What Fire Dragons Treasure - Cristina Rayne Page 0,39

come to really being killed only just yesterday, that a few small bruises were her only injuries tonight was definitely a win.

She definitely hadn’t had many of those lately.

“Let’s go, and on the way, you can explain what or who the Ansi are.”

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Amber half-expected to be greeted at Emma’s door by Matty making a mad dash into her arms followed by Jaws of the Grin of Nightmares. Instead, it was the Terran woman, herself, who filled the doorway, alone, and beckoned them inside with a finger to her lips.

“He’s been asleep the whole time,” Emma informed her softly as they followed her deeper into the room towards the seating in the back.

Their pet mog was nowhere to be seen. Maybe, like a lot of dogs, Jaws slept inside a pen at night.

“Not surprising. The little one’s had quite the day,” Raphek said.

Amber was immensely relieved. During both the flight to Oklahoma and back, she had fretted about Matty’s reaction to waking up with her nowhere to be found while his mother was off running around in the dark a whole state away and kissing dragon-men.

Matty was still in the same spot on the couch Raphek had lain him across, curled up on his side and hugging his T-rex plushie tightly. Emma’s mate, Sevek, was seated next to his feet, the same tablet in his hands as he had used yesterday. It looked as though he had been watching a movie.

“Did you manage to contact the Houston authorities?” Sevek asked just as softly.

“Yes, though I’m not sure if they one hundred percent believed it was me,” Amber replied with a weary sigh, “but no doubt they’ve already traced the cell phone signal to whatever cell tower services Kingston. They’ll find out it was really me soon enough. They had me talk to an FBI agent.”

Emma winced. “Having the FBI involved always complicates things.”

“That’s why I ended the call when he started trying to coax me to go back to Houston. I told him about all of Garrett’s past abuse and that I was in the process of filing for divorce as well as an Order of Protection. I hung up before he could comment.”

Emma and Sevek exchanged a look. “Do you actually have a lawyer?”

“I do. She’s a divorce lawyer that has a practice in Austin. One of my old college friends had an aunt who used her. The aunt’s case involved a big, messy custody battle that the aunt eventually won. She’s already drawn up the divorce papers and is just waiting for me to give her the go ahead to serve them to Garrett. She thinks I’m trying to get into a women’s shelter right now, so that’s why I wanted to delay sending them.”

Amber’s shoulders slumped. “I suppose I’ll have to leave the kingdom again sometime in the next day or two to call her for that go ahead.”

Another shared look between the couple and then Emma sent the same meaningful look to Raphek.

Raphek stared at Emma for a long moment without any expression before he blinked and said, “I’ll need His Majesty’s permission, of course, but that’s not a bad thought.”

“What isn’t?” Amber asked warily. Could these dragons also read minds or something? God, she really hoped not!

“A possible opportunity for you,” he hedged. “I know you’re pretty exhausted, but would you mind terribly waiting here just a bit longer while I go consult with the king briefly?”

“As long as Emma and Sevek don’t mind…” Amber said slowly, looking at both Emma and Raphek questioningly, though the wordless question aimed at Raphek was completely different and filled with quite a bit sudden anxiety.

Emma waved off her concern. “No classes to teach tomorrow, remember? I’ll have all day tomorrow to nap to my heart’s content.”

Raphek suddenly leaned down and planted a soft kiss on her mouth before Amber could even react. “We’ll take Matty back to my home once I return. As I’m sure the king will be agreeable to what I am about to propose, we can discuss the finer points then.”

Amber could only nod. She wouldn’t have been able to form a coherent word in that moment if her life depended on it.

“Did I miss something?” Emma asked slyly once the front door had closed behind Raphek.

Amber carefully sat down on the couch on the cushion next to Matty’s head. “Yes, but I think I missed it, too.”

“Dragons aren’t much for beating around the bush,” Emma said sympathetically as she settled onto the couch next