Dragon to the Rescue: Forgotten Dragons Book 3 Read online

  Dragon to the Rescue

  Forgotten Dragons Book 3

  Terry Bolryder

  Copyright © 2019 by Terry Bolryder

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  Contents

  Author’s Note

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Epilogue

  Also by Terry Bolryder

  Author’s Note

  Dragon to the Rescue is book 3 in my Forgotten Dragons series!

  Each book has a new couple, heated romance, thrilling shenanigans and a happy ending, but you still might want to read them in order, since the characters are related!

  Here’s the first:

  Dragon Next Door (Forgotten Dragons 1)

  And the second:

  Dragon Meets Girl (Forgotten Dragons 2)

  Thanks, and happy reading!

  Chapter 1

  Mindy huffed, the bass amp in her hands getting heavier by the second as she squeezed herself and the bulky old thing through the back exit of O’Hare’s. Once she’d made it, there were only ten steps between her, the van, and finally being done packing up for the evening.

  Almost there.

  She tightened her grip, taking the steps one at a time because the huge brick in her hands blocked her view of the ground. By the time she was halfway, she could almost taste having the rest of the evening to herself.

  Though, the last time she’d seen a clock, it had been eleven. Was there even time for relaxing?

  She took another step. But the ground suddenly slid beneath her foot, one of the old red bricks on the steps deciding to quit its day job of staying in one place.

  “Crap,” Mindy exclaimed to herself as her balance tipped sideward, making her almost fall. The heavy amplifier swayed as she sped down the last few steps, hitting the bottom just as her grip finally failed her.

  She set it down a little too quick, and it keeled over on its side dramatically.

  “You’ve had worse,” she said, glaring at it.

  But as much as she wanted to leave the beached whale of an amp, Keith would kill her if she just let it lie.

  She hefted it up, moving to the back of the old white Chevy van her band used to store its gear between gigs. But as she approached, she realized with dismay that there wasn’t space in the cluttered vehicle. Not without moving things.

  She set down the speaker, sitting on top of it to rest for a second. Cold autumn air wafted over her, damp and interspersed with the scent of the docks only a few blocks from here.

  Keith needed to stop booking crappy venues like this.

  Just then, the rear door leading into the loading bay behind the bar clicked open, and Mindy glanced up, hopeful to see one of her bandmates finally showing up to lend a hand.

  Instead, an older bar patron lurched through, a tall beer in one hand and a half-drank bottle of Wild Turkey in the other. He had shaggy, graying hair and leathery skin. And from the way he swayed, he’d been hitting the bottle all night.

  Mindy’s nerves stood on end, suddenly aware that she was totally alone with someone who wasn’t all there.

  She stood, messing with things in the van and appearing busy, hopeful to avoid any attention.

  There was a loud hiccup, and she could hear the man staggering down the steps. But when she looked over her shoulder, she could see his jaundiced eyes were solidly focused on her.

  “Hey theeere…” he drawled.

  Of course he wasn’t going to make this easy. Of course he wasn’t just going to mind his own business and leave her alone.

  “You were the chick on the keyb… keyb… piano, weren’t you?”

  Mindy groaned, trying her best to stand her ground as she turned and put her hands on her hips.

  Act tough.

  “Yes. I’m busy, though, clearly.” Clearly, that fact was lost on this guy.

  “You got pretty fingers,” he mumbled.

  Oh dear, was there a complement creepier than “pretty fingers?” Mindy’s stomach twisted as she realized he was still coming closer.

  The tall, aluminum can fell from his hand, clanking on the ground as he reached forward.

  He reminded her of a zombie, stumbling ever closer, slow and clumsy, but dangerous all the same. She could grab something heavy to defend herself just in case he came even closer, but what?

  She didn’t want to turn her back on the approaching drunk, so she faced him, hands clenched into fists at her sides, ready to act if she needed to.

  She was only vaguely aware of the sound of something rapidly approaching from the direction of the street on her left. And before she could even register the very fast, heavy footsteps, a humongous figure appeared behind the drunk, looming like an ominous shadow.

  “Whoooa,” the man exclaimed as, suddenly, he was lifted off the ground by his dirty jacket like a toddler.

  But Mindy’s gaze was locked on someone else right now.

