Dragon Hunts Read online

  Bobby jumped from the bed in an instant. “Okay. Can Braden and I get some ice cream?”

  “Sure.”

  “No,” I said at the same time.

  Declan shot me a sharp look. “It’s only ice cream, Jessica.” He turned to Bobby. “Go on. I’ll call Braden when your mom and I have finished talking.”

  He opened the door and spoke to his brother. Bobby climbed into Braden’s car and waved at me happily. Braden threw me an unreadable look and promised me he would watch my son very, very closely and safely. The luxury sedan purred like a cat and left the driveway.

  Declan closed the door, turning to me.

  “Why, Jessica?” he demanded.

  I bit my lower lip.

  “Why did you leave me?”

  I’d never seen Declan this pissed. I couldn’t blame him.

  “No notes. No anything. Do you know how worried I was? I thought something had happened to you. I thought you were kidnapped by your ex!”

  “I’m sorry,” I squeaked.

  “And this place.” Declan brandished his hands in disgust. “This environment is not fit for a child. Do you know there are prostitutes on the street corner? And people dealing drugs a few doors over?”

  “Well, sorry,” I snapped back. “It’s not like I have enough money to stay in the Four Seasons.”

  Declan’s jaw twitched. He stepped closer. I took a step backwards.

  “Why did you leave?”

  “I didn’t want Lorenzo to hurt you.”

  “I’m not a child, Jessica. I can take care of myself.”

  “You’re a businessman. Lorenzo is the mob. You don’t know him.”

  Declan shook his head. “So little faith you have in me.”

  “I’ve seen Lorenzo beat a man into a pulp. I don’t want him to do that to you. Or your brothers. Or your family.”

  “And you think by running away from me you’ll be safe from Lorenzo?”

  “I’ve survived so far, haven’t I?”

  “Jessica. Stop being stubborn and let me handle this. Have faith in me. In us.”

  I stood rooted to the spot.

  “Pack your bag. We’re leaving.”

  “You leave. You’re not the boss of me. Not anymore.”

  “If you care about your son, you will pack your bag and leave with us. This place is unfit for a child. He needs to be in school and socialise with kids his age. You can’t leave Bobby alone in here while you are out working. There could be a drive-by shooting and you wouldn’t know. There could be a drug addict busting down this door and robbing the place and you wouldn’t know. This place is not safe for Bobby.”

  I hated his logic. Declan was always right.

  “Come on. Don’t be stubborn.”

  I sniffed.

  “You can’t get rid of me this easy, Jessica. I won’t let you go. Now, pack your things and come with me.”

  Declan possessed amazing skills of persuasion. With grace and eloquence, as if he were putting his case before the board of directors in an important meeting, he explained to me the terrible cons if I chose to be stubborn and refuse to take his advice. By the time he’d finished, I felt like I was the worst mother in the world. So I packed my bag and went with him.

  Bobby and I sat in the back seat. My son grinned at me. “Mommy, does this mean tonight we get to sleep somewhere that isn’t stinky?” he whispered. The toilet in our room had broken. No matter how many times I’d tried to flush it, it emitted noxious odours from the pipe that were quite bothersome.

  I covered my face in shame. I wanted to crawl under a rock and die.

  Declan didn’t say anything. He fixed his gaze on the road. His face was grim.

  I held my son’s hand and whispered back, “Yes. We get to sleep somewhere clean.”

  Bobby leaned over to me and said quietly, “Are we going to live with Declan from now on?”

  I sighed. “Looks like it.”

  “Awesome.” Bobby covered his mouth with his hand and giggled.

  God.

  It was apparent that Declan was not only in control of my situation, but he also had won my son’s heart. I caught Declan’s eyes in the rear view mirror. He looked so smug I was itching to smack him.

  Braden drove us to an affluent residential area and entered the driveway of a grand, two-storey house. Tall palm trees flanked the Spanish-style gate. Roses and wisteria climbed and flourished on the front pergola. Was this also a Cairne home? I’d thought we were going to stay in a hotel or something. I supposed I shouldn’t have been surprised that the Cairne family owned properties everywhere.

  I was surprised to see Curran open the door.

  “Welcome back, Jessica. Hey, Bobby. It’s good to see you, buddy.”

