Page 59 of New Nebraska Home

“My organization would never—” Zmei started.

“Your organization has tried to run me out of my own home because I’m human and because my brother is part Fae. They openly attacked me in a grocery store.” Red, fiery anger that didn’t quite feel like mine settled in my stomach. It was so odd that I could feel Cal’s irritation, and I was pretty sure the rage I felt in my gut belonged to Brock.

“Can you tell us what kind of shifter this Malik is?” Zmei asked.

I could, but I wouldn’t. For some reason, Malik seemed to want to keep that to himself.

“I’m not sure. And I was afraid to ask, fearing it might be impolite,” I said, plastering a fake smile on my lips.

“Well, that’s a good thing, ma’am,” Zmei said. “We believe he’s a basilisk, and he’s been drugging you and your household, so you didn’t know what he was really up to.”

“I seriously doubt—” Cal’s words were interrupted when Malik appeared at the bottom of the stairs with Leif by his side.

The detective pulled his gun, and Leif screamed.

Malik pushed Leif behind him, shielding my baby brother with his body.

“What is the meaning of this?” he asked.

“Put your hands up where I can see them,” the detective yelled, like we weren’t all standing within ten feet of each other.

Malik looked at us as he raised his hands.

The detective ordered him to lie on the ground and put his hands on the back of his head. Malik followed orders, and I knew he did it not because he was afraid, not for himself, but of the gun going off and somehow hitting Leif.

When Corkburn lowered his weapon, Leif ran past him into my arms, and I didn’t miss the look Zmei shot him like he was a bug that needed to be squished.

I held Leif in my arms as Malik was cuffed and put in the back of a squad car.

“I’m calling a lawyer now,” Brock yelled. “We’ll figure this out and get you home.”

“I wouldn’t count on it,” Zmei said, moving to block our path. “The streets of this town are going to be cleaned up, of all vermin. We will make it a safe home for the pure. I suggest you leave your murderous friend in the hands of the authorities and start packing your bags. Your kind is not welcome here.”

“This is my home,” I said, pulling away from Cal and Brock. I could feel Brock’s apprehension and Cal’s annoyance at the situation. A white-hot rage burned from my forehead to my fingertips and toes. “My family’s owned this land for generations, and I’ll be damned if I let one trumped-up narcissistic conman scare me and mine from our home. This is my land, and you have no business here. Leave.”

“I believe you heard the lady,” Cal said, stepping up to my side, Brock coming up on my other. Zmei gave us a look, then spat at my feet before turning and leaving my property.

“What do we do now?” I asked Cal as I watched the car with Malik disappear down the road.

“Whatever we have to do to get him back.”

Callum

TIME TO JAIL BREAK THE DRAGON

“Ican’t believe they took him.” Liz’s voice shook as she spoke. Brock had already grabbed the kid and taken him inside, so I pulled Liz into my arms, holding her and letting her process what had happened.

“Don’t worry, my love.” She trembled at the endearment, but I meant it with all my soul. “We’re going to get him back. It’s going to take a bit for him to be processed, so let’s get the kid to bed, and then we’ll make a plan.” I didn’t know when it happened, but I realized that the damn dragon had become vital to me. It wasn’t the same way I wanted Brock or how I craved Liz, but he was just as important.

She nodded against my shoulder, and I held her for another minute. I was in complete awe of this woman. I didn’t know what she was; she was more than human, but I wasn’t sure what. The only thing I was certain of was that she was stronger than any of us could ever be. How she looked that evil man in the eye and called him out was astounding.

Yeah, I stood up to the detective, but he was a much lower-level vampire. In a fight, there was no contest. I could have had him pinned with my thoughts, stealing his power, curdling his blood. The badge he wore didn’t protect him from that. It didn’t protect him from me.

Still, whatever Liz was, her magic wasn’t strong. She wasn’t a master vampire, elemental, or mythological shifter, yet she was stronger than all of us in ways that mattered. More than that, she made us stronger.

Now it was time for me to be strong for her.

I picked her up, held her against my chest, and used my vampire speed to deliver us to my room in seconds. I didn’t want to let her go, but if I was going to get her dragon back, I needed to work fast.

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