Chapter Three – Poppy

Poppy had forgotten just how devastatingly handsome George Lancaster was. Her dreams did not do him justice, and her body reacted to him as he stood, framed in the doorway, his shirt undone to reveal a sprinkling of hair, and his sleeves rolled up as if he were ready for a fight. The fire that flashed in his eyes confirmed her fears: George Lancaster was still mad as hell at her, and she was glad she had told Charlie to hide in the bathroom.

Although what would happen to her son if George hurt her, she didn’t know. Her face flushed pink, and she wanted to hide from that gaze that ripped her clothes from her body as he stood there, glaring at her. What did she expect, a peck on the cheek and a long time no see?

George Lancaster strode into the room, his eyes no longer on her, but instead skimming the room, looking for something. Oh no, had he picked her up on a surveillance camera? She was sure she had avoided them all. She thought she had been so careful when she sneaked in here. It was what she was good at.

Correction. It was what she had once been good at. She was rusty, and she had put herself and Charlie in danger. By the look on George’s face—mortal danger!

He surveyed the room, and she prayed Charlie would keep himself hidden in the bathroom, and not make a sound. Poppy had no idea how George was going to react to the news he had a son. What if he took it badly? What if he took it very badly? He might think she was making it up. He might not believe that one night in his bed was enough for her to conceive. Hell, it hadn’t even been one night. It had been one brief, exquisite encounter.

She watched him as he walked around the room, his head tilted back, breathing in, like an animal scenting its prey. Why had she come here? She should have taken her chances elsewhere. But deep down Poppy knew that was not an option. The man who had sent her to steal from George Lancaster in the first place was not a man she could trust. He would take Charlie and use him as he saw fit. To the man Brax had called Bernard, an alias, as she had learned when she tried to trace him, both she and Charlie would be property he would use as he saw fit.

“Where is he?” George asked, jolting her out of her thoughts. How did he know? Charlie had not made a sound.

“Where is who?” she asked in return, trying to maintain her gaze, but her eyes slipped momentarily to the right. No other man might have noticed, but no other man was as attuned to her as he was to her. She could not fool George Lancaster again.

“The man you are with,” George said.

“I’m not here with another man,” she answered truthfully.

George moved quickly, too quickly for her to react. Was he some kind of superhero, with enhanced strength and agility? There was no other explanation for his lightning-fast movement. He reached for her, his hand curling around her wrist cruelly, his fingers digging into her flesh as he took hold of her arm. A hard yank, and he pulled her toward him, his body now between her and Charlie.

“No,” she said, and grabbed hold of George’s upper arm, trying to knock him off balance. It worked, but they ended up sprawled across the king-size bed, with him on top of her, his body pinning her down. “Let me go.”

“No,” he said roughly. “Do you know how many nights I dreamed of finding you? How many ways I have thought of making you pay for what you did?”

She writhed under him, trying to push him off, but he was too strong. “I’m sorry.” It sounded weak, pathetic. Which was exactly how she felt with this brute of a man on top of her.

“Liar,” he spat.

“I am truly sorry,” she said, and a sob erupted from inside her, making him frown, his eyes fixed on hers.

“I know how good an actress you are, remember?” He lowered his head and captured her lips kissing her fiercely.

Poppy reacted by biting his bottom lip. She tasted the blood on her tongue, hot and metallic.

George pulled back, the darkness clouding his face scared her. A deep danger lurked there, a deep, dark danger. A beast lurking beneath the surface, that threatened to burst out, to claim what was his. And she was his. She knew that now. Knew that their lovemaking, all those years ago had meant something. If not to him, then to her. But she could never let him know that. Never let him use it against her. And he would use it. All men did. They tore the life you had created for yourself apart, all to serve their own needs.

“Please, get off me,” Poppy said, no longer struggling. She didn’t want to fight him, that wasn’t what she had come here for.

He eased back off her, but did not let her get up. “Why are you here?”

“I have something that is yours,” she said.

“You have brought the Heartsfire Blade back to me?” George asked, a look of surprise on his face.

“No.” She shook her head. “I don’t have it.”

“Where is it?”

“I don’t know.”

“Who did you steal it for?” he asked, his features darkening once more, and his grip on her wrists tightening.

“I can’t tell you.”

“Can’t or won’t?” he asked.

