“Maybe.”
He blinked, but quickly recovered. “Why do I have a feeling you have ulterior motives?”
She placed a hand on his chest. “You still have yet to tell me about your friend who died, Rafe. The one who caused you to lash out at me and the other dragon-shifters in the unit.”
Wrapping an arm around her waist, he got them moving again. “As long as we walk, I’ll answer whatever questions you ask.”
“Anything? What if I ask about your deepest, darkest fear?”
Wanting to tear down barriers, Rafe decided what the hell, he’d tell her. “I don’t like swimming underwater in the dark.”
“What? Why?”
He shrugged. “When I was a child, I watched part of a movie where the house was alive and tried to kill its inhabitants. After watching the bit where a kid nearly drowned because the pool kept him under the water, I started wondering if the same thing would happen to me.”
Nikki frowned. “But it’s a movie.”
“I know that. Yet ever since, if it’s dark or I have my eyes closed under water, I wonder if there’s any enemy lurking to pull me down. I learned during training as a teenager how to keep my fear to a minimum. But given the chance, I won’t go into the water unless I can see either because the water is clear or I have goggles.”
Squeezing her arm around his waist, she grinned. “Well, then we’ll just have to see how you do if I’m with you in the water and naked. You might not mind it so much then.”
“I’d very much like to try that.” He leaned down to kiss the grin off Nikki’s face when the voice of Aaron Caruso, Kai’s second-in-command, boomed out, “I always appreciate a free show. Just pretend I’m not here.”
With a growl, Rafe glared at the olive-skinned dragonman. “What do you want?”
Aaron approached them. “My, my, someone’s testy. It’s almost as if you have an inner dragon.” He lowered his voice. “Have you been keeping a secret from us, Hartley?”
Nikki spoke up before he could. “What do you want, Aaron?”
“You’re fairly early in the pregnancy to be getting snippy,” Aaron answered with a grin.
“Aaron Caruso, if you don’t get to the point, I’ll extend my talons and go after your bollocks,” Nikki spat out.
Aaron looked from Nikki to Rafe. “And how would your boyfriend react if you grabbed another male’s bollocks?”
Releasing his hold on Nikki, Rafe stepped in front of her and narrowed his eyes at the dragonman. “You might be Nikki’s superior, but not mine. If you don’t have clan business to share, then be on your way or I will challenge you myself.”
“My, my, someone has a temper,” Aaron answered as his face turned serious. “And you’re wrong, Hartley. I am your superior for the foreseeable future. So, get used to orders from me.”
“Pardon?”
The smile returned to Aaron’s face. “Not only are you working with me for the celebration tomorrow, but I'm also overseeing the mission and going with you to Ireland. I’m fairly sure Kai mentioned that to you already.”
Rafe’s irritation with the cocky bastard was replaced with curiosity. “Did Bram reach out to Killian O’Shea already?”
“Yes,” Aaron answered. “Killian hasn’t promised anything beyond a meeting and not killing us on sight. But it’s a good start.” He leaned forward. “So, get used to seeing me around, Hartley. Maybe with enough exposure, you can learn to lighten up a little.”
Nikki moved to Rafe’s side. “All that is well and good, but why are you here now? You could’ve told us this later.”
“Well, you two disappeared, and I’m impatient to go over the plans for tomorrow. Finn and Arabella arrived early, so we need to scramble to get security in place.”
Nikki looked down at herself. “Can I at least put some clothes on first? It’s bloody freezing.”
“I’ll allow it, but you only have fifteen minutes. If you dally, I know you’re shagging somewhere and I’ll come fetch you,” he said with amusement dancing in his eyes. He then rubbed his hands together. “That will be a real show.”
Clenching his fingers, Rafe jumped in. “I don’t care what rank you hold or who you are. If you take advantage of Nikki, I will break your arm before you can finish blinking.”
Aaron scrutinized him for a second before nodding. “You might just do, Hartley.” He raised a hand and flashed his fingers three times. “Fifteen minutes, starting now.”
