Page 48 of Draco Family Duet

He walked in, dropped our bags on the floor, then closed the door behind him as he exited. With one hand, I swept the bulk of the pillows off the bed. Then I laid her on the comforter and folded the other side over her, sleeping bag style. As soon as I was certain she was comfortable, I checked out the rest of the house to ensure all the windows and doors were locked, and the curtains drawn. Confident we were safe for now, I settled into the chair, kicked off my shoes, and studiedPeri.

Her feet had kicked out of the comforter, and I was suddenly aware of the cuts and abrasions she’d suffered while racing through the woods barefoot. Standing, I tiptoed into the bathroom, grabbed a washcloth and soaked it with warm water from the sink. After wringing it out, I grabbed a hand towel and sat on the end of the bed. Slowly, I moved the bedding and the hem of her dress out of the way so I could wash her feet. If she ended up with an infection, I’d feelterrible.

Slowly, I wiped away the dirt and inspected her cuts for debris. Then I patted them dry. Peri had cute toes and tiny feet. A recent pedicure had her nails painted a pale pink. And for some reason, I wanted to kiss them. Actually, at the moment, I wanted to kiss all of her. Inhaling deeply, I tucked her feet in with shaking hands. When I finished, I glanced up and realized she was watchingme.

* * *

Peri

“Hi,”I whispered, after I blinked a few times. The lighting in the room was low, but somehow, I still couldn’t trust my eyes. “Are you really here, Mishal?” I slowly propped myself up on my elbows. I hadn’t seen the man for many years, but he hadn’t changed abit.

Mishal moved up the bed to sit at my side. "How are your feet?"His brow furrowed withconcern.

I glanced down at them. They hurt, but I'd never let on. "Good as new," Ilied.

He pursed his lips. "You don't have to hide things from me. I can read everything I need to know in yourface."

Inhaling sharply, I sat up. "Likewhat?"

He shook his head and frowned. "Now is not the time. We need to talk about what happenedtonight."

My eyes burned so I closed them and pressed my palms to them. "He's dead. Devon, my boss." Slowly, I moved my hands and opened my eyes to watch hisreaction.

"I saw. How did this happen?" He leaned closer as we spoke, but I inchedaway.

Shaking my head, I tried to explain. "I can'tthinkwhen you're thatclose."

Mishal tilted his head and studied me before he scooted back a good eighteen inches. "Is thisbetter?"

I tucked my feet under my dress and pushed myself up against the headboard. "Some," I admitted quietly. Sure, I could more easily concentrate, but for some reason I missed his closenesstoo.

"Peri, I need to know what’s going on. You called your uncle for a reason." He stared at me. “Start with telling me abouttonight.”

"We had our best third quarter earnings in a really long time," Ibegan.

"For what?" He licked his lips and I was momentarilydistracted.

I groaned and then I rubbed my forehead. "Investments. DracoInvestments."

"Right. Go on," he urged as he tucked some of his long blond hair behind hisear.

"I spent two months planning this party. Devon stood up to toast his clients and me, then he took a drink, and died.” My bottom lip trembled as I recalled that horriblemoment.

"Did he die fast or slow? Was he convulsing or contorting?" His brow furrowed as he shot off questions he neededanswered.

I wrapped my arms around my body. "I'm not sure. I just remember the fall, the look on his face as he collapsed, like he wanted me to help and I had no ideahow..."

"Think," hedemanded.

"Why?" I glared at him. "I don't want to remember that moment. It was terrible. My heart broke in that instant." I choked for a moment as I tried to hold back mytears.

Mishal reached out and took my hand in his. I stared down at his warm fingers laced through mine. "This is how you help him," he murmured. "Thisis how we catch hiskiller."

For a second, I focused on his soothing touch before I closed my eyes and took a few deep breaths while I tried to recall every painful detail surrounding Devon’s death. "It was fast. Well, it seemed fast and in slow motion all at the same time. He was at the head of the table and I was way down at the other end. I didn't even have time to reach his side.” I squeezed Mishal’s hand for comfort. “Devon grabbed the table, then he just...fell over." I stared into Mishal's eyes. They were blue, but so different from Devon's. "He grabbed his chest. Then it was over. I was crouching there by hisside."

"From what you described, my guess...cyanide. It’s fast-acting and has similar effects." He wrapped his hair up into a bun and used the ponytail holder he had around his wrist to secure it. "Your uncle sent me to talk to you. He said you know something about the dragons dying. If this is all connected, you're indanger."

I swallowed hard and nodded. “I expected as much. The guy said I was in danger, the one chasingme.”

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