Total pages in book: 65
Estimated words: 62528 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 313(@200wpm)___ 250(@250wpm)___ 208(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 62528 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 313(@200wpm)___ 250(@250wpm)___ 208(@300wpm)
“Are dragons real? Is Mrs. Peepers, also known as Cimil, a goddess? Was I attacked by a unicorn back there?” she fired off.
Jacquelin certainly knew how to cut to the chase. “Yes.”
“To which question?” she asked.
“All.”
She grabbed her glass of red wine and downed it.
He flagged the bartender and signaled for a refill. “I realize this is a lot to take in, but—”
“So all that crap back there was real,” she blurted out.
“Yes, which is why I wanted to talk to you about—”
“I suppose you’re going to tell me that you weren’t yelling at a wall earlier either, too. It was another unicorn.”
Damien cleared his throat and straightened his gray silk tie. He did not want to dive into his romantic boondoggle. “It was, uh, a ghost.”
Her big green eyes went wide. “Shut up.”
That was difficult to do when she wouldn’t let him speak. “Jacquelin, the reason I asked you here is because—”
“Call me Jac.”
“Jac.” His irritation began to spark. The clock was ticking. “I realize this is a lot to take in, but I need your help. For reasons we don’t need to go into, it seems that the fate of Dash’s entire species rests on his shoulders.” Damien went on to explain how the blast had killed off most supernatural life on the planet, and for reasons of her own, Cimil wanted to prevent dragons from dying off.
“So you work for her?” Jac asked.
“It is more like she blackmails me and gets me to do things I inevitably regret. I am going to assume this situation will be no different; however, Cimil is a very powerful, conniving, and determined being who is in a position to help a woman I…a friend of mine, if I get the dragon to—eh-hem—dance, if you will.”
“So that’s why I overheard her demanding he splooge all over the place tomorrow.”
“Crass, but yes,” he replied. “After that, I hope the goddess will leave us all alone.” In prison or dead.
The bartender brought Jac’s refill, which she stared at pensively, her mind somewhere else.
“Well? Will you help?” he prodded.
“I don’t understand what you expect me to do. It’s not like Dash and I get along.”
That was not what Damien had witnessed. Dash had thrown himself in the path of a dangerous, psychotic unicorn to save her.
Maybe I should get her to focus on their mutual attraction. “Do you not find him handsome?”
Jac shrugged. “He’s hot. Until he opens his mouth. Also, there’s the small issue of him mistreating that kitten.”
“That’s no ordinary kitten,” Damien muttered without thought.
“What?”
Should he explain about his Chihuahuas? No, too much. Normal people could only handle so many supernatural reveals in one day.
“I meant that male dragons are solitary creatures and do not become attached so easily, from what I know. If the kitten is in his care, he will protect it.” Though, it was probably a type of companion demon. Maybe one of those vanity demons who also fed off attention, like Bonbon and Gorgonzolina. Only, vanity demons did not require touching. Little-known fact, many Hollywood actors were once vanity demons before the gods banned their kind from the human world.
“Wow.” Jac let out a long breath. “I guess it explains how Heebie healed so quickly. Dash must’ve used his dragon magic or something.”
Damien tried not to laugh. Dragons weren’t wizards. They were highly intelligent, shape-shifting dinosaurs who lived forever, breathed fire, and flew faster than any modern aircraft. Pfft. Nothing magical about them.
“Yes. His dragon magic must’ve healed him,” Damien agreed politely.
“Is he really the last male?” she asked.
“I can’t know for sure, but Cimil thinks he is.”
“I really hate the idea of doing nothing while another species dies out.”
This was good. She was on board.
“But I can’t help you,” she added.
Huh? “Why not?”
“Honestly? I have to think of my sanctuary. We’re short-staffed, I’m out of money, and some of the animals need around-the-clock care. I only took the job at the club for some extra cash to tide us over until our next fundraiser.”
She needed money? Finally, a problem Damien could solve easily! Damien was loaded, though he never said so out loud. He’d learned that lesson the hard way ages ago after accidentally attending a fundraiser. I thought it was a wine tasting. He’d made the mistake of saying he was wealthy, and to this day, they still hounded him for donations.
Fools. One does not get rich by spending their money on needy orphans. They got rich by investing in companies that gave the children important mining jobs. My Apple stocks are through the roof.
“How much?”
“How much what?” Jac asked.
“Money. How much do you need to get you through to the fundraiser?”
She shrugged. “More than you have. Also, I couldn’t take your money. I mean, you’re not a very good stripper, and you have to eat like everyone else.”