Finding The Forgotten (Rogue Dragons Book 2)

by Emilia Hartley

  She shot to her feet and marched toward the dragon man. “If you think you can sacrifice them to save your own skin, you’re wrong. A man like that is always going to be looking for threats. Good luck lying low, because eventually he’ll empty the room and it will be just you and him and you won’t be able to escape him anymore.”

  The man glared at her for a moment too long. She saw the twitch in the corner of his eye and how his clenched jaw loosened as if he might refute her but was at a loss. He looked away and refused to meet her gaze.

  Isabella didn’t back down. Not while he stepped around her. Not while he flung the door open and slammed it behind himself. Through the door, she could hear him telling the staff to keep an eye out for her as he wove a story about her damaged memory and how she would need to be redirected back to her room no matter what.

  She stuck her tongue out at the closed door but was grateful that he’d left. The man would likely cause trouble for her clan of dragon men, but his absence was her opportunity.

  She ran for the window and threw open the curtains. The ground below seemed to shrink. She should have known there wouldn’t be a fire escape outside her window. The dizzying height was too much to dare jumping. Maybe if she had a witch around, then she could do something.

  Isabella let out a laugh and spun around, heading for the phone on the side table. She refused to call the dragon men, but her girlfriends could help. When she lifted the phone to her ear, she expected it to be dead, but the dragon man hadn’t thought of everything.

  Instead of calling a cell phone, Nellie called the tattoo shop’s landline. That way, the unfamiliar number wouldn’t appear and confuse her friends. Isabella knew they all had a bad habit of ignoring numbers they didn’t know. But, when the phone rang and rang, Isabella began to worry.

  She questioned if the shop was even open. Maybe Dillon had alerted the others, making Casey and Evangeline close shop for the day. Of course, Casey would want to protect his mate, too. The unfamiliar dragon man might go after Evangeline next.

  Isabella cursed just as someone picked up the phone.

  “The Grumpy Sailor Tattoo Parlor,” Nellie droned, clearly exhausted.

  Isabella heaved a sigh of relief and immediately launched into an explanation and a breakdown of her plan before the line could get disconnected. She was lucky the dragon man hadn’t thought to tell the hotel staff that she couldn’t be trusted with a phone either.

  “I can’t believe these dragons,” Nellie said. “I’ll be over in five minutes to clean up their mess.”

  Isabella spent the five minutes fiddling with the window, trying to get the glass panel to move aside so she could push the screen out of the way. Yet, Nellie didn’t show up outside the window. She knocked on the door.

  Nellie quickly stepped inside when Isabella opened the door. She passed Isabella an iced chai latte, explaining that she needed to stop at the coffee shop for caffeine and sugar anyway. Isabella was stunned that Nellie had pulled it off in less than five minutes.

  “I’ve been holding a cloaking spell for weeks now,” Nellie said, pinching the bridge of her nose.

  Isabella noticed that a white streak that hadn’t been there a week ago now decorated the front of Nellie’s brown hair. While Isabella thought that perhaps Nellie had stopped dying her grey hair, Isabella also couldn’t remember a time when she’d seen any greys on Nellie to begin with. Besides, had it happened naturally, a streak like that would have appeared slowly, over time.

  Nellie’s continual use of magic had drained her. Isabella felt a twinge of guilt for calling on her friend when she was already overtaxed. Still, Nellie took her hand and explained that as long as they were holding each other, no one would notice Isabella as they walked out.

  So much for Isabella’s plan to jump out the window. She really had jumped to the most extreme option instead of calling Nellie and simply asking for help. Isabella marveled at the woman she’d become. Had this happened a month ago, Isabella would have fallen into a panic.

  She wouldn’t have realized she could call for help. Instead, she would have waited for someone to rescue her, which would have caused more problems.

  Each face they passed in the hall made Isabella’s heart thump. No one spared her a glance. Nellie even had to tug Isabella out of the way of a few maids because Isabella was too distracted by the evidence of magic. She knew about it, but she’d never seen Nellie use it for anything other than salves, which were so passive.

