city of dragons 02 - fire storm (8 page)

“No,” said Anya, sounding almost disappointed in herself. “Too chicken to try hard stuff like that.”

Lachlan patted her hand. “Good girl.” He stood up, straightening his jacket. “Thanks for your time, Anya.”

I had a drink I’d been twirling with my fingers. Now I took a big gulp.

Lachlan moved close to me. “So, heroin. Maybe he overdosed somewhere? Maybe it wasn’t a murder at all.”

“You really think so?” I said.

“I don’t know. Everyone’s saying the same thing. He was well-liked, but people felt sorry for him, or they worried about him, because he partied so hard.”

“Yeah, he does seem to be going above and beyond the expected parameters of dragon partying. And that’s not easy to do,” I said.

“Hmm.” Lachlan rubbed his chin.

We were quiet for a few moments.

“So, you’re right at home here,” I said.

He gave me a confused look. “What do you mean?”

“Nothing,” I said, feeling stupid for having brought it up. “I just didn’t realize that you’d be so… comfortable at a party like this.”

He shrugged, looking around the vast room. There were elegant light fixtures that dropped from the ceiling over tables decorated with roses and lilies and black silk tablecloths. A string quartet played in the corner, and there were servants moving through the room carrying trays of appetizers and drinks. “Not comfortable. I hate stuff like this.”

“Really? You’d never know it.”

“I thought you’d be more comfortable,” he said. “This is your arena.”

“I thought so too.” I looked down into my drink. “But it actually isn’t my arena. Not anymore.”

“Well, we can get out of here soon,” he said. He nodded to the other side of the room. “Those guys with Fletcher’s brother, Finn? Let’s try to get them away from Finn and ask them some questions. Then I think we call it a night.”

“You sure?” I said.

“Yeah, definitely,” he said.

* * *

“Fletcher?” said the friend of Finn’s, whose name was Booth. “Yeah, we used to be close. When we were kids, we all hung out together, but since we all came of age, we’ve drifted apart. Fletcher was into different stuff than us. He was kind of crazy.” He cocked his head. “Hey, why do you ask? I mean, a slayer got him, right?”

“Maybe not,” said Lachlan. “I’m with the police. We’re looking into it.”

Booth turned to me. “You’re, uh, that chick who left her mate, aren’t you?”

I sighed. “Yes, that’s me.”

“Cool,” he said, grinning at me. “That mating stuff’s so weird. It’s like it turns you into a different person. We all think it’s awesome you left.”

“All?” I said, perking up.

“Yeah, all of the younger dragons I hang with.”

I was feeling a bit better already. I decided to throw out a question since things were going so well. “You and Fletcher drifted apart, but there wasn’t any bad blood between you?”

“No way.”

“Or between Fletcher and anyone you knew?” I said.

“Well, I mean, Finn was always pissed at him. But they were brothers. Brothers fight.”

Lachlan perked up. “Fight? What do you mean fight?”

“Well,” said Booth. “They’re twins, right, and Fletcher is only a few minutes older, but he was still going to inherit everything. Their dad was still grooming Fletcher to take over the company and everything. And Finn didn’t think that made any sense, especially considering how Fletcher was seriously losing it. He had a lot of problems with drugs, and their dad just kept throwing Fletcher into rehab, thinking that was going to solve everything.”

“So, with Fletcher out of the way, then Finn will be the one to take over the company?” said Lachlan.

“Well, yeah, I guess,” said Booth. “But that doesn’t… I mean, the way you put that, it almost sounds like you think Finn could have hurt his brother, and that never would have happened. No way. Finn
loved
his brother.”

* * *

Lachlan loosened his tie and set his legs up on one of the sun chairs by the newly-filled pool at my hotel. “That’s motive is all I’m saying.”

I was coming back with two glasses of wine. I handed one to him and sat down. “You’re all over this brother thing, and I don’t know if I see it.”

“It’s coming together,” he said. “And let’s not forget that last time, I had a feeling about Anthony Barnes, and I was freaking right.”

“But you were convinced it was the vampires at The Dungeon.”

“Oh yeah, it probably is.” He took a drink of his wine.

“Admit it,” I said. “You don’t know who did it yet.”

