“This is your territory,” Sapphi said. “You know your way around it, just as I know every peak and valley of the mountains.”
“Being in a city alone, I either work, or explore. And since my company made a few million, the thrill of work waned, and I handed over the running of it to my CEO.”
“A few million. You sound like Harlan, so blasé about money.” Sapphi was overwhelmed by the lights and the noise as they neared the street. “Does this place ever sleep?”
“In about an hour it quietens down. I wouldn’t say the city sleeps; instead, it dozes in a corner, for an hour or two, before the early risers begin their day.” Alex guided her along the street, crossing over to take a shortcut down an alleyway, which gave Sapphi the creeps, and then turned right and then left, to finally stand in front of a smallish apartment building.
“This is it?” Sapphi asked.
“Yes. I moved here after I founded my company. My fortune dictates I should have upgraded my living quarters, but I like it here.” Alex guided her across the street, and entered a code in an electronic keypad, before he hauled open the main door and they entered the lobby.
“So the keypad on the door, wouldn’t that stop just anyone from coming in here?” Sapphi asked.
“You would think so. But it’s easy to slip inside as the door opens for a resident to leave. Or they can ring an apartment and pretend to be a tradesperson.” He shrugged. “It’s not hard to get in here.”
“You’re right, you should have moved somewhere with more security,” Sapphi told him.
“Hey, I’m a dragon shifter who knows how to look after himself.” Alex pressed the button for the elevator. “Let’s go check out my apartment first.”
The elevator arrived, and they got in, Alex pressed the button for the ninth floor. Standing in silence, they watched the illuminated number above the door as it counted up toward their fate. Alex’s fingers touched hers, curling around to hold her hand as the doors opened.
The corridor was empty, an anticlimax, but Sapphi hadn’t expected henchmen to be waiting here for them. This wasn’t a movie, no ambush waited for them. Or did it? Alex said he’d been chased when he left town with Archie.
“Stop overthinking it,” Alex whispered in her ear as they stepped out into the deserted corridor.
“I’m a small-town girl. The city makes me nervous,” Sapphi said in way of an explanation.
“Just be ready to get behind me if you have to.” Alex took a longer stride, placing himself in front of Sapphi. This was no time to argue about women being equal to men. She might be equal to Alex in some ways, but he’d already told her he was a master at fighting. And she was decidedly…not.
Her heart rate increased, her lungs drew in more air, sending more oxygen into her bloodstream. Her human was ready to run, her dragon was ready to fight. Which would win? Her dragon, of course, they would never run away and leave their mate in danger.
Alex took out his key and stopped outside room number 905. This was it. Her hands trembled as he inserted the key and turned it, slowly, silently.
The world exploded as Alex stepped through the doorway.
Something smacked into the wall, and Alex ducked just in time before his arm flew out lightning fast, his reflexes saving him. A cry of pain reached Sapphi, who stood in the doorway, frozen. What was she supposed to do?
Something, her dragon told her firmly and pushed her forward.
Reaching inside the room, Sapphi was about to turn the light on when she remembered Alex telling her how he’d learned to fight blindfolded. Perhaps the dark interior of the apartment gave him an advantage. But, damn it, she wanted to know what was happening.
A flurry of movement and then silence. “You can come in now, Sapphi.”
Sapphi pushed the door open wider and the light from the corridor spilled into the room, to show Alex helping someone up off the floor. “Kim?”
“Yes.” Alex rolled his eyes. “A guy can’t even walk into his own apartment without being attacked.”
“Some men might like it,” Kim said as she straightened her clothes and moved out of the light. “Can we shut the door?”
“Oh, yes, sure.” Sapphi slid into the room, fumbled for the light switch and then shut the door behind her, feeling uncomfortable in Kim’s presence. She looked terrible, as if she hadn’t slept properly for days.
“You look like death, Kim. Why didn’t you come to Bear Creek?” Alex got straight to the point.
Kim raked a hand through her hair. “Don’t sugar coat it.”
