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Chapter Sixteen

Maddox left his apartment to open his shop while I was still sipping my coffee. He wanted things to appear business as normal for anyone who might be watching. If anyone watched. I’d been randomly peeking out the window as I puttered around his place, wasting time since the tattoo shop didn’t open as early. Not once did I spot anything untoward, but then again, would I really notice someone good at spying?

After my shower, I made breakfast for Abaddon, his second, seeing as how he’d also eaten with Maddox. Me, I barely nibbled my piece of toast, but it didn’t go to waste with my dragon-can. He even licked the plate clean of crumbs before I slid it into the dishwasher.

For some reason, Princess had taken to stalking Abaddon, a slinking shadow who slyly watched from behind the corner of the couch or peeked around the edge of the kitchen island. To his credit, Abaddon ignored her, but that didn’t mean I trusted the pair of them alone. When it came time for me to head over to the shop, I grabbed the kitty who purred as I scratched behind her ears.

“You’re leaving me? Again?” Abaddon pouted.

“I need to grab the keys for the barn from Leo. I won’t be gone too long. You’ll be fine. Maddox is right downstairs.” As would be Princess, as I planned to drop her off on my way out. “The door to the rooftop is open just in case you need a quick exit.”

“I can’t believe you’re making us live in a barn. Why can’t we stay here?” he grumbled.

“I’ve told you why.” Apart from Abaddon’s growing size and my fear he’d do something to the cat, I didn’t want to bring more trouble down on Maddox. If the man in the suit came after me and my dragon again, I’d prefer Maddox not get swept up in the mess.

“How can my protector do his duty if he’s not around?”

“Don’t worry. I’m fairly certain we’ll still be seeing a lot of him.” I hoped. Things had been going well thus far, but I kept waiting for the straw that broke the burly pet shop keeper’s back. “Be good while I’m gone and try to not eat everything.”

“No promises,” muttered my Little Fella as I left.

I popped Princess into her queenly bed in the storage room before heading into the shop. Maddox smiled upon seeing me.

“Taking off?”

“Yeah. Leo texted. He’s got the keys so I’m going to grab them and then hit a store for a few things.” Like underwear. I had some stuff stashed at Maddox’s place but not enough to constitute a wardrobe.

“Sounds good. See you in a few.” A casual goodbye, unlike the kiss he bestowed upon me.

My toes curled and I wanted nothing more than to drag him into the back and have my way with him. Hmm. On second thought…

A good thing we could be quick seeing as how the bell on the shop door dinged just as we finished. Mads quickly tucked and buttoned before heading out to deal with the customer.

After fixing my mussed hair, I also sauntered out, my step brisk as I walked to work. I entered to find my boss leaning on the counter, chatting with Kalypso.

Upon seeing me, her mouth rounded and she exclaimed, “Oh, Pip, I am so sorry about your place. You okay?”

“Yeah. Luckily, I wasn’t there when it happened.”

“Were you able to save anything?”

I shook my head.

“It was a shit thing to happen. Especially since you had that new pet,” Leo stated.

His comment startled me for a second until I remembered I’d told them a half-truth about me acquiring a lizard to explain my visit to the pet store. “Guess I wasn’t meant to be a reptile mommy.”

“Any idea what started the fire?” Kalypso asked. Morbid yes, but let’s be honest, people couldn’t help but be curious when tragedy struck others.

“No idea, but I was having problems with a plug in the kitchen. Guess I shouldn’t have fucked around getting it fixed.”

“Well, at least we’ve got an epic boss. I’m kind of jealous you get to stay in the barn. Place is a hundred times nicer and bigger than my shithole.” Kalypso’s nose wrinkled.

“It’s only temporarily, until I figure out what to do next.”

“I think this was a sign you need to start building,” Leo declared.

“The sign could have been a little less destructive,” was my wry reply. “Building from scratch will take months, and winter is coming.”

“Actually, you could get it done quick if you went with a prebuilt home. I have a friend sitting on a ready-to-go house in his warehouse because the buyer couldn’t come up with the final payment. Given he got to keep the deposit and needs it gone, I could probably get him to swing you a deal.”

“Really?” For a second, excitement filled me, until I remembered Abaddon. I couldn’t take him back to my property, not until I could be sure those goons would leave us alone.

“I’ll make a phone call and see what my friend can do.”

I chewed the tip of my thumb. “I probably don’t have enough to pay for a house in cash.”

