Page 1 of Claim the Dragon
Chapter One
He was watching her again.She could feel his fierce gaze bearing down on her like rolling thunder.Might as well give him something to look at.
She walked onto the dance floor, raising her arms above her head as the beat of the music moved through her, moving her ass so he could see each plump mound bounce along with her steps.The DJ had the bass turned up and she felt each thump in her chest as she turned so her back was facing the wall where he stood.She closed her eyes and let the female rapper’s easy flow slide through her mind.The lyrics said something about throwing it back and Ravyn thought it apropos since she wanted the enforcer who might be a little obsessed with her to catch all the shade she was throwing at him.If he wanted to watch her, he could watch, but he’d never catch her.
She was too good to be caught.
Besides that, he’d been watching her for weeks and had yet to speak one word to her, so maybe he wasn’t about doing his job.That wouldn’t be a surprise since none of the enforcers in Burgess actually did their real job.Instead they preferred to adopt a sadistic form of keeping order, using their guns and badges to cover the city in a cloak of fear and hopelessness.
“I like the way you move.”
Her eyes popped open at another man’s voice and she found herself staring up into eyes so dark they looked fake.His complexion was pale, brown hair straggly and hanging past his shoulders.She continued to dance, and he put his hands on her waist, picking up the rhythm and moving with her.
She smiled and lowered her arms to break the contact.“Hands off,” she snapped.
“Don’t get feisty, baby.I’m just looking for a good time.”
Ravyn stopped dancing and stepped closer to him, poking the sharp tip of the pocketknife she’d quickly pulled from the waist of her jeans into his gut.“Don’t get dead.Back up and go find your good time elsewhere.”
He hesitated.Big mistake.He blinked as if he doubted her, considering what disgusting words he would spew next in the hope of challenging her in some way.She decided to help him out.Pressing the knife farther until the moment she felt it prick his skin through the T-shirt he wore, she leaned close to whisper in his ear.
“How much pain can you stand?”
He lifted his arms and used his hands against her shoulders to push her away.She eased the knife back into her pants before anyone around them could see.Not that the other patrons of the club had stopped their dancing, drinking or lurking long enough to witness her interaction with the dark-eyed creep.
“Crazy bitch!”he sneered at her before walking away.
Ravyn smiled.
She’d been called worse.
The music was still going and she recalled why she’d been on the dance floor in the first place.Picking up with the rhythm, she danced around in a circle until she was facing the wall where her admirer had stood, only to find that space empty.He was gone.Good.She walked off the dance floor and returned to the bar where she’d been standing, watching and listening.But her mark was gone, as well.
Vertis Pinkney was a rookie thief, extortionist and small-time drug dealer.He’d popped up in Burgess about a year ago, running his mouth about all the product he could score and dealers he knew from farther up north, but had never come through with anything on his own.What he was good at—and the only reason she ever allowed herself to be within earshot of him—was getting information.Three months ago, he’d mentioned an expensive collection of artifacts from Egypt being shipped to Burgess for an archaeological conference.That’s when she’d begun to plan.
“You want another drink, pretty lady?”
It would have been great if he’d called her by her name, or simply not acted familiar with her at all.But in the end, it didn’t matter.The bartender was an okay-looking guy and if she was in the market for one, she might have been interested.But she wasn’t and so his thick beard, bald head and smoldering gray eyes did nothing for her permanently-on-vacation libido.
“Nah, I’m good,” she responded with the same amount of nonchalance she gave everyone in this place.
She didn’t do the club scene often and Twilight had just reopened a few weeks ago, but this was where Vertis hung out.
“You need somethin’ else tonight?”
His hands were flat on the bar top as he leaned in to look pointedly at her.She held his gaze.“No.”
He shrugged as if she hadn’t just turned him down.“The back room’s open.”
“I’m aware.”She wasn’t here to buy drugs, get high or get laid.
“Or I could get you something personally and meet you with it later.”
She tilted her head, surveying him once more.His beard was a sandy brown color, thick and worn longer than she thought was necessary.His bare arms were roped with veins and muscles that seemed to strain against his skin.The sleeveless white T-shirt he wore was molded to his wide and also muscled chest.He was tall and she figured on another day, perhaps five or six years ago, she might’ve been willing to ride him toward a glorious orgasm.
“There’s nothing in that room or with you that I need.”
For an instant she thought he was gonna go all wounded-pride-need-to-lash-out on her, but eventually he smirked, pushed away from the bar and eased on down to the next customer—another woman who smiled the moment his attention was aimed at her.The guy’s flirting was pathetic.
