Draco: Book Two of The Stardust Series

by Autumn Reed

  As You Wish

  Knox and Jackson sat in the front seat of Knox’s truck talking amongst themselves, and I couldn’t be more relieved that they were basically ignoring me. I had no idea where we were going, and I didn’t particularly care either. After the post-jazz club scene at the loft last night, I just wasn’t in the mood. Honestly, I would have happily stayed in bed all day if Knox hadn’t insisted that I come along. And it’s not like I had a choice; I wasn’t allowed to stay at “home” alone anyway.

  I sighed inwardly, trying to reign in the unnecessary bitterness. Obviously, things could be much, much worse. And I should probably try to be nice to Knox after the way I went off on him, Liam, and Theo then stormed out. He seemed almost hurt when I bailed on him for our daily run this morning. And I couldn’t blame him. I was acting like an ungrateful brat . . . even though everything I said was true.

  “No input, Haley?” Jackson asked from the front seat.

  Umm . . . “What?”

  “We were taking bets on what crazy costume Theo has planned for Friday night. In his typical dramatic fashion, he’s keeping it a secret. I’m guessing James Bond and Knox is going with Heathcliff.”

  I laughed. “Heathcliff, really? But, I’m not surprised you guessed James Bond, Jackson, since you named your dog after a Bond character.”

  “Yeah, well, who wouldn’t want to be James Bond? Ignoring the gadgets, cars, and perks of his job, he’s a realistic badass—no superpowers or freak accidents needed.”

  “Yeah, apart from his lack of any relationship of substance and alcohol consumption that borders on excessive, I’d agree,” I chimed in to a chorus of laughter from Knox.

  “Man, most girls would be distracted by the flashy cars, the good looks, the accent. Not Haley,” Knox said.

  “I didn’t say those things weren’t appealing.” I smirked.

  “Okay, admittedly, he’s not perfect. But you should cut him some slack—he has a painful past, an intense job, and can’t have a complicated personal life,” Jackson interjected, speaking in a tone that almost sounded like he identified with the character on a deeper level. He continued in a lighter tone. “You should read the books if you haven’t; they show more insight into Bond’s thoughts.” I snickered to myself. I’d guessed Jackson was a fan of the books over the movies.

  After a few moments of silence, sensing we had exhausted the topic of Bond for the moment, I switched gears back to Theo’s costume. “Oooh, how about Sherlock Holmes? I think Theo could totally pull off the classic Holmes look.”

  “That’s a good one, although I can’t see Kara agreeing to go as Dr. Watson. She’s not exactly the sidekick type.”

  Unable to pass up the opportunity to learn more about Theo’s date, I asked, “What type is she?”

  Knox chuckled, joining the conversation again. “She’s more of the kicking ass and taking names type. She has to be in order to hold her own surrounded by the Neanderthals on her team. I’m still shocked they let her join.”

  “Why, because she’s a girl?” My tone intimated that the idea bothered me. I didn’t even know her, but I was suddenly on Kara’s side. Why couldn’t she be just as good at private security—and whatever else they did—as the guys on her team?

  Knox glanced at me in the rear-view mirror, his amusement obvious. “Simmer down, tiger. Everything I’ve seen of Kara suggests that she’s perfectly capable. It has more to do with the guys on the team, specifically Scott. It seems like he would constantly butt heads with Kara, given their similarly dominant personalities.”

  “Oh. Well, I guess I see your point. While Tyler is always nice, my one experience with Scott was distinctly unpleasant. I’d probably butt heads with him too.”

  Jackson and Knox both laughed, and I heard Knox mutter, “no doubt” under his breath.

  We pulled into the gravel parking lot of The Buttery and I leapt out of the car. Ethan and Theo had talked this place up so much, I couldn’t wait to experience it for myself. Enveloped by warmth and the smell of freshly baked treats, I tried not to feel overwhelmed by the small space that was crowded with noise and people. Most of the cramped wooden tables were full, which didn’t surprise me considering how good the food looked and smelled.

  I stood transfixed in front of the beautiful baked goods—cookies piled high, amazing cakes, delicate pastries. Knox tutted playfully and pulled lightly at my wrist.

