Drakon Unchained (Blood of the Drakon) Read online

  Her breasts tingled as she typed. Good thing it was winter and her suit was made of fine wool and not light cotton.

  What’s wrong with me? She never got aroused at work. But even the stifling atmosphere and the underlying fear that was ever present couldn’t dull the attraction she felt for Luther.

  Would she have another vision of him when she slept? If she did, what would she see? Would he see her like he had last night? Would she be an actual part of the dream instead of an unseen onlooker again? Would she see something from his past or the present?

  So many questions and no answers.

  A part of her wanted it to happen again and another part didn’t.

  Luther straightened away from the wall. She glanced toward him. He looked tough as nails and twice as hard. The suit he wore did little to distract from the danger that surrounded him. How could she even be contemplating getting closer to such a man? For all she knew, he was neck deep in Temple’s activities with the Knights.

  Maybe Luther was her way to get closer to discovering what had happened to her friend. It was a dangerous game she was contemplating playing. So far, she’d remained safely on the outside, but that had gained her nothing. How could she keep living her relatively safe life knowing the drakon who’d befriended her all those years ago was in trouble?

  She’d been a coward and was ashamed.

  Mr. Temple entered the room. He was dressed, as always, in a dark business suit, a crisp white shirt, and a dark-blue tie, but she thought he looked more tired these days. Did it have something to do with drakon blood? In her last vision of Sergei, his blood had healed his wife. There was still so much she didn’t know about her friend, and the visions were often fragmented, giving her bits and pieces instead of everything she needed. It was frustrating.

  But there was no time to think about the implications. “In my office,” her boss snapped. He didn’t break stride, didn’t even mutter a good morning. Not that he ever did, but he’d seemed more short-tempered lately. Of course, the death of his son could have a lot to do with that.

  What if it’s more?

  Christian Temple had died around the same time the last head of security had stopped coming to work. Come to think of it, another security guard had “quit” work around the same time. There were too many people dead or missing for it to be all coincidence. There had to be some connection. And that most likely had to do with the Knights of the Dragon.

  Victoria jumped to her feet, grabbed her pad and pen, and followed her boss into his office. In the mood he was obviously in, it wouldn’t do for her to keep him waiting. Luther stood back and let her enter the office first.

  She hurried past him, careful not to brush against him. Mr. Temple was already seated behind his desk, tapping his fingers against the top. That was unusual for him. Her boss was usually more controlled. This new behavior made her nervous.

  She sat in the chair across from him and waited, pen poised over her tablet, ready to take notes.

  “I’m going to Utah on business,” her boss announced. He glanced at Luther. “You’ll be handling security. I want three other men on the detail. And I want one of them to be Denning.”

  “Why Denning?” Luther asked.

  Had Luther lost his mind? Victoria held her breath, waiting for Mr. Temple to become angry at being questioned. Instead, her boss sat back in his chair and steepled his fingers, seeming more contemplative than furious.

  “Because he worked for Dent and might be able to shed some light on the situation I’m heading into.”

  Jeremiah Dent was a friend of Mr. Temple who had recently died. It had been sudden, and she didn’t know the details surrounding it, but she’d long suspected he might also be a member of the Knights of the Dragon since he and her boss had been so close. Oscar Denning had been Dent’s former head of security. He’d come on board with Mr. Temple after his employer died.

  A shiver raced down her spine, and a sense of impending doom washed over her. She shouldn’t be here, but there was nowhere for her to go. This was what she’d signed up for.

  “What should I prepare for your trip?” Usually, there were myriad documents and computer files her boss needed when he traveled.

  A slow smile crossed his face, and it made her heart sink. Her breakfast churned in her stomach. Whatever was coming, she knew it wouldn’t be good.

  “You’ll be going with me.”

  “Sir?” She’d never traveled with him before. Never. This did not bode well, but it could be a step closer to finding Sergei and his wife. She was both terrified and excited. This could be the break she’d been waiting for.

