'Til Dragons Do Us Part (Never Deal with Dragons) (22 page)

“Cameron! How good is your hold?”

He checked his hands. “Pretty good,” he yelled.

“I’m about to try something that’s really stupid.”

He laughed, his eyes flicking back to the two dragons who were once again closing the distance between us. “Can’t get any worse than it is now, right?” I caught a glance at his arm—the fingers on his wrapped hand were quickly turning purple from the pinch.

He was right. “I don’t suppose it can. Hold on!”

Straining my wings to their limit, I forced myself higher, until the trees were tiny specks on an endless green table. The two dragons were now only feet away. They followed me up, flanking me on both sides.

When I’d gone as high as I dared with Cameron’s cold-sensitive human skin, I took a deep breath. “Hold on!”

I closed my eyes, tucked my back legs, and deliberately dropped out of the sky. We shot down toward the ground like a meteor, the cold air whizzing by us at record speeds. When I’d gained enough momentum, I rolled, spinning my body horizontally until the ground and the sky were simply flashes of green and blue as they zoomed by.

Judging by the truly inventive string of curses, Cameron wasn’t a fan, but the movement worked as I intended, wrapping the lights tighter and tighter around my neck. I leveled out when I felt his body slap against my chest, and let out a whoop when he was able to scramble back on board.

Cameron whooped right along with me as he settled into his seat, using the lights like a bronc-rider’s harness to keep him in place. He leaned up to yell into my ear.

“I don’t know about you, but I’m guessing these dragons don’t actually work for Lord Relobu.”

I jerked right, narrowly missing a dive-bomb attack from one of the dragons in question. I grunted out a reluctant laugh. “I think you may be on to something. Maybe instead of working at DRACIM, I should get a job with Prometheus. With the amount of help he brought on this trip, he has plenty of money to spread around.”

The speck in the sky that I’d assumed was a bird was getting bigger, and I suddenly realized it wasn’t a bird, but another dragon heading our way. “Oh crap. Incoming.”

Cameron followed my gaze, but instead of panicking, he grinned. “The real reinforcements have arrived. Unless there’s another giant black dragon in Tulsa, that’s going to be Trian.”

And sure enough, when the black dragon got closer, he didn’t even attempt to chew on my tail. Instead, he ignored me completely and wrapped his massive hind claws around the neck of the dragon on my right while using his teeth to tear into his wings.

The dragon screamed in pain, and then made a token attempt to defend himself, but he’d been caught unawares. In short order, Trian had completely shredded one wing and ripped the tip off the other. The dragon stuttered in air, then flopped, trying to gain some resistance to slow his very rapid decent.

I let out a celebratory roar when it became clear that he would be unsuccessful. For the first time in my life, I was actually hoping that someone would get hurt.

The second dragon had a bit more time to prepare, but while he engaged in a pretty impressive mid-air scuffle it wasn’t long before Trian’s superior size and skill had him literally tucking tail and flying away. Well, what was left of his tail, anyway.

Our chief source of danger out of the way, I redirected my attention to locating the yellow sports car. There it was, cruising along the highway and picking up speed. It was too far away for me to see whether Jeanie was still a passenger.

I twisted my head, trying to get a look at Cameron so I could see if he was up for more flying.

When I did, the idea of continuing our pursuit didn’t seem advisable. His face was pale and twisted with pain and he was attempting to loosen the rope he’d wrapped around his wrist. All of our aerial acrobatics had twisted it so tightly, he was losing circulation.

Trian noticed as well, and flew into my line of sight. “Get Cameron to the ground! I’ll go after the car.”

Nodding to let him know that I understood, I tipped my wings and headed for an area from which I could comfortably ease Cameron and me onto a patch of grass.

As soon as my back feet touched down, I cut the lights from around my neck and leaned back. “You doing okay?”

He’d managed to disentangle himself from the wad of lighting, and made a move to clear away the remaining bits from around my neck, but even that slight motion caused him to wince. He spent another moment stretching out his hand, flexing the fingers to increase blood flow, and winced again when he tried to roll his wrist. “I don’t think I’ll be playing table tennis anytime soon, but otherwise I’m in one piece.”

Abashed, I ducked my head. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t expect that Prometheus would have dragons on his payroll. Please tell me that wasn’t your first trip on dragonback.”

