Page 47 of Dragon in Denial
“I have got to stop using inanimate objects as the foundation for my spells,” Delilah muttered.
“Great,” Ketu said, stepping back into the kitchen. “Now that we’re all on equal footing,Mamá, how about you take Henri into the living room while we have a quick chat with this lady?”
“Lady?”Mamásaid with an imperious arch of her brows.
He shook his head. “Please?”
She opened her mouth like she intended to argue but apparently changed her mind and went over to extract Henri from Antoinette’s arms. He wasn’t having it, though.
“Uh-uh,” the little boy said, clinging to his mother’s neck. “She’s gonna cast a spell on you. She’s a bad lady.”
“No, she’s—” Ketu started, but then he shifted gears. “Yeah, you’re right, she is a bad lady. But she won’t harm us. I promise.”
“You’re making promises you can’t keep,” Delilah said.
“We have something you want,” Antoinette said.
Delilah sighed dramatically. “Fine, I won’t hurt them,” she said to Henri. “Just go away already so we can get this show on the road.”
Henri looked at Ketu, a clear plea for reassurance, and Ketu cupped his cheek. “We’re all right, son. Go on with yourgranmé.”
The child gave his mother one last hug.
“Tell me what you know,” Delilah demanded as soon as he left the room.
“The reeve’s son,” Antoinette said. “His hold on that business is precarious.”
Delilah did another overly dramatic eye roll and crossed her arms. “It’s an illegal drug business. Of course it’s precarious.”
“The rest of the dragons in the colony are getting sick of it. That dragon’s blood is destroying families. They aren’t willing to put up with it anymore. They’re looking for change.”
Ketu stared at her. Antoinette was lying through her teeth. What happened if the witch figured it out?
Delilah pursed her lips and leaned back in her chair. “I’m listening.”
“That business is going to collapse eventually. It isn’t sustainable. And besides, you aren’treallyin charge. And I know you’d rather be the boss. Therealboss.”
Gods above, Antoinette was a freaking genius. The witch was taking the bait. He could see it in the way her eyes glittered, in the slight parting of her lips, the way she leaned forward now instead of acting as though this were a casual conversation and she was half bored.
Except what the hell did they do next? Antoinette wasn’t seriously going to suggest the woman oust the current reeve and take over, was she? Delilah was a drug dealer! Were they going to exchange one for another?
“We can help you become reeve,” Antoinette said, her voice all breathy and—under different circumstances—sexy as hell. But they weren’t alone and they weren’t half-dressed and she’d just suggested they would actually help the witch become reeve.
“Antoinette, we need—”
“Under one condition,” Antoinette said.
“What’s that?” Delilah asked.
“No drugs. End it. Shut down the business. You’re going to have to find something else to bring in a steady income, but you seem like a smart woman so I’m sure you can think of something.”
Delilah nodded. “Oh, I have plenty of ideas. The only reason I started this particular line of work was to get back at my ex for dumping me.” She made it sound as if becoming a drug dealer was a justifiable means of revenge for the breakup of a romantic relationship. Or anything, really.
Great. They were going to trade one psychopath for another. “Antoinette, we really need to—”
She whirled on him, glaring like she was truly pissed. “Knock it off, Ketu. This is how we’re going to cut off Darius’s balls. He killed your sister. Don’t you want to get him back?”
“Yes, but—”
