Lincoln was getting dressed when his brother contacted him. Tristan was having trouble with his tux and wondered if Lincoln could please help him. He asked what the problem was. Tristan said he was coming over.

The doorbell rang just a few minutes later, which told him that his brother had been on his way. As soon as he opened the door, he could see what was wrong. He had no idea how to make his tie work. Pulling him into the hallway, Lincoln had him set in seconds. His butler, Milton, met them at the front door with their capes. They were going all out on this thing, it appeared.

“I don’t want to be a caped crusader.” Milton simply cleared his throat, standing there holding them out as if he’d not said a word. “You do know that you work for me, not the other way around?”

“Lady Carson said if you gave me any trouble, I was to call her. This is the sister to one of our own, she said I was to tell you, and you were to behave, or she’d make you hurt.” He looked at them. “She is scary when she wants something, is she not?”

“She is at that. So is Winnie. And she’s the one that would make me hurt in ways I don’t even want to think about.” They all laughed as Lincoln and Tristan pulled on the capes. He had to admit, they did make a striking pair. Tristan continued speaking as they headed out. “I’ve been talking to Ginger about her sister, and I just know she’s my mate. She’s going to have me for dinner. I don’t do well with aggressive women.”

“You’ll do fine. It’s funny, Xavier and I have been saying the same thing about her being mated to one of us.” Tristan told him Lucas was bored with the whole thing of finding a mate. “Is he now? Then I hope its him. He deserves to be with the ball buster.”

“Who’s a ball buster?” The limo had pulled up as he was saying that, and Carson had, of course, heard him. “You mean me? Then I thank you. I love that I can stand my own ground. And I’m glad to see that you didn’t give poor Milton any trouble about the capes. He’s a nice man to put up with you.”

“You are one, but we were referring to Grace.” Ginger laughed then, and he smiled at the pretty woman. “She is going to bust our balls, isn’t she?”

“Oh yes, you can bet on it. And I hope one of you are going to be her mate. It would be perfect for her to have someone like you guys in her corner.” He asked what she meant. “For all her ball busting, as you called it, Grace is more tender than I am. She just hides it better with violence and mayhem. I don’t know if she still does it or not, but when she was drawing when were kids, she’d sob after she was finished, because it was the last one, she would tell me. And she had some trouble with a few people she worked with at the plant. I don’t know all of it, but she’s been hurt before. They don’t like having a woman boss.”

“What does she do there? We have the distribution plant here. Perhaps she can shed some light on smaller issues we’ve been having.” Ginger told Cooper she’d find it. “Good. Even though it’s running now, there are still points we could use help on.”

“Grace was the manager of the entire place. And she did a great job too. They were having some major shrink issues and she found them and cut them out. They’re down to less than one percent now where they had been at eighteen.” Carson asked what had happened with the trouble that she’d had. “I don’t know. She’s very private, even with me. But I know that she gave notice about a month ago. I don’t know what went down, but she’s less stressed about everything now. She told me today she’ll need to find a place to live around here. I’m hoping that means she’s going to stay. I’ve missed her.”

Lincoln could understand that. He saw his brothers every day and didn’t know what it would be like to have one so far away. Even if they were only in the next state, he’d reach out, talk through his day with them. And if he didn’t, they would him. It was what they had always done, be there for each other.

They were pulling up in front of the gallery when he realized they were going to be spending the night in town, and he had no place arranged. Oh well. And he’d have to go shopping as soon as possible to get something to wear home. Either that, or he’d be the butt end of every joke they could manage from wearing his tux home when they all had jeans and T-shirts, he’d bet.

The first thing he saw when he entered was the art on the main wall, and it blew him away. The painting was called Evening Train. He loved how the locomotive seemed to jump right off the canvas at him. Almost as if he should move out of the way or be run down. But the subtleties were what got him. The man standing on the tracks as the train came at him. The happy face of the person in the front cab, who hadn’t noticed the other man. There was a stream of smoke coming out the top that made him think of how fast it seemed to be going. There was a sad feeling about it, and he wondered if that was what she’d meant to do.

