by Dena Christy
“Is there anything I can do?” Lyssa leaned forward and pressed a kiss on the woman’s cheek.
“No. Everything is handled. Just mingled, rave about the art, and encourage people to spend money.” Joyce gave Lyssa bright smile as she patted her on the hand. Someone called to her from the other side of the room and she excused herself after shaking Andor’s hand.
For a good portion of the evening they spent their time mingling amongst the guests and looking at the art. It was not to Andor’s taste, but then he was not a good judge of what constituted art these days since his taste ran toward the medieval.
As the evening progressed, the press of people grew and Andor ran his finger inside the collar of his shirt. He was not the most social of creatures at the best of time, but as the gallery grew more crowded, the number of people moving about the room was starting to wear down his patience. He was tempted to go to Joyce and offer to buy everything, if only to get this party over with. He glanced at Lyssa, who for all appearances was still enjoying herself, and he resigned himself to putting in a few more hours at least. He blew out a sigh.
“Are you okay?” Lyssa put her hand on his arm and he looked down at her.
“I am not used to such crowds of people.” That was an understatement. He was not a herd animal by any stretch of the imagination, and any event that constituted more than ten people was a mob as far as he was concerned. He could feel the heat of the people around him, and the hotter he got, the more his temper frayed.
“If you want to take a break, go outside for some air. I’m sure I’ll be fine. I’m used to this sort of thing, and find it trying sometimes, so I can only imagine what it would be like for you.”
The relief of fresh air sounded tempting, but he did not like the notion of leaving her alone. So far there had been no sign of Kevin, but that did not mean that he would not show up.
“I do not like the thought of leaving you alone. I hate to remind you of it, but there still is the problem of Kevin.” The longer the evening went on, the more it looked like Kevin’s friend had delivered his message, and that Kevin had chosen to heed it.
“I’ll be fine. I’ll stay here, and stick close to Joyce. Kevin wouldn’t dare to do anything in such a crowded place. Go take a break. You can go out through the back.” She smiled at him as she gave him a little nudge.
He took the offered reprieve, and promised himself that he would only be outside for a few minutes. Just enough to cool off. He threaded his way through the throng of people, and went to the back room. There was a door there, and he opened it and walked out to the alley along the side of the building.
The cool evening air brushed against his heated skin, and he breathed a sigh of relief. A few minutes out here and he would be ready to face the rest of the evening. With any luck, the party would wind down soon and he could take Lyssa home. They would be alone, and he could finish what he had wanted to start when he had kissed her neck earlier.
The scuffle of a shoe against the pavement came from his left, and he knew without looking who it belonged to.
“I was wondering if you were going to grace us with your presence Kevin. It is so nice of you to join me on such a beautiful evening.”
His words were met with silence, but the shadows at the edge of the alley shifted, and Kevin stepped out of his hiding spot.
He wore dark clothes and a scowl on his face. Andor was not any more impressed with him as he had been the first time he had seen him. The urge to go after him and make good on the threat he had delivered via his friend was strong, but Andor held himself back.
“How did you know I was out here?”
“A lucky guess. I have to say that skulking around in the shadows suits you. It is almost as cowardly as breaking into a woman’s home and destroying her things.” Andor’s lip curled as he looked at Kevin like a rat who had crawled out his hole. It would be interesting to see if Kevin would scurry back to the shadows or if he would face him like a man. “Did your friend give you my message?”
“I know what you are.” Was it his imagination, or was there a tiny tremor in Kevin’s voice?
“And what exactly do you think I am?”
“My friend did give me your message, and he mentioned something else. He says your eyes turned weird, like they had flames inside. He’s chalking it up to the drugs he took that morning, but I know you’re a dragon.”
Andor felt a jolt of surprise that he made sure Kevin could not see. He had been sure that his friend had noticed his eyes changed, and he should have counted on him telling Kevin. It did not matter, because the man in front of him could shout from the rooftops, proclaiming Andor was a dragon and no one would believe him. It proved Kevin was stupid if he thought he could face a dragon alone and come out of it unscathed.
“Lyssa did tell me that you were delusional, but I doubt even she realizes how far from reality you have gone. A dragon? That is the best you can come up with?” Andor took a step closer to him. He was going to enjoy this. For all his talk to Lyssa about being a dragon hunter, Andor was willing to wager that this was the first time Kevin had come face to face with a dragon.
“Stay back.” Kevin put his hands up in front of him, and there was a glint of metal in the light. Kevin held a knife in his hand. “I will hurt you if you don’t get out of my way. Lyssa is mine. We are meant to be together, we’re just going through a bad patch right now.”
“A bad patch? Is that what you call stalking and harassing her? So your breaking into her home, destroying her things and scrawling your filth on her walls was all one big misunderstanding? You really are delusional. Put the knife down before you get hurt.”
“You can’t hurt me.” Kevin slashed the air with his knife, and Andor stayed where he was. “You can’t take your dragon form in the alley. Get out of my way so I can talk to Lyssa. If she would only listen to me she’d see that I’ve been right all along. I have to protect her from you.”