“Cash?” Leo snorted. “What you need is called a bank loan. Before you say anything, I know your granny would hate it, but in this case, it’s the right thing to do if you want a roof over your head before the snow starts flying.”

“You think they could really install it that fast?”

“Like I said, the house is already made. Just needs a concrete pad and some utilities run, then boom. Drop it on top and hook it up. Instant home.” He made it sound so easy and I had to at least pretend I wasn’t planning on permanently relocating.

“Talk to your friend and let me know what he says.”

“Will do, but even if he can’t help until spring, you know the barn is yours as long as you need it.”

“Thanks, Leo.” I really did have the best boss.

And the best boyfriend.

When I returned from some essential shopping, Maddox told me he needed to pop out for about an hour and asked if I would mind the shop. Easy enough to sit on the stool behind the counter and ring up purchases, although the person who wanted live crickets got told to come back because like hell would I be wrangling bugs.

My temporary gig as a pet store clerk ended when Maddox’s part-time employee, Suzy—a plump woman with a big smile—showed up. I headed back to the apartment with Princess in tow to find my dragon reading on the couch—with a bag of Doritos.

I happened to be looking out the window when Maddox returned and parked out front with a motorcycle trailer hooked to his truck.

“You didn’t have to rent a trailer. I would have been driving over by myself,” I exclaimed when he joined me inside the apartment.

“As if I’d let you move in alone, and besides, you need my truck seeing as how little bud is too big for your saddlebags now.”

Duh. I’d completely forgotten the bugger had grown again. Good thing one of us was using their head. Actually, in Maddox’s case, he used two. Snicker.

“While I was out, I also grabbed some groceries.”

“You and Leo must share a brain,” I said with a laugh. “Apparently, he had the fridge and pantry fully stocked as well.”

“Well, considering a certain someone’s appetite, you’ll need it.” We both eyed Abaddon, now the size of a medium dog, who’d moved on from the chips and was eating directly from a box of Honeycombs while Princess sat on a stool, tail swishing.

“How are we getting him into the truck without being seen?” I asked.

“I’ve got a duffel bag that’s roomy enough for him.”

“Oh, he’s going to bitch about that.”

“Wouldn’t be the first or last time.” Maddox chuckled.

But to our surprise, Abaddon willingly entered the zippered luggage with a bag of beef jerky and cookies.

The ride to Leo’s estate took about twenty minutes, the first ten minutes spent craning backwards to see if we were followed.

“You can stop giving yourself a neck cramp. We’re clear,” Maddox murmured softly. “I’ve been keeping an eye on traffic.”

I leaned back in the seat and sighed. “Being paranoid is exhausting.”

“Well, if you’re boss’s security is as good as you say then you should be able to relax.”

I snorted. “Doubtful. If Mr. Stick-Up-His-Ass shows up again flashing an actual warrant, I’m fucked. Leo might be a rebel about the machine, but even he avoids trouble with the law. As he should. I don’t want him having any issues because of me.”

“I think if that asshole were legit, he’d have had all his paperwork in order when he descended on your place. More likely we’re dealing with some fringe group that thought they could bully you into giving them what they wanted.”

“A fringe group?” I repeated with a chortle. “Like, what, you think they belonged to the Society of Dragon Collectors?”

“You laugh, but I wouldn’t be too surprised if one existed. I mean, there are other examples of odd sects like the Templar Knights or the Illuminati.”

Could he have a point? “Guess if some such cult did exist, they’d know the basics about dragons. I just wish I knew what they planned to do with Abaddon. It would be one thing if they wanted him so they could worship and serve him, but another if they wanted to dissect or use him nefariously. I wonder what happened to the other dragon Abaddon heard them referring to?”

“Assuming they already have one, they’ve obviously not done anything public with it yet. I haven’t seen anything about fire-breathing dragons in the news or on social media,” Maddox pointed out.

“Not all of us breathe fire,” came a muffled reply from the back.

I craned despite not being able to see my Little Fella amidst the grocery bags. “What else can dragons do?”

“Lightning. Acid. Water. Wind.”

“Hot damn. A water dragon would be cool for my garden when we get summer droughts.” Yeah, I said it on purpose and Abaddon fell for it.

“Water dragons are the weakest,” Abaddon squeaked.

“Doesn’t water put out fire?”