Lincoln looked in the direction Ginger was when she said her sister was there. He couldn’t see her yet, but he could feel his dragon stirring. Looking around for whatever was making him nervous, he started toward them when he saw Garrett. It was him that was in trouble; not really, but he was nervous about something. Lincoln didn’t know why yet, but he went to see if he could help him.

“What do you think of the artist?” He told Garrett he’d not met her yet. “She’s going to flip out when the night is over. She has it in her head that nothing is going to sell. But I have a feeling she’s going to have people begging for more of her work.”

“Speaking of which, I want the train one in the front.” He told him that it was sold. “Damn. That is a wonderful painting. It says a great deal, doesn’t it?”

“I didn’t get it until she showed me. The man on the tracks? I never saw it. Nor the other things on the painting.” He asked if he meant the note in his hands. “Yes, as you can well imagine, I felt foolish. But like you, I fell in love with it. To be honest, Lincoln, she wasn’t going to let me show it. I had to almost beg her to release the others in the room. It has me a little nervous, if you want the truth. I think she’s going to outgrow me before this thing even starts to make either of us some serious money.”

They wandered around the gallery, pointing out which were sold and the ones he thought would go next. He loved the train though, that was his favorite, but the woman had talent, he could see that.

Ginger was coming toward them when he saw the woman. Christ, she was a dream, which was weird to say considering she and Ginger were twins. And to say that she looked like Ginger would have been an understatement. They were identical. Even their dresses, one blue, the other black, made them seem more alike. He moved toward her when Ginger said his name.

“Lincoln, I’d like you to meet my sister, Grace. Grace, this is the man I was telling you about, Lincoln Manning, who opened the greenhouse marketplace.” He heard her talking, Ginger was, but he only had eyes for Grace. And he knew as soon as he touched her what she was to him.

“You’re holding me too tight.” When he let her go, Grace glared. “What the fuck is wrong with you? Surely, you’ve seen a woman before tonight. And I would think you’d know not to manhandle them.”

“I’ve never seen a woman like you.” He knew he was messing this up and tried to regroup. “I’m terribly sorry. It’s been a long week, and I still have the weekend to go through. The greenhouse has been taking up a great deal of my time. If you could forgive me, we can start again. I’m Lincoln Manning. And yes, I know better than to manhandle women.”

He looked for someone to get him out of this mess before he screwed up more. He needed someone to rescue him from himself. But Grace was called away and he let out a long breath. But he’d forgotten about Ginger, who was currently staring at him like he was a freak show.

“She belongs to you, doesn’t she?” Lincoln told her that saying it like that to Grace might not go over well. “No, not with her it wouldn’t. I’m happy for you, I really am, but she’s not going to come easy. You are aware of that, aren’t you?”

“Yes. I don’t know what to tell her either. I mean, she doesn’t strike me to be anything like you in how well you took what we were.” She laughed and told him he was in big trouble. “Yes, I think you might be right on that. Please don’t say anything to anyone just yet. I don’t want her to find out from them before I can talk to her.”

“I can do that. But she’s far from stupid, and she knows what you are. Not all of it, but that you’re all dragons.” He nodded and thanked her for that. “Don’t thank me yet. I love Grace, she’s all I had in the world for a long time. Then when Maddie came along, we sort of drifted apart. But when I was having trouble with Walton, she wasn’t just there for me, but gave me money I’m sure she didn’t have to help me get away. Then he tried to kill us.”

“I’ll be careful with her. Do you think she’ll do the same for me?” Ginger just laughed as she walked away. “I’m so fucked right now.”

He moved around the gallery again, this time looking for a painting that didn’t have a blue sticker on the name. It looked as if she was having a good show if those were any indication. Lincoln found Grace in one of the back rooms staring at a painting entitled simply Mine.

“This one is dark too. Are all your paintings that way with a secondary meaning?” She glanced at him, then back at the painting. He wasn’t even sure if she was going to answer, but she finally did.

