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Suddenly, a large shadow appeared, and I turned to look behind me. Hovering above me, I saw a monstrous black dragon. I gasped at the sight of him as he stared at me with his glowing red eyes and my heart pounded in my chest. There was nowhere to run. My only option was to fight.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Drako
The restaurant was almost empty. Out of the few men that Blaise allowed into the place, two were following him to meet Scarlett. I hoped that she would be able to protect herself, but I worried that I may have put too must trust in her ability to do so.
The two were left behind to keep an eye on things. My anxiety was at an all-time high as I entered the building, trying to act as normal as possible.
These men did not know me, so it was easy to hide my fear. They could assume that I was always this way and wouldn't know the difference. I glanced at the kitchen, which had the only other way in or out of the building. The so-called emergency exit was for show and didn't open, much like the restaurant itself. One of the men accompanied me to the basement, where they had been holding Kane.
My heart was racing, pounding so loud that it echoed in my head. I struggled to keep my breathing steady as we got closer to the door. I glanced at the burly man at my side, but he paid no attention to me. Like a robot, he escorted me to the door, unlocked it, and walked away.
I stood with my hand on the knob for a second, second-guessing everything I had planned. It was the moment where I'd have to choose once and for all where my loyalty would lie.
One last time I considered my options. The horde was the closest thing to a family I'd ever known. For years, I had blindly followed their lead, too young to fully grasp what was going on and too foolish to ask any questions. Was I ready to turn my back on them for someone I had met a week ago? The idea seemed ridiculous and yet, it was the only thing that made sense to me. These feelings I had of love and devotion came out of the blue. It was as if a spell had been cast and I was powerless against it.
Even at that moment, faced with the reality of what my actions would lead to, I was ready to die for her. I listened to the footsteps that had been slowly getting further away. When they abruptly stopped, I turned my head and saw my escort watching me. After taking a deep breath, I turned the knob, well aware that I couldn't stall anymore. I heard the man chuckle as I entered the room, and I quickly closed the door.
The basement was dark with only a single dim light hanging from the ceiling, casting long shadows along the walls. A table sat in the middle of the room with three chairs surrounding it. At first glance, the room looked empty but as I moved further in, I saw a man sitting in the shadows. He was wearing dark clothes, hiding his features as he stood up. He slowly made his way over to me while I did the same and we stared at each other for what seemed like hours. His eyes were bright, yet they seemed more haunted than mine.
He reached out and touched my arm gently and when I realized that I had been staring at him blankly, I quickly moved away. He pulled back but kept eye contact with me until finally breaking eye contact.
He took another step toward me, and when he stopped again, I noticed how close he actually was to me. He lifted his head and stared directly at my face before speaking in a whispery voice.
"I didn't know if you were real for a moment," he said in a low husky voice.
His face looked worn and weak. His hair was red, just like Scarlett's. He stared at me, waiting for me to speak, but I couldn't find the words to explain who I was. I had hoped that Grayson would find a way in here before I got to Kane.
"Well?" He scoffed, "Get on with it! How will I die today?"
"Today?" I asked, confused by the question.
"I assume that as usual, it's the dealer's choice. I was almost beheaded, poisoned, and disemboweled. What death have you chosen for me?"
"I... uh," I stammered, struggling to process his words.
"Who are you?" He asked, looking me over.
"Your fucking guardian angel," a voice said from behind me.
I whipped around to see Grayson walking towards us. A sense of relief washed over me.
"Grayson?" Kane asked as he took a step forward, "Is that you?"
"Who else would it be, you psychotic old man? Once again I have to clean up your mess."
I saw a hint of a smile on Kane's face as Grayson moved closer to us.
"I don't remember asking you to clean up anything. Who said I need your help?"
"No, you didn't. She did."
Kane's face changed in an instant to shock and disbelief. "Scarlett sent you?"
"Sent me? No, she didn't send me."
"Oh..."