  They stepped out onto the street together, both sipping iced drinks as if nothing was wrong with the world. Isabella scanned the streets, waiting for the unfamiliar dragon man to leap out and drag her back to her hotel room. They made it back to the tattoo parlor before anything could happen.

  “That seemed way too easy,” Isabella said.

  Nellie wrinkled her nose. She leaned into the window and peered up and down the street. “You’re right. I feel like something needs to go wrong.”

  Isabella didn’t give fate a chance to screw them. She went to the phone and prepared to call Dillon. He needed to know that she was safe now and that he didn’t need to protect her. She’d seen how he could be when he thought she was in danger. That day Erik lashed out and Dillon had nearly pummeled him on the sidewalk was still on her mind.

  She cradled the receiver between her ear and shoulder only to listen to the hollow tone of a deadline. Her stomach flipped. She slowly lowered the receiver.

  “I love that you all brought yourselves right to me,” the man said.

  Isabella and Nellie spun toward the voice and found the dragon man stepping out of the back room. He had a clawed hand on the collar of Evangeline’s shirt. She shot daggers at him with her eyes.

  “When I change,” she growled, “I’m kicking your ass first.”

  He shook his head. “Don’t let them change you. This shit show is about to go sideways. When Zander kills your mate, you’ll be stuck in the same position as me. Now, how about the three of you sit down and chill while I call your boyfriends and tell them to hand themselves over?”

  Nellie started to raise her hand, but Isabella grabbed it and held tight. They shared a look. Isabella knew that Nellie wanted to use her magic, but it was draining her.

  The man shook his head at Isabella. “You really should have taken advantage of the room service. We could have put it on Zander’s card.”

  He whipped his phone from his pocket and quick dialed a number. When he turned his back on them, Isabella let go of Nellie’s hand.

  “Gavin, man! I haven’t heard from you in ages. How’s it going?” The man’s voice was far too jovial for the situation. “Oh, just so you know, I have all your mates. These three are going to sit here with me while you head home to daddy. Okay?”

  “Three?” Gavin asked cautiously.

  The man glanced over his shoulder. “I’ve got a girl with green hair and daddy issues, a blonde who looks like she might piss herself if I say boo, and a chunky brunette that could lay off the iced coffees.”

  They could all hear Gavin’s laughter.

  Isabella caught the man’s scowl before he turned back around again.

  Evangeline edged sideways along the wall and slowly reached behind a table. Her muscles bunched as she lifted something.

  “Have fun, ladies,” Gavin said. “I’ll bring the guys down to help you clean up the mess.”

  “What are you talk—”

  Evangeline jumped forward and swung. The metal baseball bat made a sickening crunch upon impact. The man reeled, and his phone fell to the floor, absolutely demolished. He raised a shaking hand and stared in shock at his broken fingers.

  One by one, they cracked back into place until he could flex them again. A black bruise spread over his skin and vanished as if nothing had ever happened. He fixed Evangeline with a deadly glare.

  “I don’t want to make this a fight!” he howled.

  Isabella backed up and locked the front door while Nellie sidled up behind him. One by one, I
sabella lowered the window shades to block out what was about to happen.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Dillon soared over the town. His beast wanted to crash onto main street and sniff Isabella out, but Dillon’s last shred of logic kept him from making a scene. He needed to find her before that little bit of human logic failed, and he was nothing more than a beast.

  He banked over the clouds and wondered if he could land on the hotel roof without being seen. He didn’t know what he would do from there, without clothes or a phone, but he needed to start somewhere.

  Just when his wing breached the clouds, another form slammed into him. He reeled, tumbling through the air. At the last second, he threw open his wings and caught himself before he plummeted through the cloud cover. He whirled on his opponent and realized that it wasn’t one of Zander’s dragons harassing him, but Gavin.

  Dillon growled, just loud enough that the warning could be heard without reaching the humans below.

  Gavin flew circles around him. Dillon wanted to snap and snarl. This was slowing him down. He couldn’t find Isabella if Gavin bothered him like this. Dillon didn’t understand what Gavin thought he was doing.

