“Someone bombed my fucking car?” Josh growled. “I loved that damn car!”
Shards of glass lay on the driveway surrounding the car, as the fire danced inside melting his favorite leather seats. One door hung half off the hinges, the other lay charred clear across the yard. His beautiful Camaro was nothing but a blackened mess. This wasn’t happening. This couldn’t be happening. His gut clenched at the thought of someone destroying his baby.
“Someone is going to die,” he hissed through clenched teeth.
Josh tore his gaze away from his charred prized possession, squinting through the smoke at the approaching figures. Nosy neighbors? Light reflected off the barrel of a gun, making his heart lurch. He wasn’t going to have to go hunting the assholes who blew up his baby, they’d come to him. Three men charged toward them, crossing the neighbor’s yard in a sprint. Josh narrowed his eyes and gritted his teeth; for once in his entire career, a sliver of fear skirted down his spine. Not for himself, but for Corbin. Josh had just shoved him back inside and out of the way when he felt a hand biting into his arm, yanking him back outside.
The popping sound of gunfire rang in his ears. Corbin! Josh’s heart clenched as he tried to pull away from the men holding him. He had to get to his injured mate, praying the assholes hadn’t thought to use armor piercing bullets. Even his dragon wouldn’t be able to survive that.
Josh was jerked off his feet by the two men who had caught him unaware. A quick blow to his head, and they had him by the arms, dragging him down the walkway. His face twisted in pain. Fear was replaced by rage coursing through his veins. Over his dead body were these assholes going to harm his mate and take off with him like some weak hostage. Josh used the weight of his body to throw the men off balance. He spun around, landing a round house kick to the head of the closest assailant. The power of Josh’s legs sent the man flying across the yard, his head landing on the concrete with a loud crack. Fucker! One down, one to go. He turned to find the other asshole fumbling with his gun.
“I don’t think so.”
Josh stepped closer, an upper cut to the stomach sent the guy bending over, clutching at his gut. Josh swung again with a downward arc, smashing his fist into the man’s skull. He dropped instantly.
Josh hit the ground running, making a mad dash for his mate. A splash of red on the garage door caught his eye and he slowed.
For our brother.
What the hell did that mean? He shook his head. Figure it out later. Get to Corbin now. Time wasn’t on his side. He tore his gaze away from the words and ran back toward his mate, but those precious seconds had cost him. Someone slammed into him from behind, sending him sprawling to the ground. His hands dove into the wet, cold snow. Josh twisted and flipped to his feet, charging his assailant, hitting him square in the gut with a tackle that would have made any star quarterback proud. They landed with a thud in the snow.
He rolled around in the wet slush, struggling with his assailant. As they separated, the man grabbed his gun and pointed it at Josh, making him still. His past and any hopes of a future with Corbin flashed before his eyes. The things he’d yet to do, the wrongs he needed to make right.
“Quit your damn struggling,” the man grunted. He flipped the gun in his hand and slammed the butt of a 9mm into the side of Josh’s skull.
Pain exploded in his head and black dots swam in front of his eyes. The man grabbed his wrist and then Josh felt cold metal slide against his skin a moment before there was a click. A glance down showed a handcuff dangling from his arm. The man tried reaching for Josh’s other hand, but he wasn’t quick enough.
“You should have killed me when you had the chance,” Josh said.
Josh punched the man’s face and rolled again, knocking the man into a snow bank. Shooting to his feet, he watched the man, his breath coming out heavy and harsh in the cold winter air. The man lifted a hand to his bloody nose, his fingers coming away crimson.
Josh wiped the blood from his split lip and grinned. “I can do this all day, asshole. You ready for more?”
There was a roar from the house and the front windows exploded, sending a spray of glass into the yard. Flames shot out the front door a moment before an enraged Corbin materialized. Red scales had erupted over his skin and talons had sprouted from his fingers. When Josh looked into his eyes, he saw the golden eyes of the dragon. The two men Josh had already beaten stumbled to their feet and scurried away, their eyes wide in fright as they headed back to whatever hole they’d crawled out of. The dragon huffed, wings unfurling from his back, as he launched himself into the air. Pride surged in Josh’s chest as he watched his mate in action. As Corbin went after the other two men, Josh cut his gaze back to the man in front of him. The last one to defeat.
