Page 36 of Hungry Like A Dragon
Petra tugged the vial free of the broken knickknack and lifted it to eye level while turning toward the weak light streaming through the nearby window. Thick, red liquid rolled around inside the tiny tube.
What the hell?
Wait.
Dragon’s blood.
The Rojo dragons had a reputation. They’d created the synthetic drug—a combination of human-made drugs and actual dragon blood—and now half their colony, not to mention a fair number of humans, were addicted to the stuff.
And—what? Gabe’s mother was a dealer?
Petra twisted off the top and touched the tip of her finger to the substance, placed it on her tongue. The adrenalinezingshooting through her bloodstream confirmed her fear.
Definitely dragon’s blood.
Holy shit. This was way worse than she imagined. Gabe, too. Whatever his feelings for her, he would not have sent her down here alone if he’d suspected his mother was a drug pusher.
And she and Noah were scheduled to meet with the woman, tonight, at ten o’clock. Highly unconventional hour for an antiques dealer.
She glanced down at her phone. Should she reach out to Gabe? He could put a few dragons on a plane, and they’d be here in five or six hours, max. The meeting was in less than three, but at least they’d know where to start looking if something happened to her and Noah.
But she couldn’t call. It would only confirm that she was a failure.
She had to do this without his help. She had to prove herself.
She glanced over her shoulder into the living room. The sounds of light snoring told her Noah was still asleep. Good. She couldn’t tell him, either. From the brief glimpses she’d seen of his overprotective nature, she knew damn well he’d call Gabe, too, if he knew what they were really dealing with.
She extracted the vial of dragon’s blood from the broken figurine and used the sponge from the sink to sweep the bits of glass into the trash.
There. Done.
“Hey.”
She let out a startled shriek when she heard Noah’s voice behind her. He flipped on the light and she jerked around to face him, the vial squeezed in her palm, which she hid behind her back. He gave her a quizzical look. “Did I startle you?”
She let out a long breath. “Yes. I thought you were still sleeping.”
He stretched, and she took a moment to admire the sharp plains and crevices in his rather spectacular stomach and chest. He’d pulled on his shorts but hadn’t bothered with a shirt, much to her visual pleasure. Then he poured himself a glass of water, and Petra held her breath, waiting for him to ask about the miniature dragon or the arm she held behind her back.
But all he did was turn around and lean against the counter while he drained the glass.
“Hungry?” he asked. “Want me to whip up something before we leave?”
“Um, not really.” If she’d had an appetite, she’d lost it the moment she comprehended what all those young dragons were purchasing from Delilah’s antique shop.
“Well, I’m starved. I’ll just make myself a couple sandwiches then.”
Sadie let out a wail as he reached for the fridge. “I’ll get her,” he said. “I’ll change her diaper and bring her in here so you can feed her.”
“Thanks.” She sank against the wall briefly then rushed to the living room and dropped the vial into her purse, practically running back to the kitchen when she heard his footsteps in the hall.
“You all right?” he asked when he handed her the baby. “You seem jumpy.”
She sat down at the table and latched Sadie onto her breast. “Just nervous about tonight, I guess.”
“Me too,” he said, with his head in the fridge, while he piled sandwich fixins onto the counter. “I kind of want to give Gabe a head’s up.”
“No!” Whoa, she probably shouldn’t have shouted that.
