by Lia Davis
“You should sleep.” He kissed her temple. “You need to be rested so we can hunt for Sage.”
She shook her head. “I can’t. There are so many scenarios playing in my mind. When I close my eyes, I see them. None are good.”
A lump formed in her throat. She couldn’t fall apart. Not when Sage needed her to be strong.
Owen turned her to face him. His steel blue eyes stared at her, searching. She swore she saw a ripple of silver in them. Pulling out his phone, he clicked a single button, then switched it to speaker. The other line rang once before a male voice said, “’Sup, man.”
The corner of Owen’s mouth twitched and he rolled his eyes. “Say hi to Nadia.”
There was a brief pause before the man spoke. “Hi Nadia. Snow, at your service.”
Nadia glanced from the phone to Owen and lifted her brows in question. Owen continued. “Any news on Huff?”
“That SOB has covered his scent. He must be using a…umm…he’s hiding his trail pretty good, but I’m certain he’s still close-by. It wouldn’t make sense for him to leave the area if it’s you he wants to torment. I knew I should have killed that fucker when he first started sniffing around Jo.”
Owen clicked the speaker off and placed the phone to his ear. With a low growl, he said, “Not your fault. I need you to focus.” There was a pause. “No, we checked there… Yeah, I’m sure.” Owen sighed. “Fine. Have Courtney flush him out. And ask her to bring in Dylan. His water expertise could really be helpful. As for Liam Huff, if you see him, you know what to do.”
After a few more moments, Owen ended the call and tossed his phone on the desk next to the window they still stood in front of.
“What was that all about?” Nadia studied Owen carefully. He’d tensed up while talking with Snow—if that was even his real name.
“Snow and my sister, JoAnna, were dating before she died. He’s still grieving.” Owen grabbed Nadia’s arms and tugged her close. “I wanted you to know that my team is serious about finding Huff. Not just me, but all of us. We will get him.”
Nadia drew back and stared into his eyes. “I believed you. I just can’t stop the anxiety and the worry that I’ll never see Sage again.”
Tears filled her eyes. Damn, she was tired of crying. She usually wasn’t one to blubber so much. But it wasn’t every day that the thing she valued most in the world was at risk. Sage had to be okay. She wiped them and blew out a frustrated breath. “I’m stronger than this, damn it. I’ve cried more in the last day than I have in ten years.”
“Hey, stop. There’s nothing wrong with crying.” He lifted her chin with a finger. “You don’t think I cried? I did. I screamed, cried, broke stuff, and did a number of other things I’m not proud of after losing Jo. She was mine to protect.”
Nadia sniffed. He used the words she had earlier. She sagged against him, fatigue finally making her bones heavy. “I feel helpless. Thank you for putting up with me. I must seem like a total baby.”
“You’ve been incredibly strong. Don’t sell yourself short.” He scooped her up and carried her to his room. “But right now, you need to sleep to regain that strength. Would another cup of tea help?”
She wrapped her arms around his neck then shook her head. “That’s okay. I’m feeling the exhaustion setting in now. I’ll probably fall right to sleep when my head hits the pillow.”
Cool satin sheets seeped through her clothes when he laid her in bed. He kissed her forehead. “You can change into one of my shirts if you’d like. I’m going to check in with Courtney.”
Then he left the room, pulling the door closed.
Nadia frowned. She’d have to find out who this Courtney was… Wait. Owen had mentioned Courtney when he was talking to Snow, too. Clearly, the woman was important.
She fluffed the pillow. Owen didn’t belong to her.
Why did it feel like it then? Even after passionate sex and a joke about boyfriends, this might be nothing more than a summer fling. She needed to remember that, no matter how much she was beginning to like him.
Even under the horrible circumstances of Sage’s disappearance, she wanted to be with Owen. Be near him.
She flipped over in the bed. Her clothes bound her, and she flipped the other way to try and get comfortable.
Ugh. Nothing was working. Must be the stress.
