This had to be Darius Varkas.
After his first glance at her, he gave his entire attention to Tarrant. “Is this wise?”
Well, that was certainly blunt enough. He obviously didn’t trust her, didn’t want to talk to her. “Mr. Varkas.” He turned back to her, confirming her suspicion that he was indeed the man she’d come to find.
Even though Tarrant had already warned him, it was important for her to follow through on what she’d come here to do. After all, that one decision had put into play everything that had happened since. Like a row of dominos falling one on top of the other, her life had spiraled out of control. If she was going to lose her home and possibly her livelihood because of him, she wanted to have her say. It might not be of great consequence to him, but it was to her.
“I know Tarrant has already told you this, but the Knights of the Dragon know about you and are looking for you. They want you quite badly.” She stood and her chair rolled back a couple of inches. “That’s what I came here to tell you. What you do with the information is up to you.” She wanted to stalk off but knew she couldn’t get through Tarrant’s security system. Her plan was to go back to her sketching, which was out of view of the screen.
She wished speaking with Darius had made her feel better, but it hadn’t. There was a gnawing emptiness in her stomach that left her feeling slightly ill. Her mission, such as it was, was over. She had no idea what to do next—what she could do. With her sister and possibly the rest of the Knights looking for her, it wasn’t as though she had many options.
Tarrant wanted her to stay with him, at least for now. And she wanted to be with him. But she hated feeling dependent on him. She didn’t want him thinking she was only here because she had nowhere else to go. She wanted to be more of his equal.
Not that such a thing was even possible. After all, he was a drakon and a billionaire, while she was a homeless, possibly unemployed, children’s author. Yeah, not equal at all.
She’d taken one step when Tarrant snaked one of his long arms around her waist and pulled. Valeriya stumbled backward and landed in his lap. “Kill me now,” she muttered. She’d never been so embarrassed. So much for making a grand exit.
“Why would I do that?” Tarrant playfully nuzzled her neck. If his friend didn’t know they were sleeping together, he did now.
“Tarrant.” Impatience tinged Darius’s voice.
“What?” he shot back. “You wanted to talk, we’ll talk. I’m compiling a dossier on all the men who were here with Riggs.”
“You identified the third man?” Darius leaned closer and looked so angry that Valeriya instinctively leaned back. He was such a commanding presence, she wouldn’t have been surprised if he’d reached right through the screen. It was a silly thought, but it didn’t stop her reaction.
Of course, Tarrant noticed. He frowned at her and then scowled at Darius. “Ease up,” he ordered him. “Yes, I indentified the third man. While I was busy with that, Valeriya spent her time sketching and listing other people of interest she’s seen with her sister.”
“Why?” Darius leaned back in his chair and pinned her with his gaze. She was glad she was in Tarrant’s arms. She wouldn’t want to face this man alone. He was capable of anything.
She hadn’t forgotten that Tarrant was cut from the same cloth. He had kidnapped her, after all, but she’d never felt threatened with him, not like this. “Why what?” Her voice squeaked a little, but there was nothing she could do about that.
“Why warn me? Why are you betraying your sister?” She heard the implication. If she’d betray her sister, she could betray him, too. It hurt, but it was also a valid question.
Tarrant closed his arms around her, lending her his strength. She straightened her spine, determined to show confidence she wasn’t really feeling. She didn’t owe Darius or anyone else an explanation, but she gave one anyway.
“Because what she and the Knights do is wrong. It’s always been wrong. My family has been a part of the Knights since their inception. The obsession with drakons goes back even longer. I can’t make up for what they’ve done, but I can try to stop the madness.”
Her stomach was in knots just thinking about the centuries of harm, the insanity that had led her ancestors to chain and harm another person. She knew the Knights and her sister thought of those like Tarrant as creatures, but he was a flesh and blood man. He had just as much right to live as they did.
It sickened her that her legacy was one of violence and subjugation.
Darius said nothing for the longest time. “Do anything to harm him”—he pointed at Tarrant—“and I’ll end you.”
