A Mysterious Investor

MADDIE

“The entrance will be a dragon’s head, daring the patron to enter.”

The site manager nodded his head as he listened to me, clearly intrigued by the idea.

We looked up at the old hotel, once a thriving business in this now struggling neighborhood.

“You want the fangs and all?” he asked.

“Let’s make it as close to the real thing as possible,” I said with a wink.

The older gentleman laughed at my joke, but he had no idea who he was working for.

Construction sounds drifted through the air as he took another look at the building in question.

Men shouted orders, saws cut through wood, and jackhammers pounded the inside of the hotel. Hundreds of laborers were working meticulously and quickly to meet the deadline.

After all, we only had a few weeks until opening!

A young family strolled by and smiled at me as they looked up at the old building. They were trying to figure out what we were doing.

Soon, this quiet, rundown area would be transformed into the hottest nightlife spot in town.

The casino could turn out to be the most significant venture the Dobrzyckas ever attempted.

We stood on the sidewalk of the newly acquired neighborhood. The official name for the area was Old Town, and it was one of the first major neighborhoods in all of Requiem City.

It used to house upper-class families, and the few skyscrapers in the area had been their now defunct businesses.

I looked around the area: the brownstone aesthetic with dashes of Victorian-era architecture was perfect.

I could already envision the limos pulling up to the entrance, lit with spotlights. Women dressed in fur coats and men with their three-piece suits would exit their rides and gawk at the dragon’s open mouth.

Club Emerald?

Who would even remember such a place once ours was finished…

“I see you’re hard at work,” Loch said.

He and Hael were standing on the sidewalk in their usual leather pants. But with white shirts and dark blazers, they looked bohemian chic.

And it was sexy as hell…

I threw my arms around both of their necks and gave them each a kiss on the cheek.

The site manager tried his best to stay focused on the building, but it was hard to ignore Loch and Hael’s presence.

“I assume she showed you the initial blueprints,” Hael said.

The site manager nodded and then stroked his chin as if he were contemplating the plans.

“It’s going to be a beautiful building,” he said, his voice wavering. “But, there may be one issue…”

“The start date is too soon,” Loch said, not missing a beat.

I looked at my mates, suddenly confused by their presence. They hadn’t visited me for encouragement. They wanted to talk ~business~…

And when they spoke, everyone else was supposed to listen.

“Yes,” the site manager agreed. “To make sure everything is perfect, we’re going to need more than just—three weeks.”

“That’s too ambitious,” Hael agreed.

~Too ambitious!?~

This coming from dragon lords who wanted the entire world’s wealth as their own.

“Ambition is how greatness is achieved,” I retorted. “We need to set high goals so we can strive for the best.”

Okay, it was a bit contrived, but this was supposed to be ~my~ idea. And they’d swooped in like two massive rain clouds to drown out my parade.

Loch stood beside the manager and scrutinized the plans.

“You want an actual dragon’s head?” he asked, a hint of amusement in his voice.

“With fire and everything,” I said.

Loch, Hael, and the manager shared a small chuckle.

“What’s so fucking funny?” I demanded. “If money is no object, then we should be able to hire enough people to have this job done in a month.”

The site manager took a breath, ready to speak, but Hael beat him to it.

“We can throw our entire wealth at this building,” he said, “but if we’re not on the same page, it could turn into a disaster.”

“Have you ever heard of the nightclub Requiem’s Keep?” Loch asked. “It opened a few years back.”

The name sounded familiar, but when I scoured my memory, I came up blank.

I shook my head.

“That’s because they went under months after opening,” Hael said. “The owners wanted extravagance without necessity—opulence that was superficial and gaudy. And it left the people wanting more.”

“And a dragon-themed casino,” Loch sneered. “How cliché.”

“That’s what I thought,” the site manager agreed.

Hael shot him an evil smile.

“Even this human agrees with us,” he said.

Loch and Hael began to laugh, and soon the site manager was nervously laughing along with them. But it was clear he wasn’t sure why…

I watched him glance between the two men towering over him. He swallowed hard and then, with cautious steps, he made his way to the building—and farther from us.

“You had a good idea, mouse,” Loch said. “But we’re the brains of this operation. Let us do the ~heavy~ thinking.”

Did they really think this was ~their~ idea?

When I had proposed the casino, it felt like a breath of fresh air in our relationship. They actually took the time to listen to my plans.

And I was able to design the blueprints to the exact specifications I wanted.

~Control…~

If that’s all they wanted, then I feared that our partnership might not go as smoothly as I’d initially hoped.

HARRY

“Can you believe their fucking gall?” Maddie shouted.

We stood in what would be a VIP lounge for the casino. Workers were hustling all around us, but this room had been left alone for the moment.

Which encouraged Maddie to rant and complain.

“Every time I have an idea, they just shit all over it,” she continued. “All they want is control.”

No kidding. Even I could have told her that.

But the problem with acknowledging Loch and Hael’s issues was that they were dragons. A simple disagreement could lead to a slow-roasted death…

“They definitely want to be in control,” I agreed. “But there’s got to be a way to take some of it back. Hopefully, without them realizing it.”

“That’s a great idea!”

I could see the gears turning in Maddie’s head. But all I could think about was—

Slow.

Roasted.

Death.

I tried to shake away the horrible images flashing through my mind. Maddie was one of my best friends, and of course, I agreed with her.

But she wasn’t totally innocent.

