Defender Dragon (Protection, Inc 2)

“I could be Dragomir, perhaps,” Lucas said, after a moment. “I believe I have some long-lost distant relatives of that name.”

“I like that.”

He lifted a necklace from the case in front of her. “This? Or the name?”

“Both.” She ran her fingers over the pendant dangling from a delicate gold chain. It was small but beautifully detailed, depicting a dragon in flight. Now that she had seen dragons, she knew it was also completely accurate.

“Choose as many pieces as you wish,” Lucas said. “You should have something to wear for all occasions. But I would like you to have one that you wear always. Like a wedding ring. But it needn’t be a ring. It could be any shape, so long as it’s gold.”

The more she looked at the pendant, the more she liked it. “Would this do?”

“Perfectly.” Lucas took it from her hand and pressed it to his lips. Then he lifted her hair to clasp it around her neck. It was still warm from his touch, and settled into the hollow of her throat as if it had been made for her.

They selected several more pieces: a wrap-around gold chain bracelet similar to his but with smaller links, a pair of teardrop emerald earrings, an elegant choker of diamonds and aquamarines, a silver ring shaped like a fish holding a pearl in its mouth, and an exquisite star sapphire ring. But her favorite was the dragon pendant that meant as much to Lucas as a wedding ring.

“Enough,” she said at last. “I won’t be able to walk!”

“You needn’t wear them all at once,” Lucas replied, though she was certain he would like it if she did. Gold and jewels meant far more to a dragon than their monetary worth.

“You can buy me more in America,” she suggested.

That promise extracted him from of the shop. Outside, she stood in the sunlight wearing the jewelry he’d bought her, enjoying his heated gaze on her.

“I could wear it all to bed,” she suggested. “And nothing else.”

?

??Yes,” Lucas said, his voice lowering to a purr. “You should do that.”

They returned to the castle and said their farewells. Lucas packed his hoard, possessively fingering the queen’s gold nugget before he tucked it away and tied the pouch around his waist. Journey hefted her old backpack, which she’d retrieved from the Florescus’ home.

On her way out, she caught sight of herself in the mirror and laughed. “A king’s ransom in gold and jewels, and a beat-up backpack that’s been rained on in half the countries in Europe.”

“Cherish that backpack,” said Lucas. “It’s been a good friend to you.”

“It has.” As they walked up the stairs, she asked, “Is there anything like that for you? I mean, other than your hoard?”

“While I was at Protection, Inc., I did become attached to my car and my gun.” Lucas frowned. “Unfortunately, I gave them away. It would be ungentlemanly to attempt to take them back. I could buy new ones, but...”

He’d told her the story of his break with Protection, Inc. and how bad he felt about it, and confessed that he didn’t know how they’d react when he returned.

“But that particular car and gun were special,” she finished. “You know, Lucas, I think you’re worrying too much about those guys. It sounded to me like they were pissed off because they care about you and you were shutting them out.”

“Perhaps.” He sounded doubtful.

On the roof, she watched him become a dragon. Like the necklace he’d given her or Lucas himself, it was something that never ceased to bring her joy. When the sparks faded, she climbed on his back and they launched into the blue.

The trip took several days, for they stopped to spend the night in hotels in various countries. Though they’d never gotten engaged, much less married, Journey felt like they were on their honeymoon.

At last they flew into Santa Martina. Journey had never been there before, and it had been a year since she’d been anywhere in America. She wondered if she’d settle in as if she’d never left or if she’d feel like a foreign traveler in her own country.

Lucas landed on a rooftop. Journey slid off and watched him transform in a whirlwind of gold.

“Is this your apartment?” she asked doubtfully. It was in a business district and looked like an office building.

“No, it’s—” Lucas broke off. “My apologies. I was thinking of going home. It seems my dragon had his own idea about where that was. This is Protection, Inc. I could fly you to my apartment now, though. I’m sure you’d prefer to shower and change your clothes before you see anyone.”

Journey nudged him in the ribs. “You mean, you’d prefer to shower and change.”