stuffed.”
Russ swapped his empty plate for her half-full one and started eating again. Niki wondered if they were ever going to tell her what they were and although she wanted to bring it up, decided to let them make the first move. She wondered if they had dreamed about her the way she’d dreamed about them and shifted in her seat when her pussy throbbed and leaked cream.
Randy leaned closer, and when she heard him sniff her cheeks flamed hot. She had no doubt that he and his friends could smell her desire and although that should have been embarrassing, she wasn’t embarrassed. In fact she wanted to ask them to come home with her. She nibbled on her lip in indecision and was glad when the waitress came to clear the dishes, taking her choice away.
“Can I get you anything else? Dessert? More coffee?”
Niki shook her head and glanced out the window. “No thanks.” She had nearly two hours of driving before she got home and she wanted a hot shower and sleep. She lifted her hand to cover her mouth when a yawn nearly caught her unaware.
“You’re tired.”
“I’ve had a long day.” She sighed and blinked. The blink seemed to last much longer than it should have and she realized she should have waited to eat until she got home. She had a full belly and the café was warm, plus the broken sleep she’d endured was catching up with her.
“You shouldn’t drive when you’re tired,” Russ said, reaching out to take the end of her braid between his fingers and rubbed the tresses between finger and thumb. “Studies have been done and proved that driving while tired is equal to driving under the influence of alcohol.”
“I’ll be fine.”
“Why don’t you let us drive you home?” Randy suggested.
“Um…”
“We can talk about the dreams,” Rex whispered.
Niki sucked in a breath. Having her thoughts confirmed so quickly was a shock but a pleasant one and although she had no idea where any of this was heading, she wanted to find out.
“Do you live near Rock Springs?” she asked.
“Close enough,” Rex answered before getting up and walking to the counter.
“Here, let me—ˮ Niki had been reaching into her pocket for her wallet to pay for her meal but Russ nudged her chin up and shook his head.
“Our treat, darlin’.”
Randy stood and then held his hand out to her. She scooted over and clasped it. He was so damn strong she stumbled when he tugged on her hand. “Sorry, baby. You don’t weigh as much as a feather.”
“I’m a hundred and eight pounds.”
She let him guide her toward the door, but didn’t need to look back to know Russ was following. Everywhere his eyes touched her body, she tingled.
“Like I said, a feather.”
She stopped beside her car and fished her keys from her pocket. “No one besides me is supposed to drive this car.”
“Okay, but we’re coming with you so you don’t fall asleep,” Randy said in a firm authoritative voice.
She could have argued with him but she didn’t want to. She had so many questions she wanted answered and they would need total privacy for that. If anyone heard their conversation they would think they were all crazy.
“Okay.” She unlocked the car and watched as Rex and Russ squeezed into the backseat of the car and Randy enfolded himself into the front.
“So how will you all get home?”
“We can…”
“Don’t you dare say call a cab,” Niki said as she backed out of the parking space and started toward home.
“You already know, don’t you, baby?” Randy said more than asked.
Niki shrugged. She didn’t want to get into this while she was driving. She was so tired she needed everything she had left in the tank to concentrate. “Can we talk about this when we get to my place?”
“Sure,” Russ answered and then started telling her about some of their other friends.
The drive seemed to go much faster than it would have if she’d been alone. She sighed as she pulled into her driveway and shut the engine off. She loved her little house on the northern outskirts of Rock Springs but sometimes she wished she had someone to share it with. Normally she didn’t want other people around but since the dreams had plagued her nightly sleep she’d felt loneliness weighing down on her.
She got out of the car, as did Randy, Rex, and Russ and even though she was full of excitement at having finally met the men of her dreams she was going to be cautious. There was still so much she didn’t know. She had no idea where they lived, how old they were, or anything else for that matter.
She walked up to the front door, her hand trembling when she tried to insert the key into the lock. Randy’s breath wafted over her neck as he whispered in her ear and covered her hand.
“Allow me, baby.”
She gave him the key and was about to step aside but since he was so much bigger than she was, he had it in the lock and pushed the door open with a big masculine hand. A shiver worked up her spine when that hand moved and landed on her lower back, nearly making her moan at the heat and the contact.
As she walked in she flipped on light switches and hurried toward the kitchen. If they were going to talk she needed to keep her wits about her. She headed straight for the coffeepot and set about making the dark brew she would need to keep her alert.
Chairs scraped on the tile floor and then groaned as the three men sat at her dining table. She could feel their eyes on her but ignored them as best as she could while getting mugs from the cupboard.
Once she had everything ready and the pot was full she turned to face them. Her breath hitched in her throat at the intensity of their stares and she halted when Russ jumped up and hurried over to her.
“Let me, darlin’.” He took the pot and four mugs from her and then carried them to the table.
Niki took a deep breath, exhaled, and then went and sat at the head of the table. Again so she could keep her wits about her. If she sat too close and inhaled their delectable scents she wouldn’t be able to think coherently. These three men just seemed to scramble her brain and light her body on fire.
“So,” Rex started. “How do you know what we are?”
“Dreams.”
“We shared those dreams with you, love.” Rex tilted his head in query.
“Not all of them.”
Randy shifted in his seat and began to pour the coffee. When he was done he met her gaze and raised an eyebrow.
“Lady Guinevere,” she answered.
“She visited you in your dreams?” Russ asked, sounding a little awed.
“Yes.”
“She never visited Belinda,” Rex muttered.
And just like that her cop persona roared to life. With a care she didn’t feel, she placed the full mug of coffee back on the table and stood. Her hands went to her hips and she scowled at each man before turning her gaze back to meet Randy’s.