She stood and crossed the room to the closet. A clean shirt sounded like a great idea. A clean shirt of Owen’s, even better. She flipped through the hangers in the closet. He’d hung his T-shirts in the closet. How charming.
None of her ex-boyfriends could be accused of being tidy and neat with their things.
He didn’t have much of a color selection—white or black. Guess he didn’t need a lot for a week at the lake. She selected a white T-shirt with a logo in the left, top corner. It appeared to be a dragon with the letters, DSD twined through it.
Must be some kind of video game logo.
She shed her clothing, except her underwear, folded the items, and placed them on the chair in the corner. The T-shirt was soft and cool and slipped over her skin like a comforting touch. She ran her fingers through her hair and stretched.
Owen was right. She needed to get some rest.
She crawled back into bed as he entered the room. Watching him cross the short distance with heat in his gaze made her warm all over. Desire flared.
She blurted out, “Who’s Courtney?”
His brows bunched together and he pursed his lips. When he reached her, he nudged her hip. “Scoot over.” She did and he eased under the covers beside her. “She was Jo’s best friend and is one of my teammates. She’s running this operation to take out Huff. Like I said, my team is invested in getting him.”
“Oh.” Warmth filled her cheeks and she rolled to her side with her back toward him. Great, he’ll think I’m some overbearing, jealous woman. He’ll surely run for the hills now.
He clicked off the lamp, and then his large arm snaked around her middle, drawing her close to him. He pressed a soft kiss to her cheek, then her shoulder, before saying, “Go to sleep. You’ll need your strength for tomorrow. I’ve got my phone in case there’s any news. They’ll contact me with any information on Sage or Huff, but for now, we rest. Tomorrow, we get your sister back.”
She nodded, closed her eyes, and relaxed into his embrace.
Nadia woke with a start. She shot up in bed and glanced around. Sunlight streamed through the sheer curtains, and she blinked at the brightness. At first, she didn’t know where she was, but then she caught the scent of Owen’s spicy cologne. A sigh slipped from her lips, but her anxiety still made her chest hurt.
Owen wasn’t in bed.
And Sage was still missing. Dammit, she’d slept too long. They had to get back to searching.
She hopped up, crossed the room to the window, and peered out. Owen stood on the bank of the lake with his phone to his ear. A smile lifted her lips. He must not have wanted to disturb her. Did he have news? Maybe his team had found Sage!
She grabbed her clothes off the chair and changed, then eased out the back door toward the lake. His head tilted in her direction when she was within a few yards from him. It was interesting how he knew she was there without even seeing her.
He turned to her and clicked the phone off, then stuck it in his pocket. He took a deep breath as she approached.
The morning air was warm but comfortable. A breeze blew through the treetops, and she heard the creak of the trunks swaying. Birds chirped happily. Mornings like this were made for sitting on the porch with coffee. It was her and Sage’s favorite part of coming to the lake house.
A pang stabbed her heart, and tears filled her eyes, blurring her vision. Owen tugged her into a hug. “Why don’t you have shoes on?”
A half-sob, half-laugh escaped her. The statement was unexpected, and she guessed he meant it as a distraction. “I go barefoot as much as I can. Especially at the lake.”
He made a noise that sounded close to a growl. “
You’ll cut your feet.”
Pulling back to stare into his eyes, she said, “And I’ll heal. It’s no big deal, really.”
His lips thinned and he narrowed his gaze slightly. After a few moments, he framed her face and pressed his lips to hers. It started off gentle. When she let out a soft groan, he deepened the kiss, thrusting his tongue past her lips and tangling it with hers. A wildfire of desire raced through her. She gripped his shirt, trying to pull him closer.
“I have to go.” He broke the kiss and pressed his forehead to hers. “That was Courtney on the phone. They have a lock on Huff.”
She jerked her head back and stepped out of his embrace. She tugged at his arm. “Then we have to go. I need to go get Sage.”
“I can’t convince you to stay here and let my team handle it?”
She crossed her arms and glared. “Not a chance. I’m going.”
