Chapter Twenty-One
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
Jac couldn’t believe she was back at the strip club. If she never saw this crazy place again, it would be too soon.
She pulled up front, noting the big poster on the door with Dash’s face that read New Dash Show Tonight!
Jac’s heart fluttered with relief. He wasn’t dead! Obviously, Dash wasn’t out of the woods yet, but this was great news.
Jac entered the club, and there, standing in the middle of the stage, was Dash talking to a man who looked…identical. They even wore the same clothes—jeans, a white tee, and black boots.
Dash has a twin?
“No, no. You’re not doing it right,” said one of the men. “You have to circle your hips and then thrust.”
“Like this?” The other man followed his instructions.
“What’s going on?” Jac asked.
Both men turned their heads and looked at her.
“Jac, what are you doing here?” asked one.
“I came to talk to Heebie. What is this?”
The one on the right stepped forward. “I figured since you like this body, I should borrow the look. And I’ve always wanted to be a dancer.”
Jac narrowed her eyes. “Heebie?”
“What do you think?” The man lifted his large, muscled arms and spun.
He’d shifted into a body that looked like Dash’s. Seriously? As if that would change anything between her and Heebie. Mostly because she never liked Dash for his looks. The turning point for her had been his money.
Yes, that sounded gold-diggerish, but the gesture meant a lot. That money would save her sanctuary.
“You want to know what I think?” Her anger sizzled.
“Jac, don’t,” the real Dash warned.
“Why not?” she snapped. “Can’t dragons handle the truth? Because I know I can, and—”
“Heebie, can I speak with her alone for a moment?” Dash said.
Heebie gave them each a stern look. “Two minutes. But only because I like you, Jacquelin, and I wish to make this transition easy on you.” He walked off growling.
“What the hell is going on?” she whispered to Dash.
“You must be careful,” he warned. “Heebie is a dragon. A full-blooded, ancient, fire-breathing dragon. He will not hesitate to eat you or burn down your entire sanctuary if you displease him.”
“So this is why you’re not fighting back? You’re afraid he’ll kill me instead of you.”
Dash combed a hand through his thick caramel-brown hair. “Fear has nothing to do with it. I am dealing with facts, and I know what he is capable of.”
“Who did he hurt? Who did he take from you?” she asked.
“How did you know?”
“There has to be a reason you’re lying down and doing whatever he wants.”
Dash exhaled slowly. “Long ago, my sister attempted to stand up for me after I warned her not to. But she would not listen. She went to Heebie and told him that no brother of hers would be a dragon slave.”
“So he ate her?” Jac cupped her hand over her mouth, dreading the answer she knew was coming.
“He made me watch as he burned her alive. He made my parents watch, too. Later, they ended up returning to our realm so they could be reunited with her, and now I’ll never see any of them again. I lost everything that day.”
“Sorry? Could you back up? What do you mean ‘reunited’?”
“Demons who reside here do not die like mortals. Our energy—or souls, if you will—are sent back to our realm since we don’t belong here. Unfortunately, the gods closed the portals between our worlds, but back then, they were open.”
“What’s that mean?” Jac asked.
“Never mind. Right now you have to think of yourself, your animals, and even your family. If you play nice, Heebie might grow tired of you eventually and move on. So bide your time, and get through this.”
Hell no . “What happens when you die if the portals are all closed?”
He growled, hesitating.
“Tell me,” she demanded.
“My soul will remain trapped between worlds forever.”
“Purgatory?” That sounded way worse than dying.
He took her by the shoulders. “I am sorry this is happening, but you must trust me when I say you do not want to go up against him. He will destroy you, but only after he destroys everything you care about.”
Jac had sworn she would never fail to stand up for herself again. After Stanley, it was a line she wouldn’t cross no matter what. The problem here was that she couldn’t put her “line” ahead of the people and creatures she loved.
But how can I let Dash die like this? How could she allow this monster to take over her life?
She looked up at his handsome face—those lips, that strong jaw, the intense blue eyes. More and more, she felt a pull. It was an ache filled with desire. It pulsed through her heart, into her stomach, and down lower. She felt a hunger for him that had nothing to do with food.
“Please stop,” he whispered in a low, deep voice. “It’s too delicious, and I won’t be able to contain myself.”
“You can taste what I’m feeling right now?” She swallowed down a dry lump.
“Yes. And it’s unlike anything I’ve ever had. It’s driving me crazy.” He gritted his teeth.
The muted sexual desire on his face went straight to her core. She wanted to stop, but she couldn’t.
“Jac,” he growled, “I don’t care what happens to me, but he will kill you if I touch you, which I’m about to do. You must stop.”
She looked away. “Okay. Okay. I’ll think of something unsexy.” I laid an egg. She’d literally pulled it from her panties.
“Thank you.” Dash sighed with relief.
“Yep. Don’t mention it.” She lowered her voice. “But, Dash, I’m not going down without a fight. I don’t care what you agreed to with him. I’ll turn into a dragon and take him on.”
“We don’t even know if you’re a full dragon,” he replied. “And even if you were, you’d be no match. He’s thousands of years old. He can shift into the smallest of creatures and ambush you or—gods forbid—show you his true size and unleash his power.”
“How big is he?” she asked.
“Think B-52 bomber.”
What? “This is insane.” She whooshed out a hard breath. “I don’t know what’s worse; not being able to fight him, or knowing you’re going to languish in limbo forever to save me. None of this is right.”
“Sweetheart,” Dash said, brushing his thumb across her cheek, “this is the animal kingdom. It’s not about right. You of all people know that.”
Oh, she knew. She fully understood that the top of the food chain got there for a reason. But she also knew that even the most ferocious predators had weaknesses. They could all be broken, and she had a sanctuary filled with examples.
She turned to go find Heebie.
“Where are you going?” Dash asked.
“To play nice. Just like you said.”