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  “Tell me what’s going on,” Tristan encouraged gently.

  “It was my ex.” She lifted her gaze up to him. “My ex-boyfriend. He’s very controlling. I broke up with him six months ago, but he’s still harassing me. That’s why I went to the police department earlier, to report his harassment. He violated his restraining order again. And when I got home, I received a package. It’s…” She couldn’t finish her sentence and started weeping again.

  “You got a package from him?” Tristan repeated. “What’s in it?”

  Molly looked distraught.

  Tristan decided to check it out for himself. He saw a half-open package by the kitchen counter. He approached the brown box with caution. The faint scent of blood drifted to his nose as he examined it. The corner of the package leaked red, viscous liquid. “What the hell?”

  With his penknife, Tristan flicked the box open. A half-skinned animal was inside.

  Judging from its shape, the unfortunate critter was a rabbit. Tristan cringed in disgust. No wondered Molly was freaked out. If this was meant to be intimidation, the jerk was succeeding.

  Tristan closed the box without touching it to preserve the evidence. He’d send this to the forensics lab later.

  First, he had to move Molly to a secure location.

  He padded back into the living room. “Pack your bag. You can’t stay in this place until we arrest your ex-boyfriend.”

  Chapter Three

  Molly had been so deeply disturbed by her ex’s latest threat that she didn’t object when Tristan whisked her away from her childhood home. But when she found herself at Tristan’s place, she gradually started coming to her senses.

  Wait a minute. How did this happen? How could she agree to this? She’d escaped from one bully to another.

  “You can sleep in the guest bedroom. My room is just next to you, so I can assure you, you’ll be safe. I sleep with a gun under my pillow and one eye open. The bathroom is just across the hall. You can find towels and essentials in the linen closet.”

  She didn’t pay attention to what he was rambling on about. She wondered why Tristan was being nice to her.

  “Is this a trick? It doesn’t make sense.”

  She didn’t realize she’d mumbled it out loud until Tristan stared at her.

  “What doesn’t make sense?” Tristan asked her.

  Oops. Molly shifted from foot to foot. Suddenly, she felt very self-conscious in front of him.

  “Are you still scared?” Tristan reached a hand toward her forehead.

  Molly dodged it without thinking. “Are you going to give me wet willies?” she asked with unmasked disdain.

  “What? No!” Tristan looked scandalized. “Why would I do that?”

  She gave him a reproachful look.

  “Come on, that was years ago. Are you still holding a grudge?”

  She avoided his stare and studied the floor. “You were mean to me.”

  “Ah.” Tristan’s shoulders sagged. “I’m sorry for everything I did to you. I was a very stupid kid back then.”

  Molly cut her eyes to him. It felt weird to see him apologizing like that. Tristan used to be the prince of the school; everybody worshipped the ground he walked on. Groveling like this didn’t suit him. No, not at all.

  Tristan leaned forward, trapping her against the wall and placing a palm on each side of her head. “What do I have to do to earn your forgiveness?”

  Molly started to feel uncomfortable. “Why are you being nice to me?”

  “Is it a crime being a nice to someone?”

  “Are you dying or something?”

  He sighed hard. “If I am, will you forgive me?”

  “What? You serious?”

  “No. I was joking. I’m not dying. Jesus! I just want to help you. I don’t want to see you like this.”

  “Why do you care? You hate me.”

  “I don’t hate you, and I never have.”

  “Then why did you bully me when we were growing up?”

  “Look, I was a stupid kid. I’m a completely changed man now.”

  Molly furrowed her brows. “How do I know you’re telling the truth? You tricked me one too many times.”

  Tristan grabbed her face and kissed her hard.

  Molly was so surprised that she froze as her head spun.

  The world around her twirled.

  His lips were so warm. Strangely, his grip brought her unexpected comfort, and the way he kissed her…

  It wasn’t just a friendly kiss.

  Or a kiss of hello.

