“Keanu will be staying?” I directed the query at Iolana.
She nodded. “He’s not going anywhere.”
“Very well. I suppose I can live—for a short while—with these inconveniences.”
“You’re being so brave,” Iolana crooned.
“I am a dragon. We are not cowards.” Words I wished I felt. The knot in my belly wouldn’t go away no matter how much I ate.
And ate.
Francine, a lovely older woman, did her best. She’d been wide-eyed with shock when first introduced but then honored to become part of my personal inner circle. So honored, she made me a chocolate cake with whipped cream frosting, a layer of cherry jam, and sugared cherries on top.
It was glorious and left me feeling sleepy. Keanu carried me to bed and, without asking, lay down beside me.
“What are you doing?”
“Napping, apparently. Iolana says you’re not to be alone.”
“I’m not a baby,” I grumbled, even as I welcomed his presence. While I could ask Iolana to snuggle, males could never show such weakness to each other.
Sometime later, as I drowsed, Iolana fetched Keanu, something about needing his help. Whatever. My last molt had left me tired, and so I slipped off into dreamland again—where I stood taller than a house and everyone loved me.
I woke when someone entered the room, their scent unknown to me. Before I could cry out in alarm, a smelly cloth was thrown over my snout.
A chemical-induced drowsiness took me, and when I regained consciousness, I found myself in my enemy’s clutches.
Chapter Nineteen
The number of strangers wandering in and out Apollo’s property put me on edge. I understood the necessity—after all, they were hired to improve security. However, every time one came near the house, I tensed. Please don’t let Tigger decide to pop out for a chat.
To my relief, Tigger chose to go down for a nap after lunch. Tutu joined him, claiming he’d watch over the dragon. In reality, all the excitement had likely tuckered out my grandfather.
With them out of the way, it eased my worry about letting the security guys hit the utility room on the main floor so that they could run some wires from the electrical panel to the new cameras. I hovered nearby, sticking close to ensure they didn’t wander anywhere else in the house. I must have come across as paranoid and controlling, but who cared what they thought—or called me behind my back—so long as it kept my dragon safe.
While I shadowed the security installers, Apollo kept busy as well. Between communicating with his hacker friend—who’d been trying to locate Malone—he also interviewed potential security guards. Big and burly men for the most part, who, by appearance alone, would deter intruders. But size and skill weren’t the only thing Apollo vetted. He planned to run extensive background checks, and those hired would be signing some very strict non-disclosures.
Midafternoon, we had a surprise visit from the generator company. Apparently, the part they’d been waiting for had arrived. Since I still had the security system team to monitor, I snuck into Tigger’s room to commandeer Keanu to keep an eye on the newest work crew. An easy task since the repair didn’t require them going inside the house. Removing Keanu left my sleeping dragon alone, but with the door shut, he couldn’t exactly go wandering once he did wake from his nap.
The security system crew didn’t manage to finish before dinner and advised they’d have to return in the morning. That said, they’d at least hooked up the cameras watching the beach and house. They left only minutes before Apollo’s last interview.
We stood in the entrance, and I sighed. “Busy day.”
“No shit. I’ve got one more phone call to make. Then meet me on the patio for a drink?”
“Best thing I’ve heard all day. I’m going to let Tigger and Keanu know it’s safe to come out.” I headed upstairs to wake my orange menace, who would likely complain about how long he’d been cooped up in his room, and ran into Tutu in the hall.
“How did it go with the generator guys?” I asked.
“The idiots were here less than an hour. Turns out they showed up with the wrong part.”
“Morons,” I huffed. “Here’s to hoping we don’t lose power tonight.” The darkening sky and increasingly strong winds indicated another storm brewing.
“Better not. I planned to watch a college football game tonight with Tigger.”
“Speaking of whom, is he still sleeping?”
“I assume so.”