The asshole was on his feet with the gun pointed at Josh’s chest, his hand trembling. With a practiced move, Josh grabbed the man’s wrist, twisted, and sent the gun falling to the snow. A hard jerk brought the man stumbling closer. Josh smashed his fist into the moron’s face, at the point of his already broken nose.
“You’re a fucking idiot.” Josh jerked him upright and gave the man another uppercut. “Attacking a house with two cops inside? Are you suicidal?”
The man fell to his knees. Blood dripped from his head and stained the purity of the snow. Josh picked up the loaded gun, chambered a round, and pointed it at the weasel’s head.
“Not so tough without your friends around, are you?”
“Please,” the man blubbered. “We just wanted justice for our brother.”
“Who’s your brother?”
“The man your partner shot in the alley a few weeks ago. We paid someone to break into the police records and find his address. We just wanted to teach him a lesson. We weren’t going to kill anyone.”
Josh growled. “Your asshole brother shot me after robbing a store. My partner killed him when your brother was going to take a shot at him too. It was self-defense and justified. Get to your feet and place your hands on your head.”
The man stood on trembling legs and folded his hands over the top of his head.
Josh looked for Corbin and wasn’t sure he liked what he was seeing. One of the assailants was on the ground, deep gashes openly bleeding across his back and sides. The second was pleading for his life.
“Corbin!”
The dragon looked his way.
“Watch them. I’m calling for backup.”
“Too late,” his dragon rumbled. He tilted his head toward the end of the street. “They’re already here.”
Josh looked that way and saw the swirling blue lights. With a curse, he focused on his mate again. “You have to get yourself under control. No one can see you like this.”
Corbin growled and a burst of flames shot out of his mouth again before he closed his eyes. Josh could see the struggle etched in his features as Corbin fought against the baser urges of his beast. The dragon wanted to kill to protect its mate, but Josh couldn’t let that happen. As it was, they would have a lot of explaining to do.
The scales began to fade, and soon, just a man stood in the driveway. Josh heaved a sigh of relief as the first of the squad cars pulled up, two more on its tail. Familiar faces poured out of the vehicles, and without question, the officers began cuffing the men. Josh handed the gun over to the lead officer and went to his mate. He didn’t fucking care who knew they were more than partners. Right now he needed to hold Corbin and be held. If it wasn’t for Corbin’s dual nature, he would be dead right now. No way in hell a human would have survived four close-up gunshots to the torso.
He wrapped an arm around Corbin’s waist when he reached him and leaned into him. Corbin pulled him tight against his body, glaring at any officer that dared look their way. When one was finally brave enough to come to them, Josh thought he saw a tendril of smoke escape Corbin’s nose. He tightened his grip on his mate to keep him grounded. It was bad enough anyone looking out their windows would have seen his partial transformation. They didn’t need their cow
orkers seeing it too.
“A neighbor called and said they’d seen three suspicious men messing with a car in your driveway.” Officer Reddit cleared his throat. “I’m assuming that was your car, Officer Myers?”
“Yes.”
Reddit nodded. “When the car exploded, they were still on the phone with the dispatcher. She advised them to stay in the house, but it seems they were watching through the front window.”
Josh tensed. What had they seen? Was shit about to hit the fan?
Reddit cleared his throat and looked away a moment. “We got a play by play of what was happening. Everything.”
“Everything meaning what?” Corbin asked.
“The neighbor said that, um...” Reddit blew out a breath. “Look man, I’m just going to say it. She told the dispatcher a lizard-like man appeared with red scales and wings and took out the last two suspects.”
Josh gave a nervous laugh. “Crazy, right?”
“Yeah, we all thought so. Until we saw the suspects. Something with some really sharp claws got hold of one of them. Either of you have some sort of pet hiding in the house we don’t know about? Because if not...” Reddit looked Corbin in the eye. “We’re going to have to classify this as a code 90.”
