Page 15 of Carler

They would be tracking down those that they had identified. That was something Viv was good at. He would turn that over to her. Maybe that would make her happy because she hadn't felt included enough in what was going on. While dragons did not need much sleep, they did need some, and he could see that his mate kept falling asleep. It was time for both of them to quit for the night. Maybe he would give her the information she needed to track down those people who were involved, and while she slept, the computer could work on it,

“You found something?” Viv observed,

“I just sent you the information needed to track down five of the eight people involved. I thought maybe that you could start tracking them on the computer and then get some rest. That's what I intend to do because I work better when I get some rest,”

“You're right. I work better when I'm rested as well. I will put this information in, and we will see what the computer has come up with in the morning. It looks like all of these people are young. I've found information on one of them, and they have a record. Their pictures have been sent to airport security. If they are not already gone, we can get them there.”

“Good job. We'll see what happens in the morning," Carler observed. "Let me escort you to your room.”

They shut down their computers, and Viv allowed him to lead her to the elevator. He could see she was tired and happy that she didn't fight him every step of the way. Once he took her to her room, he pushed her up against the wall again and gave her a scorching kiss. The only bad thing about the kisses he gave her was that they made him want to do more. After all, an adult dragon shifter's needs increased when he was around his fated mate.

It made him feel good to be close to his mate, even briefly. Carler practically floated to the elevator, but he had to admit he was tired, too. It wasn't just that he wasn't getting any sleep, but he was also dealing with all the trouble. He was sure that was why they were causing so much trouble. It dumped a great deal of stress on everyone in supervision. It had to be dealt with soon.

He would put out a notice to the customers and guests that it had been a big joke. He would explain that children had managed to put together explosive chemicals they learned about in science. It was believable, and he explained that the children had been dealt with and would not be doing something like that again. It would soothe most of their guests, and those it wouldn't reassure would not be made to feel better by anything he could say. One couple left, and there was nothing they could do.

Carler tried to relax as he got to his room. He was about to open the door when he realized it was not completely closed. Someone was waiting for him on the other side.

Inhaling deeply, he smelled the intruder. They were human and female, but the scent was unfamiliar. He didn't know who they were or why they were there. It figured something else had happened just when he hoped to get some rest.

He slowly eased the door open and switched on the light. Since he could move very quickly, if it wasn't an assassin, he intended to move out of the way. While he didn't have a gun, he could partly shift and wouldn't need one. The woman didn't appear to be armed, and she was dressed in a sexy way,

“Who are you?” Carler asked.

“I'm the entertainment, honey. One of your friends paid me to come up here and stay for the night.”

“I didn't know we had anyone here that did that kind of work.”

“I don't know if you do because they brought me from outside the property. Tell me what you want, and I will do my best to make your dreams come true.”

“That is not going to happen. Can you tell me who sent you here?”

“He said his name was Joe. I'm paid either way, so I can take or leave you. He did say that you would pay my way out of here," she observed.

“The work that you do is illegal here. I can see you have a place to stay, but a plane is not leaving until morning.” Carler got on his radio and immediately made arrangements, and a security guard came up to escort her to a place where she could stay for the night.

They would watch her and ensure she was not hitting on any of the guests. This was a premium hotel, and those transactions were not allowed here. What was Joe trying to prove by doing this? Was he trying to cause managers trouble with the business? Or was he trying to cause personal issues in the manager's lives? He didn't think this would work, so he decided to shower and then relax so that he could sleep and get some rest.

His radio buzzed. “Carler.”

“This is Joff. The female has been given a room and taken care of. She is being watched closely and will leave on the plane at six A.M."

“Thank you," Carler said.

He'd been lucky when he had gotten Joff as his assistant. When several colonies were started, there was a lot of upward advancement. This was a good thing for the average dragon, but sometimes, those who advanced were not suited for the positions they ended up in. His assistant, Joff, had been amazing, and Carler was grateful for all the help he received. He knew that his assistant eventually hoped to be higher in the military rather than an office assistant.

With no wars going on, the only way to move upward was through the administrative section or as a second to a military leader. While he was considered a military leader, most of his work now was administrative. Carler didn't like office work any better than his assistant did. Even though Joff didn't care for office administration, he was damn good at it. It helped that there were secretaries who did a lot of the day-to-day work. All the intrigue and investigations also helped because that was more like the military work his assistant had previously done since he had come out of the investigation department. That was one of the reasons he'd been selected for the position he currently held.

With the work on getting the country on its feet and his personal concerns with his mate, he needed the best help he could get, and he believed that he had it. The sad thing was that in about a year, his assistant would be in a position for a promotion, and then he would have to take another. Carler wasn't stupid. He already had an assistant for his assistant who was being trained to eventually take his position so Joff could move up without leaving a hole with no one to fill it.

It was hard to start a country, and this one was harder than the average one. That was because everything was against them. Old Joe could stir up more trouble than you could shake a stick at. While he had assistance and other helpers, the big decisions were ones that he had to make. The parks they had started were still running, but they were constant targets. Their casino was also a constant target that could be attacked in many ways. Construction was progressing with buildings the community needed–schools, hospitals, and residential buildings. They were also targets.

Those things needed to be secured to prevent the damage these people were trying to cause. Amid all these issues, he was trying to court his fated mate. He'd always thought he was a lucky guy until now. These days, luck seems to run the other way.

“Sir, this is security. I wanted to alert you that we have seen signs of people slipping in the back door. They've not stayed, so it's hard to say why they're doing it. Judging by the primitive methods that they're using, I'd say they're beginners.”

“Thank you for letting me know and keep an eye on things.” By the gods, what was going on now? It seemed there was no end to the attacks being sent their way.

All the excitement was making it hard for him to relax so that he could go to sleep. Eventually, all the excitement and the lack of rest worked its magic, and he went to sleep. He knew he had dreams because his bed was a mess when he woke. His pillows were on the floor, sheets were twisted, and his blanket was knotted. How the hell had that even happened?

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