“I don’t intend to. You asked me to take Archie to Bear Creek. You were supposed to meet me there. I didn’t agree to be his parent.” Alex’s words were harsh, and Kim flinched.
“I’m sorry. I had to stay here.” She looked at Alex with haunted eyes. “I’m sorry. Is Archie all right?” A sob wrenched at her, and then she broke down and cried, hard, harsh, each breath she took in a struggle.
“He’s fine. But he needs his mom.” Alex took Kim’s hand and led her to the sofa.
Sapphi took a quick look around the living room. It was sparsely decorated in neutral colors, cream and beige, it was tasteful, but unlived in. There were no pictures on the wall, or the kind of stuff a family accumulated. It was as if the apartment was dormant, waiting for something to happen, to give it a spark of life, a spark of color.
“I ache to see him,” Kim confessed. “But I couldn’t leave. Not if there’s a chance I can help Archie’s dad come home, too.”
“Do you know where he is?” Alex asked. “Do you know where Jayden is?”
“How do you…?” Kim pulled away from Alex, her eyes large, as if she were afraid.
“It’s okay.” Sapphi came to sit in the chair across from Kim. “We found the person you were supposed to contact. There was a package there, and we figured it out.”
“We’re not the bad guys, Kim, we are here to help you.” Alex took Kim’s hand and Sapphi experienced a jolt of jealousy. “But we can’t help you if we don’t know what we’re dealing with.”
Kim’s voice was hoarse when she spoke. “I don’t know what’s going on. All I know is someone is in my apartment, waiting.”
“Waiting for what?” Sapphi asked.
“Jay. It must be for Jay. Which is why I couldn’t leave. I’m his mate, if he comes here, I have to help him.” It all sounded so sane, so reasonable.
But none of it made sense. And Alex’s expression told her he thought the exact same thing.
Chapter Fourteen – Alex
“Jayden told you to go to Bear Creek,” Alex said gently. “That’s what you told me. You said he went undercover before you knew you were pregnant with Archie. And you didn’t hear from him. That he was deep undercover.”
Kim looked up at Alex with red-rimmed eyes. “That’s what I told you.”
“But it’s not true?” Alex asked with a frown.
Kim hiccuped. “I knew I was pregnant. I was going to tell Jay. But then he came home, all excited that he’d got a lead on the people who killed his parents. I knew if I told him, he would have stayed. And it would have eaten him up inside.”
“You kept the news to yourself?” Sapphi asked, and Alex’s heart ached for Kim. What a decision to make alone. The repercussions were endless.
“I didn’t expect him to be gone so long.” Alex dabbed her eyes with her hands. “We’d only just met. A couple of weeks, that’s all. I was a big secret. He said it was for my protection, because he was closing in on the people responsible.” She shook her head. “I know it sounds like a personal vendetta, but he said if he could infiltrate them, he could prove they were responsible for several murders. And that it would also prevent others from being killed.”
“Oh, Kim.” Sapphi took hold of Kim’s hand, her voice filled with empathy. “It must have been incredibly difficult.”
“I was doing all right. I could manage my job, and the pregnancy. Not knowing what happened to Jay when his son was born was difficult. Wors
e, knowing I could have told him and prevented him from leaving…” She shook her head, beating herself up as she spoke. “When he sent me a message, I was so happy. I wanted him to meet his son at last. Finally, this was all over.”
“But you didn’t leave.” Alex looked at Sapphi before asking, “Why you didn’t you join me and Archie in Bear Creek?”
Kim shuddered as she fought back tears. “After I got the message telling me to go to Bear Creek so we could be safe, I needed to get some cash together for the trip, so I went to the ATM, and then came back here to get my stuff. But they were waiting. I got away, they followed. And that’s when I called you. I wanted you and Archie to get away while they were looking for me.”
“That doesn’t explain why you didn’t follow us to Bear Creek,” Alex pushed Kim for the information they needed.
