Lord of Life (The Dragon Demigods Book 4)

by Charlene Hartnady

  “There’s something I never mentioned. You will need to pay them. That’s how the Order works. They…” It feels weird not saying ‘we’, but I’m no longer part of the organization. “They sniff out disturbances amongst the humans by following news stories. We have connections inside the police department, as well. That’s how I found your PI in the first place. We take payments in exchange for getting rid of the bad guys.”

  “Like the ghostbusters?” His eyes glint with humor.

  “Something like that. If I call Tom, he’s going to expect a deposit, and the rest once the harpy is gone.”

  “But you won’t take money from me.” He lifts his brows. “Miss Stubborn living up to her name.”

  “I told you—”

  He kisses my shoulder again, putting an arm around me and giving me a squeeze. “I know. I understand. I’ll pay. It’s fine.”

  “It won’t be cheap.”

  “I have money.”

  I figured, but still. “I’ll call, then.” I smile at him and then sigh because it’s hard to leave the bed. More difficult to walk away from Lyre, but I get up and leave anyway, snagging my pants as I do. I turn back at I reach the door. “Stay right there on the bed. I won’t be long.”

  He lays back down and puts his hands behind his head. “Not moving an inch.” He smiles. “I’m not sure why Stephan finds it so hard to take orders from a woman. You can tell me what to do and how to do it all day every day.”

  I choke out a laugh even though my chest feels tight. Then I head down the hall, find my phone, and call Tom.

  20

  The next day…

  Morgan

  Lyre puts the last of my things into the trunk and closes it. He pushes out a breath. “You don’t have to take every little thing you own. You can leave some things here.”

  “I know, but…” I shrug. “May as well.” I could be gone a while. I don’t say it.

  Lyre sticks his thumbs in his pockets and winces. “Don’t be mad.” He gets this guilty look.

  “About what?” I’m instantly nervous. What has he done?

  “You already sound mad when I asked you not to be.”

  “I’m not mad, I’m apprehensive.”

  He takes a step towards me and takes my hand “I don’t want you driving six or seven hours. Your car could break down or—”

  “My car will be just fine.”

  “You don’t know that. It isn’t safe to…”

  I fold my arms, breaking the contact. “It’s perfectly safe.” I narrow my eyes on him. “I can fix it if anything happens. Having said that, nothing is going to happen.” I shrug.

  “I bought you a ticket.”

  I frown. “What kind of ticket?”

  He cups my face in his warm hands, and I feel myself melting. “I know you’re bad-ass. I know you can take care of yourself. Please humor me here. I bought you a plane ticket.”

  “No.” I shake my head, even though his hands are still framing my face. “You didn’t have to do that.” I reach up and kiss him. “It’s not that I don’t appreciate the effort, but it’s too much. We’re only just dating.”

  He lets me go and cocks his head, giving me this look. “We’re not dating. You’re my girlfriend. There’s a difference. I was considering buying you a new car.”

  I choke out a bewildered-sounding laugh.

  “That would have been too much,” he admits.

  “A plane ticket is verging on too much, a car would have been insane.”

  “I didn’t get the car, but I want you to accept the ticket.”

  “If I fly, I won’t be able to get around when I get—”

  “I also rented you a car.” He looks sheepish.

  “Lyre…thank you, but…I don’t want to take advantage of you. Your friends don’t like me much as it is, next they’ll think I’m using you for your money.”

  Lyre smiles. He’s gorgeous. “When in actual fact you’re using me for my cock.” He grabs a handful of my ass.

  I laugh. “That’s very true. I’m definitely using you for your body and maybe your mind…but as a far off second.”

  “My mind…as in, my expertise in anatomy?” He bobs his brows.

  I laugh some more. “You hit the nail on the head. I also like the useless information you like to throw out there every now and then. It still brightens my day.”

  “Things like, you have a one in five thousand chance of dying in a car crash and only one in eleven thousand chance of dying in an airplane crash. If you sit at the back of the plane, your chances of survival go up by forty percent.”

