Page 9 of Claim the Dragon
She continued down the ladder until taking the two-foot drop to the bottom level.The moment her feet hit the floor he was on her.
“I’m so glad you made it!”Cree was yelling as his arms flew around her, grabbing her to him in a hug that took her breath.“I’ve been waiting right here since you left.You said it would take up to three hours, but you’ve been gone almost four and a half.I was so worried I started to wake up the Megs to have them come with me to look for you.”
She patted Cree’s back and took a steadying breath the moment he finally released her.“No, not the Megs.The last thing we need are those two roaming the streets looking for a fight.”
Cree gave her his crooked smile.“That’s what they do best.”
She nodded and turned to walk in the direction that would take them around the main area of Safeside to the private rooms and office along the edge of the complex.This was once an old subway station with stairs that led even farther underground to the tunnels and tracks where trains used to take people from one side of the city to the other.But that had been more than fifty years ago.Now all public transportation was aboveground by buses or the lifts that traveled on wires that crisscrossed throughout Burgess like vines.
When she was younger, the kids in school would talk about stories they heard of an army of men and women who could change shape into big cats, living underground.The story was that those people had attacked humans in Washington D.C.and were then run underground by the U.S.military, which began an all-out war against them.When she’d gone home to ask her father about it, Ford had immediately chastised her for believing every silly story she heard.“This world belongs to the humans, now and forever,” he’d said in that tone that told her she’d better not ever ask him about cat people or any other type of beings again.
“They’re good at what they do.”Cree fell into step beside her, still talking about the Megs.His narrow shoulders were hunched while his long legs kept pace with her.
“Former wrestlers aren’t what’s needed to move us ahead,” she said and turned the corner that would lead to her office and private suite.
“But stealing is?”
This was the second time tonight Cree had spoken to her as if he despised what she was doing, or like she was some common criminal.“Stealing is what built this entire secret living space where people like us are allowed to be who and what we are and thrive.”
“We’re living underground, away from the world and all that’s going on up there, how is that considered thriving?”
She moved quickly, turning so that she was now face-to-face with him.“All that’s going on up there is every type of discrimination imaginable and corruption that reaches from the top of the food chain down to strangle those just managing to grab a few scraps to live on.So, what would you suggest we do differently?Do you really want to go back up there and deal with all that bullshit?”
Cree took a slow, deep breath.He blinked at her and folded wispy arms over his chest.
“I’m not the enemy,” he said.“And you know I appreciate all you’ve done to create this safe space for us, but in the beginning, you said it would be temporary until we figured out a way to exist aboveground with everyone else.”
She had said that.And for a while she’d actually believed it.Now, not so much.
“I’m trying,” she replied and turned away.
Reaching down into the top of her suit she pulled out the key she wore around her neck on a black cord.Using the key to open the door to her office she stepped inside.Knowing that Cree intended to follow her and feeling like she needed a lot of space right now, she turned back to face him but blocked the entrance.
“I know you want to talk about our next steps and I believe it’s time to do so, but not tonight.I’m tired and I need to rest and figure some things out.”
He turned his head slightly, twisting his lips in that way that said he only half believed her.“Did you at least get what you went up there for?”
Ravyn smiled.“I did.And it’s going to bring us big bucks!”
“Big illegal bucks, just like the enforcers collecting their fee from all the establishments aboveground at the first of every month.That’s what brought us down here, Ravyn.All I’m saying is how does this make us any better than them?”
His words stung and Ravyn had to blink back the urge to lash out at him.Cree had been with her at one of the lowest moments of her life.He’d risked his life to save hers and had come out with permanent physical and mental scars.He was like a younger brother to her, one she was responsible for and indebted to, one that was royally pissing her off at this moment.
“It makes us survivors, Cree.That’s all I’ve been able to focus on these past four years, surviving.We’re doing that aren’t we?They don’t know where we are so they can’t steal from us and beat us at their whim.We beat them this time!”
Cree shook his head.“I don’t feel like we beat anybody at anything.I feel like we’re hiding and I’m getting sick of it.”
Then go!She wanted to scream those words, but she couldn’t because if Cree left, Ravyn wasn’t sure what she’d do.All of this—the miles of lodging and community they’d created together to help the displaced citizens of the city—wouldn’t seem like much without him there to help her.Likewise, if anything happened to her, it would be on Cree to keep this place afloat and she wasn’t sure he would.He was her best friend and her partner, and he was partially right.
“Get some sleep, Cree.We’ll talk about this in the morning.”
He nodded.“Yeah, you get some rest too.And tomorrow think about where you’re going to unload that thing because you’re never gonna be able to hide it as long as it glows like that.”
With those words she looked down at her chest to see the shimmering gold light visible through the thick black material of her catsuit.Had it been glowing like that all night?She hadn’t seen it but now she wondered.
“Yeah, I’ll um, I’ll take care of this first thing tomorrow morning.”
When he walked away, Ravyn closed and locked her door.She walked through her office and to another door that opened into her private suite.Her hands were already working the catsuit down past her shoulders and to her waist as she sat on her bed.Lifting one leg at a time she unlaced and removed her tennis shoes, tossing them across the room in the direction of the closet.Once they were off, she pushed the catsuit farther down and then returned her attention to the knife she’d stuck into her sports bra.