“What the fuck is a code 90?” Josh asked.
Reddit cleared his throat again. Was the man getting sick?
“Code 90 is a case involving a paranormal being.”
Josh stared. Hard. Corbin shifted next to him.
“Paranormal, Reddit?” Josh asked. “Are you telling me you believe in vampires and the boogey man?”
“Blueberry Hill is small,” Reddit said. “And there’s something about the place that has always attracted...other beings. This wouldn’t be my first rodeo with a shapeshifter. It’s just the first time I’ve found out I work with one.”
Corbin remained silent.
“Shapeshifter?” Josh cocked an eyebrow. “Really? You expect me to believe my partner turns into a werewolf?”
“No. Something else.”
Corbin still didn’t say a word.
Josh snorted. “Obviously, the neighbor has been smoking something. If my partner turned into some sort of lizard, don’t you think I’d know about it?”
“And the claw marks?” Reddit asked. “The neighbor didn’t hallucinate about those. I saw them with my own two eyes.”
“Knife wounds. You know Corbin and his weapons collection. It probably fell into a snow drift. When we find it, we’ll bring it in for evidence, but I doubt you’ll find it until the snow starts to melt.”
Reddit didn’t look like he believed them. An officer nearby smirked.
“What the fuck’s your problem, Baxter?” Josh scowled at him.
Baxter laughed and pointed to the house next door. “Next time, make sure your neighbors don’t have cameras if you want to keep something a secret. Ever since Corbin burped fire two weeks ago, I’ve had my suspicions about him. I mean, at first, I told myself I was seeing things. But I’ve had my eye on him and there are quite a few things that don’t add up.”
Josh looked up at his mate. “You burped fire?”
Corbin shrugged. “That burrito had more bite than I’d anticipated. I didn’t think anyone saw me.”
Josh sighed and looked back at his coworkers. “Is this going to be a problem?”
Reddit shook his head. “Other than police, fire, and the courts, no one in Blueberry Hill knows about shapeshifters. If I go spouting off that I work with a dragon, someone is going to lock me up.”
“Don’t worry about me,” Baxter said. “I think it’s kind of cool. I’d wondered when he was going to come out of the closet. Well, the paranormal closet.” Baxter smirked. “He’s been out of that other closet since day one.”
“What about the neighbor?” Corbin asked, finally speaking.
“He didn’t seem the least bit surprised you were a dragon and swore he wouldn’t tell anyone.” Reddit shrugged. “Unless you have a way to wipe his memories, I’m afraid we’ll just have to trust him.”
Corbin gave a huff, a curl of smoke escaping his nostril.
“That is so freakin’ cool,” Baxter said.
Josh just shook his head. “If y’all want to continue this discussion, we’ll have to do it inside. I can’t feel my feet anymore.”
Corbin looked down and frowned. “I forgot you were barefoot.”
“I wasn’t exactly given time to put on shoes. The snow didn’t bother me while my adrenaline was pumping, but now it’s just fucking cold out here.”
Corbin grabbed his hand and tugged him toward the house, ushering him inside. Josh sat on the couch while Baxter and Reddit stood near the fireplace. Thankfully, Corbin had put away the toy and lube from last night. The blanket was neatly folded over the back of a chair. It was one thing for the department to know he was gay, and another to blatantly throw his sex life in their faces.
Josh snagged a small fleece blanket off the back of the sofa and wrapped it around his shoulders. His feet were so cold they ached. He tried wiggling his toes, but he couldn’t feel them. If he got frostbite from this, he was going to be seriously pissed.
Corbin knelt at his feet, blew a small stream of fire against his palms, and then wrapped his hands around Josh’s feet. It felt like a thousand needles were stabbing through his soles and he tried to pull away, but Corbin had a fierce grip on him. The dragon warmed his hands twice more before Josh began to have feeling in his feet again, other than intense pain.