  “I want you to travel with me. I’ll give you a list of the documents I’ll need. Pack to be away three days minimum, possibly longer.”

  Victoria rarely questioned her boss, but she did so now. “Will you be seeing Evan Caine?” It was too much of a coincidence that he’d spoken to the man yesterday and now they were heading to Utah.

  “Yes.” He leaned forward and picked up his pen, seeming to already have dismissed them from his mind. “We leave tonight. We’ll pick you up at your apartment at six, Victoria. Don’t keep us waiting.”

  “Yes, sir.” Legs trembling, she managed to rise and leave the office, very aware of Luther following close behind her. She sat at her desk, grabbed her mug, and guzzled cold coffee.

  “Will this be the first time you’ve traveled with him?”

  Luther was angry. He appeared as relaxed and as in control as ever, but there was something in his tone, something reflected in his eyes that told a very different story.

  “Yes.” She was baffled and more than a little scared. “He’s always gone alone or with Christian.”

  Luther placed both hands on her desk and leaned forward until he was looming over her. His hands were big and broad. “I don’t want you to go.”

  She was surprised by the vehemence in his words, but she didn’t have a choice, and they both knew it. “I have to.” And she wanted to. Getting deeper into Mr. Temple’s world was dangerous. She’d be walking a very narrow ledge with nothing to catch her if she fell. But it was the best chance she had of fulfilling her life’s mission of rescuing her friend.

  Luther gave a curt nod, pushed upright, and walked away without a backward glance. It was as though he’d taken all the energy in the room with him. The adrenaline that had been pumping through her veins subsided, leaving her with a headache and a sick stomach. More than anything, she wanted to go home, pull the covers over her head, and sleep.

  But that wasn’t a luxury she could afford. She was officially jumping into the deep end now. She just hoped she didn’t drown.

  She shuddered and forced herself to focus on her work. She’d survived years in an institution, years of dreams and visions, of knowing things about others that she shouldn’t. She’d survive this, too. And if she didn’t, she’d at least die knowing she’d done what she could to help the one person she’d ever called friend.

  Chapter Five

  Luther stalked down the corridor. With each step farther he got from Victoria, the angrier he became. The emptiness in the pit of his stomach grew until it threatened to consume him. He wanted to go back to Temple’s office and wring the man’s scrawny neck until it snapped.

  Temple was bringing Victoria into a world she had no place being. She did not belong in the darkness and violence that was an intrinsic part of the Knights of the Dragon.

  Why was Temple doing this? Why now, when he never had before? Whatever the reason, Luther didn’t like it. Not one bit.

  But he didn’t have the luxury of worrying about it. Not now. He had work to do. He paused beside the security desk near the entrance of the building. Two men sat there, one of them scanning monitors of the interior of the building, the other watching the outside cameras.

  Both men straightened, and one of them—he paused to recall the man’s name was Saunders—smirked slightly. “You spent a lot of time with the ice queen this morning.”

&nb
sp; Luther knew most of the men joked around about Victoria and speculated on her love life or lack thereof. He hated that nickname but knew it served a purpose. Victoria’s aloofness kept men like Saunders away from her. They were all idiots if they couldn’t see the smoldering, passionate woman lurking beneath the facade.

  “Send Denning to my office immediately.” He studied Saunders for a long minute and then smiled. “And pack a bag. You’ll be part of a four-man detail traveling with Mr. Temple this evening. Be ready to leave by five. I’ll brief you all at three. Don’t be late.”

  Saunders frowned but nodded. There was nothing else he could do. Refusal was not an option.

  “And call Jenkins and tell him he’s part of the team.”

  Luther sensed them watching him as he headed to his office. He opened and closed his hands several times, hoping to stave off some of the violence threatening to erupt. He wanted to destroy something but maintained control.

  He couldn’t allow himself to be distracted. He had a goal of his own, one he couldn’t afford to fail. Having Victoria along on this trip could be a disaster. What would he do if he had to choose between her life and maintaining the role he’d chosen to play?

