Page 2 of Fire Dragon Lover

Granted, there was plenty of panic as civilians ran from the scene. Logan continued to drag Rob away and tried his best to keep them from getting filled with new holes while not jostling the jagged piece of metal. It was currently the only thing that kept his werewolf driver's insides from becoming his outsides.

He eventually got Rob to an alleyway. He had seconds to act. He pulled off both their ties, he secured the shard as best he could before he picked Rob back up in a bridal carry.

"Fuck!" Rob yelled.

"Sorry, bud. Best I can do."

"Just don't think about ..." Rob's voice trailed off.

"Stay awake. If you die, you're fired."

Rob let out a weak laugh and then winced.

"How about if I live and get a vacation."

"All expenses paid. Just don't die," Logan said as he ran down the alley before more gunmen turned the corner and filled the space he'd been in with bullets.

These guys were everywhere. After what felt like an eternity, he heard sirens and gunfire exchanged. He leaned Rob against a building as he helped him down slowly.

"Don't move. I'm going to get help. And remember. Die. Fired. Live. Vacation," he said.

Rob muttered something back, but Logan was already gone. These bastards had hurt his friend, and he needed to get answers. Or revenge. Either one would do at the moment. He saw one of the men, grabbed him by the throat, and slammed him into a brick wall. Logan heard something snap as the man went limp.

Logan took his gun and continued down the street. He ducked behind a car for cover and then returned fire. The sirens got closer, and the ones who were trying to shoot him decided they had better places to be. As soon as reinforcements arrived, he led them back to Rob, who did exactly as he was told like a good employee.

Once he knew Rob was on his way to the hospital, he let PEACE agents ask him questions and answered the best he could. He didn;t trust PEACE. It was hard to trust an organization that had been created in response to discovery of paranormal beings.

Then he saw Sloan Drake. Sloan approached and waved off the agents.

"You should have had bodyguards," Sloan said.

"It wouldn't have helped." Logan shot back. If there had been too many people in the car, he might not have escaped.

"At least let me send some enforcers with you."

"I knew what I was getting into when I decided to fight for meta rights, and not everyone in Draconis Fire is in favor of peaceful coexistence. I'm not looking to get stabbed in the back," Logan said before he turned to leave.

Four

Gretchen

Oh, my god!Gretchen stood up and placed her hands over her eyes as if to dispel the images and news on the television. Lit candles nearby flickered as she paced the floor from her failed attempt to relax and watch a show, when 'Breaking News' broke through the broadcast. The anchorman announced that Logan Slade had been involved in an accidental explosion and his car was blown to pieces.

Gretchen continued to pace the floor frantically as she tried to come up with a solution. Should she go to him?Of course, you idiot!She admonished herself at such a terrible thought. If he is hurt, he would want someone there to help with his affairs, and the business.Who better than I?Suddenly, tears welled up in her eyes and she couldn't maintain the resolve to hold them back.

A flood of tears fell as Gretchen landed on the floor in an emotional heap. What if she had wasted opportunity after opportunity to confess her feelings to him and now, he could possibly be gone forever, never to know the love she felt for him.How stupid of me!She stood from the floor and pounded her fists in the air, and wiped the tears from her face.Get a hold of yourself!

She grabbed her keys and purse as she marched out the door and descended the stairs from her apartment to the outside. The murky hall didn't allow much light to break through. More tears formed, but the dam broke again as she began to weep, fresh rivers that fell down her cheeks. She was unable to quell the suffering of her heart, she sobbed, now more for his predicted pain, than for her loss of confession and love for him.

Beside her car, she could barely get the key into the door lock as her hands shook so much.How can I feel so much emotion at this?She willed herself to settle down enough to unlock the door as she slid behind the wheel of her Lexus and tried the key in the ignition. Her hands trembled frantically and she came undone again. She screamed and hit the steering wheel over and over again in frustration. Her body heaved under the weight of her emotion and she knew she couldn't go to Logan. There was no point.

The only thing that she knew to be true was the relationship they had at work. Nothing more. Yet, Gretchen constantly felt a pull towards him. She cared deeply and was concerned in earnest about his well-being. Still she shed tears, and understood now, that outside of the office, there was no reason for her to care for him, as it couldn't or wouldn't be reciprocated.

Grief had struck her right in the face and if she didn't stop now, it would certainly be her demise.Sooner or later, I'm going to explode!She struggled between being able to let it go and the courage to tell him her true feelings.

I should go to him and confess it right now.No, that wouldn't stand. But, perhaps he could be persuaded.Nah!But she loved him, really loved him and how would she feel if she never told him. But what if he rejected her,would she collapse in a tangled mess of emotional goo?The thought of him rejecting her made her want to throw up. On the other hand, if she confessed her love, would she feel better?How much worse can this situation be?

Five

---