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Tobias
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TOBIAS SHOULD’VE BEEN nervous. A number of things could go wrong, and he could die no matter how safe they attempted to make him. What worried him most though was the safety of his family and friends.
Now that Ashe was mated to him, if he died she’d die soon after. He didn’t want that for her either. He should’ve waited to mate her like he’d originally planned but she’d been too much to resist yesterday in his office. Last night, he’d had the chance to make slow love to her. He’d been able to savor her whimpers and moans, enjoy the way her body reacted to his touch, and cherish the way she’d panted for him.
Tobias had gone down on her sweet pussy first until she came on his tongue, ignoring her pleas to fuck her and the yanks she applied to his hair. She’d returned the favor and given him a hell of a blowjob. After his climax, he’d rolled her beneath him and made love to her. Sometime in the middle of the night, he’d woken to her caresses, and she’d ridden him with her ample breasts swaying for his pleasure.
Shaking his head, he sighed. He should have his mind on the people moving about his house instead of daydreaming about fucking his mate. One of his people wanted him dead. A colleague that craved his blood wouldn’t surprise him, but family stung.
In his ballroom, a mini stage was set up at the back of the room. That way everyone could see him when he announced his engagement to Asherah. It’d also give them the advantage to see everyone in the room and anyone that might leave. It’d been a last minute request by Ashe and he’d seen the wisdom in the idea.
In a surprise move, the person who hired his would-be killers messaged Ashe in an online game app and told her he/she would be wearing a unique tie. So far the only unique tie was Keg’s that had beer mugs on it.
It fit him since he was basically a walking, talking keg of beer. Even now he didn’t nurse a high-priced champagne flute. Instead he sipped on a longneck beer bottle. There was no way Keg was the one who wanted him dead. Tobias was certain of it, but he couldn’t deny that godsdamn tie gave him doubt.
Ashe had found a way to spike everything, from liquor, to water, to sodas and the food. No way anyone could attend without ingesting her spit in some way or another. Even the napkins they used were doused in it, which she claimed would absorb into their skin and would drug them. That method wasn’t long lasting like ingesting it would be, but it’d be effective for tonight. He trusted she knew what she was doing. It was her siren call after all.
Since the guests started arriving she’d begun flitting about the room chatting with people. She was such a loner, he’d been surprised by the ease with which she engaged with others. So, well he’d let her do her thing while he’d mingled.
Earlier in his bedroom, he’d watched her strap a gun to one thigh and a knife to the other. He’d been surprised he couldn’t detect them beneath her dress. It’d been hot as hell seeing her dolled up, but weaponized to kill at the same time. It’d been so hot, he’d trapped her against his bedroom door and tossed her knee onto his shoulder and got her off with his tongue.
“That’s to mellow out your homicidal tendencies,” he’d said after she came, giving her one final lick and delighting in the way she trembled.
“The homicidal rage is still there.” She’d clasped his cheeks between her hands and kissed him. “More so now that you’ve reminded me they want to kill my favorite tongue. It’s like taking the batteries out of my favorite vibrator.”
He’d laughed, convinced he fell in love with her. Tobias was no saint. He would kill to protect those he loved and to safeguard his empire, so he couldn’t throw shade on her. Violence was his last recourse when solving a problem, while Asherah spoke in varying levels of ferocity. It shouldn’t surprise him that he fell hard or fast for her. She was his mate and everything he’d heard about finding one’s mate implied the relationships moved at a faster pace. It also took all the guess work out of finding the right person.
Chadwick’s mother, Chelsea, and her husband Rich, entered the ballroom and Tobias strolled toward them. As he moved through the crowd, he grabbed two flutes of champagne off a serving tray and handed the Drakki family the goblets when he stopped in front of them.
“Hello, cousin.” Tobias kissed her on the cheek.
“Thank you.” Chelsea’s dark brown hair was pulled up and set into place with ice-blue diamond pins. They glimmered as they caught the light with each movement of her head. “It’s always a delight to see you.”
