by Vella Day
“Get your god damn hands off her now, asshole,” came a booming voice behind her.
Toma released her, but from the way his lips sneered and how heavily he was breathing through his nose, he wasn’t happy. Lily wasn’t sure whether to be relieved Birk had come to her rescue once more or be pissed that he had followed her there.
Toma moved around Lily and tried to get into Birk’s face, but she knew him well enough to know he wouldn’t be intimidated by the likes of Toma. Not only did Birk outweigh him by a good fifty pounds, he was a half a foot taller.
“Fuck off, Caspian. What the hell are you doing here anyway?”
“I was in the neighborhood and spotted the warehouse—or rather the lack of warehouse. I thought I’d check it out.”
“I want both of you to leave.” Toma glared at Lily. “I’m calling the insurance company and asking for a new rep—one who knows how to do her damn job properly.”
That would never happen. Alea wouldn’t kiss his ass.
Before she could wish him good luck with his request, Toma hopped into his cart and took off, leaving her there with Birk. Whoa. She spun to face him and cleared her throat. “Thanks for stepping in, but what are you doing here? Or were you really just out for a spin?”
Birk glanced at the sky. “No. The truth is when I was walking by the café in town, I spotted you through the window with Josh. I’d heard about the warehouse fire and feared you might be asked to investigate.”
That might have been true, but it didn’t explain his presence. “And you came here to protect me?”
“I won’t lie. I wanted to make sure you stayed safe. Toma is not a nice man, as you’ve now witnessed.”
Lily might have told him that she was capable of taking care of herself, but given what just happened even she didn’t believe it. “I could have promised to request our company compensate him fully, and he would have let go. It’s happened to me before.” Just not with someone as creepy as Toma.
As much as Lily wanted to storm off, Birk ignited a deep passion inside her, but it was one she could never act on.
Birk blew out a breath. “The man is dangerous. There’s a reason his wife left him.”
Lily didn’t want to sound ungrateful. Birk had good reason to follow her, but did he worry about everyone? “Then thank you.”
“I’ll walk you back to your car.”
When he placed a hand on her back, a shot of warmth tingled up her spine. While it would have been wise to step away, Lily enjoyed his touch, perhaps a little too much, and let him guide her.
Halfway back to her car, she looked over at him, only to find his gaze on her, making her uncomfortable. “Just so you know,” she said, “I plan on working this case. If I have to speak to Toma again, I’ll ask someone to come with me.”
“Good.”
She had half expected Birk to volunteer for the job, and when he didn’t, a small part of her was disappointed.
When they reached her vehicle, he opened the door. “Watch your back, Lily,” he said.
Way to scare her. “I will.”
Birk didn’t move, so she started her engine, backed up, and left. Guilt blasted her once more. Maybe she should have offered to drive him back. Yes, he could fly, but he’d taken time out of his day to watch over her, and she’d barely thanked him. But if she had offered him the ride, during the ten-minute trip, he’d for sure ask her out again, and she wasn’t sure she had the emotional strength to turn him down.
With shaky legs and less than a firm grip on the wheel, Lily headed to the office to regroup. If Toma’s daughter had been home at the time of the blaze, she might have heard something, especially if someone had snuck into a warehouse and stolen half its contents. Even setting a building on fire had to have been noisy. Though, if Anita was really watching a movie with her daughter, they might have had the volume on high.
Lily pulled into the parking lot of her workplace and sat there, debating her next move. Once they proved Toma had nothing to do with the destruction, there was no reason why Thresh Toma shouldn’t receive the value of the warehouse and some of its contents. The first step in getting to the bottom of this case was to make certain Toma had been at the Hog’s Head bar when the fire started. Even if he had been there, it wouldn’t prove he hadn’t hired someone to torch his warehouse.
She’d investigated a ton of false insurance claims before, but this one seemed to be extra difficult.