  “Come on, Haley. Let’s get some lunch before skipping straight to dessert.”

  “Okay,” I relented, “but I’m not leaving here without at least one dessert.”

  We joined the line on the opposite side of the small café, and Jackson handed me a menu. As I perused the options, my phone vibrated in my cross-body purse. I pulled it out and noticed a new text message.

  Chase: Hola, chica bonita! Thanks to you, I got an A on my Spanish exam.

  Me: Excelente! That’s great news, Chase. You deserved it.

  After agonizing over the seemingly endless choices of sandwiches, salads, and soups, I finally selected just in time to step up to the counter and order. Jackson paid and grabbed our number before we headed to a table that had just opened up.

  After we finished our delicious lunch, I picked up dessert and rejoined Knox and Jackson at the table.

  “Not that I’m complaining, considering this delectable cupcake I’m eating, but shouldn’t you two be at work? Especially you, Jackson. It is a Wednesday. In the middle of the day.”

  “What?” Jackson said, feigning indignance. “I’m not allowed to take a day off now and then?”

  “I don’t know, are you? Do the mice play when the boss is away?”

  “Hey, now,” Knox interrupted. “We don’t use the ‘b’ word around here. Jax is our fearless leader, but he’s not now, nor will he ever be, my boss.”

  Jackson scoffed at Knox. “Call me whatever you like, but I still get to tell you what to do. Deal with it.” He turned back to me, swiping a curly lock of black hair off his forehead. “Anyway, I do spend more time in the office than the other guys. But I work remotely sometimes, and I take a day off now and then.”

  Knox grinned, “And when he says ‘a day off,’ what he actually means is that he’s checking his phone twenty times an hour. Just wait for it.”

  Jackson shook his head good-naturedly. “Don’t let Knox fool you. He’s equally committed to his job; he’s just sneakier about it.”

  “Well, given how committed you both are to your jobs, what did I do to deserve the honor of your company? It seems like you’d have better things to do on your rare day off than take me to lunch.”

  “Who said we were just taking you to lunch?” Knox replied.

  I sighed. “Regardless, you know I really don’t need one, much less two, babysitters. I mean, surely I could at least stay at the loft by myself.”

  Jackson and Knox exchanged a look before Jackson said, “Haley, why don’t we table this discussion until after the gala? I know that you’re frustrated, but we still don’t know what Douglas is up to. I promise we’ll re-visit the issue in the next couple of weeks.”

  I didn’t want to agree, but I didn’t have a good reason not to. The gala was just two days away, and I found myself hoping that something, anything, would happen that night to shed light on the situation.

  “Okay, but I’m holding you to that promise.”

  “Understood.” Jackson fiddled with his coffee mug before directing his cerulean gaze back to me. “Speaking of the gala, I wanted to ask you if you’ve thought any more about skipping it.”

  I started to interrupt, but he held up his hand. “Just hear me out for a minute. Even though I technically approved your attendance, I still think it would be best if you didn’t go. Beyond the possibility that one of Douglas’s men will recognize you, this is a very public event.” His voice started to strain with agitation. “There will be press there; your picture could end up in the paper.” He stopped for a moment, adjusting his polo shirt as if it was strangling him. “I j
ust don’t think it’s worth the risk.”

  He looked at me expectantly, and I honestly didn’t know how to respond. It seemed like he was sincerely worried about me, but maybe it was my imagination. He probably just didn’t want to clean up another one of my messes, didn’t want his team distracted by presence.

  After a long moment of silence, Knox spoke, his gruff voice unusually soft. “Jax does have a point, Haley. You don’t need to be there, and Liam would understand. We’ll leave the decision up to you, but you shouldn’t feel pressured to go when it’s honestly not in your best interest.”

  I smiled then, warmed by his concern. “Thank you, but I really do want to go. I’ve obviously never even been to a school dance, so it’s not like I can pass up this opportunity. I promise to try my best to blend in and stay out of the spotlight. I can’t imagine the press being interested in me, anyway; I’m sure there will be plenty of more newsworthy attendees.”

  Jackson shook his head with a loud sigh. “As you wish.”

