though.”
He leaned forward and lowered his voice.
“Even though law-enforcement types are supposed to cooperate when called on, the truth of the matter is they don’t like anyone trespassing on their personal jurisdiction…especially not Feds. If Stoner
“Doesn’t sound like someone who would slide a card under the door of my motel room,” Griffen said almost to himself.
“A card?” Jerome said. “You mean like a business card?”
“No, I mean like a tarot card,” Griffen said, and produced the card from the motel, which he was still carrying in his wallet.
Jerome leaned forward and studied the card, then leaned back with a scowl.
“I don’t know for sure,” he said carefully. “I just hope that isn’t what I think it is.”
“What’s that?” Griffen said.
Jerome shook his head.
“I think you should wait and talk to Mose about that,” he said firmly. “He knows more about that stuff than I do. Last thing I want to do right now is to give you bad information.”
“Speaking of information, let me ask you something else.” Griffen said uneasily. “When my uncle Malcolm first told me about being a dragon, he said something about how my secondary powers should be appearing soon. I think that’s what might have happened this morning.”
“Could be,” Jerome said. “Sounds like it took some pretty fancy driving to get out from under all that. ’Course, faster reflexes and above-average strength are part of the normal package deal.”
“That isn’t what I was talking about,” Griffen said. “I was thinking more about my temper. I mean, it should have been over, Jerome. I drove my way out and was sitting safe on the soft shoulder. I could have just let them drive away. Instead, it was like something clicked in my head, and I took off after them. I really don’t remember clearly what all happened after that, but one of them ended upside down on the median with the other backing up to try to help. That just isn’t like me.”
“I don’t know if dragons have tempers any worse than anyone else,” Jerome said, shaking his head. “The problem is, with their powers, they can’t afford to give in to it. You’d better start learnin’ to get a handle on yours, Grifter. If you start drawing too much attention to yourself, then you’re gonna have the whole pack of ’em down on your case. The one thing nobody wants is to have the humans get wise to the fact there are dragons walkin’ around among ’em.”
“Which brings us to another interesting point,” Griffen said, leaning back in his chair. “Or rather, it brings us back to the original point. You keep talking about Mose and your crew. Just what is it that you want, Jerome? You said he sent you to look for me. Is this another of those ‘recruit him or kill him’ deals?”
“Actually, it’s the other way around.” Jerome grinned. “It’ll be better when you hear about it from Mose in person, but the skinny is that we want to sign on with you.”
That caught Griffen totally by surprise.
“Come again?” he said.
Jerome laughed.
“Remember when I told you that the big guys who were fat and sassy with the status quo would assume any change was bad? Well, my crew have been bottom dwellers so long, we figure any change will have to be an improvement for us. Especially if we line up early on the side of the one doin’ the changin’.”
“But I don’t know anything at this point,” Griffen protested. “And there’s sure no guarantee that these so- called powers of mine are going to develop at all.”
“Mose knows all that,” Jerome said. “We’ve talked it over and we’re willing to take the chance. Look, right now there are a lot of things you need: a place to hole up, time to decide what you’re gonna do, and information to base your decision on. Eventually, you’re also gonna need some financing and manpower to back up whatever it is you decide. We can provide all that. All we ask is that when all is said and done, you remember who it was that stepped forward first to side with you.”
“Yeah, but what if I come up empty?” Griffen said. “Then you’ll have taken sides against the big dragons and lost.”
“We’re already pretty much bottom of the heap.” Jerome shrugged. “It’s kinda like an oh-and-twelve football team gambling on a new coach. We got nowhere to go but up. So, what do you say, Coach? Is it at least worth a listen?”
Griffen hesitated. Even if listening wasn’t an actual commitment, it was still a big step. Besides, he was feeling more than a little hurt that Jerome had initiated a friendship under false pretenses. It rubbed the wound of what Mai had done. A very fresh and raw wound.
On the other hand, what were his choices? Was he ready to face more shadowy figures in dark parking lots alone? He had just been considering the fact that he and Valerie had nowhere specific to go and no plan to follow. At least Jerome was offering a base of operation and even some financing. It sounded better than the alternatives…especially since he didn’t have any.
“Assuming I say yes…” Griffen said carefully. “What’s our first step?”
“First, I take you home to meet with Mose…and we’ll take my wheels. No, don’t worry about the Goblin,” his friend said, forestalling Griffen’s objection. “I’ll have someone pick it up and put it in storage. Even do a little body work on it to remove the evidence of your little skirmish. She’ll be good as new when you want her again.”
“Actually,” Griffen said, “I was going to say that we had to swing by and pick up Valerie on our way out of town. She’s in this, too. Not negotiable.”
“You told her about bein’ a dragon?” Jerome winced, then shook his head. “Well, I guess what’s done is done. You may regret it in the long run, though.”
“Why is that?”
“I keep forgetting how new you are to all this,” Jerome said. “Don’t tell her this, but it’s always been kinda unofficial policy to try to keep the females in the dark for as long as possible about the dragon thing.”
“How come?”
“Because female dragons have a bad rep. A
Griffen tried to imagine his brawling baby sister with dragon powers, and rejected the image with a shudder.
“That’s as may be; just now I’ve got a lot more reason to trust her more than you, old buddy.”
“Grifter, I’m hurt,” Jerome said, but his eyes twinkled. “You’re askin’ yourself if you can trust me. You’ve played me at poker, you know my tells. So ask what’s on your mind.”
“How much of it was real?”
“Is, not was. Griffen, my man, ignoring that it’s in my best interest to watch out for you. I like you, did from our first bar crawl.”
Griffen didn’t know what to say, but he remembered that night. They had been lucky not to end up in jail on an overnighter. It had been a hell of a night.
“And now here’s something to twist your mind around,” Jerome continued. “I know how things work, so I could ask, was I liking you, or was I under the influence of a dragon more powerful than I ever would be?”
“Huh. And did you ask yourself?”
“Nope, ’cause it didn’t matter. Sometimes questioning doesn’t help. Sometimes, Grifter, you just have to go with what works.”
Griffen thought for a long minute. Sometimes you have to go with what works. Made sense, and Jerome was right on one thing. He knew Jerome’s tells, and he meant every word. Instinct or dragon power, it didn’t