  “Is that so?” I press up against all his muscle and inhale his woodsy scent. There’s also peppermint and soap mixed in. We had sex twice more yesterday. During the night and again this morning. I don’t know Lyre very well yet, but I do know that he’s under my skin. That I’m falling for him. That I would do anything for him, even leave him…indefinitely…to keep him and the others safe. Until Lilith is gone, one way or the other, I need to stay away from here. The thought is more difficult to handle than I imagined it would be. That’s how I know I’m falling hard for this man. My chest hurts. My eyes sting.

  “Hey,” he murmurs, putting his arms around me. “You suddenly look sad. We’ll see each other soon.”

  “I know.” I plaster a smile on my face.

  “We’ll text each other often,” he says. “Maybe you’ll even respond once in a while.”

  I giggle. “That depends.”

  “On what, exactly?”

  “How pushy you’re being.”

  He chuckles. “More like how stubborn you’re feeling.”

  “Maybe a bit of both.”

  He turns serious and lets me go. Then he makes this face. I narrow my eyes. “What aren’t you telling me?” I can see it written all over him. “There’s something else.”

  “I deposited money into your account.”

  “We agreed on a small loan,” I say. Lyre wanted me to have some money. I grudgingly accepted a loan since I’m completely broke. I literally won’t be able to eat otherwise. I’m going to pay him back though and every last cent. “Thankfully, Mrs. Golding has asked me to stay with them.” I feel a lump form in my throat. “They’re being so nice to me.”

  “You and Andy are really close. It makes sense that they would invite you. It’s what Andy would want.”

  “I just feel his time slipping away. I wish I could do more. I hate relying on others. I hate leaving you—”

  “I can be a bad-ass too, you know?”

  “I know,” I say. “Lilith is something else, though. She’s…evil and ruthless.”

  “I’ve met her. I’m ready for her.”

  “It’s just, I know how easy it is to seduce you.” I smirk at him.

  He glowers at me so hard, I think I might have seriously pissed him off this time. He closes the space between us and clasps my hip. His eyes are burning into mine. “That isn’t going to happen. There’s only one—”

  There is a hard knock at the front door.

  Lyre looks up. “That must be them,” he says.

  I’m still wondering what he was going to say. Only one what? I think I can guess, but I might be wrong.

  They knock again, louder this time. “I’ll go and get it,” I say. “Just to be sure.”

  He nods. “You’re the one with the gun.”

  “Guns.”

  I catch his smile as I turn and head for the door. I breathe a sigh of relief when I see Bart Harper and Andrew Cooper through the peephole. I specifically asked Tom not to send M and M, but he couldn’t make me any promises. I open up.

  “O’Reilly,” Cooper says by way of greeting, not sounding too enthusiastic.

  Bart nods in greeting as well. He’s chewing a toothpick. Then again, he doesn’t exactly chew, it just hangs out of the side of his mouth. I never understood that particular habit.

  “Come on in.”

  My phone buzzes, so I take it out of my pocket. “This is Dr
. Lyre Jennings. I take it Tom briefed you both?”

  They both nod. “We are fully up to speed.”

  “Good.” I take a look at my phone and nearly collapse.

  Holy freaking shit!

  “Everything okay, Morgan?” Lyre asks.

  “Yes.” I nod, clearing my throat.

  No! It’s not okay!

  What the hell?

  I widen my eyes at Lyre.

  “You sure?” he asks, looking amused.

  “Yes. So, what’s the plan?” I ask Bart since he’s the more senior of the two.

  “Don’t you have a trip to take?” Bart asks, moving the toothpick from one side of his mouth to the other without touching it.

  I feel myself bristle. It’s clear I’m still on the out. It’s all my own fault. Firstly, with what happened to Andy, and then up and leaving like I did. I can’t blame them.

  Lyre doesn’t share my sentiment. “What’s the plan, Bart?” he asks, although there’s more of a commanding edge to his voice and less of a questioning one. “Morgan has done a sterling job up until this point. Even though she is leaving for a short while, she is very much involved.”

