Page 44 of The Dragon Recruit
Bethan raised an eyebrow. “Most of us have a human somewhere up in our family tree. So, what? Will you sterilize all of us that do? For something we can’t control?”
Zoe wanted to point out the hypocrisy—the female wanted forgiveness for having human blood and yet hated all humans, which were the key to her existence—but it was getting harder and harder to keep her eyes open. The verbal sparring had taken its toll, given how she was still fighting the aftereffects of being drugged. So she merely listened.
Chelsea said, “We’ll do our best to dilute the human blood as much as possible. It might mean forgetting about true mates or love to accomplish it, so pureblooded dragons are mated to those of mixed ancestry, but it’ll be worth it in the end.”
Some of them are truly lost, she thought to herself.
And as the females started to grumble and argue, Zoe’s exhaustion weighed heavier and heavier until her eyes closed and the world went black.
Chapter Fourteen
By the time they reached Inverness, Antony had mostly gotten his anger under control.
Of all the bloody people who could’ve betrayed him, Jude would’ve been the last person on his list. He’d been so certain the man was trustworthy, and even with his souring mood after being moved to a desk job, Antony never would’ve suspected he would turn traitor.
And yet, by all accounts, he had.
The man was gone, had vanished without a trace, and techs at the Inverness DDA office were still assessing how much Jude had downloaded from the restricted servers.
Things were bad, really bad. And after all the praise and recommendations to promote Jude, Antony felt partially responsible, and knew he had to find the man as soon as possible.
As he and Iris walked into the nondescript house his team used occasionally in the city, he put up a hand, signaling Iris to wait, and went inside to do a check. After ensuring no one had entered since his last visit and that the place was free of any bugs or tampered equipment, he motioned for Iris to enter. Only onceshe locked the door did he say, “We need to change, quickly, or we’ll be late for our meeting.”
She raised a dark eyebrow. “Can you finally tell me who it’s with?”
“An informant. One embedded deep inside the dragon hunters in Scotland. However, because he’s so involved, he rarely meets with anyone from my team. But after finding so many dead dragon-shifters, it’s worth the risk to see him.”
“Are you sure it’s wise to have me tag along? If he’s seen with a dragon-shifter, they’ll probably question, or even torture and kill, him.”
“You won’t be anywhere near me, so it should be fine. And I need you in my ear, in case there’s a question I haven’t thought of. I know a lot about dragon affairs in the UK, but not as much as you.” He nodded toward the bag on the sofa. “Those should make you look like any other human in town. Inside are the special earpiece, as well as the microphone to place on the top of your back tooth. Now, hurry. We only have about ten minutes before we have to leave.”
Iris rolled her eyes. “I’m not the type to take two hours to get ready.”
She grabbed the bag, and Antony headed into the bedroom.
Iris had been brilliant and indispensable on the drive up to Inverness. She didn’t interject during a call unless it was necessary, and always had a good point to bring up. He wished she could teach that skill to a few other people he knew.
And when the calls had ended and Antony had needed some silence to ponder and gather his thoughts, it hadn’t felt strange or awkward. No, it’d been…nice. Comfortable. Almost as if they’d known each other forever.
The more time he spent with Iris, the more he wanted to finish this blasted mission to know her better. Woo her, kiss her, and show her other ways they fit together outside of work.
Push it aside for now and use it as a type of motivation.
Once he finished dressing and attaching his undetectable gadgets—including the soccer scarf to pretend he was supporting a team playing tonight—he walked into the living room and did a double-take.
When he’d asked one of his staff to get Iris some clothes for a regular Saturday night out, he’d expected jeans and a sweater.
However, Iris wore a dark blue dress that hugged across her breasts, to her trim waist, and down her long legs. The deep color made her skin glow. And since her hair was in a messy bun atop her head, he wanted nothing more than to nuzzle her neck and see if she smelled as good as she looked.
Iris crossed her arms over her chest. “Whoever picked this outfit must never work in the field. It’s so impractical.”
He smiled. “Yes, I agree. But there’s nothing else here. Besides, think of it this way—it’s a better form of camouflage. Anyone who knows you would never look twice at a beautiful woman in a dress, right?”
“You don’t have to lay it on thick. But I’m warning you—if I need to pursue someone, I won’t hesitate to rip the skirt off, aye?”
He walked over, took her hand, and kissed the back of it. Only once she met his gaze did he murmur, “Youarebeautiful, Iris. In a dress, in tactical gear, or naked, I would guess, too. Don’t dismiss your charms.”
For a few beats, she searched his gaze. The uncertainty made him want to find the bastard who’d dented her confidence.
