Lord of Destiny (The Dragon Demigods #6) - Charlene Hartnady Page 0,7
works. I need to close my mouth. Mop up the drool. More importantly, I can’t stare at her. I walk towards them. All of their attention is now on me. West is wiping his hands on his jeans, leaving black streaks.
If I were a betting man, I would put good money on the two ‘new’ men not being human either. They’re big and— Holy fuck! The one has a mop of ginger hair. He looks a lot like…like…Forge. Can’t be, though! Can’t! It’s a coincidence. Has to be!
I realize I’ve stopped walking. I swallow thickly and continue over to them.
“Are you lost or something?” West says, a growl in his voice. “Following us, perhaps?”
Raven shoots him a dirty look, and the other guy – the manager – from the night before elbows the asshole in the ribs. West grunts.
“Having car trouble?” I ask.
West rolls his eyes. “What gave you that impression?”
“Cut it out!” the other guy says. I realize he has the same color eyes as Raven. As in, exactly the same. His hair is also dark. It’s cut really short, so I’m not sure if it’s curly as well. His skin is a darker tone. I think they’re related. Siblings or first cousins, maybe.
“Yeah,” the guy says. “The engine light came on. The car starts up, but the stick shift won’t budge. I think it seized.”
I wince. “That doesn’t sound good.”
West rolls his eyes so hard I think he might strain an eyeball if he’s not careful.
“My brother owns a tow truck company,” I start. “I can call him if—”
“Don’t bother,” West growls. “I didn’t get my winnings last night. We can’t afford a tow truck. This car is a piece of shit, anyway. It’s not worth fixing.” He looks into the engine, a look of disgust on his face.
“I didn’t say anything about charging you.” This asshole is getting on my last nerve.
“Oh, so we’re a charity case now?” He folds his arms. It’s like he’s looking for a fight.
“Stop being such a fucking asshole, West,” the ginger guy growls. I feel the hairs on my arms lift at how much he sounds like Forge. I don’t believe in coincidences. And yet, I don’t see how they can be related. Surely not! Unless— No…just no!
“Let’s just leave it,” West says. “Grab our shit, and—”
“And what?” Raven folds her arms across her chest. I see the worry on her face. Her eyes shimmer, and she bites down on her lower lip for a second or two. It looks like she’s trying to keep herself from crying, which I don’t like.
West shrugs. “We can hitch a ride.”
“All five of us?” Raven sucks in a deep breath and looks at her shoes for a second. “No one is picking us up.” She shakes her head.
“They will if we split up,” West suggests. “Or maybe we can stay in this town a little longer. I’ll see if there’s any work on—”
“It’s better if we leave,” Raven says.
“How?” West takes down the lever holding up the hood, and it crashes closed. The car rocks on its shocks. Even those sound creaky. I half-expect the bumper to fall off. Thankful when it doesn’t.
“Let me call my brother. We can tow your car to my buddy’s shop. Forge does some repair work—”
“We can’t afford any of that,” the guy with eyes like Raven’s says. He pushes out a breath. Then holds out his hand. “I’m Maddox. I’m Raven’s brother.”
Thought so!
I look down at his outstretched hand. I always hesitate. I hate seeing a person’s future. Today is no exception. I would never touch a human, but non-humans are usually okay. I quickly take his hand before he thinks I’m being an asshole. “I’m Stephanus. Call me Stephan,” I say as we let go. “My brother, Jarrod, will tow you for free. Let’s see what Forge finds. Maybe it’s an easy fix.” I doubt it. I can see from the look on Maddox’s face that he doesn’t buy it either.
“You already know West and Raven,” Maddox goes on, looking at the asshole and then his sister. “This is Barrett,” he points at the ginger, who nods, “and that’s Zale.” The last guy is tall. He’s not as built as the rest of them, but still big for a human. He has a beard and shaggy brown hair. His eyes are a blue-gray color. They shine with keen intelligence. He nods as well, looking pissed off about their situation. I can’t blame him.