  Curran and Bobby traded a high five. My son chattered with Declan’s youngest brother, like they were old friends. I felt a hand on the small of my back. It was Declan.

  “Come.” His voice was curt. I could see he was still angry with me.

  I trudged along.

  We went to the kitchen. Curran was making Bobby chocolate sandwiches. My son sat on a tall stool and ogled his surroundings with wide eyes.

  “A TV in the kitchen,” he exclaimed. “How cool is that?”

  “That’s not a TV, Bobby. That’s our security system monitor,” Braden said. The image on the screen mounted on the wall changed every ten seconds, showing different inner and outer parts of the house. “See this? You and your mommy will be safe here. If a bad guy comes, we can see him before he enters the house.”

  “Wow.” Bobby gaped. “But can you watch SpongeBob from this TV, though?”

  Braden only smiled. “No, you can’t. You have to watch it from the TV in the living room. Or the ones in the bedrooms.”

  Bobby nodded eagerly. His attention diverted to the plate before him. He snatched the sandwich and took a big bite.

  I shifted from foot to foot, waiting for what Declan was going to say. I felt like a child who was waiting to be grounded.

  Declan’s eyes cut at me. “You and Bobby will stay here until we get you new IDs and passports. It will only take a few days. Then we’ll be leaving for London until this matter is resolved.”

  “London?” I echoed. “Why London?”

  “We have a safe house there.”

  Why, of course.

  “Besides, they have a private school that’s good for Bobby’s situation. They guarantee discretion and security.” Declan turned to my son. “Would you like to go to London, Bobby?”

  “Do I get to ride in an airplane?”

  “Of course.”

  “Then, yes. I’ve never got to ride in an airplane before.”

  “You’ll love it.”

  I unconsciously frowned at my son. Such a little conspirator. As I stood near the pristine kitchen island, I learnt that my fate had been decided by Declan. I still wasn’t sure about this whole thing, but my little boy looked so content. Maybe I was being unfair, subjecting him to hardship by taking him on the run while a man like Declan was more than happy to shelter and love us.

  Maybe I should have a little faith in Declan and let him handle this problem in the manner he saw fit.

  Maybe I should have a little faith in us.

  Declan examined my reaction. “What do you think, Jessie? You haven’t said a word to me since the motel.”

  I wanted to say that I didn’t want to see Declan’s beautiful face being mutilated by my ex. But my boy looked so joyous. He’d be sleeping in a clean place, well fed, protected and secure. “I honestly don’t know what to say,” I confided.

  Declan looked pissed again. He must think I had no faith in him. Guilt seized me in its fervent grip.

  Declan started to say something when Braden cut in. “We have a problem.” Declan’s gaze went straight to the security monitor. A bunch of suit-clad men were approaching the front and back gates. I recognised one of them.

  Lorenzo.

  My heart dropped to my guts. “We have to call the po
lice. Call nine-one-one.”

  Unexpectedly, Declan smiled. “No need. This is the showdown I’ve been waiting for.”

  “Are you mad?” I dropped my purse and bags. I snatched his arm and shook him. “This is no joke, Declan. You have to call the police.” My eyes scanned the kitchen. I saw a cordless phone by the sink. I would have used my own cell phone, but I had discarded it when we were on the run so Declan couldn’t track us.

  “Calm down, Jessie.” Declan grabbed my arm. “You and Bobby need to get into the panic room. Braden!”

  Braden herded Bobby in front of him as Declan dragged me through the long hallway and into a master bedroom. He pushed a keypad near the closet. Suddenly, one side of the wall moved, sliding aside, revealing a thick steel door. It looked like a bank’s vault door with a sophisticated, wheeled lock mechanism and LCD display. Declan punched some numbers on its keypad. Unceremoniously, he shoved me and my son inside.

  The inside was quite spacious, as big as a walk-in closet. One side of the wall was plastered with half a dozen monitors, displaying simultaneous live feeds from around the house.

  “You stay here,” Declan said to me. “Wait until everything is settled.”

  “But—”

  Declan slammed the door in my face.

