Page 7 of Her Dragon Outlaw

That dull buzzing was back, that muted vibration that made me feel like I am on a rocky boat.

"Listen I'm really not sure what you mean, am I in trouble or something?"

His eyes flashed."No, of course not, I'm just collecting information."

I took another step back.

"Who are you?"

6

CODY

Ipinch the bridge of my nose to stave off an oncoming headache while the knowledge that civilians do not always know what is best for them sits in the forefront of my mind. If civilians always knew the risks associated with things like, oh, I don’t know, having needles shoved into their arms by shady doctors outrunning fraudulent claims and malpractice suits, then I would not be in my profession.

“Come on,” she says, needling. “What makes you think I should answer your questions when you won’t even tell me who you are.”

“I’m a PEACE agent and this is an investigation you’ve just stumbled into.”

She scoffs. “Yeah, right. And I’m the president. Don’t mind me, I’m just off to get a facial.”

I flash my PEACE bracelet and she closes her mouth.

“Okay, fine. What do you want?”

I glance around in case anyone is watching or listening. “I need an undercover informant.”

Her scoff turns into a laugh. “Sure. Good luck with that.”

My irritation rises the more we talk, but she seems like a good person so I soldier on. More than that, she is in exactly the position in which I need an undercover informant to be.

“Luck is the only thing I need,” I say flippantly.

“Just do it yourself. Cops go undercover all the time, right?”

“They only want humans and since I’m a dragon shifter, they would know right away.” I touch her arm to move her to an alleyway where there is less chance of us being seen or heard. “I need someone who’s reliable and up for a challenge.”

Something flashes in her eyes at the word “challenge,” and she shakes my hand away. I can tell she is a fighter just from the way she stands: feet shoulder-width apart, hands clenched at her sides like she is ready for war.

Something in me flutters at the sight of her standing tall and strong. Well, tall for a woman of less-than-average height. My shifter calls to me just looking at her as though she is the answer I have been seeking all along; lock, meet key.

I cannot deny my attraction to her as I look at her. I see a storm in her light blue eyes and sunshine in her hair. I can see the way her mouth would look, curved up in a smile or laughter.

I see… I shake the thoughts away. Thoughts of both of us without any clothes on.

You’ve just met this woman.

And yet, I have to know her before she slips through my fingers.

I plow on. “I need someone who can walk through that door and stay there until we get what we need. Someone who is willing to shoulder the risks. It’s not an easy job, so the person has to have some tenacity. Do you know what I mean?”

She snorts. “Whatever, golden eyes. Say hi to your next Tinder date for me.” She turns and walks away, leaving behind the sweet whiff of her perfume and the memory of those beautiful blues dismissing me.

For a brief moment, I let my anger and frustration overwhelm me. My hands shake and my shifter roars like a demon breaching the bowels of the inferno. Is this it? Is this where my leads end? I am so close to cracking open this case like a rusted lock, but I don’t have the key I need. This woman, whoever she is, might be it.

Or she could just be a waste of time.

I do not want to believe the latter. Something in me tells me she is important enough to come back for her. At the very least, I cannot let another innocent person become a victim of this sick game. Whatever experimentation they have going on in there, I do not want anyone, especially her, to be a victim of it.

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