  His jaw clenched, and he struggled to keep his anger contained. As much as he wanted Victoria, as much as he admired her, he couldn’t let her get in the way. He’d worked too hard and too long to get here.

  The one good thing in this situation was it gave him a legitimate reason to question Oscar Denning at length without raising suspicion. He’d been Jeremiah Dent’s head of security before Dent was killed. Somehow, Oscar had survived when everyone else on his team had died. Luther found that a little too convenient.

  A single knock came on the door. “Enter,” he called out.

  Luther studied Oscar as he walked in and closed the door behind him. Twenty-nine years old, he stood six-one according to his personnel file. He was fit and former military, which meant he’d been trained in weaponry and hand-to-hand combat.

  What the file didn’t say was that Oscar, as he preferred to be called, was keenly intelligent. Quiet and low-key, he had the ability to fade into the background. That was both a skill and a weapon. Luther would have to tread carefully around the man. Unlike Saunders, Oscar would probably notice Luther was paying attention to Victoria, and he’d know why. Worse, Oscar would notice her reaction to Luther.

  “You wanted to see me.”

  Luther waved him into the chair on the other side of the desk. Unlike Temple, he didn’t need to keep his men standing to feel superior. Oscar moved fluidly and quickly. The man had more training than was listed in his file. That was okay. So did Luther.

  Oscar had black hair and olive skin. He was handsome but not overly so. Luther wondered what Victoria thought of him. Something dark and powerful welled up inside him at the thought of Oscar touching Victoria. It took him a second to realize it was jealousy he was experiencing. It wasn’t a pleasant sensation.

  “Temple is going on a trip and wants you as part of the security team.” Luther waited, but Oscar didn’t ask any questions. This was a man who understood the value of silence.

  “There will be four of us,” Luther continued. “As well as Temple and Victoria.”

  “Ms. Marshall?”

  Luther found it curious that it was Victoria’s name that got the rise out of Oscar, and not curiosity about the sudden trip. Fury swelled, threatening to undo him. He couldn’t allow that to happen. He gripped the arms of his chair so hard the metal creaked.

  “Yes, Ms. Marshall.”

  Oscar glanced at the arms of the chair and then back at Luther, his face impassive. “When do we leave?”

  Getting back to the job at hand was safer for everyone involved, including him. “Be ready to leave here by five. We’ll be swinging by Victoria’s apartment on the way to the airport. Briefing at three.”

  Oscar nodded and waited, seemingly relaxed, but Luther noted the slight tightening of his muscles and knew the man was tenser than he seemed.

  “What do you know about Evan Caine?”

  Rather than being taken off guard and blurting something out, Oscar leaned back in his chair and seemed to think before answering. This was a man used to being in control. Not surprising since he’d headed Dent’s security team. Dent had been no fool. He’d kept his cards close to his chest, letting the other Knights see him as nothing more than a slightly bumbling scholar. None of them had realized he’d gone to try to capture a dragon until it had all blown up in his face, leaving him dead.

  “Not much. Mr. Dent didn’t have a whole lot of business dealings with the man.”

  Luther didn’t have the patience for games. Not today. He was a hairsbreadth from losing control. And if that happened, people would die.

  “What kind of dealings did he have with Caine?”

  “Knight business.”

  Those two words said so much. The two men sat across from one another, sizing up each another. Luther found his respect for Oscar growing, but he couldn’t allow himself to like the man. He might have to kill him one day.

  “And?” Luther finally prompted.

  Oscar met his gaze squarely. “You should ask Mr. Temple if you want to know more.” Discretion was fine and good, but Luther wasn’t about to go into a situation blind.

  “I’m asking you.”

  Oscar shrugged. “Caine is no better or worse than any of them.”

  That covered a lot of territory. The Knights of the Dragon were a ruthless, self-serving group and had no qualms at killing one another to get what they wanted.

  “That tells me nothing.”

  “That’s all I know.” He gave a quick glance at the camera in the corner. Oscar knew they were being monitored.