Andor let out a laugh. “The only person she needs protecting from is you. She has made it very clear to you that she wants you out of her life. You are deluded if you think I am going to let you anywhere near her. In case you missed it the first time, I will give you my warning again. Lyssa is mine, and I protect what is mine. Do yourself a favor and get over your obsession with her, because she is not coming back to you.”
Kevin’s face contorted in his rage. “Have you fucked her? Has she spread her legs for you and let you use her like some dragon’s whore?”
Any calm Andor may have felt evaporated as the heat of anger rose inside him. Kevin could say whatever he wanted about him, but he would not allow him to insult Lyssa.
He charged at Kevin with a deep growl in his chest. Kevin slashed with his knife and it cut through the fabric covering Andor’s upper arm as Andor plowed into him.
He slammed Kevin against the brick wall behind them. Kevin let out a yelp, and drove the knife in his hand toward Andor. With an iron grip, Andor shackled Kevin’s wrist in his hand and slammed it into the wall, over and over until the knife clattered against the pavement.
“Let go of me.” Kevin struggled against Andor’s grip. Andor eased his hold and took a step back.
“Now that this fight is a little more fair, let’s see how you do.” Andor swept his foot out and the knife clattered farther away. “Are you brave enough to take on someone without a weapon, who is not smaller and weaker than you? Or would that be too much for a coward like you.”
“Shut up!” Kevin roared as he charged him, and Andor sidestepped him easily. Kevin fetched up against the other wall, and turned back around. He came back at Andor, and swung his fist.
His blow was easy to duck, and Andor threw a punch of his own, which landed in the middle of Kevin’s stomach. Kevin’s breath whooshed out of his body, and Andor took advantage of his struggle for air by throwing another punch, to his face this time. The crunch of bone under his fist was satisfying as blood poured out of Kevin’s nose.
“No so tough when y
ou are not terrorizing a woman, are you?” Andor did not expect, nor did he receive, an answer. He punched Kevin one more time, and the other man dropped like a stone to the pavement. He was still awake and aware, but he must have thought better of getting up.
“If you think she’ll want you after she learns what you are, then you are the one who is deluded.”
“I think you have run your mouth enough for one evening.” Andor bent and gripped Kevin by his shirt and hauled him to his feet. He took his arm and pinned it behind his back, forcing him to move forward. With the police monitoring the building, there had to be a car going by soon. Luck was on Andor’s side as they came around to the front of the building, and a police car slowed and pulled up. One of the officer’s got out.
Andor leaned close to Kevin’s ear so his words would only be heard by him. “Lyssa is mine, and if I were what you claim I am, then you know that I guard what is mine. Stay away from her and I will let you live. Come near her again, and you are a dead man.”
Andor handed Kevin over to the waiting police officer. The fight in the alley had apparently taken all of his energy, because Kevin was as meek as a newborn lamb as the policeman cuffed him and put him into the back of the police car.
Andor turned away, pleased that Kevin would no longer be a problem. He straightened his jacket, and shoved aside the nagging doubt that Kevin had planted with the last thing he said to him. He would tell Lyssa that he was a dragon when the time was right, and she would accept him for what he truly was.
11
Lyssa tried to pay attention to what one of the gallery’s best clients was saying to her, but her mind refused to focus. Her cheeks ached from smiling, the shoes on her feet pinched her toes, and if his eyes strayed to her cleavage one more time she was going to scream. Where was Andor? The men she interacted with had been very respectful while he’d been at her side. Now that he was no longer looming next to her, the sleazier party goers had grown bolder. She looked around the room again and there was no sign of him. He’d been gone longer than a few minutes, and a flash of concern went through her. Had something happened to him outside?
There was a murmur of voices coming from the front of the gallery, near the huge window that dominated that part of the room. The skin on the back of her neck prickled as she glanced toward the front. There wasn’t a clear enough view for her to be able to see what was going on.
“Will you excuse me, Donald?” She didn’t wait for his reply and drifted over to where people were starting to gather.
“I think someone is being arrested,” one observer said.
Kevin. She tried to see over the heads of the people in front of the window, but even with the high-heeled shoes she wore, she still couldn’t see what was going on. She gently moved some of the people gathering on the fringes so she could take a better look. Her view out the window was blocked by several bodies, but she was certain that if the police were making an arrest outside the gallery, it had to be Kevin. Could their plan have been a success? Had Kevin finally been dealt with?
But if it was Kevin outside, where was Andor? Dread clenched the muscles of her stomach as it occurred to her then if Kevin was out there being arrested, that Andor must be involved somehow. Andor gave all appearances of being able to take care of himself as far as Kevin was concerned, but she wouldn’t be able to relax until she knew that he was safe.
As if he heard her thoughts, Andor walked in the front door of the gallery and strode over to her. Her eyes devoured him as he walked to her side. He gave all the appearance of being perfectly fine, and there was a calm, relaxed air about him.
“The breath of air outside was just what I needed and now I feel refreshed. Did you miss me?” He winked at her as he took her arm and led her away from the crowd of people. Once they were away from prying eyes and ears, she looked up at him, unable to hold back the questions clamoring inside her.
“What happened? They are saying that someone has been arrested. Was it Kevin?”