Wrapping his arm around Nikki, Rafe guided her away from the Italian dragon bastard and toward their shared cottage. “Working with Caruso is going to try my patience. A few weeks with him, and I will most likely punch him in both eyes.”
“Rafe, stop it. Aaron does it on purpose, you know. It’s his way.”
He glanced over. “Why are you defending him? Did you ever fancy him?”
Nikki rolled her eyes. “No, and you need to learn to tame your jealousy, human. Unless you deliberately hurt me, I’m yours for the foreseeable future.”
His heart skipped a beat at Nikki’s words. “That’s the most promising thing you’ve said yet.”
“I would say I really like spending time with you, but I’m afraid you’ll lord it over me.”
Stopping them, he pulled Nikki’s body up against his. “If I promise not to use it too often, will you say it again?”
She tried to frown but ended up smiling. “You sound fairly eager.”
“Nikki.”
She laughed. “Okay, I love spending time with you. Does that make you happy?”
He murmured, “Yes,” before taking her lips in a rough kiss. “And if we hurry, I might just be able to make you come with my tongue within the fifteen minute time frame.”
“That sounds like a challenge to me.”
“Then I accept.” He swept his arm behind Nikki’s knees and lifted her up. “To speed things up, I’m going to carry you.”
Before Nikki could protest, he took off at a run. Nikki’s giggle sent a rush of peace over him. She should definitely laugh more.
Rafe added yet another item to his list of things to do with Nikki.
But he didn’t think of it long because they arrived at their cottage. Once inside, he put Nikki on the couch, spread her legs, and made her scream his name.
Chapter Twelve
Nikki was strapped to a chair. With her dragon drugged into silence, she had no way to shift and escape the dragon hunters.
Two such hunters stared down at her. One held two metal rods with the bottom ends covered in plastic. Wires ran from the end of each and were plugged into a device on the table next to her.
He touched the tips together and electricity sparked. Anticipation danced in his eyes as he said, “I’m going to ask one more time. Where are the weaknesses in Stonefire’s defenses?”
She remained silent. She’d already let Bram down once by allowing Evie, Charlie, and herself to be captured. She would rather die than do anything else to hurt him or the clan.
The sound of a roaring dragon in the distance only strengthened Nikki’s resolve. She wouldn’t let Charlie’s pain be for nothing.
The man shrugged. “Then we can do it my way.”
He approached her but never touched her. To help keep calm, Nikki made her inhalations and exhalations of equal length.
Then he touched the skin of her arms and electricity raced through her body. She held out as long as she could, but the pain was too much, and she screamed.
“Nikki.”
The pain vanished, replaced with a hand gently shaking her shoulder. Sitting up in bed, she met Rafe’s eyes in the dim light. “Rafe?”
He searched her eyes. “Are you okay? You were screaming.”
Damn it. Nikki must’ve had a nightmare. It’d been a few months since her last one. She’d been under the false impression they had finally vanished.
Her dragon spoke up in a sleepy voice. They won’t go away until you talk about it.
They'd had the argument many times over the la
st year. It was my failure that resulted in my capture and torture. It’s my burden and no one else’s.
You’re an idiot.
Shutting out her dragon, Nikki plopped onto her back and stared at the ceiling. As if on cue, Rafe’s voice filled the room again. “Was it something from your time in Afghanistan?”
She met his eye. There was understanding in his gaze. “No, but I have a feeling we both understand painful memories showing up when we least expect it—when we’re asleep.”
“Call it what it is, Nikki. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. There’s no shame in admitting you have PTSD.”
“You say that now when you’re naked and sharing my bed. I highly doubt you’d feel the same way if you were in a room full of male soldiers.”
Rafe’s quiet voice answered, “Since it’s cost me a few friends who took their own lives, I’ve learned to accept it more in the last few years. I’ve even seen one of the army’s shrinks a couple of times.”