“Water douses, but fire burns. Water won’t tumble castles or do more than soak a person, whereas fire can destroy entire towns.”

“Speaking of burning down shit, no fire inside the barn! We need that place to live,” I admonished.

“I’m not stupid or careless,” Abaddon muttered.

“Just putting down some ground rules.” Then to soften my order, added, “I can’t wait for you to roast me some marshmallows.”

“They shall be golden perfection,” Abaddon boasted.

When we arrived at Leo’s ranch, a sprawling few hundred acres of fields and forest, Maddox whistled. “Does that fence run the whole length of it?”

The metal barrier with rods spaced barely far enough to stick an arm through rose ten feet with the top of it barbed. Bolted to it at intervals were signs. No Trespassing. Private Property. Under Surveillance.

“Yup, the whole way around. Leo said his grandad had it erected because of a fight with another rancher. Something about cattle rustling.”

“Must have cost a fortune.”

“Leo’s family made a lot of money back in the day.” And Leo continued the tradition despite not being a rancher. Turned out renting land could also be lucrative—and less work.

“You have a code to get in?” Maddox stopped his truck by the front gate and opened his window so he could use the keypad.

I recited the alphanumeric string and he punched it in. The gate whirred and shifted on its mechanized track, giving us entry. The long driveway went for a quarter kilometer before reaching the house, but we turned left at the first fork and followed it for a click before reaching a large barn surrounded by paddocks.

Maddox whistled at the sight of the building. “You know, when you said barn, my mind immediately went to big, red, wooden shed.”

“As if Leo would own something so outdated.” The structure before us gleamed, the metal roof and siding immaculate, broken only by windows and doors. A small door for people and massive double for the horses. Currently, the barn held no animals. When Franco, the groom employed to handle the care and training of the horses, died, Leo chose to sell off his stallion and three mares rather than replace the man.

“Take in the duffel while I snag the groceries. Wouldn’t want the ice cream and fudge bars melt,” Maddox stated, sliding out of the truck.

As I hefted the zippered bag, I glanced around and noted a camera mounted to the barn facing the driveway. A blinking red light indicated it was recording. I’d have to ask Leo about turning it off. While I craved the security of the perimeter, I didn’t want Abaddon to have to hide all the time while we stayed here. A growing dragon needed fresh air. But what excuse could I use with my boss? I’d have to think of something plausible.

I entered the building and spotted another camera monitoring the line of stalls. Dammit. I’d have to warn Abaddon to not leave the loft apartment until I had those recording devices handled. However, before I called Leo to ask a favor, I’d get my dragon and myself settled.

The duffel bumped my leg as I climbed the spiraling steps to the second level. At the top, I unlocked the door and entered a spacious, open concept living space with massive windows overlooking the pastures. A great view of the open space. Wouldn’t be easy for anyone to sneak up from that direction.

“Can I get out now?” Abaddon asked.

“Give me a second to check the place out.” Did Leo have surveillance even inside the private apartment? I perused all the walls and ceiling before relaxing enough to say, “It’s safe to come out, but don’t be plastering yourself in the window until I know if this area gets any traffic.”

Abaddon emerged cautiously and sniffed as he waddled around the space before flopping on a shag rug in front of a cold fireplace and declaring, “This is acceptable.”

I snorted. “Glad you like it since it’s our home until we figure out our next move.”

“Our next move should be to vanquish the hunters.”

“Oh, just that?” I queried. “Easy peasy.”

“What’s easy?” Maddox asked as he entered laden with bags.

“Little Fella thinks we just need to eliminate the goons looking for him and all will be good.”

“Why do all that work when you can just go after whoever is paying them?” Maddox asked, heaving the bags onto the large island.

“That’s assuming it’s a single person giving them orders and not the government.”

“The more I think about it, the more I get the impression we’re dealing with a private player. This is Canada, after all. Our government takes forever to get anything done and usually only starts after years of pointless studies.”

My lips quirked. “Good point.”

“I’m hungry,” Abaddon stated. “Do I smell watermelon?”

“Yup.” Maddox pulled it from a cloth bag and my dragon moved so quick, I expected to see sparks.

“Gimme!” He held up his hands for it.

“Excuse me?” I huffed, hands planted on my hips.

“May I have it, please?” groused Abaddon.

“Here you go, bud.”

“Mine,” Abaddon hummed, hugging the giant melon to his body.

“You know the rule,” I stated, pointing in the direction of the bathroom that I knew held a large glass stall.

