Dragon Hero (Guardian Dragons 0f Prospect Falls Book 3) Read online

  “She tried to insist that she’d be happy to wait up,” Gabriel said, a grin on his face. “But I insisted that she go to bed.”

  “We both know that’s not going to happen, but hopefully she’ll leave him alone. After a long trip, the last thing I’d want to face is Miranda,” he said.

  Gabriel laughed. “That’s not very nice,” he said. “True, but not very nice.”

  ***Charlie***

  Charlie squinted at the dark sign, her eyes burning from lack of sleep, then turned into the tree-lined drive, hoping she didn’t find herself in front of someone’s house. But when she drove out of the trees, the moonlight illuminated the ring of cabins around the little lake, and she knew that she’d finally arrived. She couldn’t help but grin at the cabins fashioned after medieval times, much like the rest of the town: a small fact no one had bothered to share with her.

  Pulling slowly around the lake, trying not to be distracted by the view of the moon shining in the still water, she counted the cabins, then parked in front of number five. Quickly cutting her headlights, she turned off her new truck and sat looking at the cabin for a few minutes, trying to find the energy to unpack the results of her shopping spree in the city. She hadn’t meant to buy so much, figured she’d wait until she was permanently settled, but a quick stop at the mall had resulted in far too many purchases.

  It had been a bit reckless, but she’d been overwhelmed by the barrage of colors and fabrics, and compared to home, the prices were cheap. For just a few hours, she’d behaved more like a woman than a demon hunter, and it had been fun, but now she wondered if she’d ever wear half the things she’d bought. Feeling a severe case of buyer’s remorse, she got out of the truck, found the key to the cabin, and quietly unloaded her things.

  When she was finished, the tiny living room was full of bags and boxes, but she walked past it, poked her head into the little kitchen, then found the bedroom. She didn’t bother with pajamas, just stripped off her clothes and fell into bed with a huge sigh, closed her eyes, and was instantly asleep. But morning came much too soon, and with so much noise that she jumped out of bed ready to fend off an attack.

  It took her a moment to remember where she was, but it slowly came back to her when she saw her suitcase on the floor by the door. The sound of loud voices outside her window reminded her that she was standing in the middle of the room in only her underwear, and she quickly grabbed her suitcase. Hoping no one came by the window, she dug through her suitcase, the commotion in the parking lot getting louder by the minute.

  She finally managed to find her robe and quickly put it on, then went to the door and opened it just as the generator in the food truck roared to life, drowning out the angry voices. Inside the food truck, the staff was running back and forth, making it sway crazily, and once she thought it was going to topple down the embankment. Wishing she had a cup of coffee to sip as she watched the spectacle, she went back inside to the little kitchen and scrounged up enough grounds for a small cup.

  By the time she had the steaming cup in her hand, a white and black sheriff’s vehicle was pulling into the lot, its light flashing, the horn blaring. She was highly amused watching the scene, wondering just how strange a place this was, when the car door opened and a large man stepped out. She knew at once that it had to be Michael Anderson, one of the four guardians, and butterflies erupted in her stomach.

  He raised his hand in the air and the crowd quieted. “I’m not sure what you all are doing here,” he said.

  “We want breakfast,” a man in the crowd called.

  “The restaurant is open and practically empty,” the sheriff said.

  “We’re tired of the restaurant,” a woman in the front said. “Look, they have breakfast burritos.”

  The crowd began to grumble. “Okay, let me see what I can do,” the sheriff said, then disappeared inside the food truck.

  He was gone so long that her cup was empty, and her stomach had begun to growl, but he was smiling when he finally came out. “Okay, their paperwork is all in order; you can have your breakfast,” he said. A cheer went up, and the crowd surged forward. “But you will form a line and behave like civilized folk, or I’ll send them packing. Do I make myself clear?”

