Page 25 of Daddy Billionaire Dragon

“So what do we do?” I ask, running a hand through my hair.

We all look at each other, but nobody speaks.

“There’s nothing to do,” Damon says finally.

“What do you mean? There must be something!” I ask, raising my voice. I instantly regret it. “Sorry.”

“What’s with you, man? Is it that time of the month?” Sarcasm is dripping out of Liam’s voice. I want to slug him, but I lean forward on my elbows and close my eyes.

“Hey, Lex. What is it?” Pat asks, leaning forward to look at my face.

“Sorry, guys. I don’t know who or what this danger is or how it could harm us. I’ve never felt it before. It is making me edgy,” I say, still not looking up at the guys.

“What is it exactly that you haven’t felt before?” TJ asks. There’s something in his voice that tells me that he’s not speaking about the potential peril. My eyebrows shoot up my forehead as I look up at him.

“This constant gnawing in my stomach that tells me that danger is just around the corner. Only, when I go around the corner, there’s nothing. Nothing at all! My senses are on hyper-alert all the time. I feel like I’m a soldier who has to go into combat at a moment’s notice.”

“Whoa!” Pat holds up his hand. “I haven’t been feeling it that strongly. I just feel a dull ache at the back of my head. I can tell that something’s not right, but I’m not feeling it with the same intensity as you.”

The others all agree that they haven’t been feeling it as intensely as I’ve been feeling it.

“So it’s probably something to do with you,” TJ says with a speculative look.

I jerk up my head to look at him. Could it be true?

“But why me? I mean, nothing has changed in my life!” I say even as I feel a horrible, sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach. Could it have something to do with Nic? No! It can’t be! There’s no logic to it.

“Come on, Smoky,” Liam says, rolling his eyes.

“What, Nic again?” I try to sound as disbelieving as possible.

“Yeah.”

“Nic couldn’t possibly be dangerous!” I object.

The others say nothing, but I see them exchange meaningful glances. I sigh. It’s time to be hyper-rational.

“Look, you are worried that she might be the one. That she might be my soul mate. But if that were true, why would I feel as if my life is in danger?” I say looking around at them.

“Well, you know what happens when a Quartz dragon loses his mate,” Pat says carefully.

I stand up abruptly, spilling beer all over my trousers.

“Nic is in danger?” I can’t keep the panic out of my voice.

“But you say she isn’t your soul mate,” TJ shrugs.

I sit down carefully.

“Yeah. That’s right. You’re right. She isn’t my soul mate, so there can be no way what we are feeling has got to do anything with Nic. But on the off-chance that this has indeed got something to do with Nic, we need to do something.” I say, trying to calm myself down.

“TJ, can we arrange for her to have security?” There’s a note of panic in my voice that I absolutely hate.

“I’ll see what I can do,” he says stiffly. TJ is not his usual self at all. I wonder if he is downplaying the danger.

We talk for a while about the issue, but we keep coming back to the same conclusion. Till we know what the threat is, we can’t be specifically prepared for it. All I can do is keep Nic in my sight for as many hours a day as possible. She’s safe at the office and doesn’t really go out a lot once she gets home. So that leaves the commute. I privately vow to drop Nic home every day, and I’ll have Chuck pick her up in the mornings. I will hear no argument from her on this.

After an hour or so, the guys all leave one by one, but TJ hangs back.

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