Page 16 of Confessions of a Middle Aged Dragon Queen
Completely confused, still trying to catch up with the words Maeve had spat faster than an auctioneer at a cattle sale, I screeched, "The who will do what to our Maisie because she wouldn't what?" Twirling towards the front of the car, throwing my legs out in front of me– careful not to disturb my sweet Chewy where he had decided to take a nap, I accidentally ripped the seatbelt– brace, bolt, and all– out of the car door while screaming the same questions all over again, "Why the hell didn't you tell me? What the frig were you waitin’ on? Hurry up! Can’t this damned thing go any faster?”
Rolling her eyes before looking into the rearview mirror, Maeve completely ignored me in favor of sighing, “Goddess bless you, Kai Rí. You’ve got your hands full with this one. Sure, you wanna go through with the whole ‘Mate for Life’ thing? I love Martha more than I love most anything in this world, but she’s a lot to handle. Well worth it, but just a lot, if you get my drift. Maybe you want to ease into happily ever after with a trial run of giggles for now.”
“No, ma’am, I’m ready, willing, and more than able,” came Kai’s immediate and confident response at the same time that I growled through gritted teeth, “Paybacks are a bitch, Maeve Marie Madison Dellencourt. One day, your Mate will come knockin', and I have a long memory, sister dear. Like, longer than an Elephant with the power to light your ass on fire with a single thought."
“Yeah, well, hold that thought,” she snapped, making a quick right then an immediate left before flying over Buckaroo Bridge.
Thankfully, the rattle and creak of Quick Silver Suzie's tires over the bridge's old and rotting boards drowned out whatever smart ass comment my sister made. However, although I missed whatever snappy retort Maeve shot my way, it made Kai laugh out loud and had Aideen giggling like a schoolgirl. I didn't even try to find out. It just wasn't worth the hassle, and besides that, I could see the third-floor balcony of the old Hampshire Homestead just ahead. Just that once, I let something go. After all, I had a sister to save.
No sooner had the crunch of gravel under the wheels sounded in my ears than did Maeve hit the brakes so hard that the back of Quick Silver Suzie fishtailed in such a furious fashion that the car turned a complete circle better than any stunt car driver could ever do. Sliding right alongside the rock wall separating the Hampshire Family’s property from the beautifully landscaped shores of Wikiwatchee Watering Hole, she had the car in park, the engine off, and her ass out of the seat before my fingers even touched the handle of my door.
(I had to make sure my boys knew what to do. They were my furbabies, and as such, knew I would never ever never put them in danger.)
“Arthur, you’re in charge," I instructed, not even looking down and to the left when Chewy tried to interrupt. “Make sure y’all stay here. You can eat all that turkey jerky, and there are peanut butter treats at the bottom of the bag. I'll be back with Auntie Maisie as quick as a bunny hops through a briar."
Feet on the grass, my hand in my Mate’s…
(Yes, my man reached down and tangled his fingers with mine. Hell, he even held the door open for me. I was falling hard and didn't give a damn who knew.)
Anyhow, holding Kai’s hand, I got as far as, “Why the hell did you park all the way back he…?” Before we had company.
The roar of a finely tuned, throttle-wide-open motorcycle engine filled the airwaves. Spinning on my toes, I was still in motion as the front fender of a Pepto Bismal Pink Harley Soft Tail appeared on the crest of the hill we’d just flown over. There wasn't even time for me to wonder who it was before the bike slid to a stop right behind Mave's car, and the engine was turned off.
Snapping my head towards Maeve, then towards Kai, and getting not so much as a shrug, I stepped forward at the same time the rider jumped off the Harley, removed her helmet, and announced, "Hey, Martha. Whose ass do I need to kick?"
Laughing out loud despite the danger, something I’d been doing for most of the day, I greeted, “Son of a bitch, you did track me down. That’s pretty damn cool.”
Arms open wide, Theresa Thomas wasted no time closing the distance between us and wrapping me in a quick, but totally sincere, hug. Stepping back, she held out her hand and nodded towards my Mate. “Hey, Kai. Good to see you again.”
Appearing at my side before I could make introductions, Maeve crossed her arms over her chest, arched her right eyebrow, and sniffed, "We addin’ a Tiger to the crew?”
"We damned sure are," I confirmed, giving Theresa a wink to assure her that my sister’s roar was much worse than her flames.
And just like that, Maeve dropped her arms and shook the Tigress’ hand and greeted, “If Martha likes you, that’s all I need to know. Welcome to the Dellencourt Shit Show. We need to save one of our clowns before she either gives birth, turns everyone to ash, or both at the same time.”
Reading my sister’s thoughts, something we did pretty much all the time because it saved so much time, I knew she was just about to add something witty– because that was what calm, cool, and collected Maeve did– when Maisie’s scream slashed through the thick, dry air of Wikiwatchee Watering Hole Beach and Family Fun Park.
“I’m gonna ror ror ro ror roror ror ro rorororororror!”
Off like we were shot out of a cannon, we all instinctually tapped into our extraordinary preternatural speed. Powered with pure adrenalin and more than a little fear about what I was gonna find when we got to the huge, looming, dilapidated homestead that used to house Dragoon Bootay’s richest and nastiest family before Momma June and Daddy Mated and well, you know the rest, I yelled into Maeve, Theresa, and Kai’s minds, "What the hell was that last part? Anybody catch what Maisie Mae said?"
“I’m pretty sure they stuffed something into her mouth to keep her quiet,” Kai answered, his voice deep, almost a growl, and sexy as the day is long, rumbled through my brain.
“Stop thinking about sex,” Aideen snarled. “I’m wound up tighter than an eight-day clock on day one, and the way you're going, I'm gonna spontaneously combust before you get to the good part. Hell, I’m not even the one who’s gonna get to have a 'good time'. Somethin’ ‘bout that is just wrong, my Girl. I am so gettin’ the short end of the stick in this deal. Maybe I need to make an official complaint to the Ancients, the great Goddess, the Universe, and Fate.”
“But you benefit from everything I do,” I growled right back. “So, zip those scaly, pretty pink lips and pour on that sweet, sweet Magic. Momma needs to save the day, and she needs her Dragon Queen speed to do it.”
Begrudgingly, and with several naughty words that do not bear repeating, my Dragon Queen did as I asked. From one pounding step to the next, I was sprinting through the tall, spiny sawgrass and waist-high, sharp, broad blades of oyster grass with my Mate right beside me.
“Maisie’s your baby sister, right? The Coroner?” He asked directly into my mind. Damn, my man was the best. Even the low rumble of his voice was magnificent. It just kept conjuring up the most delicious images of us naked and sweaty and consummating the fact that Fate and Destiny had brought us together forever and ever, amen, that I almost tripped. In fact, I did stumble. It should've been incredibly embarrassing. Instead, it was absolutely fantastic because my man wrapped one of those wonderfully muscled arms of his around my waist, scooped me up off the ground, and held me close as he poured on more speed than I knew was possible.
“You did that on purpose,” Aideen accused, a pout on her lips and a scowl crinkling the lovely sparkling white and light pink scales across her brow. “It’s just not fair, I tell ya’.”
“Just like you’ve been tellin’ me for five-hundred-and-sixty-seven years when I bitch about you gettin’ to feel the wind on your wings– suck it up, Buttercup. Life ain’t fair, but it’s a sweet ride.”
“I hate it when you’re right,” she grumbled, to which I was just about to give a witty comeback when Kai's question replayed in my brain, and with it, a burning question emerged.
“Did you read my mind?” I snapped, adding a slap of Magic that I hoped goosed not only the part of his brain connected to mine through our Mating bond, but also that fine ass of his.