  Charlie could tell that the excitement was over when a man stepped out of the crowd and began directing people into a line, so she went back inside. A shower sounded like heaven, but her stomach was complaining quite loudly. Letting her stomach win, she dressed in sweats and a baggy tee-shirt, tucked her long red hair up into a baseball cap, grabbed her purse, and walked outside.

  When she saw the crowd in the parking lot, she knew getting her car out would be nearly impossible, and she didn’t want to wait in the huge line. She remembered the sheriff mentioning a restaurant, but she wasn’t sure where it was, and she stood there undecided, wondering how far a walk it would be. Then, the door to the cabin next door flew open and six young men came pouring out, talking loudly about going to the restaurant.

  She quietly followed along behind them, keeping her head down, hoping they wouldn’t notice her. To her relief, the restaurant was only a few blocks away, and she held back when they got there, letting the big party go first, then chose a stool at the counter. The cook came out of the kitchen to wait on her, shaking his head at the waitress, who was fluttering around the table, flirting and giggling.

  After she’d ordered coffee and the biggest breakfast on the menu, the cook poured her a cup, pointed to the pot, then disappeared back into the kitchen. He was back with her breakfast before she’d finished her first cup of coffee, and she didn’t hesitate to dig in, the rumbling in her stomach quieting at once. She was almost finished when the bell above the door chimed merrily, and a silence fell over the restaurant.

  Turning in her stool, she saw a tall, handsome man standing in the doorway, his blond hair slightly mussed, his blue eyes rimmed with dark circles of exhaustion. She quickly looked away, feeling her heart rate pick up and butterflies erupt in her stomach. Conversation in the room burst back to life, but out of the corner of her eye, she saw the man approaching and had the strangest urge to run, but she stayed put.

  Staring down at her breakfast, she got a whiff of his cologne and thrill of attraction jolted through her. Shocked, she could only sit staring at her plate until, order in hand, the man turned and left the restaurant. It took her a few minutes to calm herself down and pay the check, but once she was out in the fresh morning air, she shoved the feeling away with a shake of her head, wondering if the town had started to affect her.

  Chapter Three

  ***Vincent***

  It had already been one of those mornings when Vincent realized that he’d let his coffee get cold without even drinking it, never mind the breakfast that was congealing in its Styrofoam container on top of the little refrigerator in the corner. He thought about microwaving both but dismissed the idea and took a big swig of the cold coffee, grimacing at the taste but desperate for the caffeine.

  He hadn’t had a single response to his advertisement for an assistant, except for Janice, he reminded himself, a terrible thought entering his mind. As valuable as she was to the paper, Janice was not his idea of an assistant, and it hadn’t been easy to convince her that she belonged up front behind the desk, that without her there, the paper would fall apart. He thought that he’d managed to pacify her, but he was beginning to wonder if she’d been putting on a show while busy plotting her way into the job.

  He thought about confronting her, but he had to be sure that she was holding back applicants, and he had no proof, only a feeling in his gut. Not to mention, he’d already gone rounds with Michael this morning after the fiasco with the food truck, and he wasn’t in the mood to deal with Janice should she have one of her fits. No, it was best to keep his head down, work his way through the festival business as quickly as he could, and clear everyone out of town before another disaster popped up.

  Finishing the rest of the cold coffee, he hoped that his first ap
pointment would be food vendors with samples since his stomach was complaining loudly about the lack of breakfast. He reached for the stack of papers that represented the rest of his day, but the pages were slippery, and the entire pile cascaded to the floor. Watching them fan out all over the floor, he wanted to bang his head on the desk and scream with frustration but decided that might be a bit of an overreaction, so he spat out a few cuss words instead and slid to the floor.

  He was nearly to the door, the pages a messy bundle in his hands, mumbling obscenities under his breath because everything was out of order, when a pair of high heeled black boots stepped into his view. His eyes traveled from the boots, up a pair of very shapely legs, over a deliciously curvy body—to a find a fiery redhead looking down at him. Her green eyes widened in surprise when she saw him, and she backed up a couple of steps.