Birk hadn’t wanted to interfere in Lily’s case, but the moment that ass touched her, his dragon had gone ballistic. When he stormed out from the forest and shouted at Toma, Birk had been unable to get a read on Lily’s expression, other than she was surprised he was there. He supposed he should be happy she hadn’t punched him—and had thanked him instead.
Right now, Birk needed to figure out who’d burned down Toma’s warehouse. If someone thought Lily knew who’d done it, she might be in danger, and Birk couldn’t let that happen. Or was he making a big case out of nothing? It didn’t matter. He couldn’t change who he was.
The person with the most knowledge about the case was fellow dragon shifter, Josh Gerrard. If his friend was out on another case and couldn’t be reached, Birk would leave a message for Josh to contact him.
Sure, he was going behind Lily’s back in speaking with the arson investigator, but it was for her own good. When it came to his mate, there was no line he wouldn’t cross.
A few minutes after he shifted and took off, he arrived back in town and headed over to the fire station to see if he could catch Josh in person. Luck was on his side. He was in his office, and Birk knocked.
“Come in.” When he stepped in, Birk was met with a broad smile. “Caspian. Haven’t seen you in a while. What can I do for you?” They shook hands.
Birk wanted to set things straight with Josh from the start. “This is a bit delicate so I’d appreciate your discretion.”
“You got it. What does this involve?” He motioned Birk to take a seat.
“Lily Harper. She’s my mate.”
“Congratulations. She’s a great girl.”
Because Josh’s smile was genuine, his dragon calmed down. “As you know, she’s been in a lot of danger recently, what with the whole Landry Madison incident.”
“I’m sorry she was caught in the middle. I’m glad everyone is okay now.”
Birk nodded. “Today, when Lily went to investigate Thresh Toma’s warehouse fire, he became agitated when she more or less accused him of falsifying the report. He grabbed her, and I had to interfere.”
Josh’s eyes turned turquoise with rage. “Fuck. I should have gone with her. Is she okay?”
“Yes, but I’m worried if Toma is guilty, he might want some kind of revenge.”
“How can I help?”
“What can you tell me about the case?” Birk asked.
Josh blew out a breath. “I didn’t tell Lily how I knew what wasn’t in the warehouse at the time of the fire, but my dragon abilities allow me to sift through ashes and tell what was burned or what wasn’t. Trust me when I say that what Toma said was in his warehouse wasn’t really there.”
“Ah, I see. When Lily told him there was no evidence of the stack of shingles Toma claimed was there, it really pissed him off.”
“I’m not surprised, but he should know that the shingles would leave a tar residue after it burned, which was how I know they weren’t there in the first place.”
“Interesting. Lily promised me that if she had to speak with Toma again she’d take someone with her, but that might not be enough protection against a panther shifter—assuming he’s guilty.” Birk leaned forward. “Was the fire arson? Or could a dragon shifter have burned down the warehouse—which technically would still be arson?”
“An accelerant was definitely used, but dragons have access to that stuff too.”
Bottom line was that Toma might have been involved in all of this mess. “I appreciate the information. If I learn anything more, I’ll let you know.” Bir
k stood.
“I won’t mention your visit to anyone. When I clear this case up, we should grab a beer sometime. It’s been a while.”
Josh was a stand-up guy. “I appreciate that, and that’s a definite on the beer. It has been too long,” Birk said.
He left the fire station and walked up the street to Kyle’s office.
As much as he wanted to shadow Lily’s every move, it would put her more on edge if she caught him. However, he couldn’t leave her to do whatever she saw fit. Lily was a highly motivated insurance agent and would put her job above her safety. The only way to ensure no harm came to her was to ask one of the other Guardians to watch her, and the best candidate was their newest recruit—Lily’s brother, Kyle.
Since the Mining Inspector’s office was only two streets away, now was as good a time as ever to tell Kyle about being his sister’s mate. Birk would then ask for his help in keeping an eye on her.
