Shield Me_The Draco Family Duet [Book Two] Read online

  Shield Me

  The Draco Family Duet: Book Two

  Emma Nichols

  Contents

  Title page

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Epilogue

  About Emma Nichols

  Also by Emma Nichols

  Shield Me

  * * *

  Draco Family Duet: Book Two

  * * *

  By

  * * *

  USA Today bestselling author

  * * *

  Emma Nichols

  Copyright © 2017 by Emma Nichols

  1st Edition

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever including Internet usage, without written permission of the author.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  Cover by Marisa Shor of Cover Me, Darling

  Formatting by: Love Kissed Books

  Created with Vellum

  1

  Mishal

  * * *

  “Thanks for the hospitality, Fredo. I’m out of here!” I called over my shoulder as I stood in the foyer of my brother’s California estate. Though my brother had been mostly preoccupied with his mate, I’d been able to reconnect with his butler.

  Fredo came rushing around the corner, a dishtowel flung over his shoulder. “Mr. Draco, you’ve only just arrived. I thought you had some business you wanted to discuss with your brother.” His eyes darted back and forth between my face and the hallway, where he obviously hoped to see some signs of life.

  “I know, but I need to get back. I left Blaise a note on his desk. He’ll reach out when he has a chance. In the meantime, I need to get back to our Boston office.” I sighed as I strode through the door, into the courtyard, and stuffed my belongings in the saddlebags of my bike. His butler followed me out. I paused when I saw the way he stood there wringing his hands. Through the years, Fredo had been snarky, snooty, and superior, but never nervous. “What’s going on, Fredo?” I studied him seriously as I leaned against the leather seat.

  “You’re so…perceptive, sir.” He frowned, but remained silent.

  I huffed. “And you’re so obvious. Spit it out, man. I have to go. It’s a three day drive back.”

  “Perhaps you should fly, sir,” Fredo began nervously.

  “And why would I do that?” My brow rose as I crossed my arms over my chest.

  Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out his phone, tapped on it a few times and then turned it so I could see. “For her.”

  The picture was of a young woman with long dark wavy hair. Her skin was smooth porcelain. She seemed to be of average height and weight, but it was her eyes that truly struck me as I stared at the image. They were absolutely violet-colored, rimmed with long dark lashes. My heart raced the longer I looked at her. “Cool,” I managed to choke out. Only when I pushed the phone back to him could I truly concentrate again. “So, who is she?”

  “My niece.” He stuffed his phone back in his pocket. “She’s the personal assistant for one of the younger Dracos.”

  “And…” I tapped my foot impatiently. I hated wasting daylight when I had a long ride ahead of me.

  “She’s worried. She thinks something strange is going on. She…” His hands were gesturing nervously while he talked.

  “Does she have a name?” I asked impatiently.

  “Peri. I thought you might recognize her.” His head tilted.

  I frowned. “I’m pretty sure if I’d ever met her, I’d remember.”

  Fredo laughed. “True, this was years ago, but there was one Christmas when we were all together in that Swiss castle. Remember?”

  I tucked a hand under my chin as I struggled to recall the woman he mentioned. “Sorry. Nothing.”

  “Peri was a child then; she used to follow you around, begging to sit on your lap. You usually indulged her, when you weren’t fending off the grown women.” He chuckled. “Not that you fended many off.”

  “I vaguely remember her. This must’ve been what…more than twenty years ago?” I moved to sit on my bike and lifted the kick stand. “So, what’s going on with Peri?”

  Fredo frowned. “Well, this is rather awkward. I would’ve thought you’d have known, sir.”

  “Known what?” I reached to turn the key, never expecting anything the butler said would impact me in the least. As the head of the personal security division of Draco Security, I spent a lot of time passing the smaller jobs off to my team. I’d finally learned how to delegate so that now I mostly did the planning part, spending less and less time in the field. Sometimes this insular tactic worked well. I was able to focus on the big picture while leaving smaller details to my employees. Sometimes it left me in the dark.

  “Dragon shifters are dying, Mr. Draco,” he murmured.

  I froze. Then I pushed the kickstand back in place and dismounted. I licked my lips carefully before speaking. “When you say dying, you mean…”

  “Sir, let me show you.” Then he gestured for me to follow him back into the house.

  As a dragon shifter, this was important to the future of our line. I blew out a breath and hurried behind him, while marveling at his speed, considering he was an older man. Soon, he had me seated at the dining room table while he gathered his papers. I leaned back in the chair and stared longingly out over the water. If the moon hadn’t been out last night, I’d have gone flying. And if my brother and his new mate hadn’t been in the hot tub, I’d have tried that out too. Instead, I’d been stuck soothing my aching muscles in the shower.

  “Look, Mr. Draco,” Fredo began excitedly. “This is the bloodline.” He unfurled a huge roll of aging paper; several of them in fact. I soon recognized the family tree with nothing but male offspring.