  Bart pushes out a breath, sounding annoyed. We spend the next few minutes talking through how everything is going to work. Cooper will hole-up in the lookout spot outside, and Bart will stay inside the house with Lyre. Both of these men have vast experience to draw from. I’m able to breathe a little easier.

  The men move further into the house, discussing the finer details of the operation. “Mind if we crash here?” Cooper asks.

  Lyre gives me this wry half-smile. “Sure.”

  “We’ll take turns on nightshift,” Bart says. “You’re up first.” He says to Cooper. They move further away.

  “You’re crazy!” I whisper.

  Lyre frowns. “I really don’t mind them sleeping in—”

  “Fifteen thousand dollars! Are you insane? That’s not a loan…that’s a hefty down-payment on a house. The money just hit my account.”

  “I thought rather too much than too little.”

  “I will be giving most of it back to you sooner rather than later. The rest I’ll pay back…”

  He kisses me. I don’t think I’ve ever kissed this much in my whole life. I like it…too much. “Whenever you are ready,” he says.

  “I’ll pay it back as soon as I can.” I throw out a soft chuckle. “You’re nuts.”

  “About you.”

  I give him a look.

  “Too cheesy?”

  I nod. “Far too cheesy.”

  He looks at his watch. “You should probably get going.” He pulls out his phone. “I’ll call you an Uber. Leave whatever you don’t need in your car.” He pushes a few buttons.

  “This was your plan all along to ensure my return.”

  “You got me.” He holds up his hands. Then his phone beeps. “Your Uber will be here in a few minutes.”

  I pull in a breath. “Okay, then. I’ll fetch my stuff.” I go into the garage. Lyre follows, still on his phone. “I sent you your plane ticket.”

  I nod, feeling my phone vibrate in my pocket. I pull out my bag and sling it over my shoulder. I won’t need any of the other stuff, although it’ll be weird not having my tool kit on hand. I close the trunk.

  I turn to Lyre. His eyes are stormy. “This isn’t goodbye,” I say to him.

  “I’ll see you soon.”

  We come together in a tangle of limbs. Our mouths clash. I moan more than once, my hands in his hair. His are sliding up and down my body as we kiss. All too soon, he’s pulling away. His eyes are moving across my face like he’s taking me in.

  “I’ll miss you.”

  “I’ll miss you too.”

  He brushes his lips against mine one last time before I pull away. If I don’t go right now, I’ll be tempted to stay.

  Lyre’s phone beeps. “Your ride is here.” He’s frowning deeply.

  “Take care of yourself,” I say.

  “You too.” He pushes a button, which opens the garage door.

  I walk outside. I turn to wave.

  “Answer my texts.” He smiles, it’s sad.

  “Only if you video call me in the nude,” I throw back.

  Lyre laughs. “Perv.”

  I don’t turn back after that because I might cry if I do. Lyre has turned me into a softy. I’ll never be able to go back to being a Seeker. That life won’t work anymore. I’ve changed. I smile to myself as I slide into the Uber car. I think for the better. Definitely for the better.

  I say hi to the driver and then settle in for the trip to the airport. It takes forty-five minutes until we finally arrive. I check my e-ticket as I’m walking into the airport building and almost fall on my face. He’s booked me into Business Class.

  This man.

  I stand there in the middle of the entrance and blink hard so as not to cry. I’m a bonafide softy! Then I pull myself together and head inside. I decide to go to the bathroom before checking in. I still have time.

  I will contact Mrs. Golding once I’m done in here. Let her know I’m on my way. That I’m flying instead of driving. I walk into one of the cubicles and do my business.

  I think I’ll head straight to the hospital after I land; I’m sure she’ll be there. I need to see Andy. I have so much to tell him. My heart feels heavy. I flush the toilet, pull up my pants, and fix my clothing. I open the door, still deep in thought. I’m thinking about how much Andy and I have been through. Both good times and bad.

  I gasp as Lilith steps into the cubicle. She has something in her hand. I realize what it is as a shock pummels through me.

  A Taser.

