Wicked Burn (Realm Enforcers #3)(55)

Nick heaved out a breath. “That’s f*cking crazy. You were just a kid.”

Bear slowly nodded. “Yeah, well, insanity is a staple with dragons. Sometimes they go too far over the deep end, like my father did when he tried to kidnap Simone.”

“So why the hell are you here and not preparing to save your own life?”

Bear lowered his chin. “Since the damn witches kidnapped me to Ireland, I chanced one last meeting with my half-brother to see if there was any way to stop the execution. When that failed, I was heading home to get ready for a fight because they will come after me. Then Vivienne called me and Desmond, and I was afraid Simone would end up in the wrong place and confess to the wrong thing. I haven’t spent a century in exile for her to go and get herself killed now.”

Nick coughed out heat and tried to retain focus when all he wanted to do was hit something. Hard. “You’re telling me that if Simone confesses to killing her father, she’ll be murdered.”

“Yes.”

Nick scrubbed both hands down his face. “Simone didn’t kill your father. I did.”

Bear winced. “I know, but she’ll probably try to protect you.”

“She’d better not.” She wouldn’t, would she? “You should’ve told Simone the truth about her being a dragon and not a bear shifter,” Nick said.

“Maybe, or maybe not. Either way, I wanted to protect her.”

Nick eyed the setting sun. “So a century ago, you lost your father, lost the sister you’d just found, and returned to dragon land to be sentenced to death.” Against his will, empathy slid through Nick’s mental armor.

“Pretty much. After, I’d headed to the States, joined the bear shifter nation, and never let anybody know about dragons.” Bear’s voice remained level, but Nick could sense the loneliness he must’ve felt as a kid.

“I’m sorry for any pain I caused you when I killed Roman.” Nick would do it again, to save Simone. “But now, we have to let the dragons know that neither you nor Simone killed Roman.”

Bear scratched his arm. “You have to understand that the second you confess, you’re a dead man, right? They definitely won’t let you leave.”

Nick nodded. “Unless you have a better idea, I say we go in and fight our way out.”

Bear winced. “You’ve noticed that demon mind attacks don’t work on dragon shifters, right?”

“Right.”

“You’ll be up against shifting beasts that can burn you to a crisp, and you won’t have any of your natural abilities. Can you teleport?” Bear asked.

Nick shook his head.

Bear sighed. “Then it’s crazy for you to even think of taking on the dragons. You don’t stand a chance.”

Nick mentally counted the weapons he’d stored in his temporary Dublin home. “I have more than my mind to use in battle. I couldn’t attack your mind, but I’ve been inside Simone’s, so there must be a way in.”

Bear shook his head. “The only way you got into Simone’s head was because she let you. On some level, she must really trust you.”

Nick tried to banish his fear as to what was happening to Simone. If she did confess to protect both Bear and Nick, would the dragons really kill her?

Nick had to save her, if it was the last thing he ever did. From the sound of things, there was a good chance it would turn out that way. “I want a layout of the dragon lair.” He turned and headed into the house.

Bear followed him inside. “It’s not a lair. It’s a mansion set into a cliff several thousand feet above jagged rocks and churning water.”

Nick paused. “So flying is the only way in or out?”

“Yep.”

“Are you sure you can become a dragon and get me in? You’re still not looking too good.” Bear’s normally bronze color hadn’t returned.

“I’m fine. Just takes practice.”

Okay, then. “Well then, shifter. Get ready to take a passenger right in.”





Chapter 21


The surreal night took an even more bizarre turn as Simone sat down to an opulent dinner, complete with servants, hosted by her newly discovered half-brother and cousin. The servants were deferential, or perhaps just plain fearful, and Simone’s teeth began to ache.

Everything in the room glittered with gold accents, including the utensils. “The legends about dragons and gold are true,” she said, taking a sip of an excellent Bordeaux and then leaving it alone for the baby’s sake.

Desmond nodded. He’d changed for dinner into a silver Armani suit complete with red power tie. With his brown hair and dark eyes, he could be a model. “Aye. Haven’t you felt the pull of gold and jewels?”

Hell yeah. She loved baubles and pretty things. Curiosity filled her about these new relatives. She’d been alone for so long, and now, suddenly she had more family members than she’d ever dreamed of, including Bear. “Sure, but no more than anybody else.”

“So you’ve never stolen money or hidden cash for pet projects or something only you approve of?” Flynn asked, cutting into a steak. While he’d also changed, there was something rough and untamed about him, even in a black suit that matched his hair.

Simone lifted an eyebrow, quite liking the roughness about him. It made him more approachable. Did he know about her trial? Was he hinting at the accusations against her? “That’s different.”