  It was a greedy, hot and lustful kiss. A forbidden lover’s kiss. Tongue and French and all. Perhaps it was the way her body reacted to the kiss that surprised her the most. She liked it. No, she loved it! Blood rushed into her head at a dizzying speed. Headiness made her almost drunk. Her heart raced. Her knees weakened. She would have collapsed if Tristan hadn’t held her tight.

  He parted his lips. The irises of his eyes had turned a piercing red. Molly gasped. Tristan was a fire dragon—the most powerful kind among the dragon shifting residents of Oak Hollow. They said the fyres showed their red eyes when they were extremely agitated or in a fervent state of lust.

  A slow smile spread over his striking face. “Molly, did you ever think that if a boy keeps teasing a girl, it means he likes her?”

  He likes her?

  No way. “Tristan liked her” could be found in the dictionary between bullshit and not in a thousand years. But Tristan couldn’t be lying right now. Not with those dragon eyes.

  Molly didn’t know what to think or say in reply to his words.

  Tristan released her. “I’m going back to your house to have that package processed by forensics. We don’t have one in Oak Hollow, so we need to ask the county sheriff’s office. When I get back, we’ll file charges against your ex. What’s his name?”

  “David.” Molly swallowed hard. “David Castle.”

  “That rabbit in the box, is it your pet?”

  She shook her head. “I don’t have one, but ‘Rabbit’ was his pet name for me.”

  “He called you ‘Rabbit’?”

  “I know it sounds silly but—”

  “And he sent you a half-skinned rabbit to scare you. How many times has he done this?”

  “Sending me gross stuff? Just this once.”

  “We’ll talk about this more later.”

  Molly nodded.

  Tristan’s luminous irises gradually reverted to normal. He had beautiful green eyes—they were stunning. “In the meantime, you should relax or take a nap. Lock the door and windows. Don’t answer to anyone but me.”

  “Okay.”

  “Good. I’ll be back as soon as I can.” Tristan pecked her cheek. “I’m glad you came home, Molly. You don’t know how happy I am to see you again.”

  She still felt like she was dreaming long after Tristan had gone. It was surreal. Tristan had become her savior when she needed help the most. He’d offered his home, his protection.

  Instinctively, she touched her lips. His kiss still burned…

  How did this happen? Was he really sorry for what he’d done in the past? What made him change? Now that she thought about it, she saw big differences in this Tristan compared to the boy-bully she remembered.

  The young Tristan strutted like the world belonged to him. His eyes had always been full of mischief. His expression was smug, knowing he could get away with anything.

  Now, this Tristan had somehow matured beyond his years. His eyes were the eyes of someone who’d been to hell and back. He’d grown even taller since his high school years with the posture of a battle-hardened soldier. He did mention to her while they were driving to his house that he’d done a stint in the Army. Molly wondered if he’d had a hard life. How did the prince of Oak Hollow with all his entitlements become a cannon-fodder grunt on a battlefield?

  Molly meandered around his house and found Tristan lived a very simple lifestyle. His home was a 19th century old bungalow and well mainta
ined. The place was sparsely furnished; there were boxes stacked in a room like he hadn’t finished unpacking since he’d moved in. She looked for any sign of a woman in the house, but it seemed that Tristan was single. It was quite strange considering he was a looker. Girls had always swarmed around Tristan when they were in school. His fan club just got bigger in high school due to his popularity. Rumor had it that he dated a different girl every week. Every time she saw Tristan, a gaggle of giggling girls had been flocking around him.

  She paused and touched her lips. Yep. His kiss still burned…

  She laughed weakly. What am I doing? I’m acting like a love-crazed schoolgirl. “Tristan” and “love-crazed” had never fit in the same sentence before. It was absurd for her to see Tristan in a new way. Had hell frozen over? Had pigs finally learned to fly?

  I must have found him attractive because I was rattled. He came when I needed someone the most. Yeah, that must be it. Nothing more. I’m not being weird or desperate.

