Page 53 of Dragon in Denial
Chapter 13
I’m all in, baby.
Antoinette had obviously expected him to throw her under the bus, to tell Gabe she’d been the one to make that fucked up deal with Delilah.
But they were a team, damn it. Hell, they’d always been a team, except back in the day it had been the three of them. What would have happened if Eulalie had lived? Obviously at some point he and Antoinette would have figured out they were mates. Would Eulalie have found a cool mate, and the three would have become four?
They’d never know, so it didn’t matter.
What did, though, was that Ketu wasn’t going to let Antoinette take the heat alone. He understood why she’d made the decision she had, and he had to respect and trust that they’d figure out how to make it work. Together.
That’s what mates did for each other.
“What’s the deal?” Gabe asked, sounding suspicious. He had every right to be. Delilah wasn’t to be trusted, yet Antoinette had gone and promised they’d make her a reeve.
“You haven’t talked to Delilah yet?” Ketu asked.
“Hell no. I thought she’d done something to you, with the way Ginger relayed the message. But you’re obviously fine, so what’s going on?”
He was far from fine, but Gabe wouldn’t know that. He wouldn’t know that Ketu was being ripped apart inside because, damn it, he wanted the dragon’s blood trade ended, but more than that, he wanted Darius brought to his knees.
And Delilah could do it. She’d probably freaking revel in doing it.
And then she’d be reeve. What would that mean? What sort of shape would that leave the colony in? The woman had questionable scruples, and most of her life decisions had been based on her opinion that she’d been jilted when the dragon she’d been dating had found his fated mate and moved on. Shit like that happened all the time and no one else created curses and started drug trades because of it.
And they were going to put this woman in charge?
Somebody’s phone rang. Gabe pulled his out of his pocket and glanced at the screen. “504 area code?”
“That’s a New Orleans area code,” Antoinette supplied.
Gabe answered the call. “Hello? Oh, hello, Delilah. No, I’m pretty sure we’re never going to reach the ‘mother’ stage.” He rolled his eyes. Talia moved to his side and laced her fingers with his other hand.
“Yes, I’m in New Orleans. Well, I don’t have your number, or at least I didn’t until now, and frankly, I’d rather hear from Ketu than you.” He paused, obviously listening to Delilah, and his eyes widened.
Ketu heard Antoinette’s sharp intake of breath and he kind of wanted to wrap his arm around her shoulder to offer support, but they still had a lot of shit to work out.
There’s a price on her head. On my mate’s head. And she expects me not to be irrational?
“You?” Gabe said. “I don’t think he’d do that without talking to me first. Yeah, I realize I’m not reeve here in New Orleans, but Ketu is part of my colony.” He paused again.
“So if Rojo colony business is none of my business, why did you ask me for help?” Another pause, and then he said, “I’m going to have to call you back. I need to talk to Ketu. Oh, I’m sure you’re in a hurry, but you’re just going to have to wait until I get back to you. Goodbye.”
He disconnected the call and pinched the bridge of his nose. “Tell me what she just told me isn’t true.”
“What did she tell you?” Rahu asked from where he was lounging on Ketu’s bed, his arms crossed behind his head.
“We offered to help make her reeve if she ends the dragon’s blood trade,” Antoinette supplied. The room immediately erupted with gasps and voices arguing against that idea.
“I know it’s a bad idea—” Antoinette said.
“No, I don’t think you do. Have you ever met this woman?” Petra asked.
“Yes, actually. She entered my home and cast a spell over my son.”
Somebody whistled. Petra immediately backed down.
“Is the kid Ketu’s?” Rahu asked.
