Chapter 21
Toby
As soon as I pulled out of the driveway, I hit the speed dial for Anthony. I would’ve normally wanted to call Porter, but in Anthony’s territory, I had to respect his rules. Plus, he was fair and level-headed. He’d know what to do.
“I’m meeting him behind my apartment building,” I said as soon as he answered. Forcing myself to drive exactly the speed limit kept me from going eighty miles per hour in a thirty zone.
“You’ll have backup soon. Just don’t murder him before any of us get there. Hold your temper and for fuck’s sake, hold your shift.”
“I can’t stop my eyes,” I said. “I never have been able to when I get agitated. But I’ll do my best.”
“Calm yourself on the way,” Anthony said. “We’ll be there soon.”
He hung up, so I tried to take his advice. Kaylee’s home was on the opposite side of our small town from the apartments, so it took about ten minutes.
It wasn’t enough. My dragon was still raging by the time I parked at the apartments and started walking around the building.
My feet seemed to move faster and faster of their own accord. I couldn’t slow myself down.
Whatever happened, maybe it would mean I’d never have to deal with Dax again. That would be a major upside of it all.
Down a short path was a clearing through a copse of trees. I’d heard kids laughing back here and seen guys playing a game of touch football or soccer.
Today, thankfully, it was empty, save for Dax. He stood on the balls of his feet, shaking his hands out and rolling his neck.
Rolling my eyes wouldn’t have given me enough satisfaction. The fool looked like he was about to enter a boxing ring.
“This can end now,” I said in a booming voice.
Dax glared across the patch of grass. “Damn right it will.” The asshole was spoiling for a fight. I’d give him one, if it came down to it, but he wouldn’t be happy with the outcome.
I needed to calm down before it came to that. I was still boiling, the vision of the bruise on Liza’s arm floating before my eyes. If I fought him, I’d be hard pressed not to kill him.
Killing him was exactly what my dragon wanted.
“We’ve loved each other since we were kids.
She hasn’t just gotten over it in a few months’ time.
” He stepped closer, clenching and unclenching his fists.
“It’s just a rough patch, except for you standing in our way.
I’m sick of it.” Spittle flew from his mouth as he got closer.
With my excellent eyesight, I clearly saw the deranged look in his eyes.
This guy needed major mental health help.
That didn’t stop me wanting to rip his throat out, unfortunately.
Dax bared his teeth. Oh, man. That wasn’t the thing to do to a dragon. The hairs on the back of my neck prickled. I had to narrow my eyes to a squint because I was damn sure they’d shifted. I had to keep this fool from noticing.
“I’m going to beat your ass,” Dax threatened. “Knock some sense into you so you’ll leave my fiancé alone.”
“You need to think twice.” Damn. My voice was already half growl. “Save yourself the embarrassment.” But talking to Dax didn’t seem to be working.
Then, he lunged at me. I blocked his arm and pushed a little to use his own momentum, so he’d fall behind me.
He stumbled but managed to stay on his feet.
“Stop it, Dax,” I warned. Oddly, the ease of deflecting his blow had settled me an infinitesimal amount. Like he was too pitiful to bother hurting.
But he kept trying. Punching, kicking. I played with him for a while, let him think he was going to land a blow, then moving at the last second, but soon that got irritating when he just wouldn’t give up.
“Are you really this stupid?” I asked as I backed away to put some room between us. “It’s clear you can’t beat me.”
“I’m going to remind Liza why she belongs to me,” he said as a retort.
Then, he grabbed his crotch, indicating how he’d be reminding her.
And that was all I could take.
I moved so fast, it was all instinct. I fought to keep from shifting, and the next thing I knew, Dax was on the ground with a lot of blood on his face and a half-dozen hands were yanking me backward.
“You can’t kill him!”
I breathed and tried to control my rage as I recognized the voice. Porter.
“I’m suing!” Dax screamed as he rolled to his feet with his hands on his nose. “I’ll take everything you’ve got. Including Liza!”