  Luther made a split-second decision and stood. “I want to test your skills so I can assess your performance.”

  A tiny smile played at the corners of his lips. “What skills?”

  He smiled, but he knew his expression was anything but pleasant. “Hand-to-hand.”

  Oscar sighed and stood. “I was afraid you’d say that. Where?”

  Not here. They wouldn’t be able to talk. “There’s a gym I use not too far from here.”

  Oscar went to the door and opened it. “After you.”

  Luther disliked having someone at his back, didn’t matter who it was. Oscar would never have held the position he did with Dent if he wasn’t a dangerous man.

  “We’re going out,” Luther informed the guards at the desk as they collected their coats.

  “Where?” Saunders demanded. When Luther simply stared at him, Saunders hurriedly added, “In case Mr. Temple asks.”

  “I’m taking Oscar to the gym to assess his fighting skills.” Luther paused before adding, “Maybe you’d like to join us.”

  Saunders shook his head. “I can’t leave my post.” It was a flimsy excuse, and they all knew it. Saunders didn’t want to have to fight Luther. He lowered his head and stared at the computer screens in front of him.

  Luther walked out of the building with Oscar right beside him and inhaled deeply, drawing the crisp winter air into his lungs. Being in Temple’s building was stifling, the atmosphere tense.

  “I don’t have gym gear with me,” Oscar informed him as he pulled on a black wool hat and a pair of thin leather gloves. He didn’t seem too concerned by the fact.

  “We can borrow some.” The owner of the gym knew Luther, appreciated the fact he’d taken care of some drug dealers who’d tried to move into the neighborhood. The gym was actually farther away than Luther had told Oscar.

  Luther shoved his hands in his pockets, not because he found it cold, but because it hid the fact his hands were fisted. They walked briskly down the sidewalk, turning corners several times before ducking into the subway station.

  “This way,” he told Oscar. They paid and made their way to the platform just as the train pulled in. It was past rush hour, so they didn’t have to fight their way into the car. Not that it was ev
er a problem for Luther. People tended to get out of his way.

  He walked to the rear of the car, away from other passengers, and sat.

  “Now that we’ve ditched the man following us, want to tell me where we’re really going?” Oscar asked.

  Luther shook his head. He wasn’t willing to talk on a public subway car. It didn’t surprise him that Oscar had realized they were being followed. The man was sharp and aware at all times.

  Luther glanced back at the platform in time to see a man in a dark coat race out onto the platform. This was no businessman who’d missed his ride. He was a professional.

  Took one to know one.

  Whoever the man was, Luther knew he wasn’t one of Temple’s men, at least not one he was familiar with. Most likely another member of the Knights had men watching him. Since he’d been promoted to head Temple’s security, he’d been followed on a regular basis.

  He’d gotten adept at evading them, but he only did it when the occasion truly warranted it. He generally kept to his routine and let them trail him to restaurants, shops, and his Manhattan apartment. Better for them to think he was unaware of them. Made it easier to duck them when he had to.

  Oscar settled in beside him, not showing any impatience as they rode in silence. They got off at the right station and walked several blocks. The wind was biting, but the sidewalks were relatively clear of snow and ice. Luther wondered how long that would last. They were due a storm soon.

  Riley’s Gym was an old-fashioned gym with a boxing ring and free weights as well as a large mat in one corner for wrestling or martial arts. There weren’t many people around at this time of day, but the air was filled with the grunts of hard work and the smell of sweat.

  “Mr. Henderson, good to see you.” The man behind the desk greeted them and waved them inside. “Your bag is in the office.”

  “Thanks, Gordon. Can you find some gym clothes for my friend?”

  “Sure. Sure.” The man jumped off his stool and came around the counter. “Follow me.”

  As Oscar followed Gordon, Luther went to the office, grabbed the bag he kept there, and made his way to the locker room. He removed his coat and suit jacket, carefully hanging them so they didn’t wrinkle.