“So where are you? Are you following them?”
Behind me, the clan started mobilizing.
“Not exactly. Like I said, it was dragons. They took off flying, according to our trackers, and are apparently sonsabitches to track unless you’re also a dragon.”
Like I said, it was dragons. When the fuck had he—oh. Right. It was right there in the bad news. We got an in with the dragons.
“Where we heading, Rory?” Patrick hovered by my side. I shook my head, turning to block him out so I could focus.
“Tell me everything, Novak. And try not to skip around this time.”
He did. “We’re about thirty minutes away from your place. I’m sorry I didn’t call you as soon as I had info. I had to talk to Pops before I could share our connection with the Chens. My papa was good friends with Li, but, well. You know dragons. Wait, you probably don’t. Shit, I’m making a mess of this. Anyway. Dragons exist… surprise? They’re fiercely private. As private as they are loyal, from what Pops says.”
I would have said they were secretive, but now wasn’t the time to argue semantics. Especially when I wasn’t supposed to know they existed. It was good to see proof of my mate’s honor. He’d checked with Don Novak before sharing such a major secret, even though I was his mate and it was my father in danger. It made me feel strangely better that he hadn’t rushed to me with the secret first in order to get on my good side.
“Anyway, Li owes our family a debt because of something my Papa did a long time ago. Papa never collected on it. Never intended to. So it’s still outstanding. And dragons do not forget debts. Theirs or anyone else’s.”
I pinched the bridge of my nose. Misha was giving me a weapon against him and his family by letting me know they were friendly with the Chen Triad. That a member of that Triad owed them a debt. But he wasn’t giving away that information for free. He’d expect payment.
My mind’s eye drifted down my memory of Misha’s broad, muscled chest, hidden under his shirt. What kind of payment would he expect? I shivered in fear and maybe with a little desire. We had to address the mate thing at some point. It could be delayed, but not ignored. And it didn’t wipe out other negotiations.
It was Da’s life on the line. Whatever payment Misha wanted, I’d pay it. I might even enjoy myself.
“Okay, Novak. What do you want? Do you want me to beg? I can’t give you any family secrets. Not while Da is alive.” Hopefully.
“What? No. Rory—” His sigh roared in my ears. “You’re my mate. I wouldn’t ask that of you. I asked Pops on your behalf because… well, just because. We’ll be at your place soon. Then we’ll talk.”
As soon as Misha walked in the house about twenty minutes later—either he’d been wrong about the distance or they’d absolutely floored it—he came straight to me. I’d had full intentions of keeping my chill, of listening to his explanation with a calm dignity, but he took my hand and stared deep into my eyes with an open sincerity that unlocked pieces of my heart I had completely forgotten.
“Can we talk privately?” He squeezed my hand. Not threateningly. Not to prove a point. But gently, to reassure me.
“Anything you have to say to Rory, you can say in front of the rest of us.” Patrick came to stand behind my left shoulder, and Liam copied him on the other side. Even though I’d always felt like the odd one out in the family, it was moments like these that reminded me I had my place. That my brothers always had my back.
Misha didn’t look at either of them. He only looked at me. “Rory?”
I cleared my throat. “We’ll go to the office.” At the explosion of protests, I turned and glared at the sea of red hair.
“As much as I like these Novak boys, we can’t be too careful right now, Rory,” Patrick said, his voice rising over everyone else.
I wanted to protest. I could tell Misha Novak wouldn’t hurt me. But I couldn’t promise I would stay focused on the task at hand if we were left alone together. I nodded. “Patrick only.”
Misha nodded with quick acceptance, and I felt a spike of disappointment that he apparently hadn’t planned on declaring his love for me. Or making a move. Or… any number of stupid romantic fantasies that had pranced through my mind when he’d asked to talk to me privately.
He was trying to keep the information about the Chens on the downlow, I realized, my stomach dropping in disappointment. Mostly in myself. I was proud of my ability to focus no matter what was going on, but there was something about this burly bear that seemed to turn my brain off with just a quirk of his full, sexy lips.
I led the way to the office, Patrick following behind Vasily and closing the door firmly. I leaned against my desk and crossed my arms, maybe a little defensively. “Okay. What didn’t you want to say in front of the others?”
Vasily hung back with Patrick as Misha crossed the room. He didn’t stop at an appropriate speaking distance. He didn’t stop when he was a few inches away. He crowded right up against me, one hand going around my waist and the other cupping my cheek as he pressed his lips against mine.
I meant to pull away. I meant to keep my walls up, keep distance between us until we could sit down and hash out the mate thing like grown, responsible men. But the moment our lips touched, heat spread from my mouth to my cheeks, and then much further south.
I couldn’t help but kiss him back.
Then his tongue parted my lips and teased my own with a brief caress. My walls collapsed and I sighed.
He pulled back slowly, his lips kiss-swollen and his smile wide and genuine. “I didn’t think you’d let me do that in front of everyone.”
“You’re bloody right I wouldn’t.” I tried to be snappy, but I felt as drunk as any of the boys who’d been downing whiskey for the last two hours.
That just made Misha’s eyes twinkle and he stepped back, his hands sliding down to take both mine. “But it was important that I kiss you.”
“It was important?”
Misha nodded. “I needed you to know that what I’m offering is without strings. You’re my mate. It doesn’t matter how many scent blockers you take. It doesn’t matter if you want me or not. We are what we are. I want to help you. I need to help you. So listen to me carefully.” He looked over his shoulder, and I remembered suddenly that we weren’t alone.
I straightened, trying to pull my hands from Misha’s grasp, but he held tight.
“I want you to hear this as well, Patrick.” And then his eyes were back on mine. “You are my mate. What is mine is yours. With my father’s permission, I’m offering you the favor we are owed by the Chen Triad. I can’t promise they’ll see things the same way we do. But I will make it clear to them that you are now part of our family, and due all respect and honor that entails.”
Holy shit. This man took my breath away with both his touch and his words.
“We accept,” Patrick said.
I glared at him. “Oy. I haven’t gone fully Daffy Duck just because I scented him. I can answer for myself.”
Patrick snorted. “Could have fooled me. And I wasn’t answering for you. I was answering for Da.”