Wicked Burn (Realm Enforcers #3)(63)

A guard became visible beyond Bear.

Simone got up from the bed and tried to banish the desire still humming within her. Time to play the game. “I would very much like to dine with family.” And get to know Flynn and hopefully bring him over to their side.

“That’s the attitude,” Bear said.

Nick subtly adjusted his jeans. “Bear, if time wasn’t so damn short for me right now, I’d kill you.”

Bear slowly nodded. “I get that a lot.”

Simone patted Nicholai on the chest, her heart beating so hard her ribs ached. “I’ll be back after dinner, and then we’ll have a nice chat.” She had no problem manipulating a man, but since Flynn was her brother, she couldn’t use her usual arsenal. “Trust me. I can do this,” she whispered.

“I do.” Nick pulled her back around and pressed his mouth against hers, urgency and emotion in his kiss. “Be careful.”

She kissed him back and then sidled around him, not meeting Bear’s eyes. It wasn’t as if there had been any time to tell Nick about the baby, and now she couldn’t do so with the guard listening. He’d probably report right back to Desmond, and that prick could never know about her pregnancy.

Bear moved past her and exchanged a few words with Nick, quickly turning to grasp Simone’s arm and follow her into the hall. She kept her face stoic for the guard’s sake. Bear shut the door and looked down at her, his honey-brown eyes burning.

“I didn’t have a chance to tell him, ah, about my feelings. We looked at the room, then we started kissing, and then you were there.” Simone kept her voice quiet as Bear grabbed a lantern off the ground.

“He deserves to know, about um, how you feel,” Bear rumbled.

“I know.” There was no way to elaborate with the guard trailing them, so she just nodded. “The night is young.” And there was so much to do, damn it.

A sense of urgency pressed in on her as she moved up the stairwell and tried to center herself. Nick was alone in the dungeon, and while he was a hell of a fighter, he couldn’t use his abilities against dragons.

She could control fire, but so could dragons.

The enemy for once actually seemed to have more power than the side she was trying to fight for. She rubbed her belly, fully cognizant of how much she had to lose. Her shoulders went back, and she drew on the fire of her people.

Time to manipulate her brother and hope it didn’t backfire in her face.





Chapter 24


Simone smoothed down the wispy green dress. The fine silk drew in over the bodice and smoothed down her hips, ending right above the knee. The color suited her, and with calfskin boots, she felt feminine power course through her.

Not once in her entire life had she apologized for enjoying her femininity. As a witch, she was a badass, and she could dress however she liked.

“Thank you for the clothes,” she murmured to Flynn as they sat in a drawing room.

“You’re lovely,” he returned, lifting his glass of aged whiskey in the air.

“Thank you.” She held her glass, enjoying the scent of the potent brew. “Will Desmond be joining us?”

“Soon. He’s taking care of business right now.”

Perfect. Simone looked around the room. Antique chairs, probably handcrafted, had been placed in several individual groupings, a couple with game tables. Priceless oil paintings lined two of the walls, and an enormous bookcase took up the third, while the final wall was actually a doorway to the dining room. “This is a nice room.”

“There’s a much better library farther into the cliffs. I’ll take you after dinner, if you’d like.” Flynn sipped his drink, his gaze thoughtful. For dinner, he’d thrown on slightly wrinkled black slacks and a white button-down shirt open at the collar.

She forced a smile. “I need to know. How much danger is Bear in if he shifts into a dragon again?”

Flynn’s eyes darkened. “Terrible danger. It’s like forcing a square peg into a wood chipper. His soul is shredded, as is his body. A bear can’t be a dragon, and at some point, his organs will just blow up and kill him.”

“Then he needs to knock it off.” She wouldn’t let Bear harm himself.

“Agreed.” Flynn sighed. “Get to it, Simone. Please.”

She set down her glass. “Get to what?”

“Come on. I wasn’t born yesterday, and Desmond is going to be here soon. Say what you need to say, I’ll say what I need to say, and we’ll move forward from there.” His voice remained low and rough, reminding her of his dragon lineage.

She took a deep breath. “You’re my brother.”

“I surely am.” Although his eyes were black, there was a shimmer, a bluish shimmer in them that was all dragon.

Would she someday have that shimmer? “So help me.”

“I am helping you.”

“How is that?” She lifted her chin.

He leaned forward. “By keeping you from committing treason and getting yourself killed. Well, treason here. You’ve already committed it in the witch nation.”

She ground her back teeth together. “Not really.”

“Yes, really. So here’s the deal. You refrain from attempting any silly rescue of the demon, and we’ll grant you sanctuary on Fire Island for the rest of eternity, if you so desire.”