  Her stomach was growling, so she decided to help herself to some of the food in the fridge. She made a sandwich and a glass of sweet tea. After eating, she felt so much better. Her nerves wound down, and after what seemed like the longest time, she was able to relax.

  She sat on a chair by a window overlooking the empty garden and dozed off. For the moment, all of her troubles seemed far away.

  Tristan didn’t return until late in the evening. He brought Chinese take-out and apologized that he’d been held up at work. They ate a belated dinner in the spacious kitchen and occasionally argued like an old couple. Another sense of wonder enveloped Molly. It was the darndest thing ever. She felt like she was finally home, here, sitting and sharing a meal without a shred of animosity toward Tristan. I must be really desperate for an ally, she thought ruefully.

  “I’ve checked all the motels and inns around town to see if your ex has checked into one of them, but I had no luck. I doubt if he’d reserve a room under his own name. We have an influx of tourists around at this time of the year. I also had someone bag up and send that package to the forensics lab in Mayberry County since we don’t have one here. We should have the results in a few days,” said Tristan, finally touching on the subject after dancing around it during dinner.

  “Thank you.” Molly paused. “I don’t think they’ll find anything. David isn’t stupid enough to leave anything that would incriminate him directly.”

  “One can only hope. You won’t believe how often even well-educated people do stupid stuff.” Tristan fished a notepad from his pocket. “Why don’t you tell me more about him? I’ll need it to write my report.”

  Molly filled him in with the basic info about David Castle.

  “How did you meet him? Wait, tell me the whole story from when you moved to California. I want to know everything.”

  Everything?

  “Well, David is a music producer in L.A. We met through a mutual friend at a party. He liked my singing, and we kind of hit it off immediately.”

  “When was this?”

  She shrugged uncomfortably. “Ten years ago? I’d been in L.A. for just a few months back then.”

  “You met him when you were eighteen?” The tone in his voice sounded disapproving. Tristan flipped through his notes. “He was already in his forties when he met you.”

  “Don’t judge me like that.” Irritation crept into her. “Hollywood is a Mecca for pretty girls. To stand out above the rest, I had to have someone to back me up, and David was just the person.”

  “Your voice is beautiful enough without you having to resort to that.”

  Her heart skipped a beat from his declaration. Was he sincere? Or was he just teasing her? No, she decided. Tristan was serious. Holy hell.

  “Anyway, what happened next?” he asked.

  Molly paused for a few long seconds, gathering her thoughts and unwinding the past she didn’t really want to revisit.

  She told him a tale that was once her life.

  David Castle had charmed her with his influence, power and wealth. He promised her he’d make her a star, and she moved in with him shortly after they met. He hired a vocal tutor to train her voice along with a stylist to reinvent her image from a country girl into a future diva. He introduced her to important people—movers and shakers of the industry. She got to go to upscale places and parties. For a while, she could say she was living a glamorous life.

  Some months passed by, and David started to show his true nature. He became obsessed with her, but not her talent. He began limiting how many friends she could have, the people she was allowed to see. Everything had to be his way or no way at all. He had a say on what she ate, what she wore. How she behaved. How she talked. More importantly, how she serviced him in bed.

  She was a naïve girl back then. She did everything he wanted her to do. She thought if she pleased him, he’d finally produce her debut record. Singing professionally was her longtime dream.

  That day never came. David kept telling her that she wasn’t ready for the world. That she had to polish her talent further. During the time they were together, David launched the careers of several artists he signed. She began to doubt that he was ever going to let her have the stage. Some people had told her that she was ready for a debut, but none dared to poach her talent through fear of David’s retaliation. She recorded a professional demo with the studio’s sound engineer, Doug Higginbottom—a genius who could polish the vocalist to sound like an angel—and when Doug brought up the matter to David suggesting on her behalf, his ex went ballistic and got Doug in trouble. She was angry at first and then began hearing unsavory rumors about David. Some said that David was responsible for the career failures of several well-known artists.