  Blue eyes, dark and clear like sapphires, sparkling like they had stars in them on this cold, gloomy night. Long black hair, wild and over his shoulders. A short dark beard that accentuated a perfectly square jaw and full lips that were currently pointed downward in a frown at the man.

  And gosh, was he tall.

  The stranger turned the drunk around to face him as legs and arms flailed helplessly in an iron grip. Mindy caught a glimpse of powerful hands and thick forearms that disappeared beneath a blue flannel shirt.

  “Whaddaya want…? You’re interrupting sumthin’,” the drunk muttered.

  The Viking grimaced as the overpowering scent of booze reeked in the air, and a second later, he was striding away, carrying the drunk like a stinky bag of garbage toward the street where he’d apparently appeared from.

  “Uh—” Mindy was stunned, unable to form proper words. Instead, the view of the stranger’s incredibly broad shoulders that tapered down to trim hips and an awesome ass distracted her from speaking.

  It didn’t take the man long to reach the other side of the street—a fair distance away—due to his long strides. Once he was there, he dumped the drunk onto the ground unceremoniously, and Mindy heard an annoyed groan as the drunk simply lay on the ground in a heap.

  But then, to Mindy’s surprise, the tall one was coming back toward her. Why was he coming back? Who was he even?

  Suddenly, he was there, standing in front of her at probably at least a good six and a half feet, arms folded, appraising her.

  But if she wasn’t wrong, the worry in his eyes seem to imply he was making sure she was… okay?

  “Uh, thank you,” she blurted out. It was hard to think with those dark-blue eyes watching her every word, her every movement. “For saving me. I’m Mindy.” She extended her hand, and the hottie just stood there for a moment before finally reaching his hand out to take hers.

  Wow, his palm was warm. And big.

  What had she been doing?

  “Taylor.” His voice was deep but quiet. Barel
y audible even in the relative silence.

  Between the long hair and chiseled features, he gave her the impression of some Viking god of rock descended from Valhalla to save her from her misfortune.

  She giggled to herself, feeling nervous.

  Taylor—a fairly normal name for such an abnormally large and good-looking man—raised an eyebrow at her.

  “Sorry, funny thought. Can I take you inside, get you a drink or something?”

  He shook his head. Then he glanced at the amp on the ground and the van.

  “Oh, that?” she exclaimed, “Just putting the band stuff away. We performed here. You just missed it.”

  He just watched her, expression blank.

  “Yeah, not sure how I’m going to fit the rest of the stuff in.” She turned to the van, stammering, not sure what to do about the silence. Most of the men in her life wouldn’t shut up for five seconds, let alone not say even five words when given the opening. “I mean, if I move this there and that here, then maybe…”

  Before she could finish, Taylor was suddenly hefting the amp up with one hand like it was utterly weightless.

  Then again, he’d lifted a grown man, so that made sense. Dude was stacked.

  He grunted, and Mindy moved out of his way as he used his free hand to position the bass drum and a cardboard box to one side. After a few seconds of shuffling, he set the amp squarely in the opening created.

  “Wow. That’s very helpful,” Mindy said, surprised how he’d even made the space between the twisted mass of instruments and gear. “I guess I’ll just go get my keyboard, and I can finally be done. Yay me.”

  But before she could make her way to the steps, Taylor turned, a hand shooting out in front of her to stop her. And when he pointed at the cracked bottom step, she suddenly remembered how she’d almost taken a nasty spill.

  “Oh, that. I’ll be careful.”

  Taylor’s lips pursed, eyes narrowing slightly as he looked down at the crack, then back at her stubbornly.

  “Okay, okay. You win. You can get it. Just be careful with it, please?” she asked.

  Taylor’s solemn nod made warmth spread under Mindy’s skin, and she watched with rapt attention as he strode up the stairs, gingerly picked up the long Casio that had been perched on its side at the top of the steps, and brought it down without even the slightest cause for worry.

  “But how are we going to fit it? I mean, we barely made space for the amp.”

  Taylor stepped forward and then nestled it into a perfect-size space between two guitar cases.

  As if he’d already made the space for it ahead of time.

  “That’s pretty awesome,” Mindy said as Taylor dusted off his hands, then reached to shut the van doors before looking back at her. “Yes, that’s everything. Thanks so much and for your help with that guy as well. Not that he was definitely going to do anything, but you know. I’m super grateful.”