It was a promise, not a threat. Strangely, it made her feel better. She liked the idea of Tarrant having someone who’d look out for him.
Her drakon swore and glared at Darius. She caught his chin and turned his face so he was looking at her. “Don’t be mad with him. He cares.” She wished she had a friend or family who cared as much. If Riggs was to be believed, and she had no reason to doubt him, her sister wanted her dead because of her betrayal.
She faced Darius. “You have my word. I won’t do anything to harm him.”
He nodded and then turned his attention to Tarrant, once again dismissing her from his thoughts. She recognized it for what it was. Karina did the same thing to her all the time. It didn’t hurt her feelings.
Tarrant, however, was through holding back. He pointed his index finger at Darius. “Don’t you ever threaten Valeriya again. Are we clear?”
Some of her tension melted. No one had ever stood up for her like this before. Only Tarrant.
She peeked at the screen. Darius was scowling, but he also appeared resigned. “We’re clear.”
Tarrant immediately changed the subject. “How’s Sarah?”
Valeriya was immediately alert, aware that there were more people listening to their conversation. Who was Sarah, and why was Tarrant asking about her? She felt…jealous. It was an unfamiliar emotion. She immediately felt petty, not liking her reaction at all.
“Sarah is fine.” There was a note in Darius’s voice that made her look at him more intently. He seemed uncomfortable, but there was possessiveness in his tone that she found intriguing.
Suddenly, a woman appeared in the screen. She had short brown hair, brown eyes, and a friendly smile. She leaned on Darius’s shoulder and waved at them. “Hey, Tarrant. And you must be Valeriya. Thank you for everything you’ve done. How are you feeling now?”
Valeriya was taken aback by the woman’s kindness. It was a deep contrast to Darius’s suspicion.
“I’m Sarah,” she added.
Valeriya licked her dry lips. “It’s nice to meet you, Sarah. You’re welcome. And I’m doing very well, thank you.” Her words were a little stilted. She never did well in situations like this. She wanted to be friendly but had a hard time. She blamed it on the fact she’d never really been able to have friends growing up. It had made her socially awkward.
Something else to pin on the Knights and her family.
But she was an adult now. She knew what her problems were, and she was trying to grow past them. Darius took the hand Sarah had rested on his shoulder and brought it to his lips. They were obviously a couple. She decided she liked the woman after all.
“I hope you’re somewhere safe,” she blurted.
Smoke came from Darius’s nostrils and mouth. Real smoke. She glanced at Tarrant. He had a half smile on his lips. What was she to make of that? Darius was a drakon.
“And do you want to know our location?” he asked.
So that was his problem. “No.” If he could be blunt. So could she. She was done with this conversation. She dragged her chair back to the corner and opened her sketchpad. She pretended to draw, but couldn’t manage to actually work.
…
Tarrant missed having Valeriya in his lap, even though she’d just left. She was an addiction, one he wasn’t interested in breaking.
Sarah sighed and tipped his brother�
��s face toward her. “Why did you have to ask that?”
“It’s a legitimate question,” he insisted. Darius faced the screen. “It was a legitimate question,” he reiterated.
“It was,” Tarrant agreed, “but you only get to ask it once. Ask it again, and we’ll have a problem.” He wanted his family to embrace Valeriya, but it didn’t matter whether they did or not. She was staying. He needed her in his life.
“You blew your cover, too, bro.” It was too good an opportunity not to tease his big brother. “You had smoke coming out your nose and mouth.”
“I didn’t.” He looked up at Sarah. “Did I?”
She nodded. “Quite impressive. I’m sure you made quite an impression on Valeriya.”
Darius growled, but Sarah just laughed. Tarrant glanced over at Valeriya. She had her sketchbook open, but she wasn’t using her pencil. She looked so alone over there by herself.