When he entered the office, Birk asked the woman at the desk if he could speak with him. As soon as he told her his name, she beamed. “You’re Nessa’s brother.”
“I am.”
She placed her hand over a glowing light. “Birk is here to see you.”
A moment later, Kyle’s door opened. “This is a surprise. Come on in.” He quickly sobered. “Nessa’s okay, isn’t she?”
Birk chuckled. “Since you are mates now, you’d be the first to feel if something wasn’t right.”
He swore Kyle blushed. “I keep forgetting. Have a seat.” He stilled. “Oh, no. You’re here about Lily, aren’t you?”
Birk nodded and sat down. “She’s been assigned a dangerous case, and I’m worried about her.” Before he told Kyle he was Lily’s mate, he explained about the fire and how Toma had grabbed her.
Kyle hissed. “That’s terrible. I’ll speak with her to make sure she has someone with her if she interviews him again.”
Birk held up his hand. “No. She’ll know I spoke with you. Don’t tell her I came to see you, okay?”
“Why not?”
“Because Lily thinks I’m stalking her.”
Kyle raised both brows. “Are you?”
“I guess I am, but it’s because Lily is…my mate.”
Kyle then pumped a fist. “Yes! Nessa and Greer suspected as much, but they said nothing because they were waiting for you to admit it.”
He couldn’t believe his sisters never said anything. “I didn’t because I didn’t want them to tell me it was a lost cause.”
Kyle sighed. “I hope it’s not. Lily has no idea, does she?”
“No. Cripes, I can’t even get her to go out for dinner with me. She just shuts me out completely. I understand why she wants nothing to do with dragon shifters, but I was hoping that with you and Nessa mating, she would come around. Unless, it’s just me who’s the problem?”
“She’s never said anything to me about it being personal. Lily has been through a lot and has become very cynical. My advice is not to give up; she will come around. If anyone can get through to her heart, I believe you as her mate can.”
Birk blew out a breath. “Yeah, well, siblings usually don’t discuss their feeling about the opposite sex freely—at least in my family we don’t. I’m not giving up, but I have to admit constant rejection sucks, man.”
“Lily and I are the same in that respect. Don’t look at it as rejection; look at it as a learning curve.” Kyle gave a short laugh. “Things will work out. Give her some time. Tell me more about this Toma fellow.”
Birk filled him in on what he knew, including the information from Josh. “If Lily continues to investigate, I fear she might upset someone. As much as I would like to be by her side, or watch from above, she won’t be happy if I show my face too often.”
“I see, so do you want me to watch her?” Kyle asked.
He was glad Kyle understood. “As much as you can. Lily won’t question seeing you around like she would if it were me. I figure she might tell you what her plans are too. In the meantime, I want to investigate Toma, and I can’t have Lily around when I do that.”
“Of late, it’s been quiet in the mining world, but that could change at any moment. Right now, though I have some free time.”
Birk smiled. Fate certainly had picked a fine man for his sister.
Chapter Four
Determined to get to the bottom of the Toma case, Birk returned to the mine. When he walked into Declan’s office, his cousin was on the phone and waved for him to take a seat.
Declan snatched a pen off his desk and then scoured through the drawer until he located a piece of paper. “What are their names?” he asked the person on the other end of the line. He then scribbled something down. “How long have they been missing? Hmm. I can sniff around, but I’m not sure where to start. Any clue how they were taken or where? I see.” Declan tapped the pen on the desk while he listened. “I’ll get back to you if I find anything. Thanks, Anderson.”
Anderson was a Sinclair cousin, another dragon shifter, who worked at the Avonbelle Province Police Department.
“What did he want?” Birk asked as soon as Declan hung up. He wanted something to take his mind off the Toma case.
Declan shook his head. “You won’t like it since it involves human trafficking.”
His gut churned, and his scales hardened. It was one of the more horrific crimes to him—next to murder. “Tell me.”
“Two of Thresh Toma’s three daughters are missing.”
Toma again? Fuck. “Do you think he did something to them?”