  Laughing, I replied, “Why, Jackson, I didn’t peg you as a fan of The Princess Bride.”

  He shrugged. “I may have seen it once or twice.”

  I figured after lunch, it would be back to work for Knox, at least. But as the clustered shops and homes of Santa Cruz faded into ocean and farmland, that was looking less and less likely. Driving north on Highway 1, the road signs indicated that we were heading toward Half Moon Bay.

  I chewed my lip. “Where are we going?”

  “You’ll see,” Knox responded, and I saw him look at me in the rear-view mirror, the corner of his mouth twisting up as if he was suppressing a secret. Was that an undercurrent of excitement? Knox so rarely got excited about anything, wherever we were going, it must be big.

  “You’re not kidnapping me again, are you?” I shot him a playful glare.

  “Just for the afternoon. I promise you’ll be back to the loft by dinner.”

  Sensing I wouldn’t get any more answers out of them, I focused on the passing scenery as we made our way up the coast. With the ocean to our left, the road was windy and snaked around corners and past precipices that I dared not look over.

  My phone vibrated in my purse, distracting me from the breathtaking scenery.

  Theo: What does a skeleton say before dinner?

  No clue, I thought, as I racked my brain for clever responses.

  Me: Dig in?

  Theo: Bone appetit!

  Me: Ha ha ha. So cheesy.

  Wanting to smooth over any hurt feelings from last night, I decided to try and keep things light.

  Me: Speaking of food—guess where I had lunch today.

  Theo: Hmmm . . . Walnut Avenue Café?

  Me: The Buttery!

  Theo: Finally. I’m so jealous.

  Me: You should be. You were right—it was delicious and my cupcake was amazing.

  Theo: Haven’t you figured it out by now? I’m always right!

  When I put my phone away, I was surprised to realize I had a smile on my face. Theo just had that way about him—he could always cheer me up. And, as much as I started the day wanting to avoid all the guys, Knox and Jackson had gone a long way toward putting me at ease again. For being the two most intense guys on the team, they’d been remarkably laid-back, playful even. Although Jackson was still slightly standoffish with me, I felt like we were slowly warming up to each other.

  When Knox turned off the main highway onto a smaller road, we were surrounded by farmland, and I wondered what on earth we were doing. After parking in a large gravel lot, I was still in the dark as to their plans.

  Jackson and Knox got out of the truck while I remained in the back seat, until Jackson called to me. “Come on, Haley.”

  “I’ll just wait in the car.”

  Knox shoved his hands in the pockets of his jeans. “That’s fine. We’ll just be over in the pumpkin patch. I guess we can pick one for you.”

  After a second, what Knox said sunk in and I shook my head as if to clear it. “Wait. Did you say pumpkin patch?”

  “I did indeed.” His green eyes sparkled.

  “You guys brought me to a pumpkin patch?” I said again with a mixture of enthusiasm and disbelief, still not quite comprehending that was the case despite the landscape and the sign that had a huge pumpkin painted on it. I scrambled to get out of the truck, practically tripping over myself.

  As we walked through a large gate, an employee greeted us before letting us loose on the farm. It was the perfect fall day, cool but sunny, and the clear sky was an amazing shade of blue. A variety of pumpkins in all shapes, colors, and sizes were stacked in large piles bordered by bales of hay.

  The scene was idyllic; it blew the pumpkin farms near Coleville out of the water. The thought made me miss my dad and wonder what he was up to at the moment. Before I could dwell too long on it, Knox grabbed my wrist and pulled me in the direction of the trees.

  “Labyrinth first, then pumpkins.”

  Knox, Jackson, and I followed the signs past the pumpkin patch and through a wooded area. When we emerged on the other side, we found ourselves in the middle of a large field that had been ploughed. Having expected a maze that would be knee height at most, I was completely unprepared for the fortress of hay that stood before me. Whoa.

  Walls that had to be eight feet tall loomed over the landscape and dominated the entire clearing. The smell of hay permeated the air, reinforcing the feeling of fall. I was so excited, I was bouncing on my toes while a wide grin stretched across my face. I could feel Knox’s eyes on me and looked back at him, surprised at the warmth of his own smile.

  “I guess this was a good choice?” Knox said.