Maddie had been the ringleader of our former overhead distribution, and control of the product was the name of the game…

“What an unusual place you’ve got here,” a deep, gruff voice called out.

A tall, impossibly handsome man leaned casually against an unfinished bar. Right now, the only visitors were construction workers.

Where the hell had he come from?

Maddie and I shared a look as the imposing man shot us a smile. His face was chiseled and clean-shaven, giving him a youthful look.

His hair was dark black with shades of red that shone in the light, smoldering like embers. It was as if he were on fire…

There was an air of mystery about him that made it seem like he had something to hide.

The man smoothed his immaculate, charcoal-gray suit and straightened his pink tie. It was clear he was dressed to impress. But who the hell was he trying to win over?

A chill ran up my spine, and I cleared my throat to try and alleviate the awkwardness I suddenly felt.

“Who are you?” Maddie asked incredulously.

At least one of us could speak…

The man raised his eyebrows questioningly at us, and somehow that simple act made him even more handsome than before. God, how is that possible?

“Pardon my intrusion,” he said in his deep voice. “My name is Ash Onyx.”

Maddie shot me another look full of uncertainty.

“Okay, Mr. Onyx,” she said dryly. “This is a private construction site. Unless you have an official reason to be here, you need to leave.”

She wasn’t joking. Her tussle with the Dobrzyckas earlier only emboldened her resolve.

“Well, that would be too bad,” Onyx replied. “I’d heard about a new casino opening up in the neighborhood and wanted to throw my hat in the ring of investors.”

He smiled again, and my legs felt weak.

Maddie nudged my shoulder, and I immediately knew what she was thinking.

“You’re going to have to throw in more than your hat,” I interjected. “This is going to be the next big thing in Requiem City. We won’t just take on anyone.”

Maddie’s eyes went wide as if I’d just pissed myself in the middle of the room.

I didn’t know where the boldness had come from. I was nothing like Maddie in terms of business and taking the lead.

But there was something about Onyx that made me feel…fearless.

“Oh, I’m not just anyone, I assure you,” Onyx said flirtatiously. “And when we form a partnership, I’ll show you my skills.”

His eyes locked onto mine, and I couldn’t look away.

I felt my cheeks burn and my mouth go dry. There was no hiding the way this strange man made me feel.

Maddie finally spoke up, breaking the awkward silence in the room.

“If you’re serious about investing, we might just have some room for you to join.”

Maddie winked at me, but it felt like everything was moving in slow motion.

She could sense an opportunity that she refused to pass up. With Ash Onyx as an investor, she might be able to circumvent some of Loch and Hael’s control.

“What do you think, partner?” she asked, looking at me.

I nodded, unable to speak.

She would get no pushback from me. With Ash Onyx joining our team, I could see myself getting ~very~ involved in this operation…

SUMMER

Dane and Aneurin splashed me with water from the aqua-colored healing pool.

They hadn’t asked me to join them for a simple dip. I could tell by the smiles on their faces and their boundless energy that they were ready to ~play~.

But that was the last thing on my mind. I couldn’t stop thinking about Zayda.

When I left the lab, she had been ready to recuperate.

Her morning sickness wouldn’t allow her to rest long, but I hoped she would catch some sleep.

“Babe, what’s wrong?” Aneurin asked.

I sighed, trying to find the right words to explain.

“I’m worried about Zayda,” I admitted. “Her pregnancy isn’t normal. And I’m not sure that I’ll be strong enough to keep her healthy through the entire process.”

Dane and Aneurin had been unsure of Zayda for awhile. Not only had she joined Xander’s university, but her lover was a creation of the dragon slayer himself.

But they also knew how rare dragon births were. And the potential loss of a child would hopefully tug on their heartstrings.

“Well, then we have the perfect gift,” Aneurin said.

Gift? I’d expected them to complain about Zayda’s loyalty or lack thereof—not to be surprised with a present.

Dane got out of the pool and made his way to a satchel he’d brought with us. After rummaging for a few seconds, he pulled out a small jewelry box.

It wasn’t from any store and looked to have been handmade, but that didn’t matter. My anticipation grew with each step he took toward the pool.

Aneurin wrapped his arm around my waist and pulled me close. The water was already warm, but up against his body, it felt like I was inside an active volcano.

“What is this?” I asked. “Don’t tell me it’s to make up for something you guys did.”

Dane and Aneurin both laughed.

“On the contrary,” Dane replied. “This is for something we know you’re capable of doing.”

“Ever since the battle, we’ve been talking about your powers,” Aneurin added. “The battle at Xander U drained all of us, including you.”

“I was just fine,” I said defensively.

“You were amazing,” Dane said with a smile. “And hopefully our time of fighting is over. But if it’s not, you need to harness your powers.”

Dane handed over the box, and I opened it immediately.

Inside, perched on a bed of black velvet, was a diamond pendant with a gold chain.

“Holy shit!”

It was absolutely gorgeous.

“It’s beautiful, no doubt,” Aneurin said, reading my mind. “But it’s also magical. This pendant will focus your healing powers and make you even stronger.”

Besides my outburst, I was speechless. Their kindness and love surprised me more and more each day.

I placed the pendant around my neck and felt the weight of the hefty diamond.

I gave Dane and Aneurin each a kiss. And that simple act of thankfulness managed to restart their idle engines.

From behind, Aneurin’s hands cupped my breasts, while Dane’s fingers worked their way up my thighs.

“Get ready, my love,” Dane purred in my ear. “We’re going to make you even wetter than you already are.”