Page 18 of A Secret Crush Valentine's

“I… I don’t think I can do this.”

“You will do as I ask if you wish to leave,” he said, chuckling again, filling the cave with the sound, “if you wish tolive. I should not have to remind you. You already know who I am.”

“Yes, I do,” Damon said with a hint of annoyance in his voice as he muttered, “Jeremiah Ebon, Ice Melter, collector of living treasures.”

The ground beneath him trembled, forcing him to fall forward, but he stopped himself with his arms, gripping the cold ground for all he was worth.

“You will do as I ask,” Grim Jim said in a booming voice. “Or the darkness of that pit will be the last thing you see.”

***

Dragon’s Den was a good place to go if you needed help but a terrible choice if you were on the run. There were suspicious eyes everywhere. The entire town was on edge for some reason. As he walked through the streets, gathering whatever supplies hecould, he braced himself for an attack, which could come from anywhere.

Good thing he hadn’t brought Julia along. She would have noticed in a heartbeat and asked him what the problem was.

Guilt flickered in his chest. He didn’t like keeping secrets from Julia, but he could picture the look of revulsion on her face if she ever found out about his affiliation with the Collectors. He couldn’t bear to see the disappointment in those blue eyes. And the last thing he wanted was for her to feel, even for the briefest moment, that she was in danger.

In Caprichor, he wouldn’t have to worry about that. Caprichor was a fresh start, a new life withher.

Time was of the essence. Once Grim Jim realized Damon wasn’t going to do his bidding, he would send others after him. Damon couldn’t afford that.

He continued his march toward the end of the street and was about to round the corner when he realized he was being watched. Damon felt his body grow even more tense. People everywhere were looking at him, of course, but most people looked away after a while, except for the man who’d been trailing him down the street.

Crap, he thought.

He rounded the corner, whirling around just in time to see the man do the same. Before he could attack his stalker, the man raised both hands as though in surrender.

“Hey,” he said. “It’s just me, Damon.”

Damon unclenched his fists. “Jan?”

The man was a little older than him and had hooded eyes and silvery hair that hung down the sides of his face and disappeared into a bushy gray beard. Between that and the snow, he could have passed for a mall Santa. He was built just as sturdily as Damon, only he was a bit shorter.

Jan’s face broke into a smile. “I knew it was you. I heard a few people talking about a traveler coming in last night with a woman. My gut told me it was you, and I was right. You probably shouldn’t stay here long, though. It’s not safe for you.”

“What about you?”

“I’m a wolf shifter. If these people figure out you’re a dragon, there’s no telling how far they’ll go to hurt you. This time of the year, they tend to get edgy. Valentine’s Day is the anniversary of the Cataclysm.”

“What is the Cata…?” Damon shook his head. “What are you doing here?”

Jan Hoover was a fellow Collector and one of the few people Damon considered a friend. Like Damon, he’d come from earth. Jan had been with the Collectors for much longer than he had, and he’d shown Damon the ropes. The man was someone Damon could relate to, someone he could trust. Over the years, they’d gone on missions together and had each other’s backs. Standing before him now, Damon felt a warm sense of security.

But it was gone in a heartbeat as a thought crept into his mind.

“Did Grim Jim send you here?” he asked.

Jan’s expression turned serious. He shook his head. “No, he didn’t. But he’s growing impatient. You need to act quickly. Bring that snow leopard to him before his patience runs out.”

“I will,” Damon replied tersely.

“You really plan to leave the Collectors?”

Damon nodded.

“Wow.” His friend looked like he was about to say something else, but he simply smiled.

“I should keep moving.” Damon said, shouldering his bag, “I need to gather more supplies and be on my way. I’m not staying long, so you don’t have to worry about me.”

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