Dragon Hearts (D.O.A. Book 1)

by Cree Storm

  "What are you guys talking about? Who's going to give you up?" Bren asked from behind Rene.

  The four men looked at Bren with wide eyes, "How the hell did you sneak up on us and we not know it?" Rene asked.

  Bren snickered, "I didn't. I asked Azul what you guys were talking about because you looked so intense. He let me listen in."

  "Let you──Azul you can't do shit like that. What we talk about is between myself and my men." Rene scolded.

  "Not when it comes to our mate. He has the right to know everything about each of us. We have no secrets." Azul replied defensively.

  Bren backed up, looking hurt, "It's no problem. I shouldn't have eavesdropped."

  Not liking the fact that he hurt his mate, Rene quickly replied, "No Bren, I──"

  Shaking his head, Bren turned, saying, "I'm going to go and join the others."

  As Bren walked away, Rene regretted his reaction immediately. Hurting Bren's feelings was never something he wanted to do. Rene hurried towards Bren and turned his mate to face him, "I'm sorry. I'm so used to just myself and my men knowing and working things out that I wasn't thinking when I spoke. Our lives and what we do has always been a secret. Please forgive my inconsideration."

  Bren glanced up, saying, "I'm sorry, too. I should have told Azul to shut off the audio. I just thought it was so cool."

  Rene brought Bren closer for a deep, love filled kiss. Rene was so into the taste and feel of his mate that it barely registered they were being summoned.

  "Although I appreciate how much you love my son, maybe this isn't the best place to continue that conversation?" Clara said with a laugh.

  When Rene's cheeks heated and pinkened, from embarrassment, he was astounded. Hell, Rene didn't know the last time he was embarrassed about anything.

  Silently, Rene walked with Bren to the table and sat down. Three large casserole dishes were sitting on the table along with an extremely large bowl of Spanish rice and a salad. "This looks and smells fantastic."

  "Mom is one of the best cooks in the world." Jude said, grabbing a spoon and digging into one of the pans.

  Everyone filled their plates and dug in. Taj moaned and closed his eyes as he took his first bite, swallowing, then saying, "This is fantastic."

  "Thank you." Clara said with her typical smile.

  No one spoke for a long time as they ate. It wasn't lost on Rene that with each bite, Bren made sounds that brought back memories of their mating and had his dick getting harder and harder with each bite the man took. Leaning close to his mate, Rene whispered loud enough for only Bren to hear, "You keep making those sounds and your mom is going to see a lot more than just a kiss."

  Bren's ears went beat red, but he took Rene's word as a promise and not a threat.

  Nothing was left by the time everyone had seconds and some had thirds. Sparky sat back patting his stomach, saying, "Ms. Riddle, that was, by far, one of the best meals I can remember having in my lifetime."

  "Thank you, Trevor." Clara responded happily.

  Jude, Rylee, Stephanie, and Bren immediately stood up and started clearing the table. When Clara went to get up, Rene stood, saying, "You cooked, we'll clean."

  Bren leaned over, lightly kissing Rene, "Thank you, love, but why don't you guys talk to mom about the fire while we get this."

  Rene sat back down, saying, "If you're sure?"

  "Very sure. We want to know what happened as much, if not more so, than you do." Bren replied, grabbing the plates, and making his way into the kitchen.

  As the table was cleared, Rene asked, "Clara, what can you tell me about the fire?"

  Clara sighed, "I have no idea what happened. I wish I could tell you, but thankfully I wasn't home when it happened. Mr. Coyle said it looked like an electrical fire, but I don't understand how that can be. I just had my entire home rewired and updated a year ago."

  "Can I talk with the people that did the rewiring?" Sparky asked.

  Nodding, Clara replied, "Of course, but I don't understand. I thought Jude said you men were investigators?"

  Rene quickly replied, "We are at that, but we are a specialized group. We work mainly with serial style cases. Murders, arsons, rapes──Trevor's specialty is fire investigation."

  "Oh my, that must be a very difficult life to live. Always surrounded by the ugliness of the world." Clara replied sympathetically.

