Page 68 of Dragon Rivals of New York

“So am I.” Sora touches his arm, a warm look in her eyes. “But… it’ll work better if there’s a distraction.”

Jethro nods, frowning. He returns his attention to the coffee, focusing on whatever the hell he’s doing to get it just right. Sora draws me between her legs, with my back to her, and her arms around me, head resting on my shoulder as we both watch Jethro work.

Once the scent of coffee fills the kitchen, he sighs. “We could wait and plan it at the same time as—”

“No,” I cut him off. “If we wait for the hordes to attack, people could get hurt. I don’t want members of my horde to die because of me.”

We came too close to thatlast night.

Whatever happens, we’ll go down fighting to protect the connection we have with each other. But this isourfight, and I can’t let anyone else get hurt.

“We’ll think of something,” Sora says. “There’s got to be some way to distract them.”

“Hmm, you know what’s distracting me?” Jethro trails a finger up Sora’s arm that’s wrapped around my neck. “Maybe we need a little exercise to get the ideas flowing.”

“Can you go one minute without thinking about shooting your load off?” I love how insatiable he is, but we need to stay focused if we’re going to solve this.

Jethro’s eyebrows shoot up, and he gets a grin that’s like a teenager who was just told he could take the car out on his own for the first time—completely incongruent with the conversation we’re having. “I have an idea for a distraction.”

Chapter 34

Sora

ItturnsoutJethrohas connections with more than just scuba divers.

After spending the rest of the morning at a pool learning how to use all the diving equipment, Jethro flies us to a part of town I’ve always avoided. We land in a back alley behind a warehouse.

“I don’t like this,” Kyro pulls me close, gaze bouncing from the dumpster to the street to the metal door in front of Jethro. “We should have left Sora at home.”

“Fuck, no.” I twist out of his grip and put my hands on my hips. “We’re in this together. I’m not being left behind.”

“Don’t worry, lovely. We wouldn’t have left you behind, not with the Ruby Diamond Horde on the prowl. He’s just being his normal anxious self.” Jethro lifts his hand and knocks fourtimes in quick succession.

The man who opens has a shaved head, tattoos, and two guns strapped at his hips. Okay, maybe I should have stayed home after all. My heart beats a little faster, and I take a tentative step behind Jethro. He squeezes my hand for reassurance and gives the man in the doorway a wide grin.

“Jethro,” the man says without inflection.

“Ambio, good to see you.” Jethro clamps his free hand on the other man’s shoulder. “I’ve got a little business arrangement for you.”

Ambio grins for the first time. “Come on in.”

Twenty minutes later, my heart is still pounding. What we bought from Ambio was far from the worst of what he was selling, but it was still the first time I’ve ever broken the law. It’s not something I want to make a habit of, but the rush of adrenaline I feel as we walk back out into the alley has all my senses on alert in a way that's kind of—

“You okay?” Kyro asks.

The whole time we were in there, I felt like I was holding my breath. Now, I’m nearly panting, heart racing as I glance right and left, fearing someone might see us and know what we just bought, what's in the crate at Jethro's feet. It feels a bit like… a bit like… am I turned on?Whatthe hell is wrong with me?

Both my men give me curious looks, tilting their heads at the same angle, waiting for me to answer Kyro’s question. Fuck, they’re hot.

“I’m good,” I say a little too fast.

“Are you sure?” Jethro asks.

“Yeah, yeah, it was kind of… exciting.” My voice lowers at the last word.

“Exciting, huh?” Jethro’s grin lights up the dark alley. “Is that so?”

He stalks toward me, the concern in his eyes replaced by hot flickering flames.

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