  The corner of Taylor’s mouth pulled up slightly in what Mindy could only guess was a short smile, but she got the impression he didn’t do a lot of it based on how it looked. A second later, the van’s doors shut.

  Leaving just her and Taylor alone.

  “You sure you don’t want to get a drink? At least let me introduce you to my bandmates.” Though, at this point, they’d probably be blasted and on the prowl, which made them even worse company than usual. “On second thought, maybe not. How about dinner?”

  Dinner past midnight? Great idea, Mindy…

  But she wanted to know she would get to see this silent, powerful, interesting man again.

  “Yeah, maybe not dinner,” she said, rubbing the back of her neck. “Taking you to anything open right now would not be thanking you.”

  If she wasn’t wrong, Taylor laughed at that. Though, the sharp exhale was so short Mindy wasn’t sure if she’d just heard something else.

  But the way his blue eyes twinkled slightly made Mindy think she wasn’t crazy to think that.

  And if she wasn’t mistaken, he was also standing closer.

  So close she could feel his body heat through the cool night air. His thick arms and bulging pecs were outlined in soft flannel, and for the first time in her life, Mindy realized how attracted she could be to an almost complete stranger.

  Taylor leaned down slightly, and Mindy felt her feet pressing up on her toes, going off the ground just to be that much closer to him. She felt wantonly drawn to him as though a magnet were pulling her close.

  He licked his lips, and she groaned as she felt herself get wet just imagining the things that tongue could be doing to her.

  She’d never wanted someone so strongly.

  Then Taylor pressed a hand onto the van door behind her, looming over her but still giving her a full chance to escape, to tell him if it wasn’t what she wanted.

  What she wanted was to know what he tasted like.

  His lips crashed over hers, hot and smooth, burning Mindy to her core with sheer want. The kind of kiss that should be in movies. The kind of kiss that made it impossible to walk. The kind of kiss that Mindy wished could go on forever.

  Please don’t let this be a dream.

  His lips caressed hers, romantic and urgent, and though she tried to urge him deeper, parting her lips for more, he pulled away gently, leaving her weak in the knees.

  “Again. You and me. Where?” Taylor’s voice was husky, solemn as he pinned her with sapphire eyes.

  “Hmm,” Mindy murmured, still trying to assemble her brain after Taylor’s kiss had scrambled it.

  The only words she could summon were more, more, more.

  “Where?” Taylor’s tone was slightly firmer, though he seemed amused.

  She shut her eyes, finally able to think rational thoughts. “The Olympian. It’s a club on the west side. We perform there tomorrow night. I can get you tickets—”

  “I’ll be there,” was his firm reply. Then he was backing away, arms folded expectantly.

  Mindy shifted her weight, and the keys to the van jingled in her pocket.

  “Oh yeah. Home. That’s what I was doing,” she said more to herself than Taylor. And when Taylor nodded at her, she wanted to run back over and help herself to seconds.

  But the gear wasn’t going to drive itself off. And after the mishap last year, the band definitely couldn’t afford to replace anything for a long while.

  Drat.

  Mindy pulled out the keys and got in. And as she backed up, Taylor was there, motioning for her and keeping her from narrowly putting a second hole in the stairs with the van’s bumper.

  Once the vehicle was pointed toward the street, she poked her head out of the window, waving at the guy that was every bit as much mystery as he was man.

  “Thanks again for everything, Taylor. I really appreciate it. You get home safe.”

  He nodded.

  “And I guess I’ll see you tomorrow, then. Right?” If he was going to feign disinterest in her, now was the time.

  But his nod was even more adamant.

  She put the van in gear, and in her rearview mirror, she could see him wave, disappearing as she made her way onto the street. As Mindy headed for home, the whole thing left her wondering.

  Was she absolutely certain he had been real?

  Mindy supposed she’d find out tomorrow.

  Chapter 2

  Crack!

  Splinters flew into the air as the table Taylor had thrown collided with the wolf shifter in front of him and exploded into shards, knocking the wolf out. A second later, Xander caught another wolf with a swift kick to the chest, sending him flying backward and into the wall.

  “Almost too easy, right?” Xander said, self-assured as always. The cocky red dragon had been assigned as Taylor’s partner, though he had quickly become a friend.

  “There are still more,” Taylor replied, keeping an eye on the old cabin they were currently raiding. The scent of dilapidation and rotting wood filled the air, making it hard to make out how many more