His lips quirk up on one side. ‘Just because we have to uphold the law, doesn’t mean we’re not aware that justice comes in many forms. Life in the SAS was very different to what we do now.’
I suppose it would be. I kept the details from him until now partly to protect Zara, but mostly because when my flight found out what happened, they were furious. I bore the brunt of their anger because I’d enlisted the help of outsiders, hadn’t informed them once I had a location, and ended up getting charged with assault. I was kicked out for bringing shame on the flight. Although Harley knows what happened and has always agreed with my actions, I assumed other people would react like my flight did. I’ve learnt that Raj and his pack are different but even so, it’s a relief that he’s taking this so well.
He frowns. ‘So Lance kidnapped her, for what purpose? To train as a soldier?’
‘Exactly that. Well, part soldier, part weapon. They wanted a young, impressionable dragon to train over several years.’
‘Shit. Was their organisation dismantled?’
I nod. “The CTU confirmed it during Lance’s trial.’
His chest rises and falls. ‘Well that’s something, I suppose. How on earth did Lance avoid prison? He should have been locked away for years, regardless of what you did to him.’
I scrub a hand over my face, a tight feeling in my chest. Getting Zara back alive and relatively unharmed was obviously what really mattered, but knowing Lance escaped true justice while I spent years in a cell with my dragon side locked away, is still painful.
‘His lawyer claimed that Zara was the equivalent recruitment age for the fae military, and pointed out that she’d gone willinglyto Lance that day. Apparently, trickery is part of the fae military recruitment strategy and is a valid tactic in the fae realm. The fae judge urged the jury to respect cultural differences when making their decision, pointing out that Lance never had any intention of harming her. Between that and what the jury were being paid under the table, Lance ended up with a one-year suspended sentence. He walked out of the court room a free man, and at the end of my trial I was convicted of assault.’
His chest rises and falls rapidly, his eyes flashing amber. He gets to his feet and encourages me to stand as well before enveloping me in the best kind of full body hug. His firm muscles are pressed against me, his deceptively strong arms wrapped around me. He’s shaking—or maybe that’s me. The stress of retelling this right after finding my hoard is catching up with me.
He pulls back just far enough to sign, his hands snapping. ‘I absolutely hate that you’ve had to go through all that. I know I can’t change what happened to you, but I’ve been putting together a proposal to review and potentially overhaul the justice system in Birchester. Due to this investigation taking priority it’s not ready to submit to the BSG yet, but I’ll make sure it gets taken seriously. I’ll do whatever I can to make sure people are tried and sentenced fairly in future.’
There’s something reassuring about the determination in his eyes to effect real change. He’s not just on my side, but on the side of others who might find themselves at the mercy of a biased legal system.
‘It’s probably long overdue,’ I sign.
‘Will you let me seek legal advice on whether there’s enough evidence to appeal your conviction? One of Ayo’s vampire uncles is the best criminal defence solicitor in the city.’
‘There’s no point, treasure. I’ve already served my time.’ He looks like he wants to argue, so I kiss him softly instead. ‘At this point I just want to move on.’
That’s mostly true. I still want to support him and his pack instopping Lance and his cronies, but at the moment I have no idea what more I can do.
At least making a new life for myself is something I can pour my energy into. I’d certainly rather spend time working on my new business and keeping my sexy tiger boyfriend satisfied than dwell on my conviction.
Some of the tension leaves him. ‘I understand. Let me know if you ever change your mind.’
‘I won’t.’ I angle my head towards the bed. ‘Ready to get some sleep, treasure?’
‘Definitely.’ He cups my cheek and presses a firm kiss to my lips, then reaches for the zip on my black BSG coveralls, slowly dragging it down to my waist. There’s a touch of heat in his eyes as he strips me.
I unclasp the leather cord around my neck and leave the black tourmaline pendant on the bedside table before doing the same with his. He’s used to this by now, because I’ve explained how the magic leaves a distracting blue shimmer over the wearer’s entire body, and it’s a little creepy when he glows in the dark.
I unwrap my tiger then we fall into bed, pulling up the covers and coming together in a kiss that’s full of love and reassurance. He doesn’t need to sign the words for me to know that’s how he’s feeling. It’s there in his eyes, in the reverent way he touches my skin and kisses his way across the flame tattoo on my chest.
No matter what happens in the outside world, nothing is going to separate us. This treasure is mine.
Chapter Eighteen
BRYN
I stumble into the manor kitchen, yawning and in search of coffee, only to be greeted by hundreds of cuddly tiger toys staring at me from every surface. Yikes. As cute as they are, it’s a bit much to cope with before I’m caffeinated.
Raj and I got an email from Far Out Freight a couple of hours ago saying the Birchester warehouse had closed down a few days early, so Raj and Ethan immediately left to go question Lance. They’re hoping they can still salvage something from the investigation—the fate of the missing shifters is top priority—so I insisted I’d be fine here inside the wards and went back to sleep.
The manor has the stillness that only comes from no one else being here, although I assume the Connor Construction crew are working outside on the roof. As I go about making coffee, I make my to-do list for the day on my phone. I need to finalise my business website for Heritage Architectural Design, the company I’ve started. Once I’ve set that to live, I still need to fix a few issues with the 3D rendition of the sample design I’veprepared to prospectively send Ayo, as well as make a list of other potential clients and put together the beginnings of a plan to attract them.
I pick up my mug only for my phone to vibrate. I check the display and freeze. I’ve been hoping for this call since the day I walked out of Wargate.
With slightly unsteady hands I put down my mug, prop my phone against one of the tiger toys on the worktop, and swipe to answer. My mum’s face appears, still as beautiful as ever, although her brown eyes are red-rimmed and there’s a little more silver in her mostly-black hair.
