by Zoe Chant
“I think so,” she agreed. “How about you?”
“Definitely.”
He kissed her once more and then rolled away, standing up and treating Mercy to an unobstructed view of his spectacular physique. The play of his muscles beneath his skin made her mouth water. Everything about him was in perfect proportion, sleek and sexy. Even the scars on his side and arms couldn’t mar his godlike appearance. She didn’t know how he’d gotten them, of course, and she thought that perhaps Dante might not mind if she asked – but then, his amazing body disappeared beneath the t-shirt he’d picked up while she’d been busy staring at him.
Her stomach grumbled once again, reminding her that yeah, actually, she needed to get up and get something to eat.
“You sure you don’t want to stay there?” Dante asked her as she finally managed to drag herself out from under the covers. “I could just bring you something.”
Mercy laughed. “You know your way around my kitchen, do you?”
Dante hesitated. “No, but –”
Mercy shook her head. “Sorry, but as great as that sounds, once I’m awake, I like to get going.” She found some clean pajamas in a drawer, pulling them on. “Tell you what though – you can fix the coffee.”
Dante smiled. “Sure.” His smile faltered briefly, and a pensive look entered his eyes. “And then, Mercy... I think we need to talk. There’s a couple of things I think I should tell you before anything else happens.”
Frowning, Mercy felt her stomach fluttering. Like what? she wanted to ask him, but then shook her head. Whatever it was, it could wait until after breakfast – she needed coffee before she could deal with anything else.
“Okay,” she replied. “But let’s eat first.”
She didn’t make her own meals in the restaurant kitchen, of course – she had a small kitchenette for personal use, in the upstairs part of the building. More often than not, Mercy found herself re-heating leftovers from the restaurant for her breakfast, throwing together whatever she could. Since they hadn’t been open yesterday, however, Mercy found herself opening her fridge, not sure what she was going to find inside it.
Thankfully, there was a carton of eggs she was pretty sure were still good, and a bag of coffee in the freezer. Between the two of them they had fried eggs on toast and a big pot of coffee on the table in no time.
“Mm. Breakfast never tasted so good,” Mercy said as she swallowed the first mouthful. She shot a smile in Dante’s direction. “Must be the company.”
She wasn’t sure why, but now, she felt a little bashful. It wasn’t like her – she would never have described herself as shy. But it’d been a long time since she’d woken up next to a man, and thinking back over the details of the time they’d had together yesterday, Mercy could feel herself blushing just a little.
She’d never heard herself cry out like that – but then, she’d never had sex that felt like that before. She didn’t usually go in for clichés, but it had been earthshattering, in the truest sense of the word. Mercy hadn’t even known it was possible to feel that good.
Looking down, she quickly shoved another forkful of fried egg into her mouth. If she let herself think about that for too long, she’d probably launch herself over the table at Dante and tear his pants off with her teeth.
“Mercy, you remember I said I wanted to talk to you about something?” Dante said, his voice low, as they continued to eat.
Mercy nodded. “Sure. Talk away.”
There was a moment of silence, and Mercy glanced up. Dante was frowning, as if he was having difficulty thinking of what to say next. Concerned, Mercy reached forward, touching his hand.
“What’s up?”
Dante glanced up at her, his green eyes piercing.
“Mercy, I have to tell you –”
His words were interrupted by the sound of her cell phone going off in her purse. She’d dumped it on the ground in the hall before she’d run to her room yesterday, and it was still sitting there now, just by the kitchen doorway.
“Sorry,” Mercy said, shooting him an apologetic glance. “I have to get this. It might be Tai.”
“Sure,” Dante said, though Mercy saw a slight flash of impatience in his eyes.
“It’ll just take a second.” She rummaged through her purse, only to see an unknown number on the screen of her phone. Who could be calling her so early in the morning?
Concerned, she hit answer.
“I didn’t catch you at a bad time did I, Mercy?” Roy’s smooth voice drifted down the line to her. “I can always call back.”