  "I won't disagree, but when we catch the perpetrator, it helps knowing that the citizens are safe and we made that happen." Rene answered.

  "Clara, we are here to help. One of our associates has set up an opportunity for us to do a walkthrough of your home and also to meet with the investigator for your case." Rene said.

  With a small assent of her head, Clara replied, "Jude did say that was why you were coming with them. However, I don't understand why I had to have such protection while you do. Having all these men around is a bit disconcerting."

  Taj leaned forward, clasping his hands, and saying, "The guards are more for Jude and Bren, ma'am. It seems that the case we are working on in Pennsylvania has brought a threat against them."

  Clara's eyes widened, then hardened. "You mean the killer of those boys is threatening my sons?"

  "Yes, ma'am. We learned about it after our associate set all this up and moved you here." Taj responded.

  "You all should be in Pennsylvania working on solving who killed poor Aaron and those other boys. I hate the thought of my situation taking you away from that murdering prick." Clara replied vehemently.

  Rene replied, "Our associates are working very hard on that case. You are Bren's mother, maybe not by blood, but by heart. As such, your care and concerns become ours."

  "Why? I don't understand. You two have not been involved long. Why would I matter to you?" Clara asked in confusion.

  Rene stood, saying, "That is the other reason we are here, Clara. Do you mind accompanying us to the courtyard?"

  Jude and the others followed Rene and his men outside. The guards were ordered to cover the front area. Once they were situated, Rene looked at Clara, saying, "Bren is more than just a boyfriend to me, Clara. Bren is what my men and I call a sentience, or soul mate. You see, we are not your average investigators. We are the Dragons of Anarchy. We have been around a long time."

  Clara looked confused, but replied, "Okay, what does all this mean?"

  "Azul, can you come out and meet our sentience's mom?" Rene asked.

  Jude looked nervous, saying, "I don't know about this. Wouldn't it be best to just tell her? I don't want my mother dropping dead from a heart attack."

  "Young man, I am not some swoony woman. Just show me what it is you need to show me." Clara said sternly

  Rene felt Azul rolling around inside him and Bren must have felt the same thing, if his giggle was any indication. A large sapphire smoke exited their bodies and began to form. Clara gasped as Azul appeared and then turned, smiling shyly to Clara.

  "Absolutely amazing." Clara muttered in awe.

  Bren stepped forward and ran his hand up Azul's scaly leg, "Mom, this is Azul. He is mine and Rene's maharishi and partner."

  "I'm not crazy. All these years I was told I was crazy and I'm not." Clara murmured, turning to Rene, "If Azul exists then the ghost dragon does as well, right?"

  Casper drew in a sharp breath, stammering, "Wh──what do you mean?"

  "About thirty years ago, there was a rash of bank robberies. My husband and I had taken our newborn son to the park. The man responsible was trying to get away and ran into the park area. He shot and killed my husband, and just as he was about to harm or kill myself and Jude, this dragon appeared. It was barely visible. He blocked myself and my child from the man, and then grabbed the robber. I tried to tell the police, but no one would believe me.” Looking at Rene and then Sparky, Clara gasped, "I knew you both looked familiar! The second I saw you both I thought I had seen you before. I dismissed it because you are so young, but it was you there, wasn't it?"

  "I remember that ca
se. It was the Grady Demoin case. He had not killed anyone until that day in the park. Casper, it was your maharishi that saved the woman and child." Sparky replied in fascination.

  Clara rushed to Casper and wrapped him in a huge hug. The man stiffened. Rene knew that Casper was not someone people tended to hug or touch. However, Clara didn't seem to care, as she then lifted on her tippy toes, clasped the back of Casper's head, and brought him down to kiss him on the cheek, tears running down her cheeks, saying, "Thank you so much for saving my son's life. I will always be in debt to you and your dragon."

  Rene's phone went off, and Rene quickly took it out, pressing the speaker button. "What's up, Boomer?"

  "Pit, we did as Bren suggested and looked for differences from the original ABC murders to these. We aren't finished, but I wanted to let you know what we did find so far. I got Stone involved and he is a very persuasive man. It seems the lead investigator on the case was holding shit back, not just from the press, but from us as well."