Rolling onto her side, Nikki propped her head up with her hand. “Did it help?”
He shrugged. “A little. I still have nightmares every once in a great while, but talking about my troubles with someone allowed me to focus better overall.” Tracing her cheek with a finger, he added, “You can talk to me, you know. Despite what you might think, I’m a pretty good listener if I want to be.”
Even a few weeks ago, she would’ve called bullshit. But thinking of how he’d listened to her ramble about her mother earlier, she believed him.
Still, talking about her captivity would mean releasing the memories she’d worked so hard to suppress.
Her dragon huffed. Think of Charlie.
What does our dead friend and mentor have to do with anything?
You vowed retribution, but what if a panic attack happens when we’re inside a dragon hunter’s hideout? Or, facing a group of them? You will fail everyone, including yourself. Is that what you want?
Nikki didn’t want to admit her dragon had a point. Still, would Rafe think less of her if she told him the truth?
Rafe’s voice interrupted her thoughts. “Tell me what’s on your mind, Nikki. I’m starting to get a tad jealous of your dragon.”
Her dragon hummed inside her mind, but Nikki ignored her. “I’m not sure if jealous is the right word. Having a two-sided conversation inside your head can be tiring at times.”
“You say that, but I guarantee you wouldn’t give her up for the world.”
“No,” she answered. “I wouldn’t.”
Cupping her cheek, Rafe caressed her skin with a gentle back-and-forth motion of his thumb. “Tell me and I’ll hold you close until you fall asleep. Maybe I can help fend off the memories.”
The corner of her mouth ticked up. “You’re turning into quite the cuddler, Rafe Hartley. If you’re not careful, you might ruin your reputation with the females.”
“I don’t care about my bloody reputation with women,” he snarled. “I’m trying to get one particular woman to open up to me, but it’s like squeezing blood from a stone at times.”
She frowned. “Hey, that’s not fair. You haven’t told me much at all about yourself, apart from your work. I still don’t know what happened to your friend who died.”
“I don’t tend to talk about personal details with other people. It’s going to take some time to change that.”
“Then how about this? You tell me about your friend who was killed in action and I’ll tell you what caused my nightmare.”
~~~
Rafe kept in his curse. Nikki was too clever.
Not that he didn’t eventually want to share everything with her, but talking about Noah’s death was never easy. Especially since it reminded him of how much of a bastard he’d been to Nikki four years ago.
Still, the lightly damp cheek under his skin reminded him of Nikki’s screaming and thrashing about. Something was bothering her. The knowledge she could be silently suffering didn’t sit well with him.
While he hated the fact the last few days of fun and teasing might be tarnished with his past, it would be selfish not to help when he had the chance. After all, it would not only heal her own mind, it would help prevent stress for their child.
And Rafe would do anything for his unborn child, even if it meant baring his soul.
Clearing his throat, he never took his gaze from Nikki’s. “We have a deal.” He settled to a more comfortable position on his side before continuing, “Noah Tucker was my best mate from childhood. We even signed up for the army together at sixteen. While we were assigned different units for years, we both worked as hard as we could to be the best, which landed us in the Special Forces.
“Since we were assigned some of the most dangerous missions and were looking for new strategies to try, the dragon-shifter guard was sent to work with us. I’ll admit that at first, we were all skeptical about trusting them. At the time, very little was known about the dragons apart from the sacrifice program and the healing properties of their blood. While any dragon-shifter who wants to be a Protector is required to work for two years with the British armed forces, they had never before been sent to work critical assignments. But by that point, we’d been in Afghanistan for so many years the military was willing to try something new.
“Everyone protested about working with the ‘unpredictable beasts.’ However, after meeting a few of the dragon-shifters and watching some demonstrations, Noah, myself, and a few others believed the dragons could help. Then came our first coordinated assignment.
