26. Dragon #2
His eyes narrowed as he pursed his lips. “I don’t care how much you sweet-talk me, we’re still going to eat and then get a check-up before anything else. Even maternity shopping.”
I shook my head at him, but I was smiling as I leaned my head against my seat and finally relaxed. “You drive a hard bargain. Thanks for saving me. I’ll try not to be so reckless in the future.”
His eyes softened. “I’d like that.”
“Also, do you have a real name you want me to call you?”
He stared at me for a long moment before he gave me a half-smile. “Nate, but it’s been a long time since anyone called me that.”
“Nate? That’s so normal.”
He chuckled. “I know. Doesn’t match me at all. Stick with Horse. Everyone else does.”
The rest of the flight was quiet. When we came down inside Horse’s compound, Jezebel was sitting on the hood of a limousine, looking like a rattler about to strike. I’d never thought I’d see her in Horse’s compound when she wasn’t blowing it up.
I untangled my fingers from Horse, undid my straps, then jumped out of the copter and ducked under the blades before striding over to my friend and work associate.
“Nice limo.”
She gestured through the window where I got to see an older man duct-taped to the steering wheel. “Carmichael senior. He put a hit on your baby when he heard his son knocked you up.”
“Stupid, because I’m the father,” Horse said, standing directly behind me. “Also, you can’t jump out of helicopters any time you want, Trix. You have to climb down carefully, or ask me to carry you. This is my baby you’re carrying, you know.”
I almost rolled my eyes because he was taking the story and running with it, but at the same time, I’d asked him to marry me. And he’d said yes. Which meant that he was completely insane.
“Right. Sorry. I’ll try to be more careful.”
Jezebel hissed like someone had stepped on her tail. “You didn’t kill him for that? What’s going on? What did he do to you? What kind of brainwashing is this?”
I ignored her and walked around to the driver’s side. I opened the door and stared at the blonde man with blue eyes who looked like a responsible, reasonable version of the kid I’d taken on a rampage if you didn’t count the duct tape.
I put my hands on my hips and glowered down at him.
He’d started all of this mess. I mean, I’d started it, but he elevated it to a whole new level.
“Your son is an adult. You have to let him take responsibility for his actions, or he’ll never become a man.
And hiring Boney almost got your son killed. ”
The man’s cheeks pinked as he struggled with rage and fear. “What are you going to do with me?”
“Nothing. I don’t do revenge. Horse can beat you up if he wants.
Or Jezebel can shoot you. That’s fair considering the trouble I had to go through to rescue Ritchie from your bad choices.
” I turned to find Horse still directly behind me.
“Oh. Hi. Do you think that Jerome could lecture him for a few hours?”
He started smiling slightly. “You don’t think he needs all his fingers?”
I met his smile with my own. He’d actually agreed to marry me because he liked me and my messes. He had my nut on his finger. So many nuts in this scenario. “I mean, who needs all ten fingers? He’s not a pianist.”
“Done.” He kissed my forehead and then linked his fingers in mine, thick metal rubbing against my skin. “And then we’re having a doctor’s checkup.”
“And then maternity shopping.”
He beamed at me. “If you insist.”
I snorted. “Well, you know me and shopping. Actually, after being stuck inside for so long, even shopping sounds good as long as there are enough snacks.”
“That’s right. We’ve got to get you fed while the doctor comes.” He swept me up in his arms. “And you’re still on bed rest until you have your checkup.”
“Now you’re a bed?” I asked while my heart beat slightly faster. He smelled so good. And that tie…
Jezebel made a gagging sound. “PDA is not okay. Do you want me to shoot you? I should. A little blood loss might put some sense into you.” She stalked towards the gate, leaving the limo behind like she’d just walk home across the miles and miles of desert.
I called after her, “I’m pretty sure PDA actually is okay. Also, do you want a ride? Horse’s friend has the helicopter going. He’s not the worst flier.”
Jezebel didn’t glance at the helicopter, just kept walking. “He’s not the best either. Don’t worry about me. I know how to get myself home. Not that I’m going home. Worry about yourself and that baby you’re carrying. And that baby that’s carrying you.”
I frowned after her while Horse carried me towards his office.
I was worried about her. The effort she went through to catch Carmichael Senior was really considerate.
And now I was with Horse, the man I’d spent years and years hating.
Of course, this whole thing looked crazy.
Maybe it was. Maybe we were fueled by adrenaline and bad choices. That would be normal for me.
“You’re strangling me,” Horse said, voice only slightly choked.
I forced my grip to relax on him as he stepped inside the cool building and walked down the hall to his office. “Sorry.”
“It’s the tie. You can’t help yourself. Charles,” he said to a nice-looking man in the front area with ‘Secretary’ on an engraved plaque on his desk.
Horse had a male secretary? He looked like a fighter, jeans and t-shirts instead of whatever male secretaries usually wore.
“Boss,” he said, sounding bored. “I need some signatures for the Singapore thing.”