“I live in a dark place when I paint. Most of the time, when I need to step back from them, I’m amazed at what I’ve done. I sort of zone out.” He stood closer to get a better look at the canvas and see if he could touch her. “I’m painting one now, in my hotel room, that looks like I’m going to be in trouble before it’s finished.”

“Why would you say that?” Lincoln wanted to know how to protect her. How to make the painting be one of happiness instead of the dark he knew was going to be there. “Is someone threatening you?”

“Not at the moment. I might be soon, but not right now.” She looked at him. “I got this burst of magic when we touched. It kind of freaked me out. Then when I was helping with the painting that this guy just had to have, I realized what it meant.” He waited, not wanting her to know just yet, not until he was ready and wanting her to know so they could talk about it. Lincoln had never been so indecisive before. So, he changed the subject.

“I own this piece of land. It’s a lot of acreage, but I’m happy with it. There were some things left in the house. Not a great many things—I’m guessing they were things they couldn’t take when the house was emptied.” Grace asked how many acres he had. “With the house, just over sixteen hundred. It’s a lot. The second house, it came with a hundred, which we didn’t know until the surveyor came out to do the job. There are also some buildings. A big metal one that someone took the time to mostly insulate and never used that I could see or smell. A regular barn, made of wood, that has the most amazing features to it. A water wheel that supplies the corn mill inside of it. Also, some of the land is rented by farmers who pay each year to have extras planted for their farms. I had no problem with it, so we’re going to keep doing that.”

“I lived in a rental house for most of my time out west. I hated it—being out west, not the house. But the landlord is retiring and has sold my house. Lucky for me he’s a nice guy, and put all my things in storage.” Lincoln said that was nice. “Yes. Are you nice, Lincoln? I’m not. I don’t like people, and I’m hard on men. I want you to know that right up front. I’m not a pushover, and I don’t jump when someone tells me to. Unless it’s to keep me safe. I’m not that stubborn or stupid.”

“I’m not good with people, but I like them. Mostly I avoid them because I’m never sure what to say when they ask a question.” She nodded, and he turned to look at her. “I want you to like the house I bought. It’s not necessary—I can sell it as it sits for more than I paid for it.”

“I’m sure that it’ll be fine.” She laughed. “I never thought I’d be this calm about finding someone that was going to take over my life.”

“I won’t.” She frowned and asked what he meant. “I won’t take over your life. I can promise you that. I would like to be a part of it, in decisions you might make that would affect us both, but I will never tell you what to do nor how you should do it. And I’ll do the same for you, not make any decisions that might alter how we do things.”

“Ginger was hurt by a man. Twice as a matter of fact. She was married to Mattie’s father for about a year and a half, and I guess the entire time he would beat her almost daily. She didn’t try to get away from him. I think that was due to having Mattie and her being so young. She wanted it to make it work. He had money, you see, and Ginger didn’t.” He said he had money as well. “I know. Ginger told me that all of you have a great deal. But about the men in her life. Our parents were about as close as a jackal and a mouse to us. They were cold, and we figured out they didn’t want us in their lives. I think that’s why I’m so mean now. But one night, when we were sixteen, I’d had enough and packed us both up and we went to live with our Aunt Bev. She’s a trip. Anyway, without her, I’m thinking that we might not have survived living on the streets. And that is why neither of us have been with another man since then that’s been good to us. Walton, he didn’t come into my sister’s life, he sort of barged his way in and took over. I’m glad that he’s no longer a threat to her.”

“I will never harm you if I can help it. I have no desire to order you around. I want—no, that’s not right. I need to make you happy, and I will try my very best to do so.” She looked at the painting again. “And if you could paint me something like the train in the front, I’ll be your slave for the rest of my life.”

