Page 34 of Awaken the Dragon
New defenses slipped into place, as beneath his clothes scales rippled against his skin. Warrick Camden was a vampire.
Warrick’s sharp sparkling white incisors weren’t visible at the moment only because his lips were closed, but the undead had a sickly scent to their soul identity and a dim red haze outlining their human body. In addition to the folklore in books and old movies, this species was known for their deceivingly cool demeanor as well as their frigid body temperature, deadly desires and apparently expensive tailored suits.
“Theo Masters,” he said in a raspy voice laced heavily with an accent Theo couldn’t place.
“Warrick Camden.” Theo directed him to one of the guest chairs with a nod before taking his seat.
“You have something that belongs to me.” Camden made the simple statement while taking his seat.
Nobody was in the mood for chitchat today. Theo’s communicator vibrated on his arm and he glanced down to read the highlighted passages from Magnum. He looked back to Camden, more than ready to oblige a candid conversation.
“My client has hired us to facilitate her security needs until a wedding takes place. Are you the lucky bridegroom?”
Camden smiled. “I am. And I’m here to assure you that no security is required. You may deliver her to my home and consider your job done. Or I can pick her up at the hotel.”
He would assume she was at a hotel. Why would she be staying anywhere else? Shola didn’t know anyone in Burgess, which meant no one here would bat an eye if something happened to her. “That’s not what my contract says,” he replied.
“I’ll pay whatever fee was promised.”
“This isn’t about money.”
“Nonsense, all business is about money,” Camden stated. “Until it’s not.”
The last few words were said with an eerie calm. The kind of tone that was designed to send a chill of fear down a person’s back. If that person wasn’t a Drakon.
“Listen, Masters, you have a nice little setup here. I’ve done some research and your company is quite reputable. I would hate for that to change, especially during such a time of unrest in the city.”
“If by unrest you mean recent murders and an extortion operation the enforcers are investigating, then I can assure you that those are not clients I wish to take on.”
“You have no idea what you’ve gotten yourself involved in. Shola N’Gara is promised to me. We’re to be married at the end of next week. Nothing is going to stop that from happening.” Camden dropped the cordial act.
Theo detested everything about this guy, from his sickly stench to the way he’d just said Shola’s name. His control dangled by a thread as he watched the cocky sonofabitch sitting comfortably across from him. The vampire had no idea his ass could be ashes in a matter of seconds.
“I’m not in the business of interrupting weddings. You and my client are engaged to be married, that’s cool. Your love has managed to last the distance of oceans and now you’re finally destined to be together. I’m good with that too. What I’m not going to do is shirk my duty. I made a commitment, and I intend to see it through. Now, was there something else you wanted to see me about?”
Camden rose from the seat. The bastard didn’t just stand, but elevated away from the chair as if he planned to float right over the desk to get in his face. Oh how Theo wished that would happen; every part of the beast was ready to strike, all he had to do was let it be.
In the next moment Camden rested his knuckles on the edge of Theo’s desk and leaned in closer. He glared down at Theo, gold eyes sparkling in warning. Theo did not move or blink; he simply waited.
“I want her brought to me, tonight. Do you understand? Here’s the address. If she’s not there by dawn, consider yourself warned.” Camden spoke the words in an even tone and flashed those signature canines as the cherry on top of his thinly veiled threat.
Theo kept his gaze on Camden. He flattened his hand on his desk and then quickly flipped it over. A fireball emerged in his palm, flames reaching up until they almost licked the lapel of Camden’s jacket.
“I’m not one you want to threaten, Mr. Camden.”
Camden jerked back, almost stumbling over the guest chairs behind him in his haste to put distance between himself and the flames. Obviously he didn’t like fire. Every part of Theo’s body felt the heat and welcomed it. He kept his eyes on Camden as he slowly stood and walked around the desk, bringing his fistful of flames with him. As he stepped forward, Camden backed away until he was against the door.
“You don’t scare me,” Camden spat. “You have power, and so do I. Are we really going to see who’s the strongest? You might not like the outcome.”
Theo smiled. It was a slow and evil smile even though he couldn’t see it himself. But he knew it well, had mastered it in his first hundred years on this earth. He closed his hand, and the fire disappeared, but he didn’t cease his approach, not until he was nose-to-nose with the vampire.
“You want her, bring your power and try to take her. I. Dare. You.”
Camden bared his full mouth of vampire teeth and hissed a response before vanishing into the air. Theo spoke into the communicator, “Isla, capture every one of those bastards that’s still in this building. Now!”
He stalked back to his desk and was just about to transfer the full file that Magnum had sent to his desk platform when he caught a whiff of a new scent. His head shot up, the beast’s eyes quickly blinking over the human’s. His nostrils flared and the sample of heat he’d just shown Camden reignited like an inferno inside of him.
“No,” Theo whispered and ran toward the door.