“You can try,” Porter said dryly. “But I’m a respected lawyer and a witness that you charged him repeatedly before he’d finally had enough. You’ll never win, no matter how much money your father has.”
“I don’t care,” he said in a low voice. “I love Liza. I’ll do whatever I have to do to get her back.”
I sighed and shook my head at the fool. All the fight had gone out of me, replaced by pity. As I opened my mouth to tell him again not to bother, Sammy appeared out of thin air between Dax and me.
He screamed and scrambled backward, nearly falling to the ground.
Talk about self-control. I didn’t even laugh.
Well, maybe I did, a little.
“What the fuck?” Dax screamed. “Where’d you come from?”
Sammy looked at me, cocking her head, then nodded once, as if deciding on something. “Something tells me you’ll be settling in Bluewater for the long haul. And that officially makes you one of my boys. So, I’m here to offer my assistance.”
“About time,” Jace murmured.
I hadn’t even realized he was behind me, but I couldn’t help but laugh again as Sammy glared at him. “Toby, stop shielding your eyes. Do your best to scare the shit out of Dax. But do it when I point to you.”
I looked at Anthony, who nodded. “I trust her.”
Sammy sniffed, as if to say of course. “I may have his hand burn every time he touches his dick. That could be fun.” She walked closer to Dax and held out her hand. “May I?” the witch asked in a sickly sweet voice.
Dax looked a little dazed and put his hand in hers. “Okay,” he said in a soft, weak voice like she’d enchanted him or something.
“Lovely.” Sammy looked back at me. “Now, please.”
Giving my dragon some leeway, I opened my eyes fully and opened my mouth, growling at him as loudly as I could, showing my teeth, which had elongated.
Dax didn’t scream this time. His face paled and I really thought he’d pass out, but Sammy squinted at him and he stayed upright.
A dark stain spread across the front of his khaki pants, though.
“Stay away from Liza. If you come near her again, that face is all you’ll ever see,” Sammy said in a soft voice.
“Monster!” Dax whispered. He pointed a shaking finger at me. “Mon…” And he finally passed out.
Sammy clapped her hands together and smiled. “Lovely. When he wakes up, he’ll be terrified of Liza, but won’t have any idea why. No amount of therapy will ever let him figure out why she scares him so much.”
“And he won’t remember my face like that?” I asked.
She shook her head. “Nope. I’m very good.”
After giving her an appraising look, I held out my hand. “Thank you. I am impressed.”
Sammy gave my hand a little shake, then disappeared after giving us a little wink.
“Well, then, that’s that.” Anthony sighed. “Let’s get you back to Liza. We’ll get Dax to his place, so he wakes up in bed and doesn’t associate his little nap with anything here.”
Anthony drove me to Porter’s place while everyone else dealt with Dax. I was too revved up and gladly handed him the keys.
“This sort of thing is becoming a rite of passage for our clan,” Anthony said with a laugh.
When we got to Porter’s, I jumped out of the car before he had it fully stopped.
The girls must’ve been watching for us because Liza met me on the porch steps. “The Dax problem is solved,” I said as I pulled her into my arms. “That’s over.” She grinned and wrapped her arms around my neck.
I pulled her up into my arms and twirled her around like a couple in a sappy romance movie. She seemed to like it, judging by the way she looked down at me and pressed a firm kiss to my lips.
“Now, we just have to deal with your mother,” I said when she came up for air.
As I set her on the ground, Liza grinned. “I talked to her again. I think I got through to her this time and made myself clear. But if need be, I’ll take more drastic measures. She won’t stop our happiness.”
Backing up, she pressed her hands to my chest, then grabbed my hands and turned my arms over. “Are you hurt?” she asked.
With a laugh, I pulled her close for another kiss. “Hardly. It was more like did I manage to stop myself from killing him?”
Liza’s jaw dropped. “Well?” she asked. “Did you?”
Before telling her the truth, I let my eyes shift as I wiggled my eyebrows.
Liza gasped, then laughed when I did. “Of course not,” I said. “But Sammy showed up and did some sort of spell that scared the shit out of him, almost literally.”
“I’m going to have to kiss this Sammy,” she said.
“Well, I won’t mind that,” I said. “She deserves a big kiss.”
“Tell me more,” she asked.
“Let’s get you home, then I’ll fill you in.” I grinned up the stairs at her as she bounded toward her friends and hugged them goodbye. “Thank you,” I called. “Thanks for taking care of her.”
Kaylee rolled her eyes. “Of course we did. She’s our friend.”
I saluted her and took Liza’s hand. We turned to Anthony. “Need a ride?” I asked.
He checked his smart watch. “Nope. They’ll be here soon. You two go enjoy the disaster being over.”
Liza squeezed my hand as she beamed up at me.
When we got back to the apartment, Bert jumped up and opened the door. “Liza, I have good news. Dax has been banned from the building by his father. He was pretty upset with him, if the yelling I heard was any indication.”
She looked up at me with wide eyes. “Porter,” I whispered.
“Thank you, Bert,” Liza said. “You’re the best.”
“It’s no problem. If you want to thank me, get your mother to make me more of those cookies.”
I snorted. “Good luck. If she comes to town, she certainly will, but she won’t even give that recipe to me.”
Bert sighed as we walked away. “Too bad,” he muttered.
I couldn’t keep Liza out of my arms as we rode the elevator to my floor, or my hands off of her. Or her lips off mine.
She was the sensible one when we finally hit the sofa. “Okay, tell me everything.”
I sighed. “Well, he wouldn’t listen. Then he sort of attacked, so I had to…” I grimaced. “Well, honestly, I toyed with him. He couldn’t dream of being fast enough for my reflexes, so I kept blocking him or sidestepping. He was getting pretty pissed.”
“Well, how’d you stop it all?” she asked.
“I finally got pissed enough and lost my temper.” I gave her an apologetic look. “Luckily for me, Anthony and the others turned up at just that moment and pulled me off before I did much more than bloody his nose.”
She sighed. “Oh, part of me wishes you had done more.”
I laughed and stroked the back of her hand. “My little bloodthirsty mate.”
“Then what?” she asked. “How’d Sammy do it?”
“Well, she told me to let my eyes shift, which they already were. I couldn’t stop that. And I let my teeth shift a bit. She told me to scare the shit out of him.”
Liza’s eyes widened. “You said you almost literally did?”
I couldn’t stop the laugh. “Sorry. He pissed himself.”
She covered her mouth, but a giggle escaped. “That’s not funny.” But then she giggled again.
“Sammy did some sort of spell as I scared him. She said every time he thinks of you, he’ll get nearly that scared again. He’ll be terrified of you, and he won’t associate the fear with me.”
Liza blinked as her mouth opened in an O shape. “I think I’m a little scared of Sammy.”
I snorted. “I think we’re all a little scared of Sammy.”
Pulling her closer, nearly on my lap, I cupped her cheek. “I’m so sorry for believing Abby, before all the shit hit the fan. I didn’t fully believe, but I let myself doubt, and that’s shit.”
Her eyes softened, but I wasn’t done. “I’ll always have your back. I won’t doubt you, even for a second, ever again.”
She pushed her face into mine and kissed my lips. Because my hands were still on her cheeks, it ended up being half my nose and half my lips as we both laughed.
“Thank you for understanding,” she said. “As our relationship progresses, we need to be clear about our expectation as partners as we move forward.”
“I agree.” Dropping my head, I pressed it to hers. “But we need to talk about Abby. She’s got it bad for me. I’m going to file a complaint with HR, but I don’t know if they’ll be able to get on it before your interviews.”
“Do what you have to do,” she said. “The hospital isn’t the only place in the world I can work, and I plan to knock out this interview, anyway.”
“You’ve got this,” I whispered. “I know you do.”
Gathering her into my arms, I walked her into my bedroom to show her just how much faith I had in her.