  Dillon couldn’t keep up with Gavin, so he stopped trying. Instead, he flew into Gavin’s flight path as he came around. Dillon’s shoulder connected with Gavin’s. They went tumbling off course.

  Gavin spun around and latched onto Dillon’s shoulders. Dillon thrashed, trying to break free of Gavin’s hold. This wasn’t funny. Dillon didn’t have time to waste. He’d given everything to his clan, and yet they were holding him back from his mate. If Gavin didn’t let go, Dillon would have no choice but to land and hunt her on foot.

  Dillon would wander the town absolutely naked if it meant finding Isabella and taking her to safety. Yet, he was in no shape for her. She’d warned him that he terrified her. He’d felt her racing heart when he pulled her away from danger and covered her with his own body. He’d told himself that the situation had caused her elevated heart rate.

  That wasn’t the truth. Dillon had scared her.

  The idea that he would always frighten his mate sent pain through his heart. He spiraled lower, heading toward the ground. Once he found her, he would give her all the space she needed.

  Before he could land, claws gripped his shoulders. Gavin directed him away from town, to a field where they crashed and rolled to a stop. Before Dillon could even right himself, Gavin had shifted back to his human form.

  “Quit being so thick headed!” Gavin shouted. “I came to take you to Isabella!”

  Dillon swayed on his feet. His beast’s rage bled out of him.

  Gavin put his hands on his hips. He looked around and gestured to the Jeep parked nearby. Dillon realized this had been a planned crash landing.

  “We need to be careful. Nate won’t be the only dragon Zander sent. The girls have taken care of Nate, but I want to keep an eye out for any more trespassers on our way to the shop.” Gavin grabbed a fistful of clothing from the back of his Jeep and tossed it to Dillon.

  Dillon pulled back his beast. At first, the creature didn’t want to go. It held on tight, trying to pour more rage back into Dillon. He wasn’t fueled by it like the others, though. He let it wash over him and snatched the clothes out of the air.

  “So, Isabella’s okay?” He held his breath, waiting.

  Gavin nodded, yanked on a pair of pants, and hopped into the driver’s seat. “Those women sure are terrifying. I’m going to regret allowing Evangeline to change. I can feel it already.”

  Dillon got into the Jeep just as Gavin hit the gas. They sped down the mountain, toward the town. Dillon’s heart raced as he wondered what Isabella and the others had done to take Nate down. Were they okay? Had Isabella gotten hurt?

  Gavin must have doubled the speed limit, because he reached town in record time. He slammed the Jeep into park, making Dillon jerk forward. They both used that momentum to pour out and scan the town.

  Dillon sniffed the air. He caught Nate’s scent among the car exhaust fumes. There were two more scents Dillon didn’t recognize. Dillon looked up and down the street, searching faces. When he didn’t see anyone he recognized, he turned toward the tattoo shop.

  His only thought was of Isabella. Not knowing if she was okay or not tormented him. Gavin had assured him that she was okay, but Dillon would not rest until he knew for sure. The sight of the blinds drawn at the shop worried him. He picked up his pace and nearly ran to the door.

  He pushed at it, but the lock held tight. The beast inside him told him to break it down. The urge nearly overwhelmed him. He clenched his fists and stepped back, ready to pay for a new door, when it opened.

  Isabella’s brows rose. She threw the door open and launched herself into his arms. Dillon hesitated. He didn’t know how to hold her without scaring her. Her touch felt too good. Here she was, whole and unharmed, but he didn’t know how to celebrate until she pulled back and peered up at him.

  Her soft smile told him everything. He brought his hands to her hips, trying to keep his touch light so she wouldn’t feel trapped.

  When she hopped back, his heart plummeted. Then, she grabbed the front of his shirt and dragged him inside. Gavin followed, and the door chimed as it shut behind them.

  Nate lay on the floor, unconscious. Evangeline had pulled a chair up beside him and rested a boot on his back like he was a conquest. Dillon wondered if the metal bat in her hand had anything to do with Nate’s condition.