“Won’t,” she said.

“You know I can make you talk?” he asked.

“Yes,” she answered.

“And what makes you think I won’t?” he asked gently, leaning forward and nuzzling her neck. “I don’t have to use pain. There are other ways to break a woman.”

Her breasts heaved, as she fought to control her breathing. “Because…” Poppy didn’t know if him finding out she had given birth to his son, and kept that secret from him for the past five years, was going to make him want to hurt her more.

Tears pricked her eyes, and before she could blink them away, one trickled down her cheek. He saw it, his face softening, and he looked deep into her eyes, trying to read her thoughts. Thoughts that she needed to keep from him, and she turned away from him.

“What the hell is this?” he asked, turning her to face him. She winced with pain, and he loosened his grip a hair; there was no way he was going to give her a chance to evade him this time. She had walked willingly into his den, and this was where she was going to stay until he got what he wanted from her. Only he had no idea what that was. Not yet.

“I’ll explain.” Poppy put her hand up to calm him, her voice soothing.

“I suggest you do so, quickly,” he ground out, his eyes lingering on her face, before they slid down her body, and then he licked his lips. Could he recall the taste of her?

“I…” She hesitated. “We need your help.”

“My help!” His voice was harsh. “Don’t play me for a fool, woman. That might work on other men, but I am not other men.”

“I know,” she breathed. He didn’t need to tell her he wasn’t the same as other men, she knew, from experience. “I’m not trying to play you,” she said, she needed him to believe her.

“Then why are you here?” he asked, his voice cutting.

“I… To show you something.” She was stalling. Scared of his reaction when he found out she had lied to him. No, not lied. She had done what she thought was best, and now, seeing his temper flare, she knew she had been right to keep her child away from such a man.

But it was too late. She was going to have to tell him. And hope that he didn’t take Charlie and shut her out of their lives completely. Tears squeezed out of the corners of her eyes. At least George would keep Charlie safe. Something she had tried to do and failed.

“Show me something? Get to the point. Tell me why you are here.” He sniffed her, and then looked up again. “Why are you here with the stench of another dragon on your clothes, on your body?” He sneered. “Is that it, you stole the blade for another dragon?”

Her heart beat rapidly. What was he saying? A dragon? Dear lord, the guy was insane, she had heard all this from Brax. She didn’t believe it then, she didn’t believe it now. Or was dragon a code word? But why would she smell of anything? The only other person she had been near was Charlie.

“I don’t know what you mean.”

“No,” he said, staring into her eyes, as if trying to get a glimpse of her soul. “You don’t, do you?” He eased back, releasing her wrists. “Speak.”

She sat up, trying to angle her body away from his, while rubbing her sore wrists. “I came here, because I have something… Someone I need you to meet.”

He raised an eyebrow. “You’ve brought a friend.” He sighed. “Unfortunately, not my thing. One woman is all I need.” He made sure she heard his words, even if she did not understand the underlying message. “Is this friend the dragon I smell? Perhaps you should tell them to come out of hiding? If they want to fight, I am ready.”

He got up, and prowled the room once more. She slid off the bed and ran to the bathroom door, putting herself between father and son. “It’s not what you think.” She shook her head. She had no idea what the man was thinking. But she was sure it wasn’t that his son was hiding in the bathroom.

“In there?” He smiled, and rolled his sleeves up further. “Open the door. I’m ready.”

“Stop.” She took a step toward him. “You will scare him.”

George Lancaster cocked his head on one side, and his voice softened. “So it is another man? You are still a liar, it seems.”

He might as well have slapped her. She reeled from his voice as he said her name. “No!”

“Get out of my way.” George grabbed her wrist. “You should not have come back here. I have spent the last five years living with the shame you brought on my family. Five years of amassing treasure to bring the downfall of those who took what did not belong to them. Do you think I am stupid? Do you think I am the naive man who took you to his bed? Do you think I don’t know why you are here? Why you have been sent?”

“I have not been sent,” she said. “I have no idea what you mean.” But she was starting to understand the trouble she caused that night, and the anger George held for her.

“So what? You simply stole for money?” George asked. “With no thought of the damage you did my family?”

Before she could answer, before she could tell him the reason she had taken this Heartsfire Blade he held so dear, the bathroom door opened, and Charlie walked out.