by Benton, Ava
Fuck, fuck, fuck.
“You figured something out.” The scent of victory clung to him and stung my nose. He seemed to forget himself for a moment and hi expression cleared.
“Yes. We just missed her. She literally passed right under our noses.” His eyes darted past me and he squared his shoulders and pumped out his arms at his sides as if he was making himself look as big as possible. Not that he needed to, the guy was fucking built.
“You’re a dragon too.” Kat’s voice flowed past me.
Draco’s eyes narrowed. Instantly, he shifted and I followed suit. Pain tore through me and adrenaline drowned it out as he moved toward her. I positioned myself between them, lowering my head and growling at him. If he dared touch her, I’d do whatever it took to keep her safe. I’d give my own life for hers.
We stared each other down.
He snapped at me and I snorted, ready to attack. His eyes narrowed and he shifted back to human form. I did the same and we glared each other down as men rather than beasts.
“What are you doing?” he asked, glancing over my shoulder at her.
“They tried to kill her.”
“Did you get clearance?” He snarled and shoved a shaking hand through his hair. I could smell the fury rolling off him. He left both hands on top of his head. “Who the fuck am I kidding? You didn’t get clearance.” He turned away from me, shouting at the trees. “Ugh, what the fuck are you doing?” He turned around, his face twisting in anger.
I said nothing but stood between him and Kat, ready, in case he did something stupid out of anger. I knew the rules. The people we protected were made to sign waivers and legal documents demanding their silence. She’d done none of that. But I knew she was safe.
He advanced on me and I settled into a fighting stance.
“You know what they’ll do to you when they find out you’ve betrayed them?” He shouted the words at me, and the birds flew out of trees. “Fuck, Stryker, goddamn it!” He threw his hands down off his head and walked right up to me, chest to chest like he was about to start some shit.
“I liked you, fucker. Now I have to turn you in.”
“Turn him in?” Kat snuck up behind us, quiet as a kitten. She’d be more sneaky if she didn’t smell like sex and panic.
Draco’s expression was knowing as he glared at me. “Was it worth it?”
I swallowed hard. “She’s not a threat to us.”
“I swear I’m not a threat.” She crept right up to our sides and peered up at us both. I wanted to tell her to get inside. I wanted to tell her that she wasn’t safe, that Draco and I were pretty evenly matched. Among humans and bullets, I could protect her. My dragon brothers, though, we were all pretty evenly matched. Fuck.
He didn’t even dignify her with a shred of attention. “You got her killed. Remember, you did this.” He poked a finger into my chest and shoved me back a half step as I faltered under the weight of the knowledge she was in more danger than I knew.
I expected to be punished. I hadn’t even considered they’d hurt her. She was a human. “She’s an innocent.”
His eyes narrowed. “There are no innocents. There’s good and evil.”
“How are you so sure she’s evil? You’re losing it, brother. The Doubletaps are getting into your head.” I put a hand on his chest and shoved him back. “Losing that girl is fucking you up.”
“Don’t you fucking dare go there.” His voice rose to a roar and I noticed Kat didn’t flinch. “You’re supposed to be helping me look.”
“You’re supposed to be helping him find someone?” She tilted her head at me, a disappointed look in her eyes that sliced me to the bone.
I glanced at her out of the corner of my eyes, then remembered the danger and glared at Draco again.
But his lips curved into an almost mocking smile. “Ah.” He glanced at her, an evil look in his blue eyes before they slid back to me. “So that’s it.”
“What’s it?” I didn’t know Draco’s skills. Our personal skills were generally our own secrets because we never knew when we’d need them. I wasn’t kidding when I told Kat we’re very private. He didn’t know about my uncanny sense of smell that almost allowed me to see a few seconds into the future at times, but I also had no idea what kind of skills he had, either.
Not mind reading, obviously.
But he wasn’t answering me. Instead, he took a step back and turned toward Kat.