Cameron laughed. “Oh no. Trust me. When Trian and I were growing up, he did a lot worse to me than you just did. I remember once I had the bright idea to stand up on his back while as he was flying. The only thing that kept me alive was the fact that he hadn’t managed to get above twenty feet in the air. Still, I spent the next several weeks with a cast on my right leg, and from then on out, I was careful to use a saddle.”

I had to smile, thinking back to my years with Simon. We’d done similar things that any sane person would realize was completely idiotic. From the sound of it, Simon and I were more normal than I’d ever imagined.

“One thing is for sure.” He held up the string of lights, electrical wires fraying in every direction where they’d broken free of the plastic casing. “After this trip, I feel comfortable recommending that not only is a saddle a good way to go, but using Christmas lights as my sole dragon-to-human anchor strap is not the way to go.”

Chapter Twenty-Three

Our joy at surviving with all limbs intact was short lived.

“Is there a chance we
didn’t
actually lose track of the car?”

Cameron grimaced. “I stopped paying attention around the time that I was sailing through the air upside down. But if anyone can track it down, it’s Trian.”

“Unfortunately, I can almost promise David will ditch the car as soon as he’s able. At Relobu’s mansion, the yellow sports model fit right in, but out here? He’ll be best served by finding a nondescript station wagon. At least that’s what Simon and I would have done.”

My words caused an awkward silence to fall, where neither of us really knew where to begin with the conversation.

“I’m sorry—”

“Look, it’s my fault—”

I smiled. “Stealing is all I’ve ever known. Both Simon and I kind of just fell into the work. In high school, he snagged a summer job working for a guy who—along with fixing cars—made a little money on the side providing customized tools for very specific jobs. Illegal jobs.

“Simon’s kind of a genius with machines, so it wasn’t long before this guy had him helping out with the non-legal side of his business more than he did the regular work. One thing led to another, and before he knew it, Simon had a regular list of clients who would come directly to him if they ever needed anything.

“One day, his boss knew a crew that needed another body on a heist. Simon fell in love with the danger and excitement, and he was in. After a few of these runs, he managed to snag a contract of his own. Then, when the contracts were coming in faster than he could plan them, he started looking for a partner. And he needed a partner he could trust, so he chose me. We’ve been doing it ever since.

“Until now. We took this job, and I met you. Then Emma got sick, and her time in the hospital had us all in a mood to reevaluate. Turns out, we were all feeling a little...homesick, I guess. Tired of being in a different city every month, with different jobs and different friends. I started thinking about the day I’d have to up and leave Tulsa, and realized it was the last thing I wanted to do. It was serendipity that Simon and Jeanie felt the same.”

I studied Cameron’s eyes, wondering just how much of this he could accept. “So we made the decision to retire. And then this happened. We found out that slipping out of our old world wasn’t as easy as we’d thought it would be. I can’t promise that something like this won’t happen again, but I’m doing my best. It’s up to you to decide whether my best is something you can live with.”

Cameron stared at his hands, rolling a piece of grass between his fingers. I stood there, waiting, wishing more than anything that I could morph back into my human form so I could press my body up against the strength and warmth of his—just in case it would be the last time I’d ever be offered the pleasure.

He was quiet for so long, I was afraid he’d fallen asleep. And then he raised his head. And looked at me. “Thank you for being honest.”

“You’re welcome. You deserve it.”

The sound of Trian’s return startled us both. I almost passed out in relief when I spotted Jeanie, holding on for dear life between Trian’s wings. She smiled when she saw me and started to wave, then seemed to change her mind when Trian’s landing caused her to bobble. Though she’d ridden dragonback on me countless times before, this was probably her first try without a saddle, and though I’d never been in her shoes, I imagined it was pretty nerve-racking.

I was delighted to see Jeanie, but it was clear by the fact that her arms were empty that they hadn’t returned with the painting.

Trian confirmed that with what he said next. “I found her standing along the side of Highway 244. We made a pass or two over the area, and managed to spot the car, but I got there too late. They’d abandoned the vehicle and cleared the trunk.”

“So the painting is gone.”

“It seems that way.”

* * *

We made the trip back to Relobu’s quite a bit slower than when we’d left. Cameron had elected to hitch a ride with Trian, leaving Jeanie for me to carry. I tried not to care. But it was clear that the news about the painting had been quite a blow, and I couldn’t blame him for wanting to be alone as he processed the news.

Landing on the white flagstone driveway, the humans slid to the ground as Trian and I stretched our wings.

