Page 65 of A Dragon's Miracle (Fires of Fate)

“Renegotiate?” Jin laughed. Ialreadywanted to punch him. “How intriguing,” he said. “Please come in.” He stepped aside and led me into his living room. “Are Ryan and the baby doing well?”

“None of your business.”None of your anything.He had to understand that neither Ryan nor the baby were his. The sooner he got that the better.

“Finn, Finn, Finn.” He shook his head. “So hostile today. Don't you know that you should be nice to your business partners?”

“I'm not much of a business man.”

“And yet you came here to negotiate.”

“Maybe I'm not good at it, but I gotta do what I can. To protect what's mine.”And mine only.

“Oh? You sound like you're going to show me your teeth.”

“Something like that,” I admitted. “I want to challenge you to a fight.”

“A fight?” Jin shot me an amused look. He didn't think I was serious. Good. Then he was probably underestimating me too. Lots of people did that. I didn't usually let it bother me. “That's quite the proposition. Why should I fight you?”

“Two reasons,” I said, because I'd thought long and hard about this on my plane ride here. “One, you'd be able to visit the Island of Dragons. I know it'd be a short term visa, but I bet you're itching to shift again. That alone might be enough, but there's also point two--if you win against me, I'm going to do whatever you want me to.”

Jin rubbed his chin, a thoughtful look on his face. “Intriguing indeed. I presume if you win you want me to keep giving you the medicine Ryan needs?”

“For free,” I added. “I also want back everything Ryan and I have given you so far.”

Jin laughed. “That's a lot to ask!”

“It only matters if you think you're going to lose.”

“I wouldn't lose a fight against you.”

I smiled, holding my hand out to him. “Then why not try it?”

He returned my smile, only on his face it looked nearly sadistic. “Fine.” He shook my hand. “I hope you're prepared to do all the things I'll ask of you.”

I pressed my lips together and said nothing. I was going to fight him and I wasn't going to doanythingfor him, because I was going to win.

I had to.