He had a flash of understanding. She’d spent most of her life alone. Apart. Maybe that was why she was so fascinated with drakons. She understood them. Yes, she’d had her grandparents. From everything he’d learned, they’d been good to her. But it wasn’t the same. She had a sister who would send someone like Riggs after her, and parents who’d virtually ignored her.
Tarrant knew that no matter how much his brothers aggravated him at times, they’d come to his aid in a heartbeat. They’d always have his back.
“Valeriya is mine.” He made the announcement, daring his brother to object. Valeriya dropped the sketchbook on the counter and stared at him. Her mouth was open and her eyes wide. He wanted to kiss her.
Now.
He ended the transmission. He was through talking to his brother. He turned in his chair and crooked his finger at her. “Come here.”
She shook her head. “Why did you say such a thing to them?”
“Because it’s true.”
She rubbed her hands over her thighs. “But they’re important to you. What if things don’t work out between us? You don’t want to alienate them.”
He knew he had his work cut out for him. She couldn’t seem to believe that anyone would put her first. He patted his lap. “Come here and we’ll talk.”
She cocked her eyebrow and gave him a knowing look. “I come over there and we’ll do more than talk.”
That was his plan. “And what’s wrong with that?”
She rubbed her face and transferred a smudge of lead from the pencil to her skin. “I didn’t like hearing you ask about Sarah. Not at first.”
Tarrant frowned. “Why not?” Sarah had been nice to her. Much more accepting than his grumpy brother.
She nibbled on her bottom lip and sighed. “I thought she might be someone you were interested in her.”
Tarrant was stunned. Valeriya had been jealous. Of Sarah. A huge smile split his face. He couldn’t help it and didn’t want to. “There’s no need to worry about that,” he assured her.
“I know that. Now.” She stressed the last word. “Anyone can see she’s into Darius.” She shrugged. “It was the way you said her name when you asked about her.”
She looked disgruntled, but it was the hurt he sensed that moved him.
He stood and went to her, since she wouldn’t come to him. He waited until she finally looked up at him. “I care for Sarah because she makes Darius happy.”
Valeriya nodded. “She seems very nice.”
“She risked her life for him.” Tarrant couldn’t stand the separation any longer. The dragon inside him wanted her, and so did the human part of him. That made her more special than she could ever know.
He scooped her into his arms. “Just as you risked your life for me.” As he let that sink in, he carried her to the elevator. Once it opened, he stepped inside. “Up,” he commanded.
“Where are you taking me?”
She didn’t seem worried, since she twined her arms around his neck. “To bed.” She needed to understand and accept him as he was. He wasn’t the kind of man to give her poetry and candlelight dinners, but she’d never doubt that he wanted her.
It seemed to take forever for the elevator to reach the top. The door silently slid open, and he walked out. It slammed shut behind him. He hesitated, not sure which room to take her to.
“Shower,” he decided. They could both use one. He veered into his room. He liked the idea of her there.
She sighed and rested her head on his shoulder while she ran her fingers over his chest. “You know, I have no idea what time it is, or even what day it is.”
“It doesn’t matter.” He carried her into the bathroom and set her down on the vanity. He didn’t leave her, but stepped between her legs and crowded against her. “This matters.” Then he leaned down and kissed her.
…
Darius scowled at the blank screen. Sarah reached around him and closed the laptop. “That went well.”
He knew when she was being sarcastic. “I suppose you think I shouldn’t have said those things to Valeriya.”
Surprisingly, she shook her head. “You had to say them, to ask those questions. Tarrant is your brother.”
She rubbed her hands over his shoulders, and he leaned back to rest his head against her chest. He inhaled her sweet scent, and it automatically relaxed him.
“But Valeriya is a part of his life now. I see it, so surely you can, too.”
He could, that didn’t mean he was thrilled with the idea. “Her sister is the leader of the Knights,” he pointed out yet again.
“And I worked for the man who wanted to capture and cage you.”
He couldn’t refute Sarah’s logic. Didn’t mean he had to like it. “You’re saying I’m being unreasonable.”