Sounds of the party drifted in from the backyard, reminding me that the wedding was still in full swing. I looked to Trian.

“Don’t you have somewhere you need to be?”

He grinned. “Yeah, it’s probably best that I get back over there. It won’t look so great if I abandon my wife mere minutes after we tie the knot. Do me a favor? Stay out of trouble for the next week or so, because Myrna and I will be in Cancun, and I really don’t want to miss that part of the fun.”

I laughed. “I’ll do my best.” I slid a troubled gaze to Cameron, who hadn’t even smiled at the quip. Instead, all of us watched as he entered the house alone, not even waiting to see whether Jeanie was ready to find her family or not.

Trian followed my gaze, and his expression grew solemn. “I’ll do my best to get a word in with Relobu before I leave, but it’s not looking good for Cameron. Simon filled me in on what happened here. The problem is, Henry was hand-picked by Cameron to update the closed circuit camera system, and even though I doubt Relobu will assume Cameron was involved in the theft, I’m not sure anything can save his job. I had to beg to get him hired after what happened at Adelaida’s, so I don’t think my word is going to sway the dragon lord as much as I’d like. There seems to be a pattern of thefts in any house he’s posted in.”

That was exactly what I’d been afraid of.

Jeanie, bless her heart, had come right back with a set of clothes, so I morphed and prepared to go inside. But it was with a heavy heart that I climbed the steps of Relobu Manor. I’d cost Cameron his job. Again.

Not knowing what else to do, I went with Jeanie back to the kitchen to check on Emma and Simon. The little girl noticed her mother and squealed, and for the next couple of minutes, it was a complete hug-fest as Simon and his family celebrated.

I hung back, not ready to join in all the good cheer.

April looked like she felt the same, so I wandered over to grab a seat by her. But on closer inspection it looked like she wasn’t jumping around because she was trying not to throw up. She sat on a stool, holding a bag of frozen peas to her head. When she saw me, she smiled, then winced as the motion aggravated her injury.

With her permission, I pulled back the frozen package to inspect her wound. “We should find you a doctor.”

“Nah, I’m fine. Nothing a little good old-fashioned frozen produce can’t handle. Simon filled me in on what happened in here after I was knocked out. I’m so sorry. Henry came in, smiled, and the next thing I know my nose is two inches from a floor drain. Is everyone alright?”

“For the most part. Jeanie’s back, safe and sound, and the rest of us are in one piece at least.”

April nodded. “Well let’s just say I prefer the excitement of children’s birthday parties over the craziness of what happened here.”

I smiled. “I totally understand. But hey, maybe it will get you out of cleanup duty with Amanda.”

“You know Amanda. That’s not going to happen.” She winced again. “Oh, I forgot to tell you. She came by while you were gone. I’m sorry honey, but you’re fired.”

I sighed. “I guess that shouldn’t surprise me. On the bright side, that definitely gets me out of cleanup duty.”

She laughed. “Oh, I’m sure you’re fired
after
the reception winds down, not before. Amanda isn’t exactly known for her kindness.”

“Yeah, well, it’s no less than I deserve. I haven’t exactly made anyone’s life more fun recently. Besides, I might need that paycheck.”

A male voice came from the vicinity of the bay door. “It’s not your fault.”

I started when I heard Cameron’s voice. He didn’t say anything else. Instead, he walked over to the wall freezer, opened the door, and went inside. He emerged a couple of seconds later with a matching bag of peas, and slid onto the last open barstool before plopping the bag on his wrist.

“Sorry about disappearing. I needed to get everyone settled in the control room, and get some eyes on Henry’s camera work to make sure we won’t have any more problems popping up. I left Jeremy in charge on the chance that my talk with the dragon lord goes as I expect it will. Relobu hired him before I arrived, and will be more likely to trust him.”

“Let me talk to Relobu. Explain to him that this was all my fault. It’s not fair that you’re going to lose your job because of me.”

Simon looked up from playing with Emma. “Wait. What did I miss? Why is Cameron losing his job?”

“We didn’t get the painting back. Prometheus ditched Jeanie, ditched the car, and disappeared with the Tofegaard. And the guy that made all of this possible was hired by Cameron.”

“No. He wasn’t just hired by me. I fought to get his name pushed to the top of the list when Relobu wanted to hire someone else.”

Simon looked to Cameron. “I thought you were in charge of the wedding security, not the contents of the house.”