“W-welcome,” he stuttered. What captured Tobias’s particular attention was the diamond encrusted tie-necklace she wore. It was as unique as Keg’s beer mug cravat, but again he couldn’t fathom her wanting to draw his blood. They were second cousins, but they’d never disagreed, always got along well, and she shared in the family wealth. Once again, though, the distinctive tie left him questioning her loyalty. “I hope the tie is made with Drakki diamonds.”
She fingered the jewelry. “Of course, lesser quality is not my thing and Rich knows it.”
“I commissioned it for her as an anniversary present.” Rich had passed his blond hair to Chadwick, making him the only blond Drakki family member. “Gemma does excellent work.”
“Yes, she does,” Tobias agreed. Gemma was another cousin. While Tobias cut the majority of his signature ice-blue gemstones, Gemma was another of Drakki Internationals gemologist, and she crafted some of the highest quality stones they sold. Her settings typically were the topmost prized pieces of jewelry in their Drakki collection and cost the most also.
“I’m debuting it tonight.” Chelsea smiled, and he couldn’t find any animosity in her gaze. “With any luck the ladies will want a Gemma original.”
Is she that good of a liar?
They all sipped champagne during the lull in conversation.
Tobias cleared his throat. “Chadwick doing okay after the store was shot up?” He couldn’t figure out why she’d put her own son in danger like that if she was behind Tobias’s assassination attempt.
“He’s shook up.” Chelsea’s hand trembled as she downed the last of her drink. Was it the danger Chadwick had been in that bothered her or was it her involvement in the hit on Tobias’s life? “I was shook up by his near miss. That’s a mother’s worst nightmare. But I’m delighted everyone is okay.”
“Thank the gods no one was injured.” Rich hugged Chelsea to his side.
Tobias’s mate strolled to him, the mating mark visible for all to see. Since she bore the Drakki dragon symbol on her flesh, he bet all of his guests were curious to whom she belonged.
He kissed the spot on Ashe’s neck before whispering against her ear, “Have I told you how sexy you are?”
The red corset style dress amplified her breasts and hugged her hips, showing off a good portion of her legs. He would have to thank Seraphine for selecting the gown.
Smiling, she met his eyes and grazed her red lips across his. “You’re not too shabby yourself, baby dragon.”
Tobias gave her a playful growl at the nickname she continued to call him, but he didn’t really care. He knew she no longer meant it in a derogatory manner.
“Rich and Chelsea, this is my fiancée Ashe.” Tobias stared at Ashe, pretty sure his family could see how much he’d fallen for her.
“Not only your fiancée, but obviously your mate too.” Chelsea clapped her hands and squealed her excitement. “I’m so happy for you, Tobias.”
No way Chelsea faked the happiness he heard in her voice and saw on her face. Rich’s excitement paled in comparison to Chelsea’s but in the Drakki family men kept their emotions close to the heart.
“Thanks.” Ashe leaned into Tobias and smoothed the lapel of his jacket.
“I’m ecstatic for both of you. So very happy you found that special someone, Tobias. It’s not often you find the person that makes you whole.” Chelsea’s huge grin bit into her cheeks and she hugged her husband.
Ashe gazed up at Tobias and his heart seized at the love he felt for her. Thankfully he managed to keep his shit together and not display his tender emotions to all his family and guests. Not that he cared that they knew what he felt, but he didn’t want to rush Ashe.
“I feel like I’m the lucky one. Tobias completes me, and I never thought that was possible,” his mate said.
“Ashe. It’s the perfect name to go with my fiery cousin. Fire and Ashe.” Chelsea laughed as she hugged Asherah and Tobias. “The perfect complement to one another.”
Tobias detected tension in his mate, a minor stiffness no one else would notice if not touching her. Her fingers laced with his and she squeezed, cuing him into her sudden unease.
“That’s a unique piece of jewelry.” Asherah stared at the necklace.
Chelsea fingered the gemstones. “Rich made it for me. All Drakki diamonds of course.”