  “God damn it,” I screamed, kicking the door. It was no use, of course. But I felt like kicking and screaming anyway. How could Declan be so foolish? I knew he wanted to play the knight in shining armour, but what he had chosen to do was incredibly stupid. Did Declan even own a gun? How would he defend himself against a monster like Lorenzo? Braden and Curran were also in the house. Those sweet, innocent young men. Scary Joe’s minions would turn them into pulp.

  “Mommy?”

  I whirled around. Bobby was standing next to the monitors. He chewed his lip, looking serious.

  “Look!” He pointed.

  On the screens, I saw Declan and his brothers retreat into what looked like a home office. Braden left the door wide open, as if he was inviting Lorenzo and his goons in. On the other screen, I saw Scary Joe abandon his attempt to break the door in when he found out it was unlocked. Lorenzo and his men swarmed in.

  My heart pounded so fast that I felt light-headed. On one side of the monitor, I saw a phone. I quickly yanked it off the wall and pressed nine-one-one. I got a dial tone, but it suddenly died. My eyes skated to the screen. In Declan’s office, he looked up at the camera and shook his head slightly. Declan had killed the outside connection.

  What the hell?

  How can he be so reckless? That damn idiot! Stupid! Son of a…

  I stomped my feet in desperation, not knowing what to do. I couldn’t stomach the idea of Declan and his brothers being massacred by my deranged ex right before our eyes.

  Lorenzo’s men stormed from room to room until they found Declan and his brothers in the study. They were all armed to the teeth. Declan sat behind his desk, cool composure never leaving his face. Braden leaned against the window behind Declan’s chair, taking a long drag from his cigarette. Curran sat on a chair by the desk, steepling his fingers, looking terminally bored.

  I pulled my hair. Screaming would be useless. What the hell did they think they were doing?

  Lorenzo barged into the study. He looked even more repulsive than the last time I’d seen him. Dressed in a black ensemble, I noticed he’d gained considerable weight. His face was ruddy, glistening with sweat. He looked downright scary. In the past, if I’d seen Lorenzo in that kind of mood, I’d sought refuge in the bedroom and prayed he wouldn’t hurt me too badly. He always did.

  Lorenzo and Declan were trading words. We couldn’t hear what they were saying. I scanned the bottom of the screens. Each had a series of buttons. I eyed them closely until I found what looked like a volume button. I pushed it experimentally. Lorenzo’s angry voice filled the panic room.

  “Are you saying you’re fucking my gal?” Lorenzo whipped out his gun.

  “Indeed I am. I must say she’s one hell of an incredible woman,” Declan replied smoothly. His voice carried no trace of fear. “I couldn’t get enough of bedding her.”

  I covered Bobby’s ears so he wouldn’t hear what they were saying.

  Lorenzo spewed a string of curses. “Who the fuck do you think you are?”

  “Who do you think you are, barging into our house uninvited?” Declan rose from his seat. Curran did, too. Braden crushed his cigarette in an ashtray. “Eliza Vanger is mine. I want you to stay away from her and her son.”

  Lorenzo was taken aback. “Do you believe this prick?” He sought confirmation from his men. Scary Joe and his goons grinned. “I’m gonna kill you,” Lorenzo told Declan. “I’m gonna fucking kill you twice.”

  Declan exhaled a long-suffering breath. “Well, I guess there is no other way. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

  I blinked as blurred movements filled the monitors. Braden and Curran leapt with inhuman agility, taking down Scary Joe and his goons one by one. One second I saw Braden glide into the middle of the commotion and the next, I saw that Scary Joe was airborne, hurled across the room. Shots being fired and deafening bangs boomed from the speakers. Curran took down the others. I wouldn’t have guessed the two possessed such awesome martial arts skills. When they stopped, all eight of Lorenzo’s goons were on the floor, either unconscious or bleeding badly.

  Bleeding?

  I blinked again.

  Braden and Curran stood with outstretched arms. Their hands didn’t look right. They were elongated, with sharp talons protruding from where their fingers should have been. My jaw dropped.

  What the hell…

  It took Lorenzo long seconds to realise his men had been taken down. His expression changed. His beady eyes narrowed. He swore and aimed the gun at Declan. Before he could pull the trigger, Braden, with one smooth swoop, knocked the gun from his hand. It fell and discharged accidentally. The bullet ricocheted and hit one of Scary Joe’s goons in the knee. The man howled.