She retreated a pace, looking very much like a tiny little mouse in the face of a rattler out for her blood.
“Did you know he wasn’t supposed to save you?”
Her eyes never left his face. “I didn’t know it was against any rules, but I did know that I wasn’t on his list or whatever you guys have.”
“And what did he tell you about us?”
I stepped forward, but he held out a hand, warning me not to get close.
Her lips parted as she stared up at him. “That you’re the good guys. That you protect people That you save lives.”
He nodded.
“But now I know he’s wrong.” Her eyes narrowed and his shoulders straightened as if she’d surprised him. “You’re not the good guys. You’re not brave. You’re a bunch of scared little schoolgirls hiding under your desks while the bad men best you left and right.” She gave her head a little shake. “I’m sorry you’re so afraid that you’re taking the path of evil.”
My heart hardened and I swallowed hard. She was absolutely fucking right. Our fear had changed us.
He shifted into his dragon and I followed suit.
But this time she held a hand toward me.
He roared at her, but she didn’t so much as move.
Instead, she blinked up at him. “You need to scare me? Do I look like a threat to you? Do I feel like a threat?”
He stopped and stared at her.
“Go ahead. Kill me.”
I jumped forward as she dropped to her knees before him and lowered her chin to her chest like she expected him to go medieval on her and chop off her head with a sword.
Instead, he changed back. With a bitter look on his face, he glanced at me and I shifted back to human. “She’s ballsy. I like her. But you know she’s not safe.”
“You could not say fucking anything.” It seemed really simple. If he liked her, he didn’t have to say anything.
But he shook his head. “I found you. It’s only a matter of time before someone else does. Is it your plan to just keep her here forever?”
I shook my head. Unfortunately, I hadn’t really planned that far ahead. It had been all about keeping her alive as long as possible, but I’d been taking it day by day without figuring out what to do for the future. I had my dragon to answer to, as well. A dragon that still seemed hellbent on claiming her as ours. And keeping her as ours.
Out of the corner of my eyes, I watched her get to her feet. The dazed look on her face angered me. “What did you do to her?”
I advanced on him, ready to smash a fist through his face.
“She’s fine.” He eyed me without even taking a step back.
“I’m okay.” She moved toward me and pulled me into a hug. “I swear I’m okay.” With her soft curves pressed to me it seemed damn near impossible to think clearly.
“So what do we do now?” I glared at him over her shoulder. She let me go and stepped behind me, her fingers lacing with mine.
His eyes dropped to that hold and he arched an eyebrow. “Now? Now we wait and see if you got her killed. Our brothers will decide.”
He turned as if to walk away, then stopped. “Where did you find her?”
“Behind the alley of Sixth and Main. Behind that Thai place you keep mentioning.” Why did it matter?
He stiffened up, turned around and advanced, addressing her to her face. “What’s your name, girl?”
She stiffened, then stepped before me, squaring her shoulders and holding her head high as he walked even closer to her. With him only a foot away, she lifted her chin to look at
him down her nose while he half-circled her.
“That’s none of your business.”
His eyes narrowed.
“My name’s Jane Seymour.” Her lie slipped out effortlessly, but I could smell the hint odor of her lie.
He turned and circled the other direction. “You’re not really Jane Seymour, are you?”
His words struck her like a lightning bolt; her whole body jolted, and she almost faltered back a step. Still, she didn’t speak the truth to him.
“Why are you lying to me?”
“Because you’re dangerous.” She lifted her chin another notch and glared at him as he circled around her to the right. “And I don’t want you to know who I am. Because I think you’re worse than the tattooed bouncer bastard that tried to shoot me.”
He went still and stared at her.
“What was his name?”
She laughed. “Do you think introductions were made before he threatened my life or after he shot at me? He’d have killed me, you know, if Stryker hadn’t stepped in and saved my life like a dragon shield. So I’ll never fucking betray him; I owe him my life. And unlike you, I have honor.”