He made that growling sound again, only this time, it was deeper, like it came from his chest. “Then you are wearing Kevlar. And shoes. That’s not optional. Huff is not a guy to fuck around with.”
Her skin, so pale and fine. Golden strands of hair to wrap about her neck. Once, twice, three times, and she’s mine.
8
Owen avoided Nadia’s stare while he strapped the Kevlar vest on her, cinching it to her shape and snapping it tight. It might not protect his mate in every scenario, but it would help.
He really wished she didn’t insist on going with him, but he totally got it. He’d be the same way.
Anger pooled in his stomach, and his dragon paced and snarled under his skin, threatening to burst out. The beast wanted Huff torn apart, wanted to know if Sage was safe, and wanted to reveal himself to his mate, Nadia. He couldn’t have Nadia until Huff was gone and Sage was back home.
His dragon was losing patience.
Owen had never been this afraid before, but right then, he feared Nadia’s reaction to what he was about to say. What if she ran? Or hated him for lying? He couldn’t bear another loss. His mate needed to understand who and what he was before she’d be able to make her own decision about him. He prayed to the gods she wouldn’t be terrified of his dragon.
He had to tell her the truth. Huff was almost guaranteed to shift to keep from being captured and brought in front of the Council. The only way to fight him would be to let his own dragon out. Otherwise, he and Nadia would be toast.
Picking up the Sig off the table, he handed it to Nadia. “You know how to use this, right? It’s loaded.”
She nodded and handled it like a pro, sliding it into the thigh holster he’d given to her earlier. Damn, she was hot.
When she walked around him to exit the house, he gripped her upper arm and tugged her to him. “I could never harm you.”
She glanced up to him, her brows drawing together. “As strange as it seems, I somehow know that.”
“I want to make sure you believe it. No matter what happens.”
“I do. We have to go.”
“There’s something I need to tell you before we leave. Before you see Huff.” A muttered curse slipped past his lips as he watched concern and confusion cloud her features.
She took a step back. “Is Sage okay? Oh God. You found out she’s dead, didn’t you?” She sank to the floor.
“No, Nadia, it isn’t that. As far as we know, Sage is fine. We’re going to get her back safely.” He helped her stand. “You’ve got to trust me.”
“You scared me. What is it that you need to tell me?”
“It’s important. And you’re very important to me, and I don’t want to lose you over this.” Shit. He was fucking this up.
Nadia was on edge and about to break, and he was going tell her he was really a dragon. She was going to collapse. As strong as she was, he wasn’t sure she could handle one more thing.
She grabbed his shoulders. “Tell me now. I can’t stand waiting any longer. What is it?”
He closed his eyes and took a long breath. His dragon shook with anticipation. It huffed and puffed along with Owen. Mine. Mine. Mine.
Owen cleared his throat. “We—my team and Huff—aren’t…fully human.”
Her eyes narrowed at his words. “We don’t have time for jokes. Sage’s life is on the line. If you’ve got something serious to say to me, do it. Otherwise, we need to go! Who knows want that psycho has done to her?”
Owen threaded a hand through his hair and blew out a breath he’d been holding in anticipation of her reaction. Maybe telling her could wait a little longer. She didn’t seem to be in the mood. Focused on Sage, she wasn’t really processing what he said.
“We’re sort of superheroes. We’ll save Sage. I know she’s safe for now. Huff won’t kill her until he gets a chance to taunt me. His whole plan is to make me suffer and pay. He thinks I’m the reason Jo wouldn’t mate with him. Why, I never understood. Snow was her mate. She’d never have bonded with Huff, no matter how hard he tried or how long he kept her prisoner. He’s truly fucked in the head.”
“Oh, is that it? That’s nothing new. Men and their girlfriend problems. He’s a psychopath. No man should try to force a woman to be with him. Ever.” She clenched her fists. “I deal with some of these crazy people in my job, too. Trying to keep tabs on their girlfriends and wives. It’s insane.”
“He’s definitely a psycho.” Hands on hips, Owen stared beyond her. “If I could’ve saved Jo, I would’ve.”
