AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I nodded and slowly opened the zipper on Devon’s bag. Taking a deep breath, I reached inside and pulled out the copies of the will, both the original written by Spencer and the one Devon had written up and we signed earlier in the evening. I set them aside and pulled out another stack of papers. Upon closer inspection, I realized there was a smaller version of the family tree he’d shown me a few days ago, which prompted my call to my uncle. There was also a notebook filled with scribbles. Like a true business man, he had created charts and graphs, and a few Venn diagrams as he tried to figure out how the dragons weredying.
I carefully spread it out, wondering where to begin and how to explain everything to Mishal. After all, it’s not like Devon and I had managed to figure everything out. If we had, he’d be alive, I wouldn’t be in hiding, and Mishal wouldn’t be here. All of that sounded pretty good, except for the last part. Ever since I’d laid eyes on him, whenever I thought of Mishal or was near him, there was an uncomfortable tickle in my abdomen. Laying my hand over it, I tried to focus on the papers surrounding me, but Icouldn’t.
Soon Mishal peeked in. “Wow. That’s a lot. We need to move all of this down to the dining room so we can spread out. Let me help.” He seemed to glide across the floor to the bed. Without hesitation, he began to gather the papers at the same time I did and our hands collided. This kind of thing happened all the time in business, but this time…the tickleintensified.
“Something wrong?” he asked as he studiedme.
Shaking my head, I murmured, “Just hungry, Iguess.”
He sighed. “Me too. I hope Stephen doesn’t takelong.”
Five minutes later, we were set up at the table as he suggested, with the curtains tightly drawn. “Draco Security, huh?” Icommented.
“Yeah.” He grinned. “We’ve been doing this in one form or another forcenturies.”
“Right.” I nodded. I’d been raised with dragon shifters, but hearing their life spans discussed in terms of centuries rather than years seemed to always throw me. “You good at what you do?” I eyed himcarefully.
“I’ve never lost a client. My record is spotless.” Mishal chuckled. “I don’t plan on changing thingsnow.”
“Good.” My shoulders sagged, which surprised me. I hadn’t even realized how tense I was until then. “Okay, so DracoInvestments.”
He nodded. “Is this where it allbegan?”
“I think so. See, we manage money for all kinds of clientele, but pretty much all the younger dragons work with us.” I pushed a list toward him. “These are all the dragon shifters who have accounts with us. What do yousee?”
“Wow. That’s a lot of death. What the hell are they dying from?” Mishal rubbed hisforehead.
“That’s the thing. All different.” I flipped through some more papers until I found the one I wanted. “This. Oh, and by the way, don’t you have anyone who monitors the happenings in yourworld?”
Mishal grabbed the paper from my hand and shook his head. “We’ve never needed anyone to fill that position. Until now, it would’ve been entirely too boring. Look at my parents. They lived to be seven hundred and twelve, and seven hundred and fifty-seven.”
“So, no one tracks…anything?” Ifrowned.
He shrugged. “We have a law firm that pretty much oversees everything. They handle Draco wills, help manage Draco properties, draw up Draco contracts, that kind of thing. While some of us have branched into law, it was agreed upon long ago that for the sake of propriety, we’d be represented by an outside firm. So wechose…”
“Abbingdon, Betters, and Morse,” Imumbled.
“Yeah. You know them?” Mishal scanned the paperwork. “I’d have thought this would’ve triggered a meeting. This is what…now twelve dragons in the last sixmonths?”
“Yes,” I murmured sadly. “And Devon makesthirteen.”
20
Mishal
“Let’ssee where we’re at.” I exhaled and absently noted my breath had turned steamy. I was far too upset at the moment than was safe orsane.
“Drink this,” Peri suggested calmly as she pushed a glass of ice water toward me. I looked at her questioningly and she merely chuckled. “Go on. You know you needit.”
I picked up the glass and grinned. “You’re right. I needed this.” I swallowed several gulps and felt the fire inside me go out. With a cough, I shook my head. “Thankyou.”
“Good, now pass me another slice of pizza.” She pointed at the box of extra cheese. When I merely looked at her with raised brows, she snapped a few times. “Seriously. I’m trying to stay awake. We have to figure this out. I need fuel,” shecomplained.
Reluctantly, I picked up a slice, dropped it on a paper plate, and passed it to her. “You’re going to make yourself sick, cupcake. We can finish this in the morning.” Then I glanced at the clock. “Or the afternoon. It’ll be dawn in a fewhours.”
Peri shook her head. “No, we need to finishthis.”
I have to admit, I liked her spunk. Hell, I liked her. That much should’ve been obvious to anyone within a thousand feet of us. After all, I couldn’t seem to stop touching her. I could barely take my eyes off her face. I was fascinated with the way she knelt on the chair and leaned on the table. Every time she gathered her hair over one shoulder, I wanted to kiss the back of her neck and nuzzle her exposed skin. Peri had me so enthralled, I seriously struggled to focus on ourmission.