“I’m not a child,” pouted my young dragon as he toted his watermelon away.

“Then don’t sulk like one,” I shouted.

Maddox snickered. “How long before he enters the dragon teen years and gives you the middle claw or stomps to his room and slams the door?”

A sigh escaped me. “Soon. Too soon.” This rapid growth proved challenging as Abaddon changed daily.

“This is a pretty sweet place,” Maddox remarked as I helped him put away the groceries—which involved some serious Tetris skills seeing as how Leo had already filled the fridge and cupboards.

“Used to be where Franco lived so he could be close to the horses.”

“What happened to them? I noticed the stalls were empty.”

“When Franco died, Leo couldn’t find anyone he really liked and since he wasn’t a rider he thought it simpler to sell them off. The horses were left over from his mother.”

“Do all his employees live this well?”

“Just the ones he likes,” I joked.

“Did you see all the cameras? I spotted one on the barn, another inside, plus another pair on a swivel covering the pastures.”

“I noticed.” My lips twisted. “I never realized before how many he had set up. Do you think Leo will find it odd if I ask him to disconnect a few?”

“Seems like a normal request for privacy, but you know him better than me.”

“Ooh, the privacy angle is a great excuse. I’ll tell him I can’t exactly have outdoor sex if I think his security guys are watching,” I mused aloud.

“Open air nookie? I’m in even if I have to take a hammer to the cameras,” Maddox drawled with a wink.

He always found a way of making me feel sexy as hell.

“In good news, I didn’t spot any cameras inside.”

“It would have been weird if you had. One would expect to not be watched when relaxing in their off time.”

“Speaking of relaxing, if we toss Abaddon that bag of sticky toffee, we might be able to get five minutes to ourselves.”

“And what would those five minutes involve?” he purred.

“Bedroom tour, and a testing of the mattress. That is, if you’re up for it.”

He grabbed my hand and placed it on his groin. “For you, always ready.”

Indeed, his erection swelled the front of his jeans and despite our quickie that morning, I was ready to go again.

“You toss Little Fella the candy while I go strip.” I left him and strode to the bedroom, it and the bathroom being the only enclosed rooms. The bed, a king-sized thing on a platform, faced a window that would greet the morning sun. Gross for a girl who liked to sleep in.

A press of a button brought down the shutters. Last thing I needed was for someone passing by to glance up and see me bouncing on Mads cock.

My clothes hit the floor just as my lover entered, but rather than toss me on the bed, my back ended up pressed against the floor to ceiling glass window, my legs around his hips, his cock buried to the hilt.

Without any kind of discernible effort, he held me aloft, bouncing me to drive his shaft deeper. Our lips meshed in a passionate, panting kiss as we quickly raced for the edge of the orgasmic cliff.

Most guys had to put a ton of work in to getting me primed. Maddox just had to exist. Like, seriously, everything about the man turned me on. His looks. Smile. Personality. That deep voice. The way he made me feel…

I clutched at his shoulders as my body tightened and leapt into climax. A rolling wave of pleasure consumed me. A good thing Maddox held on to me because I would have slipped to the floor in a boneless puddle otherwise.

When we’d both finished, Maddox stood there just holding me tight. I might not be a conventional girly girl, but that didn’t stop me from basking in the protection he afforded me in that moment. Granny might have raised me to only rely on myself, but I began to understand and even appreciate how nice it could be to have someone to lean on.

Knock. Knock. Knock.

I sighed. “Our time is up.”

A remark that made Maddox chuckle. “Just like a child.”

An apt comparison seeing as how my almost cock-blocking dragon apparently needed me that instant to show him how to turn on the television. The apartment came with an eighty-inch flat screen with cable and Abaddon seemed excited at the chance to watch something other than the free channels I used to get at my place.

Maddox spent a few hours with us, checking out the amenities inside and outside. He spotted a total of four outdoor cameras. In good news, the interior one watching the stalls seemed to be inactive given it lacked the red light of the others. It made sense. Why bother monitoring an empty barn? Just in case, though, I had Maddox put a piece of tape over the lens. It would be nice for Abaddon to have a place he could play.

Or, as he stiffly informed me, Dragons don’t play. We hone our skills.

By skills, he meant flying. He began his practice that night after dinner while I sat perched on a tall stool. I watched as Abaddon climbed and balanced atop a stall door. He would then leap, extending his aerial arms and flapping hard only to sink.

