He hadn't eaten it then.
But he'd taken the bologna.
"He's in your pocket."
I snorted. "You'd keep him in your pocket, too. Don't take some arch tone with me. He's a baby. He wants a warm, quiet den where he can feel safe. We all liked crawling in between tiny fissures in the rocks when were his age. There's nothing wrong with him hanging out with me."
"I'm not saying you can't have- for fuck's sakes, Vadriq. You're acting like someone stepped on your tail. Get your stuff and let's go. Secure the whelp however you think is best. Just don't let the humans see him," Iyadre sighed. "I'll go get my helmet."
Carefully, I buttoned the shirt pocket flap over the whelp. I considered adding a few stitches so he wouldn't be able to escape, but that seemed like overkill. Instead, I stroked him once more and went to find my keys. I couldn't think of a way to describe what he was about to experience in draconic and simply hoped he would understand.
I would protect him with my life if it came down to it. That instinct stayed within any dragon; you took care of your nestmates no matter how old they were. And I'd nearly denied that instinct with Eskal because of a human girl.
Disgusted with myself, I snatched my keys and headed out to the bike. Iyadre followed me and we headed off to the county jail, me constantly checking to make sure that tiny whelp in my pocket was as safe as he could be.
Chapter 14
Olivia
I sighed as I looked around at the bars. It wasn't the first time I'd been in a jail, but I'd hoped the last time would be... well.
My last.
I'd been separated from the guys the second we'd gotten in the cars. Apparently, one side of the jail held women and the other side held men. I wasn't a fan of it, but it wasn't like I was going to get much say in the matter, either.
Thankfully, I had my own cell. The last time, I'd been crammed in with a bunch of other juveniles who had nowhere else to go. Mom and I had been traveling with a group of nomadic people when they'd found drugs in someone's car. Rather than just taking care of the asshole who was carrying, they'd brought all of us in. And Mom had nearly lost me in the court system.
That'd been years ago and it was sealed in my juvenile records. I hadn't done anything wrong other than being in the wrong place at the wrong time. This was a hell of a lot different.
"Ms. Monx?"
A cop stood at the edge of my cell. I cocked my head at her. "Yes ma'am?"
"Ms. Monx, you have a call from a Nicole Pender. Would you care to accept it?"
Nicole. My heart surged against my chest. Eskal and Nariti weren't going to be able to do me any good behind bars. Maybe the museum would press charges on them. If they asked, could I lie and say I'd been forced to help the dragons retrieve their eggs? No, no, the billionaires retrieve the opals. That was what they needed to hear; that was the fact as far as they knew.
I knew my best friend wouldn't let me down. I seized the phone, eager and hopeful. "Hey. What's going on? Why am I in trouble? All they told me was my rights and shoved me into a car."
"What the fuck were you doing at the museum last night?"
Her voice was a low, dangerous hiss that demanded I tell her everything. Immediately, I stiffened up and felt as though I needed to back into a corner. Why did I feel a need to defend the dragons? They were freaking dragons. They could defend themselves, especially after they'd gotten me into trouble like this. "I don't know what you're talking about, Nicole. I wasn't doing anything at the museum. I just-"
"You're all over the goddamned security cameras in the elevator. Doctor Sonnet's pushing for a full investigation. And the security guards are telling us some crazy shit about dragons breaking in and busting up the glass."
Willem would push until he had the truth. I curled the wire around my fingers and was deftly aware of the cop's unwavering gaze. I smiled up at her and moved as far away as the corded phone would let me. Who had a corded phone in the 21st century? "I don't know anything about it. Even if I did, what would I do about it?"
"Are you really gonna try to make it sound like you're innocent? Look, I don't know what those assholes offered you. If you needed a raise, we could've found some way to make it happen. You've been with us forever; you were probably due for one. But if they bought you off and you got them those opals, which are missing by the way, then you're in deep shit. The museum is going to press charges against you. You'll be in jail for theft number 27 or whatever."
I rolled my eyes. "I think it'd be grand larceny. It doesn't matter anyway. I didn't do it."
"Then what were you doing with them in the elevators last night?"
That made explaining difficult. I hadn't even thought of the elevator cameras, but I should have. I'd assumed the spell would have taken out every camera in