“Indeed it was. Kevin was waiting in the alley, we had words, and I made sure that the police were aware of his presence.”
There had to be more to it than that. She looked at the hand he still had on her arm, and there were a few scrapes and cuts across his knuckles. He’d done more than talk to Kevin. She noticed a tear in his jacket.
“What happened Andor? Are you hurt?” She parted the tear in his coat, and noticed a long thin cut on his arm. “You are hurt.”
Andor put his finger to her lips. “I am fine. Kevin had a knife, we fought and I disarmed him. It is just a scratch. Do not give it another thought.”
Guilt flooded her. When they’d come up with this scheme she’d never thought that there was a possibility that Kevin would come after him. She should have considered that Kevin would attack him out there. Why had she sent him outside when she should have known Kevin would be lurking in the alley?
“I’m so sorry. If I’d known that he was out there I would never have suggested that you go outside.”
Andor shook his head. “You have no control over Kevin. You have nothing to be sorry for. As you can see, I have escaped unscathed, and now Kevin is no longer a problem. He is in police custody, which is where he should be. You are free of him now.”
Andor took both her hands and brought them to his lips. His words hit her and she achieved clarity. Kevin was in police custody. The months of living in fear, of looking over her shoulder, were over and she could move on with her life.
She trembled for a moment as she thought about what that life would look like. She could go to work without seeing shadows around every corner. She could got out in public without the fear of being stalked and harassed. She looked at Andor as gratitude for all he’d done for her went through her. If he hadn’t offered her a safe place when she needed it, she might still be hiding from Kevin.
“Thank you. You didn’t have to help me, and it’s because you gave me a place to stay and protected me from him that I don’t have to worry about him any longer.” She glanced around at the crowd of people. She wanted to step into his arm, to kiss him and thank him properly, but not with so many eyes on them.
Joyce walked over to them, and put her hand on Lyssa’s arm. “Are you okay dear? I’m assuming the arrest that they are talking about is Kevin?”
“Yes. He finally won’t be a problem any more. I need to thank you for the patience you’ve shown through this whole ordeal.” If Joyce had been less understanding about all the drama in her life over the past few months, she would not be standing here now. She’d be looking for another job.
“I’ve told you before, you are the best employee I’ve ever had, and I don't want to lose you.” Joyce glanced around as people started moving away from the window. “I think things will start winding down here soon. If you like, the two of you can leave. I can handle things from here. I’m sure you have had enough excitement for one evening.”
Joyce turned and walked away to continue with the party.
“Would you like to go or would you prefer to stay?” Andor stood relaxed beside her, and she knew that if she said that she wanted to stay he would be by her side without complaint. She didn’t want to put him through any more of this evening, and leaving was what she wanted too.
“I’d like to go.” She’d had more then enough mingling and talking for one evening. She just wanted to take her shoes off and relax.
“I have instructed Rickman to drive by the building throughout the evening. Shall we go outside and wait?”
He put his hand on the small of her back, and led her to the door. The air outside was brisk and cool, and after being in the gallery with the warm press of bodies, she shivered.
“Are you cold?” Andor asked as they stood on the pavement outside the gallery.
“A little. I should have brought a wrap or a jacket with me.” Lyssa hugged her arms over herself. Hopefully Rickman wouldn’t take too long. Chattering teeth was hardly a sexy look.
Andor shrugged out of his
jacket, and put it around her shoulders. Lyssa slipped her arms through the sleeves, and she was cocooned in his warmth. The jacket smelled like him, and her stomach dipped. She snuggled down in the jacket as Rickman pulled up.
Andor strode forward and opened the rear passenger side door. Lyssa smiled at him as she eased into the back seat of the car.
Where did they go from here? Kevin was no longer an impediment to her going back to her house. Andor had told her that she could stay at his home as long as she liked but did he mean until Kevin was caught? She hadn’t thought any further ahead than dealing with Kevin. She didn’t know what she was supposed to do now that he was no longer a problem for her.
Andor had done so much for her already. She didn’t want to impose on his good will and over stay her welcome. They’d never discussed what would happen once Kevin was in custody. Could she assume that she could continue to stay with him, or would it be better if she went home? She softly chewed on her lower lip.
If she went home, it wasn’t like she’d never see him again. Now that they were out of the holding pattern of waiting for the Kevin situation to be resolved, she was sure that she would continue to see him. Wouldn’t she?
The drive to Andor’s house didn’t provide any answers.
Rickman pulled the car up in front of the house, and Lyssa made her decision. She would pack her things, and ask to be taken home. If Andor wanted her to stay he would have asked her. As much as she wanted to stay here, unless he gave her some indication that he wanted the same thing, she would have to go.
She walked into the house with Andor’s hand on the small of her back. She shrugged out of his jacket and handed it to him.
“Thank you for everything you’ve done for me. I can’t even imagine what would have happened if you hadn’t offered your home to me. I’m going to go and pack my bags. Do you think Rickman can take me home?”
She studied his face carefully, hoping to see one sign that he didn’t want her leave. If there was even a flicker on his face to indicate that he didn’t want her to leave, she’d stay where she was. He remained expressionless as he folded his jacket over his forearm.