Page 17 of Tempting Her Dragons

“I told you not to lie.” I cut his skin. “Or do you really believe that?” I watch his blood drip on his shirt. “You damage a pure girl. How can you justify that?”

He grits his teeth. “They want my love.”

I close my eyes briefly, hardly able to bear the sight of him. “Fuck you.” I cut deeper. “Fuck you for introducing sex to a poor girl who will be changed forever because of you. She will fear men for a long time, if not forever. She will question all her decisions, all her relationships, and hate herself for falling for a piece of shit promise from you.” I swing and bury the knife in his shoulder. “The mother will spend the rest of her life racked with guilt that she didn’t see you for the waste of skin you are,” I say over his screams.

“Please,” he begs.

“How often do they beg?” I ask.

“What are you?” He balls his hands into fists, probably wishing he could hit me.

“You don’t want to know,” I say gravely, borrowing Heath’s line.

“What do you want? I can give you money,” he offers.

“No amount of money could sway me from killing you.” I grind the blade over the top of his head. “You take pride in your hair,” I say. “I’ve seen how much you spend on it.”

“Shit, I’ll do anything. Please let me go.”

“I don’t want to talk to you anymore,” I scowl. “Kingston, will you hand me the duct tape?” I watch Maxwell’s eyes fill with tears and then turn to King as he steps beside me, holding the tape. He rips off a long strip and presses it over Maxwell’s mouth. Before he moves away, I step close, lean in, and kiss the corner of his mouth. “Thanks.”

“Anytime,” he says, winking. I stare for a moment too long, savoring the taste of his skin, but the muffled shouts interrupt my dirty thoughts.

“Do you want to see my trick?” I ask, focusing back on the male in chains. “I’m sure you are dying to.” I throw the knife, and it thuds into the wood an inch from his arm. “That wasn’t it, but it was pretty cool. Wait for it,” I encourage.

Dragon shifters breathe fire. It’s normal for us to do it while in our dragon forms, but as the man at the club discovered, we can also do it while we are in our human bodies. If you practice diligently, you can control the heat of the blaze and the direction. I can control the flow in both bodies.

I take a step, grinning, and another. Is it wrong that I relish his fear? Isn’t that what he thrives on? The girl’s fear and surprise when he flips the switch from caring father to child abuser. I close my eyes briefly to gather the power that resides within me. As I open them, I blow gently.

At first, it is warm air, and then I build the heat. He blinks and blinks again as he feels it is getting warmer on his head. I turn the fire up a notch, and the sparks grow into a steady flow of flame covering his head. His screams of agony are loud even through the tape.

I swallow my power and tilt my head. “What do you think?” I ask the guys.

“You missed a spot,” Maverick informs me, pointing.

“Oh, shit, I did.” I burn the remaining strip. “Thanks, mate.” I bend over my knives and select another. “Ready for more? The fun is just beginning,” I hum.

Chapter Five

Maverick

Iwant to bury myself inside her.

Her power is beautiful and sexy as fuck. I can’t stop staring. I find her fascinating. She thrives in the mission she believes is her purpose. I can relate.

Finding a mate hasn’t been on my list of priorities, but meeting her changed everything about my world in a second. We knew she was ours with a faint scent in the air. It took us only a minute to jump off the roof and storm into the club, following the slight trail. Nothing could have held us back when we saw the man touching her. Hearing what she deals with, we calmed, never wanting to scare her.

I lean against the wall in the fucker’s house of terror and watch my mate teach him a lesson he will take to hell with him. I despise men who use their strength to overpower women. A man who does it to children is nothing but a waste of skin and bones. He deserves everything she is doing to him.

The fire was genius. The bag of blades inspired.

Saphira was anxious to show us this side of her, but I’m glad she decided to bring us along. Our jobs are very similar.

The rage that saturates her scent is normal, yet not. Something else drives her to do this—something that happened to her. I want to know all her secrets and assure her that nothing can affect our dedication to her. We may not have expected a mate and to share her, but the bond is pulling us together.

The universe picks the perfect person for you, and even though I don’t know much about Saphira, they are not wrong. I am thrilled they decided to give Kingston and me the same mate. We are brothers through fate, and there is no one I would rather share with. We will care for her in our own ways, but we are similar in many ways. We will have separate relationships with her, yet we will be partners in caring for our mate and all her needs.

The heat has hit Saphira. I smell the desire to be with us in every way. My dragon is roaring in my head, demanding we take her home, mark her, fuck her, and never let her leave our side. Every shifter has a different relationship with their animal. Mine is demanding, possessive, and angry. The man is as well.

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