She put the gear in drive and punched the gas. At first, the wheels spun a little due to the mud. Finally, it moved, and she kept the gas pedal pressed down. It was raining, and the wipers were moving slowly back and forth.
Callie aimed the RV toward the now running rogue. It happened fast, the jolt of the impact, then she had to stop the heavy machinery. Pressing the breaks down with both feet, she heard the screech, and the RV slid to the side a little before it came to a stop.
She opened the door to the RV and called out.
“Did I get him?”
“Yes, I believe you took him out with your transportation.”
She ran toward Viper as he sank back to his knees. “Please God, let him be alive,” she prayed.
“Are you okay?” she asked as she reached his side.
“Been better,” he croaked out.
“You need a doctor!” her hands tried to cover the wound to stop it from bleeding.
“No doctor. Shift and heal.”
“Then fucking shift!” What was he waiting for?
“Step back,” he told her.
Callie stumbled back a few steps. She watched as he struggled to shift, worried he wouldn’t be able to do it. But then he did. It didn’t scare her this time. Walking up to the large scaley creature, she rubbed her hands up and down his scales.
“Heal, baby.”
The dragon nudged her shoulder with his head.
She wiped the tears from her cheeks and leaned her head against him. “I love you, you big lizard, and I’m not about to lose you so easily now that I’ve found you. So you need to get better now.”
A few minutes passed, then she was engulfed in a pair of strong male arms against a very naked body. “Thank God.”
“I love you too, mate. I’ll never let you go.”
Epilogue
“Are you sure about this?”
Callie hugged her best friend. “Val, I’ve never been more sure.”
It had been a long three months since her kidnapping. The other Drakonian enforcers showed up five minutes after the battle ended and helped them clean up the mess. The RV was toast, but Reichardt made sure they reimbursed the couple it belonged for their loss.
“I am almost afraid to let you out of my sight,” her friend said.
Callie smiled. “Thanks for worrying over me, mom, but we’ll be fine. The rogues have been dealt with. I have hired a part-time librarian to give me free time to take that long-needed vacation.”
“There are more rogues out there.”
“And we’ll be careful and who the hell would be stupid enough to take on Viper. Besides, I know how to take them out—just give me an RV.”
Val laughed. “Everyone on the ranch is talking about you and that RV. You are a badass librarian. How long will this road trip take?”
“We will visit five states this go around. I’m hoping we’ll be able to do this right in about two or three months. The new librarian has already moved into my old apartment and will handle things while we’re gone.”
“That’s right, you’ve moved all your stuff into Viper’s cabin. He cleaned up first, right?”
“God no. For someone so particular about his job, he doesn’t think twice about where to put his dirty laundry. I took one step inside, saw all the mess and walked back out. I gave him two hours to clean it up, or I would burn down the entire cabin.”
“Since I didn’t see any fires on the ranch, I assume he cleaned like a mad dragon.”
“He did and some enforcers even helped him. When I came back, it was a different place. The floors were shiny and there was a kitchen table where there had been a card table with three chairs. The best part was the bedroom. A canopy bed was set up with clean white sheets and red rose petals were tossed on top. It was so romantic.”
“Aw, I didn’t think he had it in him. Good for Viper.”
“Well, he got lucky that night—three times.”
“Good for you,” Val said, giving her a high five.
A horn blasted, making both of the women jump. Callie glared at Viper, who sat in his truck waiting for her.
“I’ve got to go.”
“Please be careful,” Val said, giving her a hug.
“I will.”
“And bring back a souvenir from each state!”
“Shot glasses?”
“You know me so well.”
Callie waved one last time as she climbed into the passenger side of the truck and slammed the door closed. She turned to look at Viper. He put the truck into gear.
“Why are you in such a hurry to get on the road?”
He shrugged. “I am in a hurry to start our vacation. I’ve never had one.”
“Really?”
“Really.”
“Well, I have it all planned.” Callie waited until he stopped at the end of the long road exiting the ranch. She pulled out her notes for the trip to show him. “We’ll stop at Sonoran Desert National Monument. We’ll drive another two hours before we stop for the night.”
He looked at her pages of notes. “How many notes did you make?”
“Just a few. I mapped out the fastest routes, best restaurants and hotels with the highest reviews.”
“Wow. That’s... great.”
“I know it’s an overkill, but it was fun planning and I’m just so excited.”
“I’m excited too. I can’t imagine taking a trip like this with anyone else.”
“I feel the same way. Oh, there’s one more note I made.” Callie held up a piece of paper. Viper squinted