He stepped back. His eyes left her to focus on me. “This isn’t over.”
With that, he shifted and disappeared. A moment later, the air pressure returned to normal and I pulled her into a hug. She melted in my arms.
13
Kat
Stryker wasn’t supposed to have saved me.
I pulled out of his grasp and stared up at him, anger and fear turning to liquid in my eyes. I swear I’d cried more these last few days than I had in my whole life prior and I was getting sick of it. Really sick of it. Once all of this was over, I wouldn’t cry again unless it was something really bad.
But stronger than the hurt and anger was that deep feeling of hurt. Without another word, I turned and walked toward the cabin. I needed to examine everything and sort it all out. My heavy heart ached in my chest.
“Kat!”
I didn’t turn around. I just walked up the steps into the house. Let him follow if he wanted. I’d talk to him, but first I needed to eat something. My hands trembled terribly and talking with the other dragon had pulled something out of me.
I had a feeling I’d figured out his talent. Maybe I was wrong, but I was fairly certain he had some ability to act as a human—erm, dragon—lie detector. I’d given him the wrong name, he called me out. With an unfortunate choice of words, the same words the thugs used on me, but I didn’t feel the two things were related at all.
But he knew when I’d lied to him. He also knew when I told the truth. Mr. Big Scary Dragon wasn’t as good at hiding things as he thought. Every time I lied, he had that same look in his eyes, that same narrowing. Every time I told the truth, his face had relaxed a bit. It was a tiny change, but one I could see. And I think the questions mattered, he couldn’t just tell me to tell him everything I knew.
Still, answering him left me feeling like I’d been working in a hundred-and twenty-degree weather digging ditches. I trembled and felt more exhausted than I’d been in a long damn time. My stomach grumbled and I moved toward the kitchen, imagining some fluffy, perfect scrambled eggs.
The front door closed, and I knew I was no longer alone. My whole body stiffened.
“Are you okay?” he asked, putting his hands on my shoulders.
My heart ached. “I’m fine.” I shrugged his hands off my shoulders. I wasn’t mad. I was hurt. He hadn’t been entirely honest with me. If I’d have known he was in danger because he chose to help me, I’d never have agreed to it.
I opened the fridge and got out the carton of eggs. My hands shook so hard I almost dropped them, and he quickly grabbed them from me. His fingertips brushed mine and he set the eggs aside before pulling me close.
“Are you okay? Did he hurt you?”
I shook my head, refusing to look him in the face. I couldn’t. I couldn’t look him in the eyes and take responsibility for the danger he’d put himself in because of me. “He didn’t hurt me. Did you only protect me because I was in the right place at the right time?”
His Adam’s apple slid up, then down as he swallowed hard. “Yes.”
“You were looking for someone else?” I’d known as much, but I needed him to clarify.
“Yes.”
“I’m grateful.” I pulled away and got out a frying pan. He quickly pulled it out of my hands.
“How would you like your eggs?” he asked, giving the pan a quick spin by the handle before planting it on the stove.
“Scrambled?”
He gave me a devilish grin. “I make the best scrambled eggs you’ve ever had.”
I sighed. I didn’t understand myself. Didn’t understand why I still felt hurt. Of course his protecting me had been an afterthought. I knew that. So why did it sting?
I watched him crack the eggs with one hand and plop them into the pan.
“Aren’t you going to whip them up in a bowl first?”
He let out a snort. “Heathen. No way.” He cracked several more and pulled out a spatula and began to turn them in the pan.
“Don’t forget the salt and pepper,” I said.
He arched an eyebrow at me. “Did you know if you salt them right away the egg actually starts to break down? Trust me, eggs are my thing.” He flashed that wolfish grin again and I lifted both shoulders. I didn’t even have eggs all that often.