“That wouldn’t happen to be Belinda Starling by chance, would it?”
“It would,” Randy answered without hesitation and in a calm voice.
“Do you know where she is? She’s a person of interest in the investigation of the missing mayor of Rock Springs. Do you know where he is?”
“Sit down, Niki,” Randy commanded in a firm voice.
Niki’s hackles were standing on end and there was no way she was going to be at a disadvantage by sitting. Right now she was just about on par with them heightwise since they were sitting and she wanted to keep it that way. She moved her right hand from her hip to her gun, thankful she hadn’t taken the time to remove her belt when she arrived home and lock it away like she usually did.
“No. What the fuck is going on?”
She noted the glance they gave each other and even though she knew she wouldn’t shoot them, she kept her hand on her gun, trying to intimidate them into answering her questions. When Randy smirked at her and he looked at her with heat in his eyes she knew it hadn’t worked worth a damn. Exhaustion hit her like she’d just run into a brick wall and she took her hand from her gun, stumbled to her chair, and sank down into it.
“Are you ill, love?” Rex asked.
“No,” she sighed. “Just tired. Will one of you please tell me what’s going on?”
“Did Guinevere tell you about the hunters?” Russ asked.
She frowned and then shook her head.
“Okay, let’s start at the beginning,” Randy said.
“You know that we’re dragon shifters?” Russ questioned.
She nodded.
“Do you know why we shared those dreams, love?” Rex asked.
“I’m your mate?”
“Yes,” Randy confirmed.
“But I don’t get how that can be. I’m human. I’m nothing like you are. Why would I be your mate?”
Russ shrugged. “We don’t question fate, darlin’. It is what it is.”
“This has to be a mistake.”
“Do you really believe that?” Randy gave her a fierce frown. “Do you think that we would have shared dreams or that Lady Guinevere would have visited you if that were the case?”
“I don’t know.”
“You can lie to yourself, baby, but you can’t lie to us.” Rex took a sip of coffee.
“Surely there’s someone else you can mate with?” As soon as those words left her mouth and she imagined these three men with other women, pain slashed across her chest and into her heart. How could she feel jealous when she’d only just met them? None of this made sense to her. And there was still the fact that they knew where Belinda Starling was.
Fuck, this was such a mess.
Chapter Five
Randy could feel the tension rolling off of her in waves. He hadn’t wanted to tell her about the hunters or Belinda until they’d had a chance to woo her, but with a hunter working with her day in and day out that put her in danger and that was unacceptable. Plus, Rex had spilled the beans about their leader’s mate and now they were going to have to come clean. He just hoped she didn’t kick them to the curb and put her job first. Although he was proud of her for standing up for the right and just, there were areas when there was no black or white.
“You know that dragon shifters were created back in the time of King Arthur by Merlin?” Russ asked.
“So Lady Guinevere said.”
“Did she tell you why we were created?” Rex asked.
Niki shook her head, her face paled, and she opened her mouth before snapping it closed with an audible click. “You guys are that old?”
Randy couldn’t help but grin. “No. Our parents were the first shifters, but the hunters ambushed them and killed all but one.”
“I’m sorry.” She reached over, placing her hand on his. His dragon roared to life, urging him to claim his mate. He pushed his beast back down and took a steadying breath.
“It happened a long time ago, baby.” He turned his hand over and laced their fingers together and pleasure filled his body when she shivered at his touch. Now was not the time to give into his lust or his beast. “Merlin created our kind to keep humanity safe from evil and we did for a long time. But when word got out, hunters were formed by a scorned witch.”
“Why was she scorned? And who was she?”
“Rose Medwin and Merlin were an item at one time and although the wizard never gave her the impression they would be anything other than lovers, she wanted more. As the s
aying goes a woman scorned and all that,” Rex explained.
“So this Rose was pissed at Merlin and decided to go up against him?” Niki asked.
“In a nutshell, yes,” Russ replied.
“She created these hunters to eradicate dragon shifters?”
“Yes,” Randy answered.
“But how? Aren’t you guys immortal?”
“Not immortal per se, but we can live for a long time.” Rex leaned his elbows on the table.
“What do you mean? How long do you live?” She gasped. “How did your parents die?”
“The hunters found a rare mineral and began to make spears and knives from them. This glasslike substance is the only thing that can penetrate our dragon scales. If we’re injured by this stuff it takes us a lot longer than normal to heal, but if it penetrates our hearts, we die.”
“So how did the hunters kill so many of you? Was their three men to one woman back then?”
“Yes.” Russ leaned forward. “There were more hunters than dragon shifters. Rose managed to change certain human men to be those hunters. Somehow the assholes found out where our parents were going to be and invaded. Nearly all the hunters died but a few got away.”
“And Rose?” Niki released his hand and wrapped them around her nearly empty mug.
“She was killed when her and Merlin's magic combined. A huge explosion resulted and everyone still alive on that field was incinerated into ashes. Except for Lance.”
“Lance? As in Sir Lancelot?”
“The one and the same,” Russ said.
“Wow, this is just so… Most people wouldn’t believe any of this.”
“You’re not most people,” Rex said in a firm voice.
“Okay. If I believe any of this, what has it got to do with Belinda Starling and Wallace Core?”
“Belinda is mated to our leaders.”
Niki frowned and met Randy’s eyes. “And the mayor?”
“He was a hunter.”
Niki planted her elbows on the table and covered her face as she took a few deep breaths. She lifted her head and met his eyes again. “The mayor’s dead, isn’t he?”
“Yes.”
