Near the lit fireplace, a set of large potted palm trees shook. The plants parted and Joey’s face poked through the spiky green foliage. Lucy glanced at the Alec to see if he noticed, but he slept deeply, his face turned into her lap.
“Luce!” Joey mouthed the words across the short space.
Lucy shook her head at him, more amused than alarmed. Con man rule number five: never use potted plants to hide in. Joey’s pot scooted around the fireplace and settled next to the arm of her couch.
“Hello, Joey,” Lucy whispered. “Did you have a good night?”
Joey sat on the edge of one of the pots and leaned forward, examining Alec’s face. “Is he asleep?”
“Yes.” Lucy stroked her fingers protectively through the tensile softness of Alec’s hair. “How did you get out of the cage?” But she knew it had to be the brunette. All women seemed to be suckers for Joey’s cocky charm.
Instead of answering with a witty comeback, Joey scanned the rooftop as if searching for something. “Hell of a party.” His voice was gruff. “Like the Super Bowl halftime show collided with a cotillion.”
Lucy laughed and then muffled the sound. Alec slept on, oblivious to Joey’s presence. “What do you know about debutantes?”
“Enough to know these freaky dragons aren’t ones.” Joey put his hand on her forearm, getting her full attention. “We’ve got to get out of here while everyone is sleeping it off.”
Lucy should have known he had a plan, only this time she wouldn’t be going along. “What are you planning?”
“We need to get off this roof, but all the exits are guarded.” Again, Joey searched the crowd, a frown on his face. “I don’t suppose you got wings out of this little soirée?”
“Nope.” Lucy smiled. “No wings.”
Joey shook his head, appearing frustrated.
“I’m going to stay with Alec.” Lucy’s hands continued to move over Alec’s head, cherishing him.
“Are you serious?” Joey’s voice rose then lowered. “Sis, these are dragons. Dragons eat shit, especially humans.”
“I’m safe with Alec. But you need to go.”
“Your brain is muddled with endorphins.” Joey gave her a disappointed glare. “Being on the bottom of the food chain is a bad idea.”
“I’m going to stay anyway.” Lucy smiled, at ease with her decision, pleasantly impervious to his opinion.
“What?”
“I’m not leaving.”
“You aren’t thinking clearly.” Joey gave her a speculative look as if he might try to physically remove her from the roof.
“Don’t do anything stupid, Mr. Bottom-of-the-Food-Chain.” Lucy glanced at Lil and checked the even rise and fall of Alec’s breathing. “I love Alec. I want to stay.”
“Does he love you?” Joey’s question stopped Lucy’s hand. She frowned and then determinedly continued stroking Alec.
“We are bonded.”
“Is that dragon for whatever-ya-need-to-hear, babe?”
“It’s not like that,” Lucy insisted, but a small stem of uncertainty bloomed and spread in her heart. Alec had never said he loved her. The whole forever-thing had seemed to cover it, but now she wondered.
“Lucy, they’re going to wipe your memory,” Joey insisted.
“No, they won’t.”
Joey reached out his hand and clasped hers, stopping her stroking movement. “Remember when we were kids, and you would skin your knee and mine would hurt, too?” Lucy nodded. They had always had the twin connection thing. Joey had been her other half, the center of her universe, until Alec.
“Or how I always knew where you were on the basketball court without looking?” Joey asked.
Again Lucy nodded, and a bittersweet lump grew in her throat. “I’m still not leaving.”
“Are you sure?”
Lucy nodded. “I’m surer of this than I have been of anything in my life.”
“I love you, sis.” Joey looked her straight in the eye. “I won’t be far when you need me.”
Acceptance settled over Lucy’s heart like a warm blanket. He really would be all right.
“I love you, too,” she whispered. “And I won’t need you, but I will enjoy hearing how you are doing.” She wondered if Joey picked up on the subtle change in terminology. To see how he was doing, it denoted no involvement, no saving, only the normal interest of a loved one.
Joey nodded. “Try to hang on to your brain cells. You’ll never believe all this when I try and tell you later.”
Lucy laughed, and her stomach movement jostled Alec. She steadied the top of his head with her left hand and reached for Joey with the other.
Joey kissed her on the forehead. “See you soon.” As he turned to leave, the firelight reflected on his hand, showing her a vibrant, not at all fading dragon mark between Joey’s finger and thumb.
“Joey,” she called under her breath, but he was already winding his way through the crowd.
Under her hand, Alec stirred. His blue eyes stared into hers with perfect awareness.
“You were awake?”
“Yes.” Alec sat up, put his feet on the ground, and stood. “We’ll talk when I return.”
“He means well.” She couldn’t help the defensive explanation.
“Lucy, it’ll be all right. I won’t hurt him,” Alec said. “But we have to get to him before he tells other humans about us.” He followed Joey’s path through the dwindling crowd. Immediately, his six lieutenants appeared at his side and then fanned out across the rooftop.
Lucy stayed seated. Alec would be fair with Joey. She put her arms around her knees, holding the warmth of Alex’s body to her chest. She trusted him with her life. She could trust him with Joey’s.
…
Alec approached the couch where Lucy dozed, exposed to the mid-morning sun. Though it had only been a couple of hours, his heart turned over in his chest to see her again. She had waited for him as he had asked, not leaving, though in the after-party befuddlement, only Lil still watched over her.
She could have run, and she hadn’t. He had believed her words in the desert, but somehow this proof that she wouldn’t leave him…it was staggering. He reached his arms under her back and legs and lifted her against his chest.
“Alec?” Lucy opened her eyes and gave him a warm smile. She wrapped her arms around his neck and tucked her chin to his chest, inhaling deeply. “I love the smell of you.”
“Is it that bad?” Alec asked with amusement in his voice. He was grimy after chasing her swift-footed brother through the streets of Las Vegas. He had not been able to take his dragon form in the daylight with so many humans around. In the end, he and his lieutenants had turned back empty-handed.
It was a short walk to his tower and shorter walk to his penthouse. Someone had changed the bed linens. His bedroom was entirely clean of the bloody bedding and towels that had been used to clean Lucy’s shoulder, but he could still pick up the faint twang of Lucy’s blood. The scent agitated his beast. Now that they were bonded, he would always sense her like the call of an elusive jewel.
Alec set Lucy on the bed and lay down facing her.
“Don’t frown.” Lucy stroked a finger over his brow. “It makes you look fierce.”
Alec took a calming breath and settled his dragon nature. He wanted her with him, and now he knew he could trust her.
“What happened with my brother?”
“He got away. I’ve sent our best tracker after him.” At Lucy’s frown, he added, “Don’t worry, she won’t harm him.”
“I’m more worried about your tracker. He can be very resourceful, especially when he’s cornered.”
“You could have left with your brother. Why didn’t you?”
Lucy leaned back on the pillow, her eyes directly on his. “Why would I leave? I told you, I will never betray you again.”