  "Son of a bitch." Rene growled.

  "Yeah, let's just say he is no longer the lead investigator."

  "What did you learn?" Rene asked.

  "Each body had white cat hairs, and I don't mean house cat. They're from a snow leopard."

  "Son of a bitch! A shifter is doing this?" Rene asked in shock.

  "This is most definitely a copycat. No pun intended." Boomer said with a snort.

  "There's only one snow leopard in our area at the moment, Boomer." Rene replied.

  "Lexi." Boomer responded.

  Bren, Jude, and Rylee all exclaimed, "Lexi?"

  Rene hardened his tone, ordering, "Bring him in, Boomer. You get that bastard and hold him until I get back."

  "Already on it, Pit. Blade and Gunner went to get him now. We are checking out some other things that were previously not shared with us. When I get more, I'll let you know."

  Hanging up, Rene looked at his mate. Bren was standing there not looking pleased. With a firm angry tone, Bren snapped, "It seems there may have been something you forgot to tell me."

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  "It's been three days, Rene. We have to go back." Bren argued.

  Shaking his head, Rene replied, "I told you, baby, we can't go back right now. The arson investigator and Sparky are still going over the scene. I have to meet with the chief of police in an hour."

  "But you know what the killer said, Rene. He's going to fucking kill another kid if we don't go back. I can't let another boy die." Bren argued.

  "We have Lexi in custody, and even though he is screaming his innocence, he can't explain how those hairs got on the murder victims, either."

  Shaking his head, Bren replied, "I'm telling you, Lexi is not the copycat. He is not a killer."

  "And Boomer and my men are still investigating until we can prove otherwise. For now, we just have to go on and do what we came here to do." Rene replied in exasperation.

  "You know Rene is right, Bren. We must find out all we can about this case. We have to let Rene's men do their job. I promise they are very good at it."

  "Azul, you are always taking his side." Bren said with a pout.

  Azul shifted around inside Bren and then appeared in the room.

  Bren's eyes widened in shock, "How the hell are you able to be in here?"

  Azul's eyed showed his mirth, "Bren, if I can make myself a tattoo image on your body, I can make myself as large as a man."

  Sighing Bren replied, "I guess."

  Azul went to Bren, holding Bren close. "I do not take sides. I only speak the truth. Listen to our mate and know he is only looking out for the best interest of you and your family."

  Bren was amazed at how comforting it was when the dragon hugged or even touched him. Sighing, Bren replied, "I know, Azul, but if another child dies because I'm here and not back home, I don't think I could live with that."

  Rene went to the duo, and brushed Bren's hair from his eyes, saying, "If another murder does happen, it won't be your fault, Bren. Think about all the boys killed when you were there. Maybe it's Lexi, maybe it's not. Either way, this person cannot stop themselves from doing what it is they are doing. It is a sickness."

  Sighing, Bren said, "Maybe so, but I still have a clinic to get back to, Rene. I can't stay away much longer. Doc Aims relieved the other guy I got to cover for me, but I can't ask him to stay there indefinitely. The man is supposed to be enjoying his life of retirement. Besides, I miss my patients."

  Rene gave a light laugh, the cleared his throat when he saw Bren was not appreciating the man’s mirth, "Sorry Bren. It's just that you talk about your patients as if they were human."

  "They not be human, but they are loving pets that are often thought of as children for the people who have them. Helping a dog, cat, horse, or even a lizard brings me just as much pride and joy as it does when Jude saves a human's life." Bren said with a bit of a bite.

  Rene kissed Bren, "I know it does baby. I'm sorry. Now, let's get down stairs and plan our day with everyone so we can finish this and get home."

  Making their way downstairs, Bren heard everyone in the kitchen. It seemed that his mom was right. The kitchen and patio had become their favorite places to be. Not just because his mom was a kick ass cook, but because it was far more comfortable than the rest of the place. It was also better now that the guards were no longer inside the house.

  "I will miss Texas, but it is sure going to be wonderful to be near my boys again." Clara said just as Bren and Rene walked in the room with Azul.

