Page 69 of Draco's Defiance
For fuck’s sake. Draco wanted to roll his eyes. They were all in mortal danger and his brother was struggling with Daddy issues. “He’d want us to stay alive, wouldn’t he?” Draco needed Balthazar to see reason. “Would want us to have a chance at happiness with the women in our lives and finally produce some of the heirs he was so fixated about.”
Cole chuckled. “That’s exactly what he’d want.”
“Then, we do it.” Balthazar straightened. “The place is secure anyway, so I suggest we lockdown the elevators and head to the parking lot.”
Finally! “Worried about the cars, eh?” Draco couldn’t help the poorly timed quip.
“Shut up, Draco,” Sebastian instructed with a smirk.
“No, Draco.” Balthazar sighed. “I just thought it would be a good space to shift and take them by surprise.”
“Good plan, big brother.” Draco patted Balthazar roughly on the back as he headed for the elevator. “Let’s do this.”
IT WAS RARE THAT ALL four brothers shifted simultaneously. Sometimes they met as dragons on the mountaintops, but even then, they were usually only in groups of two or three. Seeing all four appear in the concrete basement of the Vaughns’ parking lot, then, might have been a sight to behold, had there been anyone there to witness it.
As it was, only the shiny selection of supercars got to observe the spectacle. The marvel of four fully-grown dragons crouching between the vehicles might have been amusing had the motivation for their presence not been so dark.
‘Ready?’ Balthazar’s violet eyes scanned the group.
‘Yes.’ Sebastian nodded, followed in turn by Cole.
‘I was born ready,’ Draco added, scraping his claws along the concrete. ‘Let me out there.’
‘Remember what we’re here for.’ Balthazar’s voice sent a warning, reminding Draco once again of their father. It didn’t surprise him that his eldest brother had been communing with their dead dad. Increasingly, Balthazar was turning into him. ‘We need to stop Monroe, and if possible, not hurt anyone else.’
‘Not hurt them?’ Draco wanted to laugh. ‘We went through this on the way down here. Those assholes are armed. We have to stop them.’
‘Then let’s knock them out?’ Sebastian suggested. ‘And call the police. We don’t want a pile of dead bodies to deal with.’
‘This has got nothing to do with the authorities.’
They all turned at Draco’s growled thought.
‘What we are, and what Monroe is, has nothing to do with the police. We have to resolve this once and for all, or the threat of Monroe will never go away.’
The strained silence conveyed how they all understood Draco’s meaning.
‘The most important thing is to stay safe.’ Cole’s massive blue body lurched toward the exit. ‘Bullets can pierce our skin, too, and let’s not forget how powerful the chimera is.’
Draco doubted any of them had forgotten. The incident between Monroe’s chimera and Balthazar would forever be emblazoned in Vaughn folklore.
‘We have the element of surprise.’ Draco met Cole’s green eyes. ‘I suggest we use it.’
‘Let’s go.’ It was Balthazar who moved, shoving Cole aside as he nudged the button instructing the doors to open. ‘Let’s move fast.’
‘Hey!’ Cole protested, though his complaint was cut short by the noise of more shots being fired.
‘Not a problem.’ Draco couldn’t wait to get in the fray. Dragon skin was tough. It would take a barrage of bullets to slow him down, and even then, he didn’t like the odds of the moron with the gun surviving to tell the tale. ‘I’m the fastest of us all.’
‘Shut up, Draco!’
He thought it was Sebastian’s voice that carried down the ramp, but as the purple, green, and blue dragons moved ahead of him, it was difficult to know for sure. Waiting until Cole’s blue tail was out of his face, Draco began the short journey up the incline, adrenaline bursting in his veins. All the recent Moira-inspired activity meant it had been days since he’d last shifted, and he was looking forward to taking that pent-up energy out on the idiots trying to hurt them, especially Monroe.
Reaching the top of the slope, he immediately stretched his wings and took flight, ensuring he rose way beyond the range of any standard gunfire. From the air he could take stock and ascertain how many assailants there were.
‘Draco!’ Balthazar’s voice echoed in his head, even from the air, the reason for his brother’s concern obvious even before it was vocalized. ‘Get down. People will see you!’
‘Fuck other people.’ Draco sent the thought to any of them who were listening, although looking at the way Cole swooped for one of the gun-wielders, and the way Sebastian was tackling another lone gunman, he suspected only Balthazar would hear him.