Jedidiah: Dragon’s Savior – Ménage Erotic Fantasy (Dragon's Savior Book 2) (6 page)

“He chained you up then, to the floor?” She nodded but didn’t go into any more detail. “Lindsey, I’m not asking you this to upset you, but the more information we have, the easier it will be for the police, the real ones, to take him in.”

“I know that. But I’m still having a hard time trying to figure out why you’d care that much about me.” She glanced at him, then away before continuing. “I was really stupid for taking the job in the first place. But I was hungry and needed some money for a hotel or something to sleep in. The nights were beginning to get cold back then.”

“Did he ever tell you what happened to the other woman?” Asher waited for her to look at Grandda when he spoke, but she continued to stare out the window. He knew that she could see the garden, and Essie working in it with one of his brothers.

“No. Not right away, but he did tell me that she’d worn out her welcome. I wasn’t sure what he meant. Maybe he’d sent her home, but when I asked, he told me that he’d had to kill her. Just like that, he’d had to kill her. He’d shot her in the head and told me he’d do the same to me should I run.” Lindsey laughed a little. It sounded bitter and cold to him. “Every day, and I mean every day, I’d wait for some other woman to show up and him put a bullet in my head or whatever he did to the other women.”

“You said women.” Lindsey looked at his dad when he spoke. “You said other women, not woman. Do you know for sure there were other women?”

“Yes.” This time before she continued, she came and sat back down on the chair she’d been in before. Her face was paler than it had been, and Asher was suddenly fearful of her answer. “In the attic he has these boxes. All of them are labeled with names as well as dates. Some of them have been up there for a little over ten years. I got a chance to look in them once. I don’t remember why I’d been sent up there without the chain on me that time, but I was curious about so many of them. So I opened a few of them. There is clothing in the boxes. Some of them have blood on them, others just dirt. Purses, too, with shoes and hats.”

“What else?” She looked at Asher, and he could tell she was terrified. “We won’t let anything happen to you, Lindsey. Not ever.”

“My box was marked too. Just my first name, like the others were. And while it was empty of my clothing because I was still wearing it, my things were in it. My apartment keys to the place I no longer stayed at, a purse that I’d come with, as well as the application that I’d filled out. He was keeping it to…when he killed me, he was going to put the ending date of my welcome and then put my clothing in it.” Elbert asked her how many boxes were up there. “Eleven counting mine.”

No one said a word. But if the others were thinking as hard as Asher was, then there wasn’t any room for words at the moment. Ten women in ten years. And Lindsey had been with him just over a year. Her time, as he was pretty sure she’d already figured out, was running out. Her “welcome,” as she’d called it, was about over too.

When she left them to go out into the yard with Essie, Asher warned his mate to go lightly and not to ask her too much. When she asked him what was going on, he told her what he had surmised and she said she’d take care of her. His dad got up to go to the window and told him that the girls were headed to the ruins, it looked like.

“You think that…he’s killed ten other women and nothing has been done about it?” Asher nodded at his grandda. “Do you suppose the police being out there that day, they might have a clue what he’s about?”

“I have someone looking into whether or not he’s served time. I think, being that they were out checking on him, that he might have.” Asher leaned back in the chair and regarded the two men in front of him that meant the world to him. “If he finds her out and about, he’ll take her again and simply kill her. And whoever is with her when he does find her. Casdon said that he’s still looking for her but not in town. I don’t know why, but…well, he’s not very smart, but I wonder why no one has asked after these women.”

“Maybe he looks for girls that have nobody else in their lives.” Asher had thought of it and was glad that his dad had as well. “I mean, he has them fill out an app, she said. Maybe he’s looking for the perfect girl to come in, and then when he’s had enough of them, he doesn’t have to worry about their family showing up.”

“You think that…Christ, this is horrible to think of, but do you suppose that the last woman is buried on the property?” Grandda said that was a safe bet. “The property is part of this estate. The lawyers are trying to get him to pay his due. Did you know that it’s only one dollar an acre? And that it has to be paid on the fifteenth of October of every year? How the hell has he never been asked to pay that before now? It’s so very little when you think of it.”