Her laughter made him smile. It might not be so bad having a mate that was sort of mean if she was like this. But he knew it wasn’t something that he should count on. She had a temper, and Lincoln thought he might enjoy seeing it burn. So long as it wasn’t aimed at him.

~~~

Walton looked up when he realized someone was with him. He’d seen people in and out of the area he was in all day. No one had come to visit, and for that he was pissed. He’d fucked up last night and was told his privileges were taken away. So, if anyone did come, they’d be refused. Though he had no idea who would want to see him. Ginger sure wouldn’t.

What was wrong with that woman that she had to lie to him? He’d only wanted a son from her. A pretty woman like her, she should have been thrilled that a man like him would set his sights on her. He wasn’t stupid—Walton had an education. He even had some cash stashed away he could have used. Or he could just go and take it from his father—now there was a person who had money. But Ginger and her kid were putting a drain on him, and he’d had enough. Especially after thinking he was going to have a daughter and not a son like he wanted. Why couldn’t she just have had a boy? Then things would have been fine with them.

“Are you Walton George Conrad?” He said that he was but looked around when his middle name was put out there. “Are you? I’m looking for Walton George Conrad.”

“Do you think you could forget my middle name, buddy? I hate it as much as I hate being in here.” He stood and asked him what he wanted. “You’re not a visitor, that much I can see.”

“Here you go.” He took the blue envelope—really, he’d had no choice—and the guy asked him to sign for it. “You don’t have to. It’s all right here on the camera on my chest, as well as the one they have hanging out here, that you were served.”

“Served? As in someone is trying to sue me? Who would do that?” He said that he didn’t know, he’d have to read it. “Damn it all to hell and back. This had better not be my landlord again. I’ll kick his ass.”

It wasn’t him, but Ginger suing him for child support. For his own kid. The paperwork even said how much he had stashed, as well as the value of the house they’d lived in. He couldn’t understand how she’d know that unless....

“She went snooping around my things. How many times did I tell her to stay out of my boxes?” Walton sat on his bed and looked over the paperwork. “Oh no. Oh hell no, she is not hoping I’ll pay for her daughter too? I’m not paying for that thief at all. I’d have a dragon but for her skinny little ass. All she had to do was leave my things alone, and that included my dragon. Then what does she do? She takes it out of the barn and steals it.”

By the time dinner was served—another red-letter day in the meals this place handed out—he was seething mad at what she wanted from him. Walton was going to kill her as soon as he was free, and that kid too. And he would as soon as his attorney was aware of a few things. Like he’d fathered a son, not a daughter. And that she was trying to make it so he’d never see the kid. It was his, wasn’t it?

There couldn’t be any other way it would be someone else’s. He’d fucked her every day until she got pregnant. He’d only let her go from the chain when he had to take her to the doctor, and even then, he’d made sure that she knew if she ran or told anyone, he’d kill the brat of hers.

Then she’d gone to the doctor and had them lie to him too. Telling him that she was carrying another girl and wasn’t he so happy. Another little precious girl to raise.

“No, I was not. A little girl isn’t at all what I wanted.” He wasn’t sure why that was so important, but that’s what his father had always told him. Have a son, make sure there is someone to carry on the Conrad name. Like it was something to be proud of.

He supposed to his father it was. A rich fuck that had it all in a nice neat row. And he was tight too. Only gave Walton cash when he begged for it or made promises he wasn’t going to keep. Like not coming home again. It was his fucking house too, wasn’t it? His father had a screwed-up way of thinking when it came to him.

Now he was in jail for trying to kill her. If that other bitch had stayed out of his way, then he’d have no one but himself again. Women were the ruination of the world, his father used to say, and he was beginning to see that he might have been correct. They were only good for one single thing—well, two. Fucking and breeding sons.

Then there was the dragon. He’d caught it fair and square. Smiling to himself, he knew that was a fat lie too. He’d no more believed in them than he did faeries or unicorns. But he’d been at his buddy’s house and he’d had him tied down with chains in his big barn that he told him had to be iron so he’d not get away.

It had taken him a great deal of planning to steal the dragon. It hurt him, too, that he’d had to end up killing his buddy over it. But when he found out that it could practically shit out money, he had to have it. There was never a time when you could have too much cash. And once he started reading up on them, the more he realized what the sucker was worth. Like every piece was worth millions. He had planned to start cutting away at the thing when he got rid of the kids and their mom. Then this had happened.