“No, no, it’s fine,” she said quickly. “I was just, uh, having breakfast. It’s no problem.”
“That’s good. I was just wondering how that list was coming along.”
Mercy swallowed. She knew Roy had said he wanted to move fast, but this still seemed like a hell of a rush.
“It’s great,” Mercy said quickly. “I’ve got a couple of proposals for you. I could bring them around this evening if you –”
“This evening’s not good for me, I’m afraid,” Roy said. “You know how it is – wining and dining.”
If it hadn’t been for the note of self-deprecating humor in his voice, Mercy might have been tempted to roll her eyes. Of course she didn’t know how wining and dining was!
“But I’m free now, if you have something to show me.” Roy’s voice was so smooth that for a moment, Mercy wasn’t sure she’d heard him correctly.
“Now?”
“Unless it’s a bad time.”
Mercy blinked. “No, it’s not bad at all,” she said quickly. “Could you come by in about half an hour?”
“Sure. I have a couple of other things to discuss with you too, Mercy.” Roy paused. “Are you by yourself?”
“I –” Mercy shot a glance over to where Dante was still sitting at the kitchen table. Well, that would be one way to let Roy know he needed to back off on the dinner invitations, she thought. “No. I have company.”
There was a slight pause on the other end of the line.
“Well, I’ll see you in half an hour then, Mercy. Have that list ready for me.”
They said their goodbyes and hung up. Mercy found herself staring down at her phone.
“Everything all right?” Dante asked her, concern showing clearly on his face.
“That was Roy,” she said, shaking her head. “He’s coming over now.”
Dante glanced up. “Right now?”
“Pretty much.” Mercy stood up, hurrying toward the bathroom. “I’m really sorry, Dante – I’ve gotta get ready to meet him and figure out what I’m going to say. I’ve got Jessa and Jimmy’s proposals, but I’ll need to present them to him. Shit! I didn’t know he’d want to see them now.”
She bustled into the bathroom, throwing back the shower curtain and turning on the taps, stripping out of her pajamas. She jumped under the spray before the water had finished heating up, shivering as it hit her skin.
“Do you want me to be there with you?” Dante asked her from the doorway as she scrubbed herself with a bar of soap.
Her eyes closed, Mercy smiled. She couldn’t see him, but just having Dante there with her felt reassuring. It made her feel like she could handle anything Roy might do or say.
“Yeah,” she said, hearing the warmth in her own voice. “I’d really like that.”
Chapter Seven
Dante
Dante could sense how nervous Mercy was, even if nothing in her face or the way she moved betrayed it. She appeared as confident as always: her mouth was set in a determined line, her hands firm as she quickly read through the funding proposals she’d collected from Jessa at the library and Jimmy at the hardware store. Her concentration was complete.
It gave him a moment to think.
He didn’t like Roy. That much he knew. It might have been just his dragon’s instinctive reaction to someone it may have seen as a rival, but Dante didn’t think so. Mercy was his mate. There was no connection that could rival
that.
He had wanted to tell her this morning about himself – who he was, what he was. He wanted to explain to her about shifters – to take her outside the city and show her his dragon form, if that’s what it took for her to believe him.
And he wanted to tell her about his past. It had been his plan to do so before things progressed between them, but she’d been so irresistible last night, so unwavering in her desire that he hadn’t been able to stop himself. He’d wanted her more than he’d ever wanted anything before in his whole life. In the face of his fierce desire and burning passion, any and all obstacles had seemed insignificant.
Our mate will understand us. She will see us, his dragon purred. She knows us.
The dragon was so certain that Dante found himself believing it.
But either way, Dante knew that right now, he had to focus on Roy, and try to figure out what it was about him that put him on edge.
After so many years of only being allowed contact with his dragon when the manticores had allowed it, he still sometimes found himself uncertain of its instincts – usually, he knew it was trying to tell him something, but what exactly that was was sometimes hazy.