“Yeah, now that you mention that, I remember that coming in. Back when you guys were little, the money went in a pot that would buy something that was needed should one of the others need a new roof or whatever.” His dad grinned. “We never needed the money…the king, he provided for us very well and we never hurt for anything. But the money did help out a few of the people living around here back then. How many tenants do we have here now?”

“Seven counting Cox. Most of them are just using the land to hunt or camp on in the fall and nothing else. I’ve had the attorneys find out if they want to sell out. We’d do well not to have other people around now that we’ve decided to make this our home. Not much in the way of acreage, mind you…the biggest one is ten acres. Cox has five, so he should have been paying five bucks a year and hasn’t since…well, I think they said about ten years now.” Asher picked up the paper in front of him he’d been making notes on and read it. “Yes, here it is, five acres. And the last of the tenants is a man whose family has lived here for as many generations as we have, but he’s the last of them. Once he passes on, the property and the house will revert back to the estate.”

Asher had never taken any notice of the legalities of the property before. He knew that there were people living on the land. Although he didn’t know the exact amount, he knew they had to pay too. His attorney had mentioned once, a while ago, that one was behind, but if he mentioned it again, Asher couldn’t remember the outcome of it. Now he was taking a big interest in it, if for no other reason than to take care of things for Lindsey.

“Dad, I just don’t know what to do. We can call in the cops, but what if these women just left on their own and he decides to take revenge out on Lindsey or us? We would be a laughingstock. Not that I’m worried about us, but he could make it hard on her.” His dad asked him why it would be any harder on her. “Lindsey has had some legal problems of her own. And some of them could get her into some serious problems.”

“What kind of problems could that nice girl have? I’m telling you right now, if someone is telling lies on her, I’m not going to be happy. I swear to you, she’s one of the nicest people I know.” Asher knew that Lindsey liked his dad and grandda as well. “She ain’t said nothing to Jed, either, if it’s real bad. Not that I know of, anyhow.”

“She’s been in jail twice that I have found. Once for shoplifting, but that I can understand. It was food and she told the police that she was starved. And recently she was arrested for her part in a scam for money.” Asher handed his dad the paperwork he’d been given just yesterday. “She has claimed from the start that she had nothing to do with it, and that the man that she was supposed to have gotten in trouble with wasn’t her boyfriend like he’d told the police. But she did spend thirty days in jail. I can’t find any more about it or the man she was with.”

“You’re thinking that she might have jumped bail or something.” Asher nodded at his grandda, impressed that he’d know that. It wasn’t that his grandda was stupid or backward, but he didn’t get out very much, nor did he watch any television that he knew of. “I believe that our best course of action on that is to wait and see if she mentions it. It might be less than you are thinking, and if it is more, then we will protect her as best we can. She is family now.”

As his grandda left the room, his dad stood up and moved to the window with the file still untouched in his hand. Asher watched his father. He was, as far as Asher was concerned, the greatest man he knew. And he had a great deal of respect for whatever he said. Today was going to be no different in helping him deal with what was going on with Lindsey.

“I believe you are right in not calling in the police. That doesn’t mean that we don’t go looking for things on our own, but we’re going to do it using magic and not the police for now.” Asher told him he liked that idea. “And we will talk to Lindsey, as a family. Tell her what has come our way and we will believe whatever it is she has to say on this. As Elbert has said, she’s our family now.”

“All right, I can do that. Essie and I can talk to the earth when she gets back. Together our magic is a good deal stronger and we can reach further out.” His dad nodded and came back to hand him the file. “Dad? What about the rest?”

“Like I said, we talk to her. It’s what a family does. We don’t accuse, nor do we assume. That will hurt us and her more than anything else we can do. For all we know, she might have told Jed and Zak already, and if not, it’s her plan to do so. We’ll do this her way.”

After he left, Asher reached out to Essie. She told him they were fine, but she didn’t want to come in just now.
I think she just needs to know that we’re here for her, and even though she’s not talking, we’re communicating.

