Page 65 of To Match A Dragon's Fire

I bumped into a large terracotta decorative floor vase in the hall, cursing the world as I stubbed my pinky toe. So much for escaping quietly.

“Ember?” Hillary gasped.

I forced myself to stand steady as I turned around, to not let the fear show on my face. But when Kieran’s gaze softened, I had to fight the urge to run to his embrace.

I needed to get laid more often or something because this was ridiculous.

“I knew you’d be here,” Hillary spat, growing redder by the minute. “They’d said you’d come back. Is this your doing? Did you sleep with the freak to get your revenge?”

I had no clue what she was talking about, so I blinked awkwardly as I processed her words. It didn’t sound like it was my fault she was here. That should’ve been a relief, but I was pretty sure she… “Did you, of all people, just try to slut shame me?”

“I knew you were low, but not this low.” Her eyes swept over Kieran as Fergus and the other men reached out, pulling her back to the open door.

Kieran stood stoically, letting the insult roll off him, but fire raged through my veins. I marched over to stand beside him, letting her see the promise of retribution in my eyes.

“You know, I’ve met a lot of women, but I’ve only ever met one whore,” I said. “How is my ex-husband anyway?”

“Why don’t you ask him?” Hillary snarled.

I glanced at Kieran, confused. “What?”

“Don’t you know?” she kept taunting. “This government asshole here showed up with some mutant lizard thing that flies around breathing fire. Martha seen it. So did Tommy. And Deputy Bryan ran into it the other day.”

“It’s not a lizard.” I pinched the bridge of my nose. It’d been a long time since I’d been home, and Ialmost forgot how fast rumors and ignorance spread. Even I wasn’t that thick. “Dragons breathe fire.”

“Whatever,” Hillary cried. “All I know is that this government freak’s pet took Tony!”

I took a step back so I could see Kieran’s full face. “What’s she talking about?”

“I’ll explain later,” Kieran said. There was a calming strength about him despite the commotion outside.

“He knows!”

“Told you he would.”

“Why?” I whispered, still not understanding how Kieran got mixed up with all of this.

“I wanted to tell you once I’d solved it all.” He shook his head. Sadness creased his features as he reached for my hand. Our fingers laced together and peace washed over me.

I trusted him.

“See,” Hillary was saying. “His mutant dragon thingy came to town and—”

“Enough.” Kieran turned toward her with no trace of the softness shown to me on his face. Even I wanted to jump at the bark in his tone.

“What I’d like to know,” he continued, “is why, as the town clerk, you signed off and deposited the checks Ember sent yearly for property tax when you knew damn well we’d taken over this ranch.”

It took two-point-five seconds, less than a decent bull ride, for the meaning of his words to sink in. Strong arms wrapped around my waist, catching me mid-lunge.

“Are you fucking kidding me?” I screamed.

Hillary scrambled back into the crowd that caught her like she was one of them.

I refused to feel jealous. They could have her.

The whole damn town could kiss my—

“It’s time for you all to leave now.” Fredrick closed the door.

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