Page 2 of Not a Pawn (Tales of the Dreggageggon #2)

The Boogeyman Is Coming

Julian

Sebastian and I have decided to go this alone. We don’t need our men putting themselves in danger. We intend to wipe every Pezzo from the face of the earth, and stealth would be the best way to accomplish this task. Going in heavy-handed could end with the girl—Harlow—getting hurt. Or worse. Besides, it won’t take more than the two of us to end this.

We drive to the Pezzo compound in my brother’s red Mustang, which is a little much for me, but he is a fire dragon and overly flashy. We’ve had this conversation a million times and I won’t go through that again. It’s tedious, and after all the years we have lived, neither of us is willing to change our ways, both stubborn to the core.

“Which side do you want?” Sebastian asks.

“I’ll take the west,” I reply with a nod scanning the surrounding area.

A moment later my brother brings his loud and flashy car to a stop and we both exit. From here, we will walk. We may be older and stronger than the dragons we are about to eviscerate, but the element of surprise will still stand in our favor. We split up about a mile from the compound without a word, each knowing the plan and how to do what needs to be done.

I travel between the trees, watching and listening for anything that seems out of place. Inside the monstrosity that Marco Pezzo calls home, I hear laughter and music. Of course, these pigs would have a party while they held an innocent woman hostage. Fucking idiots.

The moment I breach the back door, the scent of freshly baked bread assaults me. There isn’t a thing in this world I love more, and it almost diverts me from my mission. Shaking my head to clear my senses, I walk along the corridor, checking for any men as I make my way deeper into the bowels of the house. For long minutes, I don’t see a single soul until a man stumbles out of the bathroom, still fastening his pants.

I don’t hesitate, all the men under this roof have evil in their hearts that I can sense from a mile away. I open my mouth and blast him with my ice breath, freezing him to the spot. His eyes are frozen in shock as is his body, locked in ice.

Around me, I listen for signs of another but only hear the far-off sounds of the party. My steps are light as I continue on my path, silent as I creep upon my prey.

“Bring the bitch here,” a loud voice demands above the other noise. “It’s time to teach her where she belongs. On her knees in front of me.”

The men cheer loudly. Moments later, I can hear a woman cursing.

“Get your fucking hands off me!” Her voice is loud and firm, calling to my soul in this den of murder and mayhem.

The sound carries through the house, rousing my dragon. He pushes against me, demanding that I shift and allow him to do what must be done.

“Brother,” Sebastian reaches out to me through our mind link.

“I know,” I growl, barely holding back my dragon as he roars in the corners of my mind. “Our mate.”

****

Dragon Protectors?

Harlow

For the past hour I have been locked inside the hallway closet, listening to the men outside this thin door, drinking and partying. I know in my heart that eventually someone will come for me, bring me before Marco, and then everything will go to shit.

I try to remain calm and keep the thoughts flashing through my mind on a constant loop at bay. I know how Elites can be when they start drinking. But these men are worse, they are Elites and criminals, they are protected from any kind or repercussions because of their standing in society.

They are men with no morals, no ethics, and I’m sure no compassion. Thinking of what they will do to me has me shaking like a damn leaf.

I’m not some virginal maiden who has no idea what the world is like. I watch the news, I live in the less favorable part of town. I know horrendous things happen to people every day. I just never for a second thought I would be subjected to any of that.

The door swings open and a burly man with a buzz cut smiles at me. “Come along, little pet. Marco wants to play with his new toy.”

He grabs my upper arm, pulling me from the safe space of the closet. No, I don’t want to be locked in there, but damn, it was a fine sight safer than whatever this man is dragging me toward. I pull at my arm and even kick at his leg.

“Get your fucking hands off me!” I yell, scratching and slapping at him.

The man chuckles before slapping me across the face. I lose my balance and end up on my knees again. The man releases my arm in favor of grabbing me by the hair and hauling me into the room. Men surround me, lecherous looks on their faces. My skin crawls as their gazes caress my body.

Tears spill down my cheeks, not just from the pain currently radiating from my scalp but from the embarrassment of not being able to defend myself from one man, much less twenty. I can’t do a single thing to stop whatever is going to happen to me and that thought breaks my heart.

The man tosses me to the ground before Marco’s feet.

“Finally, my prize,” Marco says with a chuckle. “Have you changed your mind?”

“About?” I ask with a glare, tears still streaming down my face.

“Belonging to me,” he says calmly. “All of this can be avoided. You can have a luxurious life, and I will shower you with gifts. All you have to do is accept my proposal.”

“And if I don’t?”

“Then, I will take what I want from you before passing you off to my men. You will beg for a death that will never come.”

His voice is cold, his words simple. He isn’t threatening me, simply stating a fact. I want to stand against him, but I also don’t want to be violated by all these men. My father will never return to save me, probably long dead. Now, I need to make decisions that help me survive. If I can gain Marco’s trust, perhaps I can one day escape.

Before the words can leave my lips, words that will slowly kill my soul, a fireball flies past my head, striking Marco in the face and engulfing him in flames. I watch mesmerized as Marco screams in pain, the flames close enough to engulf me as well. But nothing happens.

There is no heat, my hair doesn’t singe … nothing.

What the hell is going on here? Even as the daughter of a common fire dragon, I have always had to be careful of the flames. I’m not a dragon shifter so I’m not impervious to their talents.

Chaos has erupted all around me. Two men stand at the entrance of the room, and I can’t seem to look away. Both are massive, over six feet tall with dark hair. They are dressed in black, their bodies primed for a fight. More gorgeous yet evil men. How is that fair?

The one on the left stares at me as he makes his way toward me where I remain frozen on the ground. Gunfire assaults both men and before my eyes I watch as he transforms into his dragon. The man closest to me morphs into a stunning blue, white, and silver scaled dragon. He wraps his wings around my form, protecting me from the barrage of flying projectiles.

Staring up at him, I try to wrap my mind around what the fuck is going on, but it just doesn’t make sense. Deep curillin orbs stare into my soul right before I pass out.