He didn’t understand her but told her that he loved her very much. After she closed the connection, Asher set to work. His businesses were getting to be a little too much right now, and as much as he wanted to blow them off and go find his wife, he knew that just putting off the work would only make more of it for him tomorrow. So ignoring everything around him, Asher buried his head in his job and hoped that things would take care of themselves for a change. They wouldn’t, but he could hope.

Chapter 6

Zak jumped from the bed and shifted just as he leapt from the window. Jed had no idea what was going on, but fear and other emotions were running all over his body and mind. Lindsey sat up and looked at him, sleep still apparent on her face, and simply said “dragon.”

“I know, love, but we’ll just go and see what this is about, and both of us will be right back.” Nodding, she lay back down, and he smiled. Whatever had woken the two of them up hadn’t bothered her, it seemed. Hearing the rest of the house running down the stairs from their bedrooms, Jed pulled on his shirt and the rest of his clothing covered him as he moved to the door.

His pants were on as soon as he opened their door. Shoes covered his feet even as he stepped, socks filled his shoes, and as he made his way down the first landing, he had on a jacket as well as a hat. He was out on the decking with the rest of the others as the dragon parts of them scattered to the sky. It was then that Jed saw them.

“Christ.” Yes, he thought that about summed it up. And when Simeon continued, he watched the newcomers as they hovered quietly above the lawn. “Who the hell are they, and where the fuck did they come from?”

Jed felt her before she moved out onto the deck. As he reached for her, Lindsey moved by him and into the yard. Before he could guess her intent, she walked up to the pair of dragons just as they landed with a hard thud on the grass, and put her hand on the snout of the larger of the two. A conversation that was unintelligible to most everyone standing there began between Lindsey and the dragon.

“He said you were expecting him.” Jed moved toward her, and she put up her other hand to stop him. “They’re afraid of you for now, so please just stay back. And they would very much like it if you were to call the other dragons in. They’re being pursued and they do not want anyone to know where they have landed.”

In minutes the dragons, their dragons, landed near them. Each of them stayed as they were. Jed figured if anything happened, they’d be able to defend more than they could currently.

“Can they shift or are they in their truest forms?” Asher stepped off the deck, but he only sat on the steps as he talked to Lindsey. He wasn’t going to go any closer, but he was establishing who was in charge. Essie stood behind him, and Kiaran on his right. “Can they speak to us too?”

“No. They are in their true form. But he said that he has not been on such magical land before, so does not know if he can be a man or not.” Lindsey turned to Asher. “I’d really like to know why I can do this. I mean, while I’m not freaking out—okay, trying not to freak out—I’m standing next to a dragon that is about fifty times bigger than you guys as dragons.”

“I’m not sure, and while I’m glad that you’re feeling a little freaked out, don’t let this bother you overly much. If he was going to harm you, he would have done it by now.” Essie smacked Asher on the back of the head before he could continue. “I’m only saying that she’s in good hands and we appreciate what she’s doing.”

“You’re scaring her.” Essie looked at Jed. “Did you know about this? Or maybe where she might have gotten this power?”

“No. But like Asher, I think she’s going to be fine.” He really didn’t think that, but it was better than scaring Lindsey more. He looked at her now. “Love? Has he told you who they are? Or why they’re here?”

“Yes. His name is Silco and hers is Yviene. She is his mate. They’re expecting.” The big dragon put his palm out, and Lindsey sat down on it. He huffed at the ground and a small flame lit the dry earth. “He’s asking that you not be alarmed, but he noticed that I’m cold. I’m starting to like this guy. He’s very…not funny, but old world, like Mr. Elbert and Mr. Jacob.”

“When is Yviene due?” Essie moved closer, but she didn’t touch any of them. “Tell him that I should very much like to touch her, to make sure that she and her hatchling are doing well.”

“He said that he knows that she is very tired and that you may…he said that you are his queen. Is that right?” Essie nodded and put her hand on the other dragon’s head. “He would like for me to tell him what you say. I don’t think he can understand you. Do you understand why I can?”