Obviously, with something as clear and obvious as the mated bond, he had known instantly what it meant. But with Roy, there was only the vague sense of a shadow on the very edges of his perception, and something within him that said be wary.
“Everything all right? You look lost in thought.” Mercy’s voice broke into his reverie.
Dante turned to her, nodding. “I’m fine.” There was no point in sharing his thoughts with her just yet. Not until he had something solid to go on. Right now, Roy was just a guy who was offering to do something amazing for the community Mercy loved so much. “You prepared?”
Mercy let out a long, slow breath. “Yeah. I think he’ll like this. Jessa and Jimmy know what they’re about. They’re old hands at wrangling funding out of people. If I can get Roy to agree to a meeting with them, he’ll be handing out checks like a whirlwind.”
Dante couldn’t help but smile at the enthusiasm in her voice. “I’m sure you’re right.”
“Well, he’ll be here any second –” Mercy started to say, just as there was a sudden, sharp knocking on the front door of the restaurant. Mercy took another deep breath, then shot Dante a quick grin. “Wish me luck.”
“Of course.”
Dante swallowed as the moment stretched out, Mercy’s deep black eyes looking up into his. Without thinking, he pulled her forward, kissing her. Her full lips were soft and luscious against his, the curves of her body fitting into his hands perfectly. When they broke away from each other, he felt breathless, his heart hammering in his chest. He could see the blush burnishing Mercy’s cheeks, feel the heat rising within her.
“D-don’t distract me right now!” Mercy scolded him, tapping her hand lightly against his chest. “If I get all worked up I won’t be able to concentrate!”
Dante couldn’t help but smile. “I’m sorry. Consider it a good luck kiss.”
“Save it for later!” Mercy shot back at him as she bustled toward the door. “And don’t sit at the table with us! I won’t be able to convince Roy of a thing if you’re sitting there with all your... all your you.”
“Well, where should I go?” Dante asked, shaking his head.
“I don’t know! Elsewhere!” Mercy said, making a shooing motion with one hand while opening the door with the other.
“Am I interrupting something?” Roy’s voice when the door opened was as smooth as ever.
“No, of course not,” Mercy said. “Please, come in.”
Dante moved to a different table farther inside the restaurant as Roy stepped inside. He watched him carefully, but he still found he couldn’t get a clear read on Roy at all. If he’d been another shifter, his dragon would know immediately, and this made Dante doubt himself. What if what he had sensed yesterday had just been his imagination, or a misreading of his dragon’s instincts due to the danger his mate had been in? What if Roy was nothing more than he seemed to be: a man who wanted to help Mercy? Could he really risk ruining what was a great opportunity for Mercy because he had a vague hunch?
So why do I feel even more unsettled now than I did before?
Roy glanced around the room quickly, before his eyes fell on Dante where he sat.
“Ah, yes,” he said. He was speaking to Mercy, but his eyes didn’t leave Dante’s face. “Now I remember – you did say you had company.”
“Yes, I do,” Mercy said smoothly. “If you’ll take a seat, we can get started on the proposals.”
“Yes, I’d like that,” Roy said. “I don’t have a lot of time. But before we get started, Mercy, I think there’s something you should know. And it concerns your... company.”
“My company?” Mercy blinked. “You mean Dante?”
Dante narrowed his eyes. Roy was looking at him again, his expression cold and calculating. “Yes, that’s right. I’d leave it, but I don’t think this can wait.”
I do not like him.
Dante’s dragon spoke up, smoke curling around its mouth. It had been quiet for most of the morning – content after the night Dante and Mercy had spent together. But now, it was back, its green eyes narrowed, teeth bared.
“If it concerns me, then no, I’d rather not wait either,” Dante said, standing and crossing the room. He could feel the muscles in his shoulders tensing, regardless of the fact he knew he should stay calm.
Just what the hell is up here?
“I’d hoped to talk to Mercy about this alone, but...” Roy glanced at Mercy, as if to ascertain that she wanted Dante to stay.