“Of course,” Ashe agreed.
“Ashe is a unique name. Is it short for Asherah?” The moment Rich spoke her real name, Tobias whipped his gaze to his cousin-in-law.
Asherah stared at Rich, a cool regard that belied the predatory ambiance oozing from her. “You’re the one who hired Asherah Stone, aren’t you, Rich?” Ashe grabbed Rich’s hand and stepped closer to the man.
Tobias watched his cousin-in-law’s reactions closely. A tremble went through Rich seconds before he nodded.
“What are you talking about?” Chelsea frowned as she glanced between them. “Tobias, why is she suddenly very frightening?”
Ashe ignored his cousin. “Say it, Rich, confirm what I think.”
“What is going on.” Chelsea stomped her foot.
Rich answered his wife in a dull tone. “I hired Asherah Stone to assassinate Tobias.” He tried to pull his grip from Ashe’s. “That’s right. No! Fuck! Damnit! Why can’t I say what I want to say?”
“Easy explanation.” Ashe pointed toward the exit on their right. “Walk that way.”
“We’re not going anywhere until I have answers.” Chelsea stepped right up to Tobias’s mate, challenging her authority.
Ashe leaned toward Chelsea and whispered, “You might be a dragon, Chelsea, but that power is limited compared to what I’m capable of. Now,” his mate motioned toward the door, “If you’ll be so kind as to stroll casually out of the room and toward Tobias’s office, the Drakki family would appreciate it.”
“Just go, Chelsea.” Rich moved toward the exit, but Chelsea grabbed his hand and halted his departure.
“Tobias,” Chelsea stared at Ashe as she spoke, “Not liking your girl right now. You know Rich didn’t mean what he said. He would never want you dead.”
“You’ll have all your answers when we’re alone, cousin. Family business shouldn’t be discussed in front of non-blood.” Tobias was pleased Ashe’s weapons remained secured. “What’s important is that Asherah has my full support at the moment.”
A long heated glare between the women, but Rich managed to tug Chelsea after him, leading her toward Keg and Dom who stood inside the hallway on either side of the door.
Dom and Keg walked ahead of Chelsea and Rich, with Ashe and Tobias at their back.
Ancestry pictures lined the wall and the echo of their feet were drowned out by the music coming from the ballroom.
He noticed Rich’s spine tense as if he’d make a run for it, but before either Tobias or Rich could react, Ashe said, “Try to run and I’ll break both your legs.”
Rich wasn’t blood, but he worked as one of Drakki International’s accountants. The Drakki empire was family oriented and all members enjoyed a piece of their good fortune. In theory that kept incidents like this from happening.
Tobias glanced at Ashe. Her bright red hair flowed about her shoulders.
Godsdamnit, I am in love with her.
A woman without ties, without family, and she understood the value of protecting the family’s good name by insisting on having the conversation in Tobias’s office. Black Hollow residents would be more scandalized that another paranormal sought to harm their own rather than ruin their reputation.
“Mega and Smash are handling security.” Hitchcock stepped from a connecting hallway ahead of them. He opened Tobias’s office door and shook his head. “I can’t believe you two are involved.”
Chelsea glanced about, her jaw set and her agitation coming through in the glow of her dragon eyes. “I can’t believe you’d accuse us of anything.”
“Rich confessed.” Ashe rolled her eyes as they followed everyone inside.
Rich had always been a pale guy, but he was virtually white at this point. He slumped into one of the chairs in front of the desk. “I didn’t want to confess.”
Ashe waited until the door was locked before she spoke. “You’re drugged with a truth serum of sorts.”
“It’s true?” Chelsea gaped down at her seated mate. “You really hired someone to assassinate Tobias?”
At least Rich had the good sense to hang his head when he nodded, but Tobias didn’t buy into his shame. “Do you regret it now, Rich?”
Rich nodded, but said, “No.” He winced when the truth came from his lips.