“No. But I would imagine that he’s speaking his language. Dragon. I’m not sure if the others can speak it, but we’ll figure that out soon.” Essie looked at her as she spoke. “Tell him that his lady wife is doing well and that his hatchling is a male, should he like to know. Also, tell him that there is a cave nearby that they may use until she has bred.”

Jed moved off the deck when Asher stood up. He didn’t know what was going on either, but Zak moved to come with him. Jed asked Lindsey to tell Silco that they were her mates as well.

“He knows. He said that he could smell you on me.” She glared at him and Zak. “You should also know that he said that he thinks you are keeping something from me.”

Jed stopped moving, as did Zak. He was keeping something from her—the two of them were—and they had meant to tell her, but she’d distracted them again. As he moved closer again, the dragon lifted his head, but he made no attempt to harm them.

“He’s protecting her, so I would tread lightly if I were you. And from now on, you might want to make it a point to tell her everything you know.”

Jed nodded at Essie, but didn’t take his eyes off the big dragon. “I was going to tell you.”

Lindsey nodded and the dragon put his head back down. It was even bigger than it had looked from the porch. He hadn’t ever seen a dragon other than the ones that they’d grown up with. “Could you ask him to see if he can shift? He doesn’t have to do it now. I know that he must be exhausted, but if he could, that would be wonderful.”

“Silco said that if the king and queen are finished, he and his mate will go to rest but will return later this evening. He also said to tell you that while he is being pursued, he does not believe that the person chasing him is all that close.” Lindsey turned to Asher. “What could a man do against a dragon this large?”

“I’m not sure, but we’ll find out tomorrow. Tell him to rest, but not to go too deeply into the cave. Tell him that it’s a resting place for someone that means a great deal to us all, and we should like her not to be disturbed.” When Lindsey stood up, Jed took her into his arms. Zak stood next to her as well and touched her with his wing. It was a show of possession and one that he’d never thought he’d use with her, but it felt right. The dragon stood up and bowed before all of them before he put his hand out to Lindsey.

“He wants to give me something for what I’ve done for them.” She looked at Jed, and all he could think about was that she was talking to the dragon and they were no longer touching. “I told him that I’ve no need for payment, but he said that I have to ask you about it.”

“You have to accept it, love. It’s a tradition among dragons that dates back for more years that most of us have been around. And I would say that this fellow is older than even us.” Jed watched as she moved toward the dragon, who turned his hand over to reveal an old leather sack inside of it. Lindsey picked it up when he nodded. “Tell him that you are his servant and that you thank him and his mate.”

When the smaller dragon took to the sky, the larger one bowed to him again. As Jed returned the gesture, the dragon took to the sky to follow his mate. Jed waited until Zak shifted before he spoke to Lindsey. To be honest, he was as terrified as when the thing let her touch him, but he didn’t ask to see what she’d been given.

“It’s my first gift ever.” He asked her what she meant. “I mean, it’s my birthday. And I’ve never gotten anything before. Not that I’m asking for it now, but I only just realized it when he gave this to me.”

“Then we should celebrate.” She shook her head, but Jed nodded and his mind was going full ahead on things they could do for her today. “We’ll leave in an hour. Don’t pack anything, and Zak and I will take you out in style.”

She protested all the way into the house, but he could feel her excitement as well. As she moved up the stairs, Jed looked at Zak. He was grinning too.

“Our place. We’ll take her there and then out to dinner. Somewhere really nice where she has to dress up.” Zak looked at him with the most devilish smile on his face. “What else do you have in mind?”

“We’ll get her a ring. I’ll make the gem for her, but we’ll get it made for her while we’re in town.” Jed loved the idea, and more so since he’d been thinking of a design for days now. He and Zak made their way into the house, but stopped when Grandda asked them to stay.

“She’s not human.” Jed sat down, and Zak leaned against the counter as Grandda continued. “I have thought…until today I wasn’t sure, but I have contacted Caroline and she is on her way. But I am to ask you if you know if she has a mark on her body. It would look like a dragon.”

“She’s a dragon?” Grandda shook his head and told them that while he wasn’t sure what she was, she wasn’t a dragon. “Then what?”