He continued to fold them before quickly moving and grabbing some fresh chives. He chopped them, switching between that and stirring the eggs ever few moments. From the fridge he grabbed a container of something white. He held it up toward me. “Crème fraiche. It’s the secret ingredient.” With a spoon, he added a generous dollop of it to the eggs in the pan before adding the chives. A moment later he added salt and pepper, then set the pan aside off the heat and grabbed a bowl out of the cabinet.
He served up the eggs and pressed the bowl into my hands, along with a spoon. My mouth watered as the scent of the food hit me full force in the nose. My stomach rumbled and I picked up a bite. They were fluffy, almost like a foam. I popped the bite in my mouth. Instantly, saliva flooded from every inch of my mouth.
I swallowed it and stared at him in awe. “This is incredible.”
He nodded, a smile on his face.
“Thank you. How did you learn to cook like this?” I took another bite, unable to help myself. He tapped his nose.
“Incredible sense of smell. It works wonders. Plus, I love cooking shows.”
I must have looked at him funny because he jerked a shoulder upward. “Don’t ask,” he said. “Helps me calm down after a bad day.”
“I’m not judging.” I never watched the food channels because I didn’t have them for one, and for two, never having enough to eat, I’d decided not to torture myself with things like that.
“So what happens now?” I asked, leaning back against the counter.
“Well, usually people sit and eat.” His grin grew and I made a face at him.
“Funny man.” I walked out into the living room and sat down on the couch. “Now, what is going to happen next with the whole you protecting me thing?”
He sat down in a chair diagonal me and we both moved to point our knees toward each other. I was thankful he wasn’t sitting right next to me; the urge to touch him was so strong I didn’t know if I could stop myself. Then again, the heat in his eyes warned me he felt the same way.
“Honestly, I’m not sure.” He hesitated and I sensed there was something he wanted to say. I continued to eat. I wasn’t in any rush and didn’t see a need to try to push him to talk.
“I can’t believe you stood up to him like that.” He studied me, a whole new light of pride in his eyes. “Were you afraid?”
I shook my head. “No. I know you’re the good guys. But I think he’s losing his way. And if that means you’re all losing your way, then I want to help bring you back from the brink.”
“That’s… noble.” He
sounded impressed but the sad edge of his voice bothered me.
“I owe you everything. If I can help, I want to help.” There was something else. Something knotting up my gut and twisting painfully. “No matter what happens, it’s not your fault. You’re doing the right thing. If they can’t see it… well, maybe this will be what it takes to remind them they’re the good guys, not the bad ones.”
His eyes narrowed.
“Fear does strange things to people. Fear can make a good man evil, if he gives into it.” I laughed. “I sound like a fortune cookie.”
“But you’re right. They’re scared. And I know why.” He knew why, but he didn’t seem willing to share and I didn’t push. Instead, we sat in silence while I finished eating my eggs.
“You know, I kinda like you a little bit.” I smiled at him as I set my empty bowl on the coffee table. This odd feeling of it being Stryker and me versus the world didn’t bother me. It told me that no matter what, I could trust him to have my back. No matter who we were defending against.
He chuckled. “I like you a tiny bit too.”
“Just a tiny bit, though, right?” I asked, loving this easy back and forth. He could be fun, he could be serious, he could be exactly what I needed when I needed it.
He nodded. “Just a tiny bit. Don’t get too full of yourself.”
“Right. Wouldn’t want to get a big head. After all, that’s your territory.”
He let out a suspicious choking noise and I smiled sweetly at him. “Everything okay?”
He didn’t answer. Instead, he moved to my side and pulled me into his arms.
“Tell me about the kidnapped girl,” I said.
“She’s a full-grown woman. A very rich debutante, with parents prominent in society.” He didn’t sound impressed and I breathed a sigh of relief.
“Why can’t you find her?”
“We’re not sure. It’s part of the reason everyone is on edge. Losing her makes us all look bad, but she just fucking… disappeared.” His voice lowered to a growl of frustration and I found myself wishing I could help.