“Not yet,” he said. “And it might not even be a murder. Maybe he’s still alive. Maybe he ran away. Maybe he overdosed. Maybe he committed suicide. Maybe—”

“Yeah, maybe he turned into a unicorn,” I said, laughing.

He snorted. “Oh, come on. You’re being ridiculous.”

“A little bit.” I shrugged. I grinned at him.

He grinned back.

Then we both looked down into our wine glasses.

I looked up, but not at him. I peered out at the pool, glistening in the moonlight, at the dark beach beyond it, and the ocean, inky black in the darkness. “It was strange being back there. I didn’t like it.”

“You fit right in,” he said.

“No.” I studied my knuckles. “I used to fit in, but I’m different now. You know how they say you can always go home. Well, it’s not true.”

He was quiet.

I listened to the sound of the ocean in the distance, a muted roar.

“I wouldn’t go back to Texas, that’s for sure,” he said quietly.

I drank some wine.

“You know, maybe sometimes you just have to make a new home,” he said. “And that’s what you’ve done. This hotel, your gargoyle—”

“He’s not my gargoyle.” I glared at him.

But he was grinning, as if he’d said it just to rile me up.

I understood. He was trying to lighten the mood. It was true that it sometimes seemed like constant teeth on edge between the two of us, especially lately.

“I just mean,” he continued, “that you’ve made a place for yourself here. You’ve risen from the ashes like a phoenix. You’re amazing, you know that?”

I blushed, looking away. “You’ve made a home for yourself here too.”

“Nah, I just have a place to crash and an interesting job to keep myself busy.”

I looked up at him again. “It isn’t that bad, is it? I mean, sometimes you’re happy, aren’t you?”

He didn’t answer. He was just gazing at me, a small smile playing on his lips. When he spoke again, his voice was all deep rumbles. “You know what I’ve been thinking about ever since I saw you in that dress?”

“No,” I said quietly. What if I’d worn the burgundy dress?

“Kissing you.” His tone was a little gruff. “Damned hard to concentrate, honestly.”

“Well, you hide it well,” I said, but my pulse was starting to race again. I couldn’t look at him.

“That an accusation?” He sounded amused.

“I…” I took a drink of wine. “I thought we were taking things slow.”

“Yeah,” he said in a deep voice. He reached over and took the wine glass out of my hands and set it down. “But we could probably move on to holding hands or something at this point.” He ran his fingers over the inside of my palm.

It made me feel shivery. My insides twisted.

He leaned closer to me.

I leaned closer too. Now our faces were only inches apart.

“I’m afraid of this,” he said softly.

“I’m afraid too,” I said. “But I think that’s only because it’s worth doing, you know?”

He laughed—a soft, bitter sound. “I’m worthless, Penny.”

“No, you aren’t,” I said.

He rested his forehead against mine. “I don’t know why you don’t run away from me. Far away.”

“I’m not afraid,” I said. “Not of you, not of anything. Kiss me.”

His lips parted.

“What’s the worst that could happen?”

“Oh, I don’t know—”

“Don’t answer that,” I said quickly.

He laughed. His voice dipped lower. It was gravelly. “Close your eyes.”

I obeyed, and suddenly, I could feel my pulse pounding everywhere—my wrists, my temples, my chest…

His lips met mine.

It was perfect. Slow and good. Easy and sweet.

His arms slipped around me, pulling me to him.

I scooted to the edge of my chair to close the gap between us. Our upper bodies pressed against each other. I could feel his heat radiating through the layers of his suit. I could smell him, and he smelled like aftershave and
him
. I knew his scent now, and it was familiar and good, and I wrapped my arms around his neck.

His hands were splayed against my back, smoothing down to find my waist, my hips.

A tremor went through me.

And then an unseen force ripped me out of Lachlan’s arms. I was dragged backwards by someone’s magic, out of the chair, and pounded into the ground right next to the pool.

The air knocked out of me, my mouth opened in a silent cry of surprise.

A figure stepped into my view, blocking out the night sky above. “Hey there, babe.”

Alastair.

CHAPTER SEVEN

“I should have known,” Alastair said. “You kept showing up with him, and you said you were working with the police, but there was something I didn’t like about that bastard.”

Lachlan was coming toward us. “Mr. Cooper, I don’t think you’re welcome here.”

Alastair raised a hand and Lachlan stopped. He struggled, but he was fighting Alastair’s magic.