“Because I overheard them saying they had fought with Jay, and he’d been hurt. They were waiting for him because they were convinced he would come here. I believe that’s why Jay told me to run. And that’s when I knew, I had to be here for him. If he called. When he called.” Kim pulled out her cell phone and looked at it. “He never called.”
“Okay, Kim. The police have the information Jayden sent to you. They are going to act on it, and we need to get out of here. If they find you, they could use you as leverage over Jayden” Alex got up, took a quick look around the apartment, and then went to the bedroom. “I’ll grab a backpack. We should get a blanket for you, it’ll be cold on my back.”
“Your back? You mean you want me to ride on the back of your dragon?” Kim’s face was bone white. “Oh, no. I’m staying. While they are here, in my apartment, I have to stay and warn Jay, or help him fight.”
“Jayden told you to leave. He would have made it back here if he was coming.”
“You mean if he’s alive?” Kim asked with a sob. “I can’t lose hope. I should have told him about Archie.”
“Archie needs you, Kim. We have to get you to safety,” Sapphi told her gently, getting up and pulling Kim to her feet. “Let’s get your things together.”
Kim shook her head, but she began to move, slowly as if in a trance. Only then did Sapphi realize Kim was wearing men’s clothes. Mr. Schimel had mistaken Kim for Alex.
“I don’t even know your name,” Kim said as Sapphi helped her gather her belongings.
“Sapphi. My name is Sapphi.”
“Are you going to be riding with me?” Kim asked. At least she was coming around to the idea of leaving.
“No, I’ll be flying beside you.” Sapphi caught hold of Kim and steadied her as she stumbled. “I’m a dragon shifter, too.” She couldn’t help the pride in her voice as she spoke.
“A dragon shifter.” Kim looked across the room to where Alex stood, backpack in hand. “You said you were alone except for your mom.”
“I thought I was. But when I reached Bear Creek, I found Sapphi. Who is my mate.” Alex’s eyes burned hot as he said those words. His mate was fierce, a dragon like him, a proud dragon.
“I’m so happy for you,” Kim said the words, but her voice cracked. “You both know what it means to have a mate. So why isn’t Jayden here with me?”
Alex crossed the room and took Kim’s hands, which were cold despite the warmth of the room. “His family was murdered. He wanted to prove it, to get those responsible off the streets so they couldn’t hurt anyone else. Especially anyone else he cared deeply about. A shifter will do anything to ensure their mate’s safety.”
“He did it for me?” Kim asked, shaking her head as if she didn’t want to believe it.
“He would do anything to keep you safe.” Sapphi looked across to Alex, and he read her thoughts. Anything.
“Why hasn’t he called?” Kim looked despondently at her phone.
“We’ll figure that out later. Right now, we have to leave.” Alex went to the fridge and took out a couple of bottles of water. “Kim, get the rest of your stuff now. We need to leave.”
His words, spoken like a command, finally got through to Kim, and she moved faster, as if in a dream state, going from room to room, collecting her things. “I’ve got everything.”
Finally, Alex’s dragon said, his long scaly tail swishing with impatience.
Have some patience. How would you feel if our mate were in danger? Alex told his dragon.
You have a point. Although the longer we stay here, the longer our mate is in danger.
“Let’s go.” Alex strode across the room, casting one last glance over his personal possessions, or lack of. This apartment had never been home. It was a place to eat and sleep. Home was wherever his mate was. Even before he found her.
“Kim, you follow Alex, and I’ll follow you,” Sapphi said.
“Be careful,” Alex said to his mate.
“This is why you should train me to fight.” Sapphi tilted her head. She was right, once they were safe, he would begin training her in the art of unarmed combat. If only so that she could defend herself in situations like this.
There won’t be any other situations like this, his dragon puffed smoke out of his nostrils in frustration. We should go back to the mountains and keep our mate and our offspring safe from this human world.
Sapphi is not going to live a life hidden away, Alex told his dragon bluntly.
“Alex?” Sapphi’s voice broke through the internal debate human and dragon were having. “I can hear sirens.”
