Page 38 of Surge of Fire

Her eyes are back on the road. “Just a guess, because men are dicks in every species.”

The institute and the green dragon are no longer my focus. My backup will handle that dragon. There may be some loss of life given the fact that they’re several hours out, but I can't change that. There will most certainly be some destruction, but my goal is to get a live dragon back to HQ, and I think I have one right here.

My objective is clear.

“You looked like hell a minute ago.”

Her green eyes narrow. “You’re not exactly good looking yourself.”

Now, I know she’s lying. I’m a good-looking man by anyone’s standards. I don’t just have a six pack, I have eight. My arms are like pythons, I have the kind of smile that lights women’s panties on fire, and I’m tall. There’s nothing for a womannotto like about me. But her lying to me doesn’t matter, because it wasn’t what I was talking about.

“Your scratches from the dragon…”

She glances down, those stunning eyes of hers widen, and she looks back at the twisting road, her skin an even paler shade.So, she either didn’t know about the scratches or didn’t know they could heal like that.I’m not sure which. But again, if she’s an immortal dragon, reborn into human flesh each generation, she wouldn’t know. I don’t think.

“Were you the red dragon?”

She’s breathing hard. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. You’re crazy.”

I usually like to play a little with people. Get them riled up. Get into their heads. Given my history, it’s no surprise, but I don’t like what I’m doing to her. It turns my gut, and the feeling leaves me unsettled. If there’s one thing I’m typically good at, it’s separating my feelings from my job, but I'm struggling here, and I don't like it.

“Here’s the thing, I was sent here by chopper because Specter Inc. received word that the seismic patterns recently seen suggested the appearance of dragons on earth once more. So–”

“What are you saying?” she barks, her hands tightening on the steering wheel. “They knew this was possible? Those assholes putallof us at risk?”

“That’s not my point.”

“What? Your point is that you work for the assholes who allowed this to happen?”

I almost reach for my gun.Pointing it at her might shut up the loud mouth. But I swallow down the instinct. If she’s a dragon, the last thing I want to do is piss her off.

“My job is to bring back the dragon, or dragons, to my bosses.”

She gestures to the sky with one of her hands before clutching it back on the steering wheel again. “Then, go, do it! Go capture the sky lizard or whatever.”

My gaze drifts down to the slashes in her clothes. She’s still covered enough, but the flashes of her skin are erotic in an unexpected way. I think I find her more attractive like this than I find most women naked. But even as I’m distracted by her body, I notice the fact that even the scars have disappeared now, leaving her perfect, creamy skin behind.

“Not even a scar now,” I comment, like I’m commenting on the weather.

She glances down, winces, then glances back up and curses as she nearly slams into a rock. “Can you stop distracting me with your nonsense before we both end up dead? And buckle up!”

“Buckle up? You want the guy who pointed a gun at you to buckle up?”

“Yeah, not for your sake though. I can’t imagine how traumatized I would be to see your body splattered across the pavement. So do it.”

I obey, but I want to tell her she’s right. Those kinds of memories stay with you. I’ve seen more lives lost than I ever want to think about. Some have blended together, but some have certainly reserved a special place in my mind.

“Unless you want me to drop you here so you can find the dragon?” she suggests hopefully, slowing down just a bit, even though she’s glancing up at the sky.

I decide it’s best to just come out with it. “The thing is, I think I’m with another dragon right now.”

She glances at me, and I can read her like a book. She’s trying to evaluate me. To see what I know and how certain I am about what I’m saying. Maybe she figures me out. Maybe she doesn’t. But her guard goes up again.

“Are you trying to be funny?”

“I’m not.”

She releases a slow breath. “Well, there’s no dragon here.”

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