“Of course you would’ve.” Nadia touched his face, bringing his focus back to her. “We’ll get him. It won’t bring Jo back, but you’ll have closure.”
“I think so.” His dragon fussed at him for not telling her. But it was the right thing. He’d have to tell her soon enough.
“It will.” She tugged at the vest. “Thanks for letting me know that Huff is a misogynist psycho. Though, I kind of figured he was.”
“Yeah.” He brushed her hair away from her face. “Let’s go.
“Where did Courtney say he’d be? Or did they actually spot him? Was Sage alive?”
“She didn’t tell me the source of the lead. All I know is that there’s reason to think he’s hiding in Shiner’s Cove.”
“What are we waiting on?”
“We’ll take the boat that I rented with my house.”
“I’m right behind you.”
Owen ran the boat at its top speed, and the craft shook and sputtered over the dark water. Snow would likely already be at the cove, probably in dragon form. Who knew where Sage would be. Likely with Snow, and hopefully alive.
He winced at the thought of Nadia’s reaction if she saw a dragon out on the lake.
She sat near the front of the small speedboat, her hair flapping around her head in the wind, her mouth in a hard line. She looked so small, fragile even. Why had he agreed to let her come with him?
White hot fear sliced him like a spike in the gut at the thought of something happening to Nadia. Whatever it took, he’d protect her with everything he had.
Liam Huff wasn’t going to take anyone else from him.
He pulled the boat to the east, toward the sunshine, letting it glide over the flat water of early morning. No other boaters were on the lake, so no wakes impeded his progress. Courtney had said Huff might be in the cove, but this might be a wild dragon chase. Huff seemed to stay one step ahead.
Not for long.
Owen’s phone beeped and his anger spiked. If Huff was playing more games…
No, it was Snow. He wasn’t going to make it to the cove first. He’d been delayed. The team would join Owen as soon as they could, but they were converging from different locations. Owen would be the first to Shiner’s Cove.
As it should be. He wanted to be the one to take out Huff anyway. There’d be no one there to stop him. He dropped his phone back into his pocket and steered.
* * *
The morning sun glinted off the lake in bright, mirrored patches, and a low fog curled over the water as Owen motored into the cove. He examined the banks for a boathouse or h
iding place. Tall grass and stumps lined the lake. No houses in cove, and only one ancient boat dock jutted into the water, half floating. No people, no boats. No dragons.
Nothing.
Nadia held up heavy binoculars and scanned the area.
He heard the boat before he saw it. It came from nowhere, speeding near Owen, but going the opposite direction. At the helm, Huff laughed aloud as he came alongside Owen’s boat and slowed.
Nadia screamed.
Sage lay on the deck. Was she?
No.
She was breathing. Owen was certain of it.
Huff lingered long enough for them to get a good look then took off out of the cove onto the open lake before they could react.
“Get him!” Nadia fumbled with her gun.
Owen snapped to attention, turning the boat around in as tight of a circle as he could. No time to message the team, he laid on the accelerator and pushed the craft’s limits, sending splashes of water out behind it.
They flew over the water. His lead grew and Owen pushed the speedboat to the max.
“Catch him,” Nadia yelled. “Or get close enough for me to shoot him.” She held the pistol out as they bumped along.
“I’m trying. His boat is faster.”
“Make this one go!”
Dammit, if only he could shift. But not only had he not told Nadia he was a dragon yet, he wouldn’t have time to stop the boat and shift while she was asking questions. Huff would be too far out of range. Even flying, his dragon might lose Huff among the tree-lined coves of the lake.
Huff’s boat was barely a speck in the distance, still pulling away, and within seconds, it had disappeared into one of the many coves.
“Dammit!”
He slowed and headed back toward his house. Nadia didn’t say a word, but he knew. The look on Nadia’s face took his breath away.
He’d failed again.
* * *
Owen rubbed his chin then looked out over the darkened lake. Night insects buzzed and chirped, and frogs called to each other all around him. The dock swayed slightly, and he leaned back in his chair. He’d not fucked up a rescue since…Jo.