  I fall to the floor. All I can think is that I hope the tiles were properly scrubbed. I hope disinfectant was used. It’s a weird thought to have at a time like this, but I can’t help it since I’m right next to the toilet bowl. My body is still jerking a little, even though I’m no longer being shocked. My muscles won’t do what they’re told. My eyes are wide, and my jaw clenched. I can taste blood.

  “Hi, Morgs…long time no see,” I hear Lilith say. I can’t turn my head towards her. All I can do is make this grunting, moaning sound. I might be drooling.

  I can’t believe I let my guard down like this. I never in a million years expected her to come after me. I’m such an idiot. If this costs Lyre his life, I will never forgive myself.

  21

  Lyre

  I look at my phone for the fifth time. It’s official, I’m a complete loser. I sent Morgan a text about half an hour ago. Not only has she not responded, but she also hasn’t even read it. That’s a step down from before, when she at least looked at them.

  In true loser style, I keep checking every five minutes. Her plane doesn’t take off for another twenty minutes. I hope I haven’t scared her off. I’m coming on too strong. Maybe fifteen thousand was too much money. Good thing I didn’t buy her that car. I clearly suck at relationships.

  Bart draws my attention by walking over to the window; he pulls the blinds to the side about half an inch and peers out onto the street. Satisfied, he walks back to his original position with his back to the wall. He stands there, arms folded, eyes forward.

  I realize that I’ve been standing in front of an open fridge for far too long. “Can I make you some lunch?” I ask, half expecting him to turn me down, even though the offer was genuine. I’d feel bad eating in front of him.

  He smiles, and I wonder how the toothpick doesn’t fall out of his mouth. “That would be great.”

  “Sandwich okay?” I ask.

  “I noticed you had some pastrami when I fetched a water earlier.”

  Help yourself, why don’t you? I nod. “No problem.”

  “I would love the pastrami. Cooper is more of a ham man.” He makes this face like maybe he’s pushing the envelope by including Cooper and his dietary preferences, but doing it anyway. And Morgan calls me pushy.

  “I have both,” I say.

  “I noticed.
” He moves the toothpick from one side of his mouth to the other. He does it quickly. It’s a skill. I wonder if he can eat with that thing still in his mouth. “Cheese and lettuce would be a bonus,” he adds.

  Not pushy at all!

  “Mustard?” I ask, lifting a brow. I’m partly joking at this point.

  “Absolutely!” He smiles, the toothpick holding strong. “Can’t have a good sandwich without it. That and mayo.”

  Pushy as fuck!

  “Coming up,” I say, grabbing the ingredients. I’m pretty sure if I offered to cook them a three-course meal for dinner, Bart over here would accept and then offer up a menu.

  I set about making the sandwiches. Bart stays right where he is…no offers to help me. Morgan is too nice for a hard-ass. Then again, nice doesn’t come close to describing how amazing she is. I stop what I’m doing and check my phone again.

  Nothing.

  I focus on making a couple of sandwiches, adding plenty of mustard and mayo. Her lack of response doesn’t mean anything. I put Bart’s food on a plate and Cooper’s in a container. “I’ll let him know lunch is up,” Bart says. “I’ll give this to him at the back door,” he adds as he heads to my fridge and helps himself to a couple of waters. “I’ll be back in a few,” he says as he puts his phone to his ear. I hear him talking to Cooper as he goes down the stairs.

  I’m in for a long couple of days. I’m praying to god it doesn’t end up being longer. I don’t think I could take this intrusion. I already miss Morgan more than I should.

  I lean back on the island and look down at my sandwich. I have zero appetite. My phone rings and I jump up. I can’t believe how much better I feel when I see that it’s Morgan who’s calling. I’m such a fucking loser, it’s scary. I find I don’t care.

  “Hey,” I say, trying to play it cool.

  “Loverboy.” It’s a voice I recognize. It’s not Morgan. My blood turns to ice in my veins.

  “Gabby.” My voice is pure malevolence. I hated her before, I despise her now. I have to bite my tongue to stop myself from firing questions at her.

  Where’s Morgan?

  What have you done?