Hitchcock ran a hand down his face. “Their mating complicates everything.”
“Yeah, I know.” Unsure what type of punishment to proceed with, Tobias cupped his nape. “Whatever’s decided, we have to remain united, Hitchcock, since we’re the face of the Drakki name.”
Back to the door, Asherah crossed her arms beneath her breasts. “If you want me to fuck him up so your hands are bloodless, say the word.”
Rich turned a little green at that offer.
“No, this should stay in the family,” Josiah said from where he stood near the windows. “We can’t let an outsider—no offense, Ashe—take care of our dirty work.”
Asherah shrugged. “No offense taken, Josiah. Either way, he should confess all his sins first. Start talking, Rich.”
Any other time he would’ve groaned at the way his family controlled the situation. But he wanted to get this over and he knew in the end, his decision would be honored.
Chelsea stood beside Rich in front of Tobias’s office desk. Dom stood nearest to Josiah with his hands fisted at his sides, glaring at Rich and Chelsea. Keg stood next to Asherah, both blocking the doorway. Hitchcock took a seat on the sofa to the left of the door, with his ankle crossed over the knee of his other leg and one elbow rested on the sofa’s arm. Tobias moved to stand in front of his cousin and her mate.
“It’s not as bad as you might think.” Rich wouldn’t meet Tobias’s eyes. “Nope, I promise you it’s much worse than you think.” He grimaced as if pain flashed through him. “Fuck.”
“It’d go faster and easier if you’d stop trying to lie.” Ashe moved from her perch to join Tobias, standing at his side. “To speed this along, your husband paid me six million dollars to kill Tobias Drakki. I wasn’t the first attempt, or the last attempt. That shoot out at Drakki Diamonds that involved your boy, that was Rich’s doing.”
“Is that true?” Fury lit his cousin’s eyes.
Wild eyes darted about the room and Rich held his hands up as if to surrender. “Yes.”
Tobias expected tears, but instead Chelsea’s anger turned on Rich and she coldcocked him. “Why?” she screamed as Rich’s head jerked backward. “We have a better life now that Tobias is in charge than before. So, tell me why you would do this?”
Rich shrugged like it was no big deal. “Cyrus discovered I was skimming money from the company and he told Tobias. It was kill him or be killed.”
“Cryus didn’t tell me anything.” Tobias sighed. Cyrus Drakki preferred to deal with things on his own terms and report in when he had something worthy of noting.
Rich winced at that information. “It was a matter of time then.”
True.
Chelsea slumped against Tobias’s desk. Tears wet her cheeks and she hurried to wipe them away. “You bastard.”
Hitchcock spoke from the sofa. “What’d you need the money for?”
“I just wanted it,” Rich snarled. “My mistress and I—”
Chelsea cut him off with another punch, this one knocking him and the chair over. Rich held up one hand toward Chelsea as he touched his jaw with his other hand.
“I like her.” Ashe grinned. Of course, she liked Chelsea’s violence. Asherah was a savage species. “Did you know about any of this, Chelsea?”
“No,” Chelsea said with such horror even if she hadn’t been roofied with Ashe’s truth serum, Tobias would’ve believed her.
“She can’t lie.” Ashe clasped Tobias’s hand and he appreciated her silent comfort with the touch. “The only question you have now is to Chadwick’s guilt or innocence.”
“Chadwick had nothing to do with this. Not my boy.” Chelsea took a threatening step toward Ashe.
The smile on his mate’s face or maybe it was the gleam of savagery in her eyes that stopped his cousin’s approach.
“We have to be certain of Chadwick’s innocence, Tobias.” From the dark sound of Hitchcock’s voice, Tobias knew his brother loathed this dilemma as much as Tobias did.
Tobias nodded his head. “We can find a way to do that without him knowing he’s on trial.”
“Why are we tiptoeing about it? Everyone is on fucking trial right now,” Josiah’s upper lip curled in disgust.