  “The woman up front said I should just come back here,” she stammered. “I’m sorry, I should have knocked.”

  Stumbling to his feet, his hands shaking as wave after wave of attraction hit him, he nearly dropped the papers but managed to get them to the desk. “I just...” he shrugged. “It’s already been a rather difficult day, and I skipped breakfast.”

  “I’m sorry, would you like me to come back?” the woman asked, looking around at the mess in his office. “This afternoon, maybe?”

  “Yes, that would...” he started to send her away, but then realized he didn’t know who she was. “No, wait, why are you here?”

  “I was told to come here and ask for Vincent Chambers,” the woman said. “The woman at the desk up front said that was you, but she didn’t want me to come back here, I could tell. I’m sorry, I should have listened to her.”

  Vincent studied the woman for a moment, thinking that she was exactly what he was looking for. “No, please, have a seat. I’ve been waiting for someone to show up for two days,” he said, gesturing to the chair across from his desk.

  “Would you like me to help you clean this up?” the woman asked, looking down at the floor.

  He grinned, hiring her in his mind. “No, I’ll get to it after we’re finished,” he said. “Tell me about your experience.”

  She gave him a funny look. “Well, I’m a bit young, but I’ve been training for a chance just like this for a long time,” she said. “I may be a little small, but I’m fast and accurate, and what I may be missing in experience I make up for with dedication.”

  Vincent was visualizing himself sitting down to dinner in his own kitchen that night. The woman was perfect, and he wasn’t letting her leave, no matter what she asked for. “Can you start today?” he asked, a huge grin on his face.

  She laughed. “Well, since this job is what I came here for, the sooner we get started, the better,” she said, giving him a grin to match his own. “I can’t wait to make my first kill.”

  He was gathering up the paperwork for the festival to shove into her hands when her words filtered into his brain, and he froze. “What did you just say?” he asked, looking over at her.

  “Oh, I’m sorry, I guess I shouldn’t have said that,” the woman stammered. “I forget that people might be listening.”

  ***Charlie***

  Charlie knew that she’s said something wrong, but it had only been a little remark, hardly enough to warrant the look on Vincent’s face. “Who are you?” he asked, standing up and looking down at her.

  “Charlie McKensey,” she said, shrinking back just a little in her chair. “The council sent me to help you.”

  “The council sent you?” he asked, the look on his face making her even more nervous.

  “Sebastian gave me the assignment,” she said. “I thought you knew I was coming.”

  Charlie still didn’t like the look on his face but sat up straighter in her chair, determined not to cower. Vincent collapsed back in his chair. “It’s worse than I thought,” he said, barking out a laugh that sounded anything but happy. “Not only did Sebastian send us a baby, but he also sent a woman.”

  There was a terrible feeling in her stomach as she watched Vincent mumbling to himself, and part of her wanted to flee, to give up and go home. But this was her only chance to bring back the family name; if she didn’t prove herself here, she’d never have another chance. Squaring her shoulders and taking a deep breath, she reminded herself that she was strong and smart, capable of doing anything that a man could do.

  “I can tell that you’re less than happy to see me, but I promise you, I can handle myself,” she said. “You don’t know me or what I’m capable of. Just give me a chance; you won’t be sorry.”

  He got up from behind his desk and shut the door, then sat back down, ran his fingers through his hair several times, and looked over at her again. “Ms. McKensey, I’m going to be brutally honest with you: the last thing I need right now is a woman trying to prove that she can be a guardian, which is what I assume is going on here.”

  “You asked for help, and I’m here to help,” she said, refusing to back down. “How do you know that I can’t help you? You haven’t given me a chance.”

  He held his breath for a second, his eyes focused on the newsroom through the glass doors, then he looked back at her. “I’m not promising you anything, but if you want to stay, I think I might know of a way we can make that happen,” he said.