  Fear filled Lorenzo’s eyes. Something that I’d never seen before. Lorenzo’s gaze was transfixed on Declan. His mouth was fixed in a frozen scream.

  A small smile hovered at the corner of Declan’s lips. He stretched out his arms. His body slowly changed. His clothes ripped. A pair of black, leathery wings suddenly burst from his back. His arms elongated and sharp talons emerged from his fingers.

  “What the fuck are you?” Lorenzo shouted.

  “I’m your deepest, darkest, nightmare, asshat.”

  Declan leapt onto his desk and completed the transformation. His body mass grew until his head almost touched the ceilings. Spiky tail sprouted. Fangs flashed. Gleaming, onyx scales covered his entire body. He morphed into a great big serpent with wings and claws.

  He jumped on Lorenzo and hurled my ex across the room. Lorenzo’s back smashed against the bookshelf. He slumped on the floor. Declan pounced on him and swatted him again.

  I turned Bobby away so he didn’t have to see all this.

  Whimpering pleas full of pain came from the speakers.

  “It’s fun, isn’t it? Beating a helpless person like you did to Eliza?” Declan’s barely human voice reverberated in the panic room. “It made you feel like a big man, didn’t it? Did you ever pick on someone your own size?”

  I heard more crashes and swishes and horrible noises I didn’t want to guess at. I shuddered. Lorenzo screamed like a little girl, pleading with Declan to stop. When Declan finally granted him mercy, it felt like hours had passed by.

  Bobby pushed my hands away.

  “Don’t look, Bobby!”

  He looked anyway. I did, too. I couldn’t see Lorenzo anywhere. All I saw was a scene as if tornadoes had visited Declan’s study room. The desk was shredded to pieces. Chairs were upside down. Bookshelves had been ripped from the walls.

  I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. Declan wasn’t human. His brothers weren’t, either. Now I understood why they hadn’t been afraid of Lorenzo. Braden and Curran left the study room,
dragging the goons’ bodies with them.

  Declan vanished from the study room. He reappeared in the master bedroom, naked. He went to the closet and grabbed a pair of pants. Heavy footsteps whispered on the carpeted floor. I heard the metallic creaks of the panic room door being opened.

  I slumped on the floor. Declan emerged before us, bare-chested. Blood spattered his arms.

  “I’m sorry you had to see that. It had to be done,” he said.

  I forced my voice out, but it came as a barely audible croak. I gulped hard and tried again. “What…what are you?”

  “Dragons!” Bobby answered. “You’re so cool, Declan.”

  “I know.” He winked at me. “Guess I have a lot explaining to do, huh?”

  Epilogue

  One month later

  “Do you know why I called you here, Ms Knapp?” Declan’s voice was sharp. Displeased. Blue eyes zeroed in on me. Golden brows knotted. He swivelled behind his desk. He flicked his wrist towards the folder I had just given him.

  I sat on a chair across his desk, playing my part as the slutty secretary. Declan liked role-playing. Especially boss-secretary fantasies. When he’d confided that he’d harboured this fantasy since he’d first seen me, I hadn’t been able to refuse the request of my new, young husband.

  Yes, I married Declan Cairne two weeks ago in London. The ceremony was simple but beautiful. It was attended by Braden and Curran, the Cairnes’s close family and friends—all in all, fewer than fifty people in a beautiful, old little church. Braden acted as Declan’s best man, and Bobby, my perfect little gentleman, delivered me to Declan at the altar. We spent our honeymoon in London and sightseeing across Europe. Well, it wasn’t exclusively a honeymoon since Declan brought Bobby along to every place we visited. It felt like a little family vacation. Our new family’s vacation. After we got married, Declan filed papers to adopt Bobby as his own. Now my little man was officially a Cairne. The two were practically inseparable. Declan adored Bobby, and my son was hungry for fatherly love.

  After the Los Angeles incident, I initially had a hard time believing supernatural beings existed and lived among us. It took me almost a week to get past the freaking out stage. But Declan was persistently convincing until I finally came to the realisation that Declan was the only man for me. Human or dragon, it didn’t matter.