“We were to infiltrate an enemy stronghold. It was a smaller, isolated location that was disguised as a farm. According to the intelligence, fifteen men were hiding out there with a stockpile of weapons and armored vehicles that would soon be delivered to our enemies. The assignment was simple enough—secure the enemies and take possession of the contraband. By doing so, it would weaken the enemy forces in the area, giving our side the chance to attack with minimal casualties and less collateral damage.
“Our team was divided into three groups—one headed by me, another by Noah, and a third by the dragon-shifters. We all made our approach after dark, but someone must’ve discovered our plans because, within seconds, a series of flash bombs went off, blinding us.”
Rafe paused as the light and sounds filled his head as if it had happened the day before. The barrage of bullets, the yelling, the scent of blood. It all came rushing back.
Nikki touched his arm, and he snapped out of the memory. Realizing he had closed his eyes, he opened them to meet Nikki’s lovely almond-shaped eyes. The understanding mixed with curiosity brought him back to the present.
Taking one of his hands, she threaded her fingers through his. Her voice was low when she said, “Tell me what happened next.”
He squeezed her hand in his and took strength from her touch. “By the time I could see again, the dragons were picking off the men they could find. However, since most of the men were inside the farmhouse or the outside shed, I knew I needed to stick to the plan and infiltrate the shed if we wanted any chance of success.
“Leading the remainder of my team onward, we made it ten feet from the large shed when two armored vehicles sped out the side of it. It had been decided earlier that the dragons should take out any vehicles so that we didn’t have to weigh ourselves down with rocket launchers.
“So, we took cover until the threats could be handled. Unfortunately, one of the dragons was shot out of the sky and crashed to the ground. The armored vehicles changed course, heading straight for the injured blue dragon. In near darkness, I could barely make out what happened next. But after the fact, when I learned the truth, the images made sense.”
More than that, it had changed his life forever.
He pushed on. “But I’m getting ahead of myself. Noah’s team was closer to the vehicle and the dragon since their target had been the farmhouse. One of the men from Noah’s unit ran and jumped onto the vehicle. A second later, a grenade went off and the vehicle exploded. The distraction gave
the injured dragon time enough to hop further away and make her way into the air again.
“Trained as we were, I would give our fallen comrade his or her full dues once we completed our objective. Leading my team into the farmhouse, we managed to capture the three remaining men inside. The dragons took care of the other armored vehicle, and Noah’s team took over the farmhouse. I was so busy securing our prisoners, it was almost twenty minutes before I had a chance to find out about the casualties.”
While a bad feeling had sat in Rafe’s gut since the explosion, he’d held the hope that his best friend hadn’t fallen.
Nikki squeezed his hand. “The man who took out the armored vehicle was Noah.”
Between Nikki’s comforting presence at his side and the knowledge it was only him and her in the room, he allowed tears to form in his eyes. His voice was gravelly when he answered, “Yes.”
“Oh, Rafe. I know words can’t bring him back, but I’m so sorry.”
She cupped his cheek and he leaned into her touch. “The bloody fool had been noble and honorable to the end. According to his team, he’d sacrificed his life by carrying live grenades and jumping in the vehicle, all to save the dragon-shifter. Not just because he believed the dragon was as much part of his team as those actually under him, but he knew how precious dragons could be. He’d been dating the blue female dragon in secret and had been halfway in love with her.” He looked away. “And the bastard had never told me. What was worse, the female dragon-shifter had been pregnant with his child.”
“Wow. What happened to them?”
Meeting Nikki’s gaze again, he shook his head. “I don’t know. Not wanting to tarnish his reputation or risk his posthumous medal, no one ever reported Noah’s connection to the dragon-shifter, let alone the existence of their child. Because of her injuries, the dragon, Gwendolen, was sent back home to Clan Snowridge. I have no idea what she told her clan, but she never returned to the army.”
Once his hatred had cleared enough to remind him of his promise, Rafe had spent months trying to find something out about Gwen.
Surrendering to the Dragon (Stonefire British Dragons Book 7) Page 12