“Stop arguing.” Asherah held up a hand. “It’s like I have to do all the work for you Neanderthals. Chadwick’s involvement in this interrogation isn’t necessary. Rich, was Chadwick working with you?”
The asshole sat up and leaned against the desk. “No. I worked alone. That dumbass boy worships Tobias and Hitchcock.”
She looked to Hitchcock. “There’s your answer. No need to traumatize the kid.”
“Are you even his mate?” Chelsea opened and closed her fingers working out the pain from the two blows she delivered to her spouse. “Or is the mating mark fake?”
“She’s my mate.” Tobias squeezed Asherah’s hand, thankful for her support. “Without Rich trying to kill me I likely wouldn’t have found her, so something good came of his bad deed.”
“I always knew he was selfish, but I didn’t know he was capable of this.” Chelsea shook her head, loathing written all over her face. She knocked Rich’s foot with hers. “You’re my mate. You’re supposed to work for our good not against me and my family.”
“This was for our good,” Rich shot back. “If I’d succeeded we’d have been out from underneath his thumb.”
Tobias knew Rich believed that or he wouldn’t have been able to utter the words.
“No, I’d be in charge and pissed off,” Hitchcock said in a pissed off voice.
“It sickens me that I trusted you.” Chelsea would’ve attacked him once more, but Dom grabbed her and walked her across the room. “You fucker, I knew about the mistress, but mating is forever. After all these years with me, I wasn’t surprised when you grew bored of my bed. No one is meant for monogamy, so I let the mistress slide, but this...” her speech broke and she shook her head, going limp in Dom’s hold, she turned into his chest and cried.
Tobias disagreed. He couldn’t imagine wanting anyone other than Asherah, but it wasn’t the right time to debate that opinion and he was newly mated, so he’d learn in time if that was true or not.
“He has to be punished,” Dom said.
“Agreed,” Josiah’s response came in a clipped tone.
Hitchcock’s voice was firm. “Can’t kill him or Chelsea dies and she’s blameless.”
“I’m sorry, Tobias.” Chelsea’s watery eyes met his. “I’m willing to accept my outcome if you decide Rich’s punishment deserves death. Now and always, I remain committed to this family’s welfare.”
“Fuck.” Josiah turned to look out the window, his shoulders stiff with displeasure. “Whatever’s decided should be delivered in a public forum with the Drakki clan in attendance.”
“Yeah, to dissuade others from getting ballsy like him.” Keg spoke for the first time. “Motherfucker, I liked you.”
Rich gave Keg a half-assed shrug, clearly unapologetic for his crimes.
“Chadwick and Chelsea will suffer repercussions if we punish him publicly.” Dom played devil’s advocate.
“Protect Chadwick, that’s all I ask.” Chelsea’s attitude was admirable faced with the treasonous crimes of her spouse. Many would blame her just because of her association with Rich.
Tobias wanted to rip Rich apart with his dragon claws but hurting Chelsea and Chadwick didn’t sit well with him when neither had done anything to promote Rich’s behavior.
“What do you think, Asherah, since he hired you to kill my brother?” Hitchcock tapped a finger on the armrest while staring at Rich.
“He didn’t just hire me, Hitchcock. I tried to kill Tobias and would’ve succeeded if he hadn’t saw me first,” she reminded his twin, but turned her focus on Tobias. “Hitchcock’s right. I shouldn’t get a free pass while Rich is punished.”
Fury swept through Tobias. “No one is fucking hurting Asherah. Anyone who tries has to deal with me. That includes you, Hitchcock.”
Ashe snapped her fingers. “Just that fast I’m wet for you.”
Dom choked on a laugh.
Josiah rolled his eyes.
Keg grinned like a frat boy.
Hitchcock pushed to his feet and approached them. “Don’t gross me out, Asherah.” Only once his brother spoke did he release a smile, but when he focused on Tobias his amusement faded. “For the record, I’m not advocating punishing of my future sister-in-law. She’s what you needed. But others might ask that question, Tobias. We must decide on where we draw the line.”