His trial date was set for next week. Walton had called his father, who in turn had gotten him a lawyer. Dad hadn’t been that good of a role model for him, but when the shit hit the fan, like it had now, he could be counted on to help. He’d give you a hard time about it, but he’d get you to safer grounds.

“Mr. Conrad, you have a visitor. Now I’m going to let you see him today, but you explain that he can’t come back tomorrow. You’re grounded.” He pointed out that he wasn’t ten. “Then how about I tell that daddy of yours how you fucked up yesterday, and he’ll just have to go back to where he came from?”

“I’ll tell him.” It wouldn’t do any good. Telling his dad that he couldn’t do something was the same as saying go right on ahead and do whatever it is you want. Just make sure you stayed out of his way. Dad was a force that no one screwed with. “If I’m still grounded, why am I seeing him? Not that I don’t appreciate it?”

“You were served, and he said he was getting you an attorney. I can’t deny you that.” He nodded. “Also, he gave me some cash, and that gets you both a freebie.”

Shuffling out to the area where he was allowed to see people, with chains on his ankles and wrists, he wasn’t surprised all that much when he was led to a different place. One with a table and chairs, as well as food for him. Instead of eating it while the guard was in the room, he waited until his father dismissed him before reaching for the knife and fork. But before he could eat, the tray was shoved to the floor.

“You got caught, dummy. How many times have I told you to keep what you do at home behind your own closed doors? I said that to you every darned day, and now look where you are. I’m going to have to keep greasing palms, so you can get out and take care of business. What the F were you thinking?” His father rarely used the word fuck, replacing it with just the first letter when he was really pissed off. “Where is this woman that you knocked around?”

“I don’t know. Isn’t she at home?” He thought of something that would make his dad happy. “I have a son, dad. A little boy. I’m going to name him George Walton, after you.” He wasn’t, but Dad didn’t have to know that right away.

“I thought you said she was having a girl.” He said that she’d lied. “Women. That’s all they do. Where is the boy? I’ll get him and take him back with me.”

There was something there that made him think as soon as he got his grandson, his father would wash his hands of him. But instead of saying again that he didn’t know, he changed the subject.

“I was served. She wants me to pay child support for taking care of my own kid. Why would I have to when I could just take him from her and raise him myself? Maybe I’ll have her pay me to watch over him.” Father said that he’d take care of that. “I hope so. If she needs support, why doesn’t she just drop this whole thing and give him to me? That way she won’t be burdened.”

“You won’t be able to get him if she didn’t put your name on the birth certificate. And I’ll check into that as well. Also, with having a criminal record and all the other shit that you’ve done since you were born, it’ll be very hard to fight something you’ve been arrested for before. If that’s the case, then you might not stand a chance in taking him. But I will. That’s the way it should be anyway. I’m better equipped to handle him. If you go to prison, you can know he’s in good hands.” He asked if he was going to try and get him out. “Of course. I’d not let you rot in here. Though this is where you belong for getting caught with the goods, so to speak. I don’t know who the person is that had you arrested, but she has some big balls to turn against my son. A grandson. I can’t believe it; after all this time you finally did something right.”

“I do things right all the time. You just choose not to notice them.” His father just nodded. “I do. Who enlarged your dope area? I did. Who is the one that told you the building you wanted downtown was going up for sale?”

“Yes, and I didn’t get that either, did I? Sometimes you’re more trouble than you’re worth. I blame it on your mother, God rest her soul.” He pointed out that she wasn’t dead. “She might as well be. And would be too, if she didn’t have a pre-nup that I should never have signed, and then she wouldn’t change everything over to me. I should never have let her live, that’s all. Damn it all. I have a son.”

“I do. You have a grandson.”

Again, he was waved off, but it got him thinking. He wasn’t getting out of here. Also, no matter what his father said, he wasn’t going to take his son from him. Instead of listening, Walton started making his own plans. Not just to get out of here, but to get the boy too. And he’d kill whoever got in his way, including his own father. He’d fathered the boy, and he wanted to raise him. Bullshit on child support to Ginger. He would be the one getting paid.