  I quickly found us, the third generation of shifters. Many of the elders were still around. Then I studied our younger family members and frowned. “And the ‘X’ means they are dead?”

  The man pursed his lips for a moment and I knew he thought I was stupid. “Yes,” he murmured blandly.

  “Okay, you can’t blame me for questioning,” I explained. “After all, there are a lot of young, dead shifters. It makes no sense for so many to be…gone when we’re practically immortal. I’m going to need more details. What happened?”

  “To each of them?” His brows rose.

  “Yes, I’m going to need to know about each of them,” I grumbled.

  Fredo nodded. “In that case, I think you’d better go see Peri.”

  Peri

  * * *

  “Which outfit do you like better, Peri?” Devon asked as I helped him prepare for the evening’s events.

  "Well, the blue really makes your eyes pop. How about the navy and gold?" I pointed to the costume on the left.

  "Right, but don't you want us to match?" He winked and I felt my heart race. Leave it to me to fall for my boss. Sadly, he was at least one hundred and fifty years my senior, not to mention completely disinterested in me. "I'm not your date, sir. I'll be mingling, but mostly I'll be there in a professional capacity."

  "I understand." Devon grinned. "Did you call your uncle?"

  I nodded. "He was supposed to reach out
to the brothers this morning. I haven't heard back from him yet." I shrugged. "I'm not worried. He has never let me down." I reached out and helped him adjust the collar on his shirt. "I have a change of clothes for later. I left them with Stephen. Want anything down there for you?”

  Devon stared into the mirror absent-mindedly. “There’s a bag I need to give you. Later. You can store it with your clothes. Safer.” He frowned. “Does this look right?”

  “Absolutely. Are you sure you weren't a Renaissance man?" I teased.

  He lifted me up and spun me around. "Positive, but I'll do anything to make you happy, Peri. You're so good to me. Your whole family has been." He gestured to the grounds of the Biltmore Estate in Asheville where we were having a huge gathering of Devon's clients. This was to be a Shakespearean dinner, complete with period clothing, food, and a play. I'd spent the better part of the last two months making it happen. Finding the perfect venue to accommodate a party of our size had been a challenge, but since money was no object, we'd traveled south from Manhattan to enjoy a glorious fall evening in the North Carolina mountains. "This will be the pinnacle of your year." I sighed happily, looking forward to the rest I'd earned, but wouldn't be able to enjoy until after everyone had departed, mostly by private jets and limousines, in the morning.

  "Until Christmas," he reminded me. "We'll have to top ourselves with that party."

  "Ah, yes. So, what...we travel to Dickens’ London and re-enact A Christmas Carol, complete with Tiny Tim?"

  Devon tapped a finger to his lips. "Not a bad idea. Get right to work on that starting Monday," he urged.

  I rolled my eyes. "How do I get myself into these things?"

  "More importantly," he began with a grin, "how are you going to get out of that dress?"

  I ran a hand down the lavender taffeta bodice. "I have no idea, but I love this gown so much, I might just keep it."

  "Charge it to my card!" He raised his hand with a flourish.

  I leaned in closer to him and whispered, "Mr. Draco, I already did." Then I winked and wandered over to the door. "I must go check on your guests. See you on the grounds. Don’t wait too long before joining us, the music has already started."

  “Peri," he replied, "I like to think of them as our guests." He sighed happily while he gazed at me. "I'm smart enough to know I'd be nothing without you."

  I shook my head and laughed. "Please, I’m bracing for the day you wake up and realize you don't really need me at all."

  "No danger of that. Of course, if there's ever a Mrs. Draco, she might feel differently about you. Good thing I'm in no rush to find my mate." He laughed.

  I sighed. "Right. That's a very good thing for me." I opened the door and prepared to walk out, but right before I closed it, Devon blew me a kiss. He was such a devil. And naturally he was completely right about how another female would react to our relationship. I stood in the corridor for a moment and was about to gather any stray guests and direct them to the grounds when Devon's door flew open.

  "I almost forgot." He gestured for me to return to his room. I followed him in, then waited patiently while he made a phone call. "Hello, George, can you come to my room and bring your notary seal, please?" He held up a finger to show he'd be with me momentarily.

  When he ended the call, I frowned. "What is it, sir? You have lawyers. You rarely need a notary."

  "This is important. I can't believe I waited until now to mention it." He blew out a breath and I knew he was collecting his thoughts. "So, Spencer was at the office the other day, pestering me about the importance of a will.”

  I chuckled. “Those pesky lawyers.”

  Devon grinned. “Right? Anyway, I promised I'd get one notarized and filed by Friday, which was days ago. So, here I am, still working on it." He pulled some official looking documents from his briefcase. "This is the version Spencer drew up. I had another version made with some important changes. In case I don't have a mate when I pass, I'm leaving everything to you." He reached out and tapped the tip of my nose with his forefinger.