“I was. But at my last job, something else went missing. This is my second strike, so to speak. And dragons don’t exactly give third strikes, even when you practically grew up with the closest thing he has to a son.”

“Well crap.”

Cameron chuckled. “Yeah. That just about sums it up.”

Simon looked down at his glass of water and ran a finger around the top. My instincts went on high alert.

I’d known Simon most of his life. And I could count on one hand the number of times I’d caught him fidgeting. Every single one of them had been when he was attempting to bluff me at cards. He was hiding something.

“Spill it.”

The rest of the room looked at me, confused. Everyone except for Jeanie. She followed my gaze, noted Simon’s movements, and narrowed her eyes.

“Simon Gerald Cavenaugh.” It was her best mother’s voice, and Simon reacted to it just exactly as Emma did when she’d been caught trying to filch cookies while Jeanie was baking. “What are you hiding?”

He sighed.

“Simon.” I knew he knew something. “Please don’t make me have to hurt you in front of your only child.”

“Okay, okay. Hypothetically, if I told you that I didn’t actually switch the paintings while I was in the cottage, how mad would you be?”

We all just sat there, stunned, as Simon’s words soaked in.

“Wait. Wait. Wait.” I struggled to wrap my head around his announcement. “Are you telling me that you just let a man walk in here with a gun, hold your wife hostage, and drive out of this house with a fake painting?”

“Hypothetically, that’s what I’m saying.”

“You have got to be kidding me.” I felt a smile threaten to spread across my face.

Jeanie slapped him on the shoulder, and he flinched. “I said hypothetically! And besides, it wasn’t like I could just blurt out the fact that the painting you handed her was a fake. Like you said, they had guns! And I tried to tell you two—” he pointed to me and Cameron, “—but you both took off out the door so fast I didn’t get a chance.”

“So where’s the real painting?”

Simon winced. “Hypothetically, if I’d still had the real painting, I would have stored it in the family car, in the small compartment we built between the trunk and the back seat.”

Jeanie’s jaw dropped. “You stole the painting anyway, and you stored it in the family car? My family car?”

A hot-tempered woman through and through, Jeanie whacked him on the shoulder once again.

“It’s not like we haven’t done it before,” Simon grumbled.

The wave of relief almost knocked me on my knees. I stuck my index finger an inch from his eye.

“Simon, we are retired! Do you hear me? Retired! I could kill you right now. But first, I’m going to kiss you.” I wrapped my arms around his neck and placed a big smacking kiss in the center of his forehead. Simon laughed and pushed me off of him.

But Emma, who seemed to come out of her shell now that all the grown-ups were happy again, provided some backup, and placed her slobbery lips on her daddy’s cheek. Simon gave her a mock grimace, and soon all the women were throwing him outrageously ridiculous smooches through the air.

“Get off, get off, all of you.” He stood up and looked at Cameron. “Do you see what I have to put up with?”

Cameron raised an eyebrow. “I can see how being universally loved by a room full of women could get old. So I’ll make you a deal. How about you go on out to your car, and bring me back the painting—the real one this time—and in exchange, I’ll refrain from informing Lord Relobu about this little mix-up.”

Simon pretended to think it over, then offered his hand. “I think I can live with those terms.”

“I’m not finished yet.”

“Geeze. I expected at least one person to say thank you.”

Cameron smiled. “Thank you. Now go get the painting. And after you get back, I want every single one of you to get out of the kitchen. In case you haven’t noticed, there’s a party going on outside, and we’re missing all the fun.”

He turned back to me and gave me a devilish grin before leaning in to whisper into my ear. “As for you, I think it’s high time that we test out a theory.”

“And what theory is that?” I murmured back as I breathed the scent of him in deep, grateful beyond words that I hadn’t lost him forever.

“The theory that says the single bridesmaids are always the best targets for wedding day hookups.”

“Heh. Think you’re getting lucky tonight, do you?”

He nudged my head back just far enough to allow him to meet my eyes. “No. I think I already did. I love you, Savannah Cavenaugh.”

“I love you too, Mr. Shaw.”

And this time, when we ran out of the kitchen, it was for a much happier reason.

* * *

Once the painting had been returned to its frame for the last time, we did as Cameron asked and joined the party. After a particularly bad rendition of the chicken dance—under the furious eyes of Amanda George, no less—I grabbed Relobu’s chief bodyguard and invited him home for another type of dance.