“No. You’re being a brother. You want to protect Tarrant. I get that. But look at it from his perspective. Valeriya betrayed her sister and her family to warn you. Since then, Tarrant kidnapped her, and her sister sent a man who shot her. She must be totally confused. And if she’s developed feelings for Tarrant, she has to be questioning them. In some ways, we had it much easier.”
“Easier?” He turned and captured his woman, dragging her into his arms. “We were on the run for days. We had teams from the Knights chasing us. Hell, they tried to blow you up.” Just the thought had smoke billowing from his nose. His dragon was close to the surface.
Sarah waved the smoke away from her face, and he forced himself to get control. “But we didn’t have years of family history between us. I had no idea who the Knights were before I went to work for Herman Temple. Valeriya has had to overcome her entire family history.” Sarah rested her head on his shoulder. “I can’t imagine how that poor woman must feel knowing her own sister sent a man after her, a man who shot her.”
As much as it pained him to admit it, Sarah was right. “Okay. I get it.”
“Do you? Because if Tarrant has his way, Valeriya will be with him forever. I saw how he looked at her.”
“And how it that?”
“The same way you look at me.”
Darius glanced at the backdoor. Ezra was still gone. He’d been gone for hours. He could be gone for days. As a water drakon, Ezra had more freedom than the rest of them. The water was his natural home. He could spend his entire life beneath the waves if he chose.
He felt guilty for driving the man out of his own home. But he wasn’t here right now, and Sarah was. He didn’t have to say anything. Her eyes went soft and she nodded. He picked her up and headed toward the stairs.
He wondered what Tarrant was doing then immediately scrapped that thought. If his brother was anything like him, and he was, he was making love to his woman. That was an image Darius didn’t need in his head.
…
Karina was forced to admit that something was wrong. Either Riggs was dead, or he’d betrayed her. Neither was acceptable, but she had to deal with it.
She picked up her phone and tried Riggs’s number one final time. Nothing. She hit the first number in her contacts list. “I need you,” she told the man who answer
ed. There was nothing more to be said.
A few minutes later, there was a knock on the door before it opened. Only Birch would be so forward. “What is it?” he asked. He knew her so well.
“Either Riggs is dead, or he double-crossed me.” She was grateful he didn’t say I told you so.
“What do you want me to do?”
That was Birch, always dependable. “We need to send a team to that cabin in the Cascade Mountains.” She sighed and tried to order her thoughts. She was tired. Keeping on top of her business interests as well as the Knights was exhausting. And adding Valeriya’s betrayal on top of it only dragged her down even more.
“I want that cabin destroyed. Burn it to the ground.”
“Why?” She knew Birch wasn’t questioning her decision or trying to change her mind. He wanted her to clarify her thoughts, not only for him, but for herself.
“If it’s a safe house for Varkas, I want it gone. If my sister thinks to hide out there at some point in the future, I want it gone. I need to send a message to my enemies. There is nowhere they can hide. Nowhere they’ll be safe from me.” They all thought her ruthless, and she was, but it was time to step up her game.
She wanted Varkas.
“I’ll send a team. It will be done within hours.”
Being the head of the Knights gave her access to all their resources. “Make sure it’s a team loyal to us.” She’d had enough betrayal. First her sister, and now her lover. “Have them scour the area first. I want to know if there’s any sign of Riggs and his crew or my sister. I want to know everything that cabin has to tell me before they destroy it.”
She pushed out of her chair and walked around to the front of her desk. “I want it all recorded. I want to see this place for myself. I want to watch it burn.” She needed that.
Birch’s expression never changed, but she’d known him too long to be fooled. “What?”
“You have to let her go. You did everything you could for her.”
She briefly closed her eyes. Only Birch would think that. Only he would believe it. “I should have been harder on her. I should have made her more aware of her duty to the family.” It was her fault Valeriya had betrayed her. She’d been too lenient when her sister was a child.
Drakon's Prey (Blood of the Drakon) Page 22