  I shuddered at the thought of not having him around. "Well, I'll be long dead by the time you're gone, but thank you for thinking of me." I shrugged. "So, where do I come in at the moment?"

  “I'll sign. You plus another witness. And the notary will make it official. Most importantly, I get Spencer off my ass.” He heaved a sigh of relief. “Please keep it in the bag, with your stuff in the trunk, and file it for me when we get back to town."

  A knock interrupted our conversation. Since I was closest, I reached for the knob. George entered the room with Stephen, our driver, as soon as I opened the door. He had his stamp and seal in his hand. “Ready. What do you need, Mr. Draco?”

  Within seconds, we’d finalized his will. I thought little of it, since we handled contracts on a daily basis. He stuck both the signed copy and the original in the bag and passed it to me. “Guard this with your life,” he teased.

  I frowned as I took the backpack and slung it over my shoulder, but the strap I held against my heart. “You’re creeping me out with this Last Will and Testament bit. Maybe I need to hire someone to guard you.”

  2

  Mishal

  * * *

  “What?” I growled into the phone while I rushed through the Asheville Regional Airport with my clothes stuffed in a backpack over my shoulder.

  “I just want to see if you landed safely, sir,” Fredo murmured. “I have a driver there to meet you.”

  I rounded the corner and saw a man in a black suit holding a sign with my name. Fredo had the rare ability to make me feel like an ass. “I’m sorry for snapping at you. I’ve spent the six hours cramped up on two different planes. I’ve lost three hours of my day, thanks to the time change, and I don’t even like flying.”

  With a chuckle, Fredo corrected me. “You love flying. You hate flying in a plane,” he teased. “I’ll message Peri and let her know you’re on your way. I’m sure she’ll be relieved.”

  Immediately, the image of the smiling, violet-eyed beauty came to mind and my mood improved, if ever so slightly. “Okay, let me get going.” Then I ended the call and wandered over to the driver. “I’m Mishal,” I announced.

  “Hello, Mr. Draco. I’m Stephen. I’ll take you to the Biltmore.” He reached for my bag, but I couldn’t in good conscience let him carry it. The man had to be pushing sixty.

  “It’s okay, man. It’s light. But thanks for the offer.” I grinned and motioned for him to lead the way.

  Soon enough I was in the back of a black Lexus SUV. I’m not a car guy. I didn’t pay attention to the model. What I did notice: people. I’d be on high alert for the rest of the trip, however long it lasted and no matter where it took me. “Are you employed by the Biltmore?” I watched the driver’s reaction.

  With a shake of his head, he responded, “I work for Draco Investments. The main office is in New York City, but there are smaller offices around the globe, including the one here in Asheville.”

  “Nice.” I nodded. “And what’s this thing I’m attending? I didn’t receive a lot of detail before I hopped on the plane.” This was a complete lie. I made Fredo tell me everything he knew. I refused to walk into a situation blind, especially when lives were at stake and one of them could be my own.

  “Well, this is some third quarter earnings party, I think. They decided to host it at the Biltmore. It will be attended by their most important clients.” He chuckled. “I’ve been shuttling people all day. Practically everyone who had a private jet needed ground transportation.”

  “So, is this a big party?” My brow furrowed while I took in everything, both what was said and left unsaid.

  He shrugged. “Not as big as some. This is a rather intimate gathering of thirty or forty people. I’m not certain.”

  “Thank you.” I sank down in the seat, into a more comfortable position while I tried to watch the landscape and memorize the roads we traveled.

  “Did they happen to mention this is something of a cost
ume party?” Stephen peeked at me through the rearview mirror.

  My brows arched. “Actually, they did not.”

  “Yes, it’s a Shakespearean themed party so everyone is in Elizabethan attire.” He peered over his shoulder when we hit the first stop light. “I don’t suppose you have a tux in the bag at the very least?”

  I laughed. “I’m not a tux guy. Or a costume guy. I’m a jeans, leather, and Harley kind of guy.”

  “We can stop along the way, sir.” Once again, he seemed to be staring at me.

  “What?” I groaned.

  “Just trying to guess how tall you were in order to speed this process up,” Stephen explained.

  I sighed. “I’m six feet, six inches tall. You could try asking.” Then I rubbed my eyes. The travel had drained me. I’d spent three days on a bike to reach California, only to basically spend the night and fly out the next morning. I didn’t see a way I could possibly be more miserable. Then my stomach growled, proving me wrong again as I added hunger to my growing list of complaints. “Do they have food at this shindig?”

  “Yes, sir. I hear duck is on the menu, along with a variety of vegetables and pies.” Lines appeared around his eyes and I suspected he was trying to hide his laughter.

  “Do rich people not eat?” I frowned, realizing the irony of my question, since there was a distinct possibility I was worth more than the entire party combined.

  “Oh,” the driver looked away.

  “Yes, I’m wealthy,” I assured him. “I’m simply more comfortable in real clothes.”