Page 14 of Primal Dragon

“You are. I’m sorry you don’t know that already.”

“Did you just find out you have ten days to live or something? You’re acting really weird.”

Drake chuckled. “I know. I’m sorry. It’s been a rough few days. Maybe we could do lunch in a few weeks when I’m done with this really intense case I’m working on.”

“Uh, sure. Yeah, we could do that. You’re going to have to convince me you’re not dying though.”

“I’ll bring a note from my doctor.”

Quinn chuckled. “Fair enough.”

“I love you, sis.”

“I love you too.”

He disconnected the line, never one for a good-bye.

Great, now she had to worry about another man in her life.

She glanced down at her checklist and half-packed bag.

One man at a time.

She had to save James first.

4

Lucky Number Seven

Henrik parked a couple blocks away from the Crimson Club entrance. He made sure he wasn’t under a lamp. It was a memorable car, especially with all the black SUVs the vampires seemed to drive around in, and he needed every bit of secrecy he could manage.

The stench of the human scent potion Syrena insisted he wear made him cringe. His scent was masked, and no one would know he was a dragon, but he didn’t like it. His dragon especially didn’t like it. The only human scent his dragon wasn’t opposed to seemed to be Quinn’s.

He’d dressed like the human criminals on television: a pair of jeans, a hoodie, and a black leather jacket.

Vampires were looking for human street thugs for some kind of work, and they were all congregating here, at a private club that Henrik knew was a front for vampires to do shady business. It was one of the big places Cillian and his network were keeping an eye on, and for good reason. And it was the last place James had been seen.

Henrik knew whatever Stefano and subsequently Grey were up to, it was no good. He’d told Ash and Cillian where he was going tonight, so if he went missing, someone would know where he’d gone.

He wished he’d been able to get more information from Quinn. He hated to think of her in danger, especially when he couldn’t back her up.

Henrik snarled. He had to put Quinn out his mind or he was going to get himself killed just for being stupid and distracted.

He approached the club. It was a new moon, and a blanket of clouds blocked out the stars. The city lights bounced off the clouds giving the city an almost dark auburn look. It kept snowing every other day, layering on snow pile after snow pile.

Henrik missed being in Miami with his brother. He didn’t love the cold. It didn’t affect him like it did humans, but he just didn’t like the way it felt.

The gentlemen’s club was next to a popular bar that had been a staple since the mob era. Uptown Chicago had a different flavor than downtown. It was more offbeat and a little more rundown.

The red door was the biggest indicator that he was in the right place. He knocked on the door. A panel in the metal opened.

“What do you say?”

“I say that it’s time for a party.” It was a stupid code phrase, but as long as it got the job done, he wasn’t going to worry about it.

The door opened.

Henrik glanced to his right when he heard someone approaching. Another male, shorter, rounder, in a pea coat. He wore a newsboy cap that shadowed his face, but nothing could hide the vampire stench. Henrik took his entrance and the door closed behind him, but he kept moving forward through the bare, dark cement hallway.

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