Page 27 of Tempting Her Dragons (Embracing The Bond #10)

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Saphira

“ I know you killed her,” I whisper in his ear.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he cries.

“Bensen, aren’t you tired of lying?” I move back, walking to the table across from me. My fingers caress the handles of my knives. “You can tell me. I won’t reveal your secret.” Looking over my shoulder, I raise a brow at the man hanging in chains.

Heath was kind enough to supply the information about a man who had killed his girlfriend. Bensen has been living a double life, as most abusers do, and tortured his live-in girlfriend for three years before killing her two weeks ago. On the outside, he is an upstanding citizen. He wears a suit to work, donates to the holiday company parties, and is kind to animals.

At home, once he walks through the door, he becomes a different person. He likes his meals healthy, on time, and never burnt. His girlfriend, Bethanny, had to be on guard and perfectly put together at all times. She couldn’t have an opinion, be late, deny sex, or have a job outside of taking care of him. He mentally and physically abused her.

The tipping point was when she snuck out of the house when she thought he was at a work conference. Her sister had a baby. Bensen hadn’t allowed Bethanny to see her for over a year. She wanted to meet her nephew. She was gone for two hours and then walked back into the house, into hell. He did the most disgusting, horrible things to her before he lost any control he had left.

“She didn’t obey,” he whispers through dry lips. “Every day I had to discipline her. She wasn’t allowed to leave the house.” Red creeps across his face. He can’t hold his confessions back. “It didn’t matter where I was—she was supposed to follow the rules. She was lucky to have me and should have been grateful. She didn’t have to work. I supplied her with everything she needed. I gave her money, bought her pretty clothes, and fed her well. What more did she need?” he asks, his voice vibrating with rage.

“Do you really want me to answer that question?” I ask, picking a knife.

“Who are you?” he asks for the tenth time since waking up in the old barn.

“My name is Saphira,” I say, and point to the two men leaning against the wall. “Those are my mates, Kingston, and Maverick.” My gaze sticks for a moment on their sexy forms.

“Mates?” Bensen asks, and I tear my attention away.

“Yes.” I smile brightly. “I’m a dragon shifter.”

He laughs abruptly. “Right. Who sent you? Did you know my girlfriend?”

“It doesn’t matter if you believe me or not,” I sigh, swinging the knife in the air. “I didn’t know Bethanny, but I know some of the desperation and fear she felt.”

“What do you want?” he grits out.

“I want there to be more men like my mates and our family. I hate that pieces of shit like you still exist in the world. You shouldn’t be able to get away with killing a woman who only made the mistake of loving you.” I tap the tip of the knife against his chest. “I hope Bethanny smiles wherever she is when I kill you.”

“Fucking bitch,” he screams, twisting his body. “You can’t do this.”

“Watch your mouth,” Kingston warns. They push off the wall, walking closer.

“I can do whatever the fuck I want to you,” I sing. “When I’m done, nothing will be left of your body but ash.” I cut through his shirt to the skin below. “It would be nice if you begged,” I suggest.

“Fuck you,” he spits.

“My friend Ryker hates the begging, but the men I kill get off on their victims’ cries.” I stab him in the thigh. “Let me hear you beg,” I taunt.

“Shit, alright,” he gasps. “Please let me go. I’ll do anything.”

“Hmm…” I pull out the knife and stab his other leg. “I thought it would be more satisfying. You should do more.”

“Please,” he moans.

“Still not effective,” I mumble.

“What are they going to do to me?” His glazed eyes filled with pain focus over my shoulder.

“We’re here for the show,” Kingston drawls.

“We love watching our mate wreak vengeance,” Maverick says.

I smirk at the shock on Bensen’s face. Ryker was right. It’s nice to have backup, but I don’t need them to do the work for me.

It’s been three weeks of nothing but my mates showing me their love in every way. Killing Bensen was the first time we left the house or land around it. It felt good but it’s nice to be back, laying under the tree next to my waterfall.

We woke up after completing the bond and our marks had formed. Kingston’s mark under my breast was the image of a coiled rope. He thought it was perfect; I connect all of us. My hip, where Maverick’s resided, was exactly what his dragon looks like. Kingston now has a firefly made of flames on his neck, and Maverick’s chest has all of our names twined together. The universe knows all.

Sally has been texting nonstop about her adventures with Roxanne. Micah had to bail them out of jail a week ago. The chargers were murky, and they both refuse to explain what landed them behind bars. Micah laughed for five minutes when I called to ask and told me it wasn’t a big deal and forget about it. My mates didn’t seem worried, which means it most likely has happened before.

Rach brought the memories of the Games back in full force and the first couple nights after were filled with nightmares. Her love for a man in a desperate situation blinded her from his true nature. Quinn offered more information about her, but I didn’t want to know. I just want to move past what she did, and I know nothing will change the outcome of her actions. What I need is to be with my mates and take the comfort they give me.

They lay on either side of me, my hands clasped in theirs, enjoying the peace of the forest. We will wait until it’s dark and fly together. The first time I saw their dragons was magical, and joining them in the sky is an experience that will never get old. We move as one, so connected in both our forms, and can speak while shifted.

The guys assured me that they are happy to live here in my little cabin. There have been many late nights filled with discussions about the future and the fears of our past. We want to start a family as soon as possible, and they have used every opportunity to get me pregnant.

I’m not complaining.

Tomorrow night, we invited everyone in the family for a meal. Roxanne is getting impatient; she wants to spend time with her sons before she leaves. She decided to go back home and find someone to rent the house and land. Soon, she will be a permanent resident here. The guys are happy and so am I. The family is growing by the minute and I expect more to find us, and the remaining single shifters that live here.

I won’t be going back to waitressing. Ryker showed no emotion when I called to quit. He took my resignation gracefully.

“You’re frowning,” Maverick says.

“I was thinking about when I quit my job,” I say.

“Are you regretting it?” Kingston asks.

“No.” I bit my lip. “Ryker didn’t seem like he was broken up about it.”

“Probably because he wasn’t,” Kingston says dryly.

“You light one person’s hair on fire,” I mutter.

“Two people,” Maverick reminds me.

“I didn’t do the second one,” I say.

“It could have been the two bald heads,” King says.

“Or the broken arm,” Mav says.

“I was late a lot,” I say.

“Could be that,” Mav says.

“Still, he’ll have a hard time replacing me,” I say, not believing it for a minute.

“Firefly, you hated the job,” King says.

“That’s true,” I mumble. “I was hoping for a little begging.”

“Ryker doesn’t beg,” Mav says.

“He would die before he utters a word in the realm of begging,” King says.

“What’s wrong with a little begging?” I ask, licking my lips. They roll to their sides.

“We don’t mind hearing it,” King says, pressing his palm to my stomach.

“In fact, we encourage it in the right moments,” Mav adds, tucking my hair behind my ear.

“I have to have the right motivation,” I mention lightly. “It has to be something I want really badly.”

“Hmm…” Kingston slides his hand under my shirt. “What could you want desperately?”

“My mates are pretty tempting,” I whisper as Mav bites my ear.

“I disagree,” Mav says. “We are the lucky ones. Our mate is stunning inside and out. She is the tempting one.”

“Does that mean I’m going to hear some begging?” I groan as King pushes up my shirt and licks his mark.

“Begging isn’t in our nature either, Firefly.” He sucks.

“There’s no need to beg when we all want the same thing,” Mav says roughly and sucks my nipple through my shirt.

There may have been a little begging: from all of us.