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The ugliest dragon fronts up to me, chest puffed out and nostrils flaring with black smoke that tells me he’s just as scared as he should be. “I think you’ll find she’s mine tonight. We’re not looking for trouble. I assure you I’ve booked and paid. If you don’t believe me you can call the agency.”
I feel the tic in my jaw as I clench my teeth. “I don’t care who you paid and for how long. She’s not yours.”
I avoid looking at Tamsin’s face so I won’t see the look of irony she’s casting me right now. Besides, I can’t look at that overblown firestarter’s hands on her a second longer.
Another male nudges the one stupid enough to confront me. “Ahhhh, Chal, how about we leave it, huh? She’s just a whore—”
“Don’t!”
I don’t even realize I’ve reached for my glasses until Tamsin lurches forward, her free hand outstretched toward me. “They’re not worth it.”
Her voice is soft, but it carries to me across the noise of the casino and the growls and shouts of three dragons. I think it’s the sorrow in her tone that does it.
I pause, hand halfway to my eyes, glaring at her captors. “Leave now and don’t return to my casino. In fact, if I wereyou, I’d take a very long holiday somewhere far away from Heartstone and consider making it permanent.”
The first male’s mouth opens, but his companions have slightly more sense. They drag him away before he can say anything else.
“Did they hurt you?” I step close enough to Tamsin to look her over better. I don’t touch her, though I badly want to.
She shakes her head. It’s not lost on me the way her smile looks forced and the corners of her mouth look tight.
“Tamsin.”
She shakes her head again, more forcefully this time. “I’m fine.”
“You’re not fine.” I stride the last steps to the elevator and punch the button, praying she cooperates. I’m not going to be the jerk who lays his hands on her after that. I have to be better than them. I have to be better than who I was a week ago.
“Come with me.” I take a deep breath and soften my tone. “Please.”
She hesitates. “Really, I’m fine. I think I’ll just go home.”
“Flower—” I don’t need to say anything else. As soon as I say the word, her face crumples and tears well at her eyes.
I cave in to my baser desires and gather her into my arms, carrying her into the elevator when the doors spring open.
The doors close and she lays her head on my shoulder. A little knot of fury releases a little as she does. Lifting my wrist, I use my smartwatch to dial the hotel manager. She answers almost immediately.
“Mr. Ssalaar, what can I do for you?”
“Is anyone booked into the penthouse tonight?”
“Yes, sir. We’re expecting them to check in any minute—”
“Vacate it. Tell them there’s a problem. Book them into the next best available room or pay for them to transfer to another ofour hotels. I don’t care. I’m using the penthouse and I am not to be disturbed until I say otherwise. Understood?”
“Uh, yes, sir.” Rachel hangs up and I trust she will make it happen.
Within minutes we’re out of the elevator and I’m using my pass to open the door to the suite.
“You can just take me home.” Tamsin still doesn’t lift her head from my shoulder.
“Absolutely not. Not until I’ve seen that you are OK. Regardless of what you tell me. Seen it with my own eyes.”
I stride through the suite until I find the nearest bed. I sit her down gently on the pure white coverlet and kneel at her feet. “Tell me you’re OK and mean it.”
She’s quiet.
At least she’s not still lying to me.