“I do not know, but she can talk to dragons. Not just any, but ones that are older than us, as well as fully dragon. That is something that I have never run into before. And as you know, I have been around for a very long time.” Grandda was older than them by centuries. When he moved through the house to the dining room, Jed looked at Zak.

“Do you know?” Zak said that he had no idea. “Not that it changes our plans, but we will have to protect her more. If this person that is after dragons finds out she can…holy shit. She knew.”

“Knew what? What is it?” Jed told Zak about the conversation that he’d had with her when the dragons had shown up. “She knew they were out there before we did?”

“I’m thinking that she might have been guiding them here. Remember what Caroline told us? There would be a light that would guide the others to us. I have no idea why I thought it would be Asher or Essie, but it’s her. I know it is.” He thought of her as their guide. “Zak, if someone finds out she can bring the dragons to her, then whoever is searching for them is going to want her in their clutches. She’ll be hurt.”

“No, we won’t let them. But I think you’re right. We’ll have to keep her closer to us. At least until we find out for sure.”

Jed was already sure but said nothing as they made their way to the bedroom. He told Asher what they were doing, then what he thought of Lindsey. Asher wasn’t keen on them leaving with her.

She told us it’s her birthday. Zak and I are going to take her out in style. And we’ll keep an eye on her.
Asher relented, but Jed knew he wasn’t happy about it.
If it makes you feel any better, we’ll take her to the next town over so that no one knows who she is.

He and Asher talked about where they were going and how long they were going to be gone as he packed up. They didn’t really need much as they were going to stay at his place in the city, but he wanted to have a few things. Zak wasn’t going to get to be out while they were gone, but he was excited. And the emerald that he’d given Jed for her ring was the exact color of her eyes. Things were looking perfect for their trip.

~~~

The bag that Silco had given her was still unopened on her lap. Lindsey wanted to open it, but was so excited that it was all hers that she wanted to keep the suspense alive for a little while longer. She had told the men that it was her first birthday gift, but truthfully it was her first gift of any kind from anyone. Not that she didn’t enjoy the clothing from Zak and Jed, but this wasn’t something that she’d needed.

The drive to the city and to wherever they were taking her was something else that was preoccupying her mind. It was a good thing, too, since she was trying her best not to think about having talked to a giant dragon.

“Do you know if you have a mark on your body that looks like a dragon?” Lindsey looked at Jed. “I’m only asking because I was asked to see if you have one. I’ve talked to Zak and he said that he doesn’t remember seeing one. But he also pointed out that when you’re naked around us, we don’t think about marks on your body.”

Her face heated at all the times these two had been naked with her as well. They were…she was beginning to think there was something wrong with her. All she wanted to do all the time was have one or both of them making love to her. She could not get enough of them. When Jed cleared his throat, she tried to remember what he’d asked her.

“No, I don’t think I have a mark on me that looks like a dragon. Or any shape, for that matter. I can’t see all of my body, but I’ve never seen it on the parts that I can see.” She felt Zak move and she looked at Jed. “I felt him. I mean, I know that Zak is on your back and near your neck. Is that right?”

“Yes. He wants to pull free of me to touch you but he can’t, not without being on the homeland. I don’t know a lot about the magic there, but it’s the only place that the dragons can be both human and dragon.” She started to say something but thought he’d think her stupid. “What is it? Tell me.”

“I’m thinking that he doesn’t have to just be a part of you anymore. I don’t know why, but…well, I think he could separate from you and be with us while we’re together.” Again, she had no idea why she thought that, but she was reasonably sure it was true. “Can he try? I mean, will it distract you from driving?”

Jed pulled the big truck over and pulled off his shirt. She wanted to touch him, run her hands over the dragon that had moved to his chest, but she knew that once she did, they’d not be going anywhere for a while.

“Touch us.” His voice made her think of his voice when he came or when he was commanding her to come. Putting her hand on Zak’s head, she felt him on Jed’s body and ran her hand down along his neck to his wings. “Tell him, Lindsey. Call to Zak and see if he can be separate from me.”