Alex reached the elevator and pressed the button, before blocking out the peripheral sounds around him, and focusing on the wail of sirens approaching. “The police.”
“Are they coming here?” Kim asked hopefully.
“Perhaps.” The elevator doors opened. “But we can’t hang around to find out. Let’s go on with the plan.”
They got into the elevator, and Alex pressed the button to take them down to the ground floor. The elevator doors rumbled shut, and they began their descent, however, as they reached the seventh floor, the doors pinged open, and two men got in.
Kim’s eyes opened wide, and she inclined her head toward the newcomers. Alex didn’t need to guess what she was trying to tell him. The gun poking out of the back of one of the men’s belt told its own story. The question he could not answer was whether they knew one of the people they were looking for was here, right behind them.
Stay calm, he told his dragon, who was busy getting ready to roast someone alive.
Let me free, his dragon hissed, his tail twitching like an angry cat’s.
Not happening, you’ll burn the building down.
The elevator continued down to the ground floor, the two men exchanging glances, and occasionally looking at their companions in the elevator, but if they recognized Kim, they gave no sign.
Kim seemed to have an idea of her own. With slight hand movements, she mimed out a scenario whereby they took the guns from them before they left the elevator. Alex could only presume that she intended the guns to be trained on the men before they had a chance to make their getaway.
Getting away had to be their goal, since the sound of police sirens were growing louder and more numerous. Out in the street, the police were preparing to penetrate the building and flush out these two men.
Time to act, his dragon said as the countdown ended and the doors pinged open. It all happened so fast, if not for his dragon senses he would have been unable to see exactly how it played out.
The doors opened, Alex saw movement outside in the lobby area, as the gap between the doors increased. He moved, his hand wrapping around the gun belonging to the man in front of him. At the same time, Kim reached for the other gun, but she was slower, and he took a running step forward, leaving her fumbling in the air.
However, Alex’s mate was fast. As the man lunged forward, saw the police waiting in the lobby, and reached for the gun, she jumped forward, cat-like, her hand gripping the butt of the gun and pulling it from his belt.
She held it up, pointing toward the second man, as Alex held his aimed squarely
at the first man’s heart. Alex prayed she would not have to shoot. He didn’t want Sapphi to live with the death of a man on her conscience, even if the shooting was in self-defense.
Both men wheeled around, and the one in front of Sapphi reached for the gun, but she stepped backward. “You don’t know how to use it,” he snarled, reaching out for her.
“No, but I do.” Neil’s voice bellowed across the lobby, and the ominous click of a gun ready to fire a bullet into flesh echoed through the building.
Sapphi’s hands didn’t tremble as the man made one last desperate attempt to get his gun back. She moved fast, passing the gun to her other hand, fooling his attempts to reach it, and then used the gun in a backhanded motion to slam into his jaw.
His head snapped back, his eyes rolling upward as he reeled, falling to the floor to land splayed out unconscious, as police swarmed around him.
“I’m impressed,” Neil said as he walked toward them.
“What are you doing here?” Sapphi asked, her face pale, her hand trembling now that the danger had passed. “Oh, I think I’m going to be sick.”
“Breathe, just breathe.” Alex let Neil take the gun from him as the two men were arrested, and then went to Sapphi’s side. “In through your nose, out through your mouth. Slow and controlled.”
“We got them,” Sapphi said between deep breaths.
“We did.” He rubbed her back as she regained control of her stomach. “You were magnificent.”
“Thank you.” She looked up at him and grinned. “I never want to do that again.”
“Me neither,” Alex agreed. Maybe his dragon was right, they should just go and live in the mountains.
Or Bear Creek, his dragon suggested.
Good idea, Alex answered. He wanted to make a home with his mate and get to know her properly. And intimately, just as he’d promised himself they would, as soon as this was over.
And as the men were taken away, it seemed the whole thing might be over. At least for them. But until Jayden was found, it would never end for Kim.
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