  Clara smiled wide, "Well, look at this. Hello Azul, it is a blessing and wonder to see you."

  Azul gave his mom a smile and nod, and if Bren wasn't mistaken, the big bad dragon's cheeks were darker than usual.

  "Do you want something to eat? I made plenty. With as much as Sparky and the others eat, I have to." Clara said with a snicker.

  Azul looked at Bren anxiously, "I have not eaten real food in centuries. Do you think I can?"

  "Do you want to?" Bren asked.

  Azul looked at the buffet set up on the kitchen bar and then back at Bren, "I would love to try."

  "How about you tell me what you want and I can make your plate?" Bren asked.

  Making their way to the buffet set up, Bren made a plate for himself as well as Azul. Clara got up and moved some things from the bar, saying, "With your tail it isn't viable for you to sit, but this should work. We'll figure something out for the next time, so you can join the rest of us at the table. This large serving spoon should be big enough for you to use."

  "Please tell your mother, thank you." Azul said with misty eyes.

  "You are most welcome." Clara responded.

  Azul's eyes widened, and Clara only laughed, "Your eyes speak louder than words."

  Azul was a bit clumsy at first with the utensil, but soon got the hang of it. Taking his spoon, he scooped up some gravy with biscuits and from the first bite gave a look of bliss that almost looked like Rene in the midst of an orgasm. Seconds later, Azul was actually purring.

  “I take it you like it?” Rene asked with a snicker.

  Azul only nodded, not taking any time away from his food to answer.

  Everyone ate breakfast and once they were done and everything was cleaned, Rene stood up saying, "Taj and I need to go. We are going to be late meeting with the chief if we don't get a move on."

  "Casper and I are set to meet with the arson investigator as well." Sparky replied, standing too.

  "Mom, Rylee and I are going to meet with the insurance company. We just want everything in order before we head back to Pennsylvania." Jude replied.

  Stephanie looked at Bren, "I guess that leaves us to hang out. How about we go check out some of our old stomping grounds. It would be nice to see some of our old hangouts."

  Bren really didn't want to go anywhere, but could see the excitement in Stephanie's eyes. She had not looked this eager about anything since Aaron's death. "That sounds like fun. Maybe we can go grab a burger for lunch at
Go Burger?"

  "Oh my god, to hell with that, we can get one of the largest green chili meat burritos. It's been too long since we had one of those." Stephanie said with a moan.

  "Damn, I want to go there." Rylee whined.

  Bren smiled, saying, "How about we give mom a break from cooking and Steph and I grab enough for everyone."

  Hearing a sound from the kitchen bar, Bren smiled, saying, "Yes Azul, I will make sure I get you a few as well."

  Azul blew a kiss at Bren and everyone laughed as Clara replied, "Oh my, I think I created a monster."

  * * * *

  Rene left the chief’s office. Taj saying, "I don't like the sound of it, Rene. He said that there have been three house fires in the past six months."

  "Taj, people's houses do catch fire. El Paso is a big city, that isn't that unusual." Rene responded while getting on his bike.

  Rene's phone rang just as he was bringing his helmet up. Unclipping his phone from its holder, Rene didn't even get a chance to say anything when he hit the speaker button.

  "Pit, we have a problem." Boomer said anxiously.

  "Did the killer strike again?" Rene quickly asked,

  Boomer quickly answered, "Not that we know of. It's──"

  "Did Lexi escape?" Taj said with a growl.

  Boomer made a noise of frustration in the back ground then said, "If you both would stop talking I could tell you what we found."

  Rolling his eyes, Rene replied, "Just tell us and we won't interrupt."

  "The rapes we thought were happening were not happening." Boomer said quickly.

  "How the hell do you say a kid was raped and then it not be the case? The coroner can't suck that bad." Rene responded angrily.

  "It wasn't the coroner's fault, I mean they were penetrated, but it was with an object, not a penis. There was no spermicidal found as you would when a condom is used and there was no real tearing either. The coroner said that he told that damn investigator, it was as if the assaults were like an afterthought to throw the police off." Boomer answered.

  "Why would someone do that?" Taj asked in disgust.