  As the years went by, she came to the conclusion that David was never going to launch her career; he was only interested in her as his kept woman. When she tried to break up with him, David became increasingly hostile. He told her that she’d never work in the industry if she dared to leave him. He threatened that she’d have to pay all the money he’d invested in her back if she decided to walk away.

  For a while, she was compliant. But then she rebelled in her own way. She binge ate, gained thirty pounds and went to great lengths to make herself unattractive to him. The tension was high between them and ended with her fleeing from his mansion. She went into a women’s shelter and filed a protection order against him. The court order only worked for a while. David began harassing her again. The only option left was to return to her hometown. Even though she was only a mutt, the blood of a dragon still flowed in her veins, and she hoped that being inside the walls of the eldritch community would give her some measure of safety from David.

  Tristan listened to her story with a grave expression. When she was finished, she noted that his welled with sadness.

  “I had no idea you’ve endured so much,” he said. “If I hadn’t picked on you when we were growing up, you wouldn’t have had to suffer like that in L.A. I’m truly sorry, Molly.”

  What?

  “Do you think I left Oak Hollow because of you?” Molly forced a weak laugh. “I’d have gone anyway. There’s nothing to live for in this town anyway. At least, not for me. I wanted to be somebody. I didn’t want to be like my mom.”

  Her mother was the one with the dragon blood—half-blood. Therefore, she couldn’t shift. Molly’s grandfather was a fully-fledged dragon. Her grandmother was a human. They’d both died in a car accident when Molly was five years old.

  Her parents got hitched right after high school. Her dad was a human, a longtime Oak Hollow resident and an overall good-for-nothing man. A lousy father too. When Molly was growing up, she couldn’t understand why her mother was content living in this place where her father could come and fuck up their lives anytime he pleased. Why couldn’t her mother leave that man to start anew? Years later, she found herself in the same situation. History had a funny way of repeating itself.

  “Did you come home when your mom passed away?” Tristan asked
.

  Molly shook her head with regret. “David wouldn’t let me. I think that was one of the straws that broke the camel’s back. Mom kept writing me for a while when I was in L.A. I bragged to her that I’d soon become a star. But I stopped writing to her when I realized I wasn’t going anywhere. She stopped contacting me at all soon afterward.” Molly paused. Her heart ached. “Good thing that she didn’t see me like this. A loser.”

  “You’re not a loser,” Tristan admonished her. “You’re a survivor.”

  “Are you trying to cheer me up?”

  “Why? Is that illegal?”

  Molly snickered. “You know, it’s weird to see you like this.”

  “Me?” His lush eyebrows arched. “Like what?”

  “Being nice to me. To be honest, I don’t dislike it.”

  “Just say you like it.”

  “Are you trying to pick a fight?”

  “No, but it would be nice if you said you don’t hate me.”

  “I don’t hate you, Tristan. I’m just… wary of you. Earlier. Before I found you… okay.”

  He gave her a sad look. “Ah. I should see that as an improvement. I’ve graduated from ‘hate’ to ‘wary.’ How many brownie points do I earn?”

  Molly rolled her eyes. “Anyway, enough of my sob story. What happened to you after graduation? Did you wake one day and decide to be a cop?”

  “No way.” Tristan shook his head. “I was in my most rebellious stage back then. I fought constantly with my old man. To top it off, Mom found him having an affair with the kindergarten teacher, and he got her pregnant.”

  “The kindergarten teacher? Wait, is that Miss Haley?”

  “Yeah. That really broke our family apart. Mom left him, and just to piss him off, I decided to join the Army. Long story short, he disowned me while I was deployed.”

  “Why?”

  “Because I pissed him off,” Tristan laughed. “My dad likes to control people around him with money. He thought that if he cut me off from his gravy train, I’d come crawling back to him. I proved him wrong. Big time. I turned out just fine. And besides, he cheated on my mom, and I still can’t forgive him for that.”