Declan raised one eyebrow. “I know nothing other than the eldest daughter’s husband said she’s been missing for almost two days now, and he rightfully wants answers. Anderson and his team are stumped, so he called me.”
That wasn’t unusual. It was often how they got their cases. “And the second daughter?”
“The youngest one, Claire, works at Mercy Hospital as a nurse. When she missed her shift, her supervisor drove over to her house, but all was dark. Worried, she called the missing persons’ department. That also was two days ago.”
“What about his third daughter? The one who lives with Toma?”
“Anita. Anderson said she’s okay.”
Birk’s mind raced. “What are we dealing with here? Murder or kidnapping?”
“Your guess is as good as mine.”
“I don’t know if you’ve had any dealing with him, but Toma is a scum. Did you hear that his warehouse burned down?”
“No,” Declan said, sitting up straighter.
Birk filled him in on what he’d learned. “If he burned down his warehouse to collect from the insurance company, there’s no telling what else he’d do. While we have no evidence that he committed a crime, Josh Gerrard thinks Toma’s claim is at least partially false.”
“Why did you speak with Josh Gerrard?” Declan quirked a brow, though he probably could guess.
“Lily is the insurance investigator on the case.” He told him about the small altercation she had with Toma.
“I can see why you’re interested, but we don’t know he’s guilty.”
“No, but he could be,” Birk shot back. “Remember six months ago when Will Session’s daughter went missing?”
Declan nodded. “She was about to be sold into slavery by the syndicate when we intercepted the transport. What about it?”
“While we never caught the kingpin, I have no doubt that kind of stuff is still happening in our province. Toma might be involved somehow.”
“Shit.”
“If Toma did set his warehouse on fire for the insurance money, it’s possible he sold his daughters too,” Birk said.
His cousin’s jaw tensed, and Declan stabbed a hand through his hair. “I’ll ask Logan to do an in depth financial analysis on him.”
“Call him now. I’ll give him the low down.”
Declan dialed Birk’s brother and put him on speaker. Birk then filled him in.
“I’ll be sure to dig deep,” Logan said. “Seem
s to me like this guy has some serious money issues.”
“It sure appears that way,” Birk said.
“I’m friends with Jackor Drapper who’s had experience with Toma,” Logan said. “He’s one of his competitors. Turns out, Toma cheated him.”
“What happened exactly?” Declan chimed in.
“Two or three years ago, Jackor and Toma were bidding on the same piece of land, one that was a prime spot to build condos. Toma won the contract, but Jackor found out later that Toma paid someone to change Jackor’s bid.”
Birk whistled. “So the guy is dirty through and through.”
“Apparently. To be fair, I should mention that it happened a month after Toma’s wife left him. I heard he deserved the divorce, but apparently it threw him off his game. He started to drink and gamble after that.”
Birk knew all too well how much rejection could harm a person’s soul. “What happened to the development?”
“Not only did Toma go way over budget, not enough people bought the units. According to Jackor, Toma still owns several units and is bleeding red.”
Birk didn’t like to see anyone fail, but Toma might be his own worst enemy. “Good info. Let us know what you find out.”
Declan disconnected and blew out a breath. “This is worse than I thought. I’m going to set up a meeting with some of the other Guardians. We need to nip this in the bud if Toma is involved in the human trafficking scheme in any way. One of us should follow him to make sure he doesn’t try to mess with Lily. If he’s that desperate for money, he might try to pressure her to write up a more favorable report.”
“I can do that.”
“Good.”
Birk always enjoyed working on the Guardians’ big cases, but this one might be the biggest of them all since Lily was associated with the case. He chatted a bit more with Declan, told him about his discussion with the bank about the missing payment, and then left. Before he did a fly over of Toma’s office to check if he was still there, Birk called Kyle.
Nessa’s mate answered right away. “You really are worried about my sister, aren’t you?” Kyle said with a bit of a chuckle.