Mercy was frowning, but she shook her head. “Roy, if you have something to say either to or about Dante, then you can say it to his face. I’m not having any games here.”
“Of course.” Roy seemed unruffled. “Well. Maybe it’s for the best anyway. I’d hate to accuse a man of something while he’s not here to defend himself, or to make an accusation of something sinister that actually has a harmless explanation.”
Dante felt his pulse pick up. He opened his mouth to ask Roy what he meant, but he had a feeling he knew already. And in any case, Mercy beat him to the punch.
“Roy, I said I didn’t want any games here,” she said, her voice low and warning. “Say plainly what you mean. Just what are you accusing Dante of?”
“Perhaps ‘accuse’ was the wrong word,” Roy replied. “Perhaps I’m merely seeking an explanation.”
“Well, tell me what you need an explanation for, and I’ll see if I have one,” Dante said.
He already knew what Roy was going to say – what he’d been hinting at ever since he walked in through the door.
My criminal record.
That was the only thing it could be. Clearly, Roy had been suspicious enough of him after their first meeting to go and dig up his arrest records. It couldn’t have been easy considering that he had no birth certificate, no identification. Nothing by which the police had been able to verify who he was, so he’d been entered in the system as a John Doe. But Dante had no doubt that with enough motivation, someone could dig up the records.
Dante also knew that if he tried to cover up what Roy was about to say or attempted to force him to leave so he could talk to Mercy on his own, it would only make things worse. Mercy would be right to be suspicious of what he was trying to avoid talking about.
He had tried to tell her this morning over breakfast about his past – he had wanted to be frank with her immediately now that they had spent the night together. But then the phone had rung, and he had decided it could wait. Mercy didn’t need the distraction of an emotional conversation right before her important meeting with Roy.
I should have told her last night.
Well, he couldn’t change that. He could only face up to things now, and hope that Mercy trusted him enough – knew him enough – to see that he’d changed. They were connected in their souls, after all. That’s what the mated bo
nd was.
Even if she needed time, he’d give it to her.
Roy quirked an eyebrow at him as if surprised, before he reached into his pocket and pulled out several folded pieces of paper.
“I always like to know who I’m dealing with,” he said. “I don’t do business with people I haven’t thoroughly vetted first. That’s the kind of guy I am – everything done above board, everything done honestly. So you can see why I’d be concerned. Not just for my sake, but for Mercy’s. I want her to know exactly who she’s dealing with as well.”
He laid the papers out on the table in front of them.
They weren’t anything Dante hadn’t seen before. His mugshot, still clearly him even though it had obviously been run through a fax machine, followed by the record of his arrest and what crimes he’d been charged with. But despite the fact he knew it all like the back of his hand, looking at it now still felt like cold concrete being poured into his belly.
It was a reminder of the man he’d once been. Of the man he’d been forced to be by the manticores. Of the crimes he’d been made to commit. Of the life he’d led before Darklis and Liev had rescued him, and given him another chance.
He’d done his time for the crimes he’d committed, but he still hadn’t been able to leave that life. The manticores had been waiting for him once he’d gotten out, and he’d had nowhere else to go. If Darklis hadn’t shown up when she had, Dante had no doubt he would have been sucked back into the same life of crime as before he’d been in prison.
Mercy picked up the paper, her hand trembling, her eyes staring down at Dante’s photograph.
“This... this doesn’t have your name on it,” she said, her voice shaking. She looked up at Roy, her eyes wide. “It looks like Dante, but that doesn’t mean it’s –”
“It’s me, Mercy.”
It did not even cross Dante’s mind to deny it – that would have made him no different from the man he’d once been. It was impossible for him to be anything other than honest about it now.
As he should have been from the start, he realized. He had been concerned that Mercy wouldn’t accept his help if she knew about where he’d come from, and that he wouldn’t be able to protect her. As he’d gotten to know her, he’d begun to understand that Mercy wasn’t that kind of woman. She wouldn’t judge him for a past he’d left behind and was struggling to make up for.