I scrambled into a sitting position, coughing. “What are you doing here?”

Alastair leered at me. “I saw you tonight. Walking around that party in your cheap little dress. I couldn’t stop thinking about ripping it off you.”

My whole body clenched. Twin jolts of loathing and desire went through me at the same time. Even though I hated Alastair, I was still drawn to him. I still wanted him. Right now, I couldn’t help but think of the way his mouth felt, trailing kisses down my body, over my breasts and belly and thighs. I wanted to throw up. I wanted to rip off his clothes as well.

“You need to leave, Mr. Cooper,” said Lachlan, his voice even and steady, almost bored.

“You shut up, you son of a bitch,” said Alastair. “I’m not going anywhere. This little game has gone on long enough.” He turned to me. “Penny, you’re mine. You’re coming home with me.” He turned back to Lachlan. “And you. You’re going to pay for putting your hands on
my
wife.”

Lachlan grinned. “She’s not your wife.”

Alastair flicked his wrist.

Lachlan flew backwards through the air and collided with the chairs we’d been sitting in. The chairs scattered, clattering on the patio. Lachlan’s body hit them all before thudding against the ground. He grunted.

“You fucker,” Alastair seethed. He used magic to pick Lachlan up and bang him down into the ground again.

“Stop!” I said, reaching out with my own magic, picking up Alastair and knocking him down.

Alastair roared in rage. He stood up, brushing at his clothes.

Lachlan was getting up too. He was laughing. “Must make your crazy, Mr. Cooper. Even with that dragon bond, even with the fact she still wants you, you can’t keep her.”

Alastair’s hand shot out, and a chair zoomed through the air to collide with Lachlan’s face.

I screamed.

Lachlan went down. He pushed the chair away, sending it clattering to one side. He sat up. His face was bleeding.

“Stop it!” And I was too distraught to use magic. I just jumped on Alastair, tackling him so that we both went down on the ground.

Bad idea. We were close now, our bodies touching, limbs entangled. I pushed up, looking at him, feeling him.

He seized me by the hips, ground himself against me. He was hard. “You, my little slut, are going to need to be punished.”

I pushed off of him, trying to get up.

He grasped my hair, pulling it out of the style I’d painstakingly worked on earlier, yanking my head back.

Pain blossomed in my skull. I tried to elbow him, but I didn’t connect.

Lachlan was getting to his feet. He was coming for us.

Alastair held my head in place with his fist in my hair. “Remember how eager you used to be to suck me off?”

“Shut up,” I sobbed. When had I started crying?

He got to his feet, still holding me by the hair, yanking me up painfully. “Maybe we’ll do that later.”

“Let go of her,” said Lachlan.

Alastair punched me.

It was like painful fireworks inside my skull. I gritted my teeth, trying to hold in any sound, but a whimper came out.

“Mr. Cooper,” said Lachlan, and his voice wasn’t bored anymore. There was no fear in it, though. It was commanding, like a school principal or something. It was his cop voice, I realized. The kind he used on people he was arresting. “You need to step away from her now.”

Alastair made an annoyed motion, as if he was swatting away a fly.

Lachlan’s feet came out from underneath him. He landed on his back.

“You’d like it, I know it,” Alastair said to me, punching me again.

I shut my eyes, trying so hard not to make noise. I squeaked.

“You still want my cock,” he said. “I bet you’re wet for me now. You always used to get so worked up when I knocked you around.”

“I couldn’t help it,” I bit out. “I didn’t like it. It’s just the stupid bond.”

“I will shoot you,” said Lachlan.

I turned, and he had his gun out, aiming it for Alastair.

Alastair laughed. He used magic to rip the gun out of Lachlan’s hands and drop it in the pool. Then he shoved Lachlan into the water, where he landed with a splash.

Lachlan surfaced, sputtering.

“That’s exactly what we’ll do,” said Alastair. “Penny will suck my cock, and you’ll watch.”

“This is your final warning,” said Lachlan. “You let her go now.”

Alastair just laughed. “Are you really threatening me?”

Lachlan ducked under the water.

“If you think I can’t use magic through water, you’re wrong,” said Alastair.

I
needed to use magic. I needed to get us out of this. I could knock him down, maybe I could just summon all my strength and blow Alastair away. I took a deep breath, gathering it up. I stretched out my hand, pulsing magic through it.