  “Yes! Thank you, it’s amazing!” I said, launching myself at him then wrapping my arms around his torso. I could feel the rumble of his laughter as his chest shook beneath my cheek and he squeezed me in return.

  Jackson darted into the maze calling out, “Last one to the finish buys ice cream.”

  Never one to turn down a challenge, I charged in behind him with Knox in close pursuit. Jackson was quickly out of sight, and Knox and I were separated when the maze opened into several paths. I jogged through the maze, but when I hit a dead end with a knight in armor, I knew I’d have to pick up the pace to have any chance of beating Jackson and Knox.

  I took a right turn and the walls curved; I found myself spiraling toward what I guessed was the center of the maze. Groaning, I stopped for a moment and debated turning back the way I had come, but decided to push on. Surging forward once again, I finally wound back out of the spiral, nearing an intersection. Still jogging while looking to my left at yet another knight on display, I narrowly avoided colliding with Jackson coming from the opposite direction.

  I could hear Knox, even through the bales of hay. “Better hurry, I can practically taste the finish line!”

  Under my breath I muttered, “crap,” as Jackson shot me a challenging smirk before jogging in the direction of Knox’s voice. Determined to not come in last, I raced ahead and almost caught up with Jackson before he shot ahead in a burst of speed. I started sprinting and attempted to pass him, but the walls were too narrow.

  Emerging from the maze, Jackson and I were both laughing, and he barely seemed winded as he beat me to the finish. We found Knox leaning back on the bales of hay, relaxing like he had been there for hours.

  I couldn’t help smiling as I said, “Ice cream is on me. No arguments.”

  “As you wish,” Jackson responded, the corners of his lips curving into a grin.

  Browsing the impressive display of pumpkins, I still couldn’t believe how thoughtful Knox and Jackson had been. I only briefly mentioned my pumpkin patch memories at our Taco Tuesday dinner. And yet, they had both taken the day off to spend it with me, doing something they knew I would love, once again making the idea of leaving them incomprehensible.

  Queen of Hearts

  I closed my eyes as Max combed, twisted, and pinned my hair. I couldn’t see what she was doing, b
ut she had a light touch, and I found her presence calming as we prepared for the gala. My stomach had been a ball of nerves all day. Not only was I attending a costume gala with Liam as some sort of pseudo-date, it was co-hosted by the man responsible for my dad’s disappearance.

  Gerald Douglas. I tried to stay calm at the thought of him, feeling marginally better by the fact that his wallet would definitely be taking a hit from Zenith’s services tonight. Team Jaguar’s suite at The Corinthian alone had to have cost a pretty penny judging by the high-end furnishings of the bedroom I was in. With its own (quite large) private bathroom, it was one of two bedrooms attached to a living room and kitchen.

  Theo and the rest of the guys were busy getting ready for the gala, and I hadn’t seen them since lunch. I knew that Chase was nearby, setting up his tech gear in the other room of the suite while his counterpart from Team Falcon did the same in the control room. Was this what most of their Zenith assignments were—elegant parties that seemed more like play than work? I knew my perspective was skewed since I wasn’t working the event, but this was definitely not your normal job.

  Max’s voice called me back to the present. “You okay, Haley?”

  I opened my eyes and forced a smile. “Yeah,” I paused, fingering the delicate edge of the silk floral dressing gown I was wearing. “I’ve just never been to anything like this and I’m kind of nervous.”

  She nodded her head. “Totally understandable. Sometimes I do hair for weddings. You should see the brides—some are calm and collected, but others totally flip out. Don’t worry; you’re going to look fantastic, and I’m sure you’ll have fun.”

  She held a bobby pin between her lips as she said, “You have to! You’re going to a costume ball for crying out loud.” I couldn’t help but laugh and felt myself relax ever so slightly.

  When Max finished, I still hadn’t seen my hair, but there was no time as the makeup artist was already fluttering around me. Having never worn much makeup, and having never met the guy currently unpacking his absurdly large wheeled makeup case, I sincerely hoped I wouldn’t end up looking like a clown. He was beautiful (definitely not a word I usually associated with men) with tan skin, rich wavy brown hair, and a slim but fit build.