Dragon Heartstring(5)

Julian ran off with a gaggle of children toward the cake where Sorcha was cutting and serving up slices. Jessen came and stood between me and Demetrius, who checked his watch.

“You got a meeting or something?” she asked.

“Yes. But it can wait.”

“Jessen, I should be going,” I said. “I want to run by the clinic before I head home.”

“Of course. Thank you for coming.” She pulled me into a tight hug before saying low, “And I want to meet soon to talk more about the hearing.”

“Sure.”

“I’m sorry,” said Demetrius, cutting in. “But what hearing are you talking about?”

Jessen stared at him but didn’t respond.

I decided to tell him. “The hearing before the Gladium Parliament on the banning of Volt guns.”

Jessen turned her head away nervously.

Demetrius’s frown deepened. He slipped both hands in his pockets, a relaxed pose, but the strain in his shoulders said he was anything but. “When is this hearing?”

“In three weeks,” I answered.

“Why didn’t I hear any of this from the Chamber of Commerce?” asked Demetrius, obviously concerned. “I’m on the board.”

“Yes, well, we’ve been keeping it as tight-lipped as possible because of the controversy it will cause.”

Demetrius edged closer, and I was suddenly the focus of those intense brown eyes. “Who is bringing this proposal before parliament?”

“I am. That is, my father and my aunt are on behalf of the Icewing clan. But I’ll be presenting the proposal along with them.”

He stared, and I was entirely unsure what he could be thinking. My pulse raced faster as he measured me while Jessen glanced between us. I didn’t appreciate his scrutiny.

“Don’t get your hot temper going, Demetrius,” said Jessen. “I know this might cause a rift in your business dealings, but you must know whose side I’m on in this matter.”

He swiveled to face her directly, shoulders squared and tense. “I thought you’d know whose side I’m on.”

“Actually, I’m not exactly sure,” she added.

He stood straighter, his brow creasing as if he’d been stung by her response. “Jessen, I don’t give a good goddamn about the rift in the business world. I’ve seen first-hand the damage Volt guns can do. I watched you nearly get killed by one of those damn things. And knowing there’s a weapon that could kill my nephew within a split second because he has Morgon DNA makes me more than amenable to your cause to ban them. And just so we’re very clear on the matter, we haven’t been a distributor for Grayson’s company since—” He waved at her shoulder, then swallowed whatever else he planned to say. His comm device buzzed in his pocket. After checking the screen, he said irritably, “I’ve got to go. Tell Julian goodbye for me.”

“No, Demetrius. Don’t.” She stopped him with a hand on his arm. “Please. I’m sorry. I should’ve known. I just thought that, well—”

“Jessen. I know now there’s more to life than money and the family business.” He’d softened his tenor, but the pain resonated still.

“Do you?” she teased, pulling on his collar. “Because you go to parties dressed for work. I’ll bet you sleep in your damn suits.”

“Never.” He arched a dark brow. “They’d get too wrinkled.”

She laughed. “All right. Well, you have an appointment with your nephew tomorrow in the park. Leave the suit.”

Feeling as if I’d intruded on a private moment, I stepped away and brushed a hand on Jessen’s arm. “I’ll call you tomorrow.”

“Wait, Shakara. Why don’t you come with us to the park tomorrow? I’ll bring lunch, and we can go over the hearing while Demetrius flies that enormous kite he bought for Julian.”

My heart skittered ahead as I glanced at Demetrius. “That sounds great. Call me with the time.”

With a quick wave, I walked through the living room toward the door, eager to step out of a sibling squabble. And eager to put some distance between myself and Demetrius Cade. The man unnerved me.

“Thank you, Brant,” I said, as he held open the door into the foyer.

“Good afternoon, Ms. Icewing.”

“Good afternoon.”

I stepped into the elevator. As the doors were closing, I heard someone say, “Wait. Hold it, please.”

Again, my stomach fluttered at the sound of his voice. Demetrius entered the elevator, and I let the door slide closed.

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

The air felt heavy in the confined space. My pulse pounded faster with every floor we fell toward the ground level. I was quite happy he wasn’t a Morgon. Otherwise, he’d hear my heartbeat pounding away. And he’d get the wrong idea. The only reason he made me nervous was because Jessen had often told me of her childhood, of a brother who had beat up the boy down the street when the bully had shoved her on the playground. Or the time when Demetrius had threatened every guy in high school who asked her on a date. He was protective to the core, that was certain. He’d thought he was keeping her safe when he’d come between her and Lucius. But he hadn’t understood the love they shared. Not then anyway. And all of those late-night conversations with Jessen when she’d shared intimacies about her family made me anxious standing next to the man. It was like I knew his secrets, yet he thought us mere strangers.