“I think you’ll be okay,” Corbin said. “Might want to have the doctor check you out though, just to be sure.”
“The paramedics just pulled in,” Baxter said. “I’ll go grab one.”
“Corbin, I’m fine,” Josh insisted. “Just cold.”
“You’re human,” his dragon reminded him. “It’s one thing for me to be half dressed in the snow and another for you to do it. Even your hair is wet.”
Josh reached up and ran a hand through his hair, feeling the icy cold strands slip through his fingers. “Fine. I’ll humor you. But seriously, I’m fine.”
A paramedic came inside and nudged Corbin out of the way. “Officer Myers, I hear you’ve been playing in the snow without appropriate apparel.”
Josh just stared at him.
The paramedic poked and prodded him, took his blood pressure, checked his feet. Josh let the man do his job, but all he really wanted to do was go back to bed. Their perfect Christmas morning had been wrecked and he’d love a do-over.
“I think you’ll be okay as long as you keep warm the rest of the day,” the paramedic said as he packed up his stuff. “No more running into the snow barefoot though.”
“I’ll make sure he rests,” Corbin said.
Baxter came back inside. “The neighbor is going to send us a copy of the feed, but he let me watch it. I’m afraid more people are going to know your secret, Corbin, but it’s the only way to wrap up this case.”
“Why don’t you just have it made front page news?” Josh asked snidely.
“Do what you have to do,” Corbin said. “If things get bad, I’ll just have to move again.”
“It won’t come to that,” Baxter assured him. “Other than the attorneys and judge, no one will see it.”
“Merry Christmas,” Reddit said as he made his way to the door. “I hope the rest of your day is less explosive than the first half.”
“Ha-ha, Reddit.” Josh stood, but Corbin pushed him back down. “See that I have a copy of the report before the end of the day so I can call my insurance company. My premium is going to go through the roof after this.”
“I’ll see that a copy is emailed to you,” Reddit said.
When they were alone once more, Corbin sat on the couch next to Josh and pulled him close. “I’m sorry about your car. If you want, we can go car shopping this afternoon. I bet they have some great sales.”
“I kind of need a check from the insurance company first. Although, I think all it’s going to do
is pay off my balance.”
“I told you I have enough money to build a house for us. You don’t think I can afford a car for my mate?”
“I’m not a charity case, Corbin. I can afford my own damn car.”
Corbin made a rumbling sound.
“What?” Josh asked.
“It’s not charity to want to take care of my mate. You need a car and I can afford to buy you one. What’s the issue?”
“I’ve worked hard all my life for everything I’ve ever owned. It isn’t easy to give up my independence.”
Corbin closed his hand around Josh’s. “I’m not asking you to give up your independence. I’m just asking you to let me make your life a little easier. Honestly, I could quit my job and live off my investments for a really long time, but I like being a cop. I’ve been a cop since I was twenty. It’s part of who I am.”
Josh read the truth of his words in Corbin’s eyes. His dragon wasn’t trying to take over, and Josh knew he wouldn’t ask to.
“Car shopping, huh?” he asked. “That’s how you want to spend our first Christmas together?”
“Well, I had planned to spend Christmas in front of the fire with my mate, but some assholes wrecked that,” Corbin said. “Why don’t we shower and dress, we can swing by your place for a few changes of clothes, then go car shopping for a few hours. I’ll have someone come replace the windows while we’re gone, and if you don’t see something you like, we’ll look again another day. I’ve always ordered Chinese food on Christmas night so we can have something delivered and spend the rest of the night relaxing. If the house isn’t repaired yet, we’ll check into a hotel for a few days. Or we can go to your place.”
“All right. We can do that.” Josh tightened his hand on Corbin’s. “Just a few changes of clothes?”
“I thought you might want to keep your place until the house is built, instead of putting your furniture into storage.”
“I don’t give a fuck about any of my furniture. We can donate all of it. Your stuff is much nicer than mine.” He smiled. “Besides, I was hoping we could decorate the house together. I’m rather partial to your couch though. Fond memories.”
My Dragon, My Dom Page 7