“I told him you moved to Texas to live with two men who love you and treat you like a queen.”
I smile, but just like always, when I think of Zander, my heart hurts. Nicole has no idea just how much I did give him. I can’t bring myself to tell her. My time with Zander is just that, mine. It’s something I can’t share with anyone, not even Ray. I’m not sure how you can grow to need someone in the short span that Zander and I spent together, but somehow it happened. It doesn’t matter though. I’ve been gone a month and there hasn’t been a word from him. I know it’s not like we were a real couple, but if I had meant anything to him, I’m sure I would have heard from him. Then again, if I was important to him he wouldn’t have been talking to Gunner and saying those things anyway. Nothing about that night showed any depth of feeling, and nothing since. Dragon would never let Nicole leave him without trying to win her back. That’s something else I’ve realized in the last month. There is real love out there. Paul and Ray have it. I’ve seen it. They care about each other. I’ve never seen that. Dad married my Mom to get access to her fortune. He used me to get out of debt with Michael and …. Michael is just pure evil. Nicole is right. I should have never thought of Dragon like that. He’s not. Dragon is another thing I have to address in my life, which is why I’m calling.
“Hey, Nic? Do you think I could talk to Dragon?”
“Dani…I…”
“Please? It’s kind of important.
“I don’t have a good feeling about this,” she grumbles.
“Thanks.”
“Hang on,” she sighs.
I wait another few minutes. I’m about to hang up, figuring Dragon took the phone and is just ignoring it. I couldn’t really blame him.
“Shoot,” his gravelly voice, comes over the receiver.
“I,” shit what did I want to say again? My hands have a cold clammy sweat covering them. “Hey, Dragon.”
“D.”
That’s it, just my initial, and no how are you, or how have you been…it’s another sign that this call, though needed is not welcomed. Nothing about me will probably be welcomed by Dragon.
“I uh…”
“Spit it out D, I’ve got shit to do.” He grumbles and I can hear Nicole in the background censuring him.
“I wanted to apologize,” I say weakly, because it is weak. There’s nothing I can say that can make up for what happened and what I almost did.
“You almost got my woman killed. Not exactly something you can fix. If you were a man I would have killed you for what you did to Nicole,” Dragon says coldly and his words go through me.
“Dragon! Hand me that damn phone. We’ve had this out and I can’t believe you right now!” I hear Nicole in the background, yelling. I swallow and forge ahead.
“I get that. You don’t know me, but I had good reason to worry about you, and I’m not sorry I tried to keep Nicole from making a mistake. I’m just sorry that I went about it like I did. You weren’t who you appeared to be…” Lame, but it’s the best I can do without telling him who he was in my brain at the time, and he doesn’t get that. He can’t.
His silence greets me.
“So, I’ll just let you go. I just wanted to let you know I was sorry and I won’t question Nicole again. You love her and you’ll protect her. That’s enough. Some men…a lot of men aren’t like that. Nicole deserves that. She hasn’t had it and…”
“D?” Dragon interrupts my rambling, thank God.
“Yeah?”
“You should come home. Nicole misses you.”
“I kind of messed up,” I say and I think only part of me is talking about what happened with Nicole. Zander. I should have never gone there.
“You plan on doing it again?” Dragon asks.
“No,” I answer and silently add on both counts.
“Then get your ass home, you make Nicole happy. I want her happy.”
“I get that,” I reply, not really giving him an answer.
“And, D?”
“Yeah?” I asked feeling a little lighter and more surprised at the invitation to come home. Is Kentucky my home?
“We don’t hurt women, ever. You feel me?”
“I…well…”
“I’m saying you’re safe here, D and I’ll be cool as long as you don’t pull that shit again.
“I’ll think about it.” I answer, wondering if I will ever really be safe again.
“Fair enough,” he says and the phone goes dead. Guess Dragon ain’t one for goodbyes.
I hang up and take a deep breath. I’m feeling at loose ends. Paul had work tonight. He’s a bartender at a local club. Ray is working there too, as he does every night. He’s the bouncer. He’s also convinced I should go there tonight. I’m not. He’ll probably win though, because I have no desire to sit home alone.