  Charlie wanted to jump with joy. “Whatever it is, I’ll do it,” she said, trying not to squirm in her seat.

  Vincent got to his feet, scooped a big stack of paper up off his desk, and dropped them into her lap. “These need to be organized by the time of appointment, and you only have about half an hour until I need them,” he said. “I think some of the ones on the floor go in that pile.”

  She was speechless for a second. “Wait, what am I missing?” she asked, wanting to shove the stack off her lap.

  “I need an assistant; you need a cover while you’re here,” Vincent said, a grin on his face. “We’ll talk about the other when the time comes.”

  Charlie knew that he’d backed her into a corner, that she had no choice but to agree. “I guess if that’s the only way,” she said. “But you have to promise that you’ll let me demon hunt too.”

  Vincent waved his hand in the air. “We’ll get to that when the time is right,” he said. “Now, are you going to deal with that or not?”

  She sighed. “Where’s your appointment book?”

  It only took her a few minutes to sort out the mess once she figured out what she was looking at, but when she was done, she still wasn’t sure what was going on. “What is all this?” she asked, handing him the stack.

  He looked surprised that she’d finished so quickly. “It’s for the Medieval Festival we have every year: food vendors, entertainers, suppliers, the list goes on and on. Which is why you’re going to take over a good chunk of that for me.”

  “But I’ve never done anything like this. I have no idea what the festival is even like,” she protested, her heart sinking, her chances of demon hunting shrinking before her eyes.

  “It would take me all afternoon to explain,” he said. “But I have an idea.”

  He picked up the phone, punched in a number, and waited. “Horace, it’s Vincent. I have a favor to ask,” he said.

  A few minutes later, she was on her way to the end of the street and the bookstore, with instructions to ask for Horace, who would educate her on the history and customs of Prospect Falls. It was strange to come to the end of the sidewalk and see the huge house looming over the street as if it didn’t belong there, but the front door was open, so she climbed the steps.

  When she came through the front door, she nearly collided with another woman and quickly stepped out of the way. “I’m sorry, I didn’t see you,” the woman said, smiling at her. “I’m Amy, and you must be Charlie.”

  She was a bit taken aback but returned the smile. “Yes, um...I’m Charlie,” she muttered.

  “Well then, I’ll let you two get on with it,” Amy said. “Horace is an expert on Prospect Falls. I
just wish I had time to stay.”

  After she’d disappeared through the door, the little man, who’d been silent the entire time, shook his head. “Wish I still had that much energy,” he said. “I’m Horace, by the way; we’ll have lunch in the kitchen before we get started.”

  Chapter Four

  ***Vincent***

  Vincent couldn’t help but watch Charlie all the way to the front door, his eyes drinking in the way her dress pants fit so perfectly and ignoring Janice’s stares from the front desk. The throbbing in his groin reminded him that what he was thinking was a very bad idea; the woman was a complication all on her own, and it would be stupid to make it worse. But he had to admit, she’d done something to him—something not very many women had been able to do.

  Pushing the thought away as far too dangerous, he looked down at his desk and the stack of papers that was still there and groaned. The idea of dealing with any of those people right then made him feel exhausted, and he knew that it wasn’t going to happen. He needed a few hours to decompress, and Charlie had given him the perfect excuse. Grabbing the stack of papers, he left his office, shutting the door and hoping he wouldn’t see it until the next morning.

  When he stopped at the front desk, Janice ignored him for a minute, and he had the urge to blow up at her but controlled himself, even more convinced he needed some time off. “I’m going to head out for the day,” he said when she finally looked up at him. “Something came up, and I need to deal with it right away.”

  “I see,” Janice said, narrowing her eyes at him. “Does it have anything to do with that woman you just hired.”

  He took a deep breath and waited for his annoyance to fade. “Janice, not that it’s any of your business who I hire, but Charlie was sent here by an old friend who knew I needed help,” he said, his voice as even as he could keep it. “She came highly recommended, and I need the help.”