  “Let’s get him tied up,” Gavin said. “He’s going to have friends.”

  Evangeline scowled. “If he had friends, then why weren’t they here earlier?”

  Gavin pursed his lips. “Oh, I don’t know. Maybe they thought three human women wouldn’t be a problem for one dragon shifter.”

  “That’s poor risk assessment,” Isabella said. “All it took was two women. I didn’t even have to lift a finger.”

  “Where’s that damn witch then?” Gavin asked forcefully.

  While Gavin and Evangeline snapped at each other, Dillon turned to Isabella. She held his hand, as though afraid to be far from him. His beast quieted. He wanted to pull her into his arms and hold her tight, but he needed to respect her.

  No matter how badly it hurt.

  ***

  Isabella could see the divide still lingering between her and Dillon. The only one to blame was herself. Self-loathing rose like sour bile. It tainted a moment that should have been filled with relief and celebration.

  They’d survived the first attack by Zander. Not only that, Isabella’s friends had proven that they weren’t to be underestimated. Perhaps the dragon men would stop telling them to flee now.

  Even Isabella had surprised herself. She was no longer the weak-willed woman she’d once been. Her time away from Tommy had allowed her to grow into the person she should have been, filled with daring and determination.

  “I almost jumped out a window, so I could get back to you,” she told Dillon.

  His jaw dropped and fear eclipsed his features. She held up her hands.

  “Don’t worry! I didn’t have to. Nellie came and helped me walk out without a problem.”

  When Dillon reached for her and let his hand drop, Isabella knew she had to make the first move. She wanted to do it away from the others, though. Gavin and Evangeline didn’t need to overhear all Isabella’s mistakes.

  She tugged Dillon outside. The sun shone down on them, the clouds parting for the moment. The world kept moving as if nothing had happened. People filled the streets, every unfamiliar face going on with their lives.

  “I wanted to apologize,” she said.

  He didn’t look at her. She must have wounded him deeper than she’d originally assumed. If he could barely stand the sight of her, then the chance that they could make-up was slim. She should have known that she’d ruined their relationship for good.

  She would never be his mate. She would never mean that much to anyone. That was a fact she had to come to terms with
. The only person in this world who would love her the way she yearned for would be her child, and that was only if she could be a good mother.

  Isabella began to say something else, but the sound turned into a startled shout as someone yanked her hair. She stumbled and crashed into what felt like a brick wall. A hand came down on her shoulder as someone behind her spoke.

  “I tried to let Nate do this his way,” the voice said. “Since he can’t get Gavin to go home, I guess I’ll have to do it the hard way.”

  Dillon’s eyes flashed yellow. His lips curled back from his teeth. He took a step toward them, like he would rush to her, but a searing pain burned across her shoulder. She bit back a scream as her knees tried to buckle beneath her.

  The man holding her kept her standing, so she didn’t crumple to the ground. Dillon froze. Isabella tried to tell him with her eyes that it was okay, that he didn’t need to save her right now, but she wasn’t sure he could understand her through the tears gathering in her eyes.

  “Let’s take this off the street,” the man holding her said quietly. His tone held an ominous threat.

  She watched Dillon narrow his eyes, but he followed the man’s suggestion and walked backwards toward the shop door. For a moment, relief filled Isabella. There were others inside. They could help her.

  Her shoulder throbbed, clouding her mind. She tried not to think about what the man had done. She didn’t know if he’d used dragon fire or if he’d cut her with claws. Instead of worrying about what had been done, she thought about what could be done.

  The others couldn’t help her. The dragon man holding her had the upper hand. If the others made a move, the dragon man could hurt her before they could stop him. She needed to find a way out of this on her own, but she couldn’t think too far past the pain in her shoulder.

  The shop door slammed behind them, nearly drowning the sound of the bell. Gavin and Evangeline went silent as they turned toward the sound. Evangeline’s lips parted. She lunged for her baseball bat, but the man gripped Isabella’s shoulder tighter and drew a hiss from her that made Evangeline pause.