“Are you sure dragons can fly?” I asked after his fifth attempt.

“Yes. However, it takes time to strengthen the wings. Hence why I must keep exercising until they can hold my weight.”

“Guess we should have practiced before dinner,” I teased. Maddox had left late afternoon, meaning the giant lasagna I found in the freezer and cooked resulted in one little piece for me while my dragon ate the rest.

“I must ingest large amounts of food if I’m to grow big and strong.”

“Fair enough. What about the fire thing? Do you need anything special to fuel it?”

Abaddon shook his head. “My body converts what it requires to create the flame. Speaking of which, I will need a location to practice my fire breathing.”

That demand arched my brow. “Yeah, that might not be possible. It might be hard to explain to Leo why his property is singed, not to mention, I’m not toting around an extinguisher so we don’t burn the ranch down.”

“How else will I learn if I don’t practice?”

“I get what you’re saying, but fire will draw notice. We’re supposed to be in hiding, remember?”

A mulish expression tightened Abaddon’s features. “If I am to avoid incidences such as what happened at your home, then I must hone my skill.”

The valid point had me saying, “I’ll see what I can wrangle.”

A promise I already knew would be hard to keep. We couldn’t start a fire inside the apartment and the pastures outdoors also wouldn’t work, and not just because of the cameras. The dry fall weather would make this entire area too quick to ignite. Inside the barn? While it had concrete floors, the wooden stalls made it less than feasible. To be honest, I couldn’t think of a single place he could safely play with fire.

Luckily, that was the only time Abaddon brought it up. We spent the next week enjoying the new place inside and out since Leo showed me how I could control the cameras around the barn from the computer setup in an office nook in the loft. He didn’t even ask why I wanted them shut off. That meant once Abaddon managed to start coasting the length of the barn with his wings, he could test his flight outside.

I’ll admit, I had a stupid grin on my face the first time we went out—after dark to ensure no one saw—and he ran and leaped, his wings extending and catching an air current. He flew, up and away, circling and dipping, exclaiming in joy.

My baby dragon was growing up.

I didn’t spend the entire week catering to my dragon, despite his demand I revolve my life around him. I went back to work after the second day there and, once I gave him lessons on using the internet, got Abaddon to agree to stay inside the apartment while I was gone. It kept him busy, although I could have done without some of the conspiracy dragon-holes he went down, such as the one claiming lizard people existed. He seemed especially interested in the history of the planet but bummed when he realized I’d spoken the truth about dragons. Despite his existence, humanity now considered them to be a myth.

Every evening, when I returned from work, he’d greet me at the door—usually with a hug—before he demanded I feed him. Maddox joined us for most of those meals. He didn’t seem to mind driving out, although he didn’t sleep over at first because of Princess. It was Abaddon who told his protector after we’d been there almost a week, “You have my permission to bring that irritating feline that you might spend the night.”

A gracious invitation that had me eyeing Little Fella and saying, “No eating her, right?”

“As if I’d ruin my palate when I have such a plentiful larder.” Not exactly a no, but the best I’d probably get.

To my surprise, after the second overnight visit, Princess stopped hissing at and stalking Abaddon. It might have had to do with the fact my dragon shared some of his treats. Apparently, Princess liked the smelly sardines Abaddon couldn’t get enough of. The turning point came when I emerged from the shower—with Maddox who’d joined me in the spacious stall—and found the cat splayed in front of Abaddon, getting her belly scratched by his claws.

I just about fell over in shock whereas Maddox snorted. “Well, would you look at that?”

When Princess heard her owner, she scrambled fast as her furry legs could move, trying to pretend she’d not been caught. Whereas Little Fella gave us an aloof toss of his head. “It is said that one should keep their enemies close.”

No one broke it to the dragon that he and Princess, despite their rough start, weren’t enemies. Let them keep pretending. At least I no longer worried as much about him eating the cat.

The only time we scrambled and hid Abaddon was when Leo would pop by for visits. Given the open plan of the apartment, soon as we heard a knock, Abaddon would scoot into the bedroom where he’d nestle in the walk-in closet with the tablet Maddox bought him.

As one week turned into two, I almost managed to forget what happened at my trailer. Even met with the guy selling the prebuilt home.

I almost let down my guard.

But all my worry came screaming back when Abaddon woke one morning and complained of a sore spot.