Chapter 29
Chapter Twenty-Nine
FIONA
W hen I wake the next morning, I can hear Connor and the others talking in the kitchen. I can’t hear what they’re saying, but his mood feels calm and determined down our bond. I take that as a good sign.
After a quick shower, I pull on yesterday’s clothes because I still haven’t moved my things into Connor’s room and then make my way down the hall to where I was staying before. I run into Zaire along the way. He does the little bow thing he always does when he sees me and smiles bright as the sun.
“Good morning, Ms. Fiona. Would you like me to move your things into the primary suite? I presume you’ll be staying in there from now on?”
I nod, my cheeks warming with the admission. “Yes please.”
“I’ll have it done by this evening.”
“No rush. ”
He gives another little bow and advances down the hall. Once I’m changed, I join Connor in the dining room where the dragons have gathered over a breakfast suitable for a small army. Remus has a stack of sausages on his plate that could feed a family of four, and Seb is downing a plate of what looks like a dozen eggs. I select a croissant and some bacon and take a seat at the table.
“So what’s the plan today?” I ask when they all grow conspicuously quiet.
Connor speaks up. “Remus and Ellison will man the southern border, while Seb and I patrol the rest of the property in case Roman tries to get creative. Once one of us has visual confirmation of his arrival, we’ll converge, lure him onto the property, and capture him. You’ll stay here with Bones and Zaire.”
“How do you plan to lure him onto the property?”
Remus stops eating long enough to call out, “Roman! Roman! I’m here. I need your help!” He sounds exactly like me. Not like an impression. Like a recording.
“That’s incredible,” I say.
Seb grins. “A Gemini talent that comes in useful now and again.”
“Seems like you have it figured out.” I take a bite of my croissant. It’s for the best that I’m not involved. After last night, I know I’d only be a distraction to Connor. The last thing I want is to be the reason he’s injured. Or worse.
“What’s the plan for you and Connor now that you’re mated?” Ellison asks, sounding somewhat bored. He’s focused on his plate like he’s only asking to be polite .
“I’m going to move into his place. My lease is up anyway.”
“Sounds like a recipe for mated bliss,” Ellison says, and I can’t miss the bitterness in his voice. He looks older than Connor, and I wonder if the mating sickness is getting harder for him. I wonder if his abrasiveness, at least in part, is fueled by jealousy.
I smile sweetly and say, “I certainly hope so.”
Seb seems to notice the tension rising in the room and, just like before, defuses it by changing the subject. “Connor, about the ring Mason found…”
“Did you get a chance to talk to him?”
“Briefly, on the way over. He still has it in his safe, but none of us can touch it. Exactly what do you want me to do with it?”
Connor scratches his jaw. “We need to find a witch who can analyze the magic. We know they use dragon blood, but the other ingredients in the spell are a mystery. If we could find someone who could reverse engineer the spell, maybe we could find a way to protect our people against it.”
“And you think I can find a witch why?” Seb asks.
Connor shrugs. “You work in the music industry. You know a lot of people. A lot of really odd people.”
“Okay. I know of one,” Seb says, as if he’s reluctant to admit it. “I’ve never actually met her in person, but I’m aware of her from Full Throttle.”
“Sorry, what’s Full Throttle?” I ask.
“My record label,” Seb says. “She’s the lead singer for a band called Raven’s Wish. We’ve been following their growth on social. Honestly, I don’t know if her witchy vibe is just a marketing ploy or the real thing.”
“Wait, I know her,” Remus says. “I tattooed a tree of life on her calf at Venomous Ink. She told me she’s been a practicing witch for almost fifteen years, since she was in high school. Her mind was strong, and I could sense her power. I think she sensed mine too because she told me during one of our sessions to stay out of her head.” He gives a quiet laugh.
“Do you think you could approach her about the ring?” Connor asks, directing the question at both of them.
Remus shakes his head. “I have a very strict privacy policy for my clients. I don’t even keep their contact information after the job is done.”
Seb groans. “I might be able to use my position to facilitate a meeting, but it’s a delicate situation. Honestly, from what I’ve heard, Raven’s Wish isn’t ready for the big time. Leading her on to get what we want could backfire, and I don’t need to tell you how bad it would be to have a witch as an enemy.”
Connor grins. “So use that persuasive Taurus charm and convince her to help us with no strings attached.”
Seb shovels in another bite of eggs and groans. “Fine. I’ll come up with some ruse to get her to do what we want. Let me think on it.”
“You could just be honest with her,” I suggest. “Instead of trying to manipulate her, maybe just ask her for her help.”
Seb stops eating, his fork poised over his plate, and looks at me like I’m glowing green. He scoffs. “Never work,” he mumbles.
I don’t argue with him.
The rest of the morning goes by quickly, the dragons acting like they’re preparing for war. After breakfast, Connor moves the table and rolls back the carpet in the dining room to reveal a trapdoor. Inside is an arsenal of weapons the likes of which I’ve never seen before. Guns, daggers, and other weapons are doled out and passed around. I learn they don’t need communication equipment thanks to the dragons’ abilities to communicate psychically. The guys all change into black leather armor designed for fighting. Even Ellison, who takes on an entirely different vibe when he’s not wearing a designer suit.
I picture Roman rowing up to shore in a rented fishing boat and being absolutely annihilated by these four. I know that’s not how it will happen. And I know Roman is more dangerous than he looks. But what could be more lethal than four fire-breathing dragons?
At three, all four of them head out to begin their patrol of the property, leaving me, Bones and Zaire behind. Worry for Connor has me pacing the floors. Finally, I grab my laptop and settle into one of the velvet chairs near the fire in the living room, hoping to distract myself with some writing. Bones curls up next to me. I can hear Zaire humming to himself as he works in the kitchen. It’s all very peaceful, but my muscles are tense, ready. I can hardly concentrate. I wonder again how all of this will impact Vivian.
I’ve written my next Alex Rogue pitch when a notification pops up from my editor. She loved Milkmaid . They’re moving forward with it. I give an internal squeal. I can’t wait to tell Connor. I’m back, and he’s the one who got me here. He’s the one who inspired me. I do a little dance in my chair.
Then another bubble pops up. Roman’s chat. I glance at the clock. Four p.m. sharp. Is he texting me from the boat?
All it says is “Stay down.”
Bullets rain through the glass windows at the back of the house and I hit the floor. Bones barks viciously at something, but I can’t see what because I’m flat on my belly behind the chair. I abandon the laptop and peek around the base, through Bones’s paws, into the foyer and adjacent hall. I gasp when I see Roman, gun in hand, step over Zaire’s fallen body, eyes locked on me. Bones attacks. Roman doesn’t hesitate.
I scream.
But Roman fires and Bones falls, whimpering, to the floor.
I can’t breathe. I stare and stare as Roman walks right up to me, his black eyes guarded and inaccessible, and hooks a hand around my biceps, pulling me to my feet. How is it that I never noticed how empty his expression is, how waxy, as if his entire countenance is a mask? The corner of his mouth tugs up as he silently ushers me out the back door and onto a helicopter that seems to come out of nowhere and land on the back lawn. We’re on it and in the air before I can process that Bones and Zaire were shot.
He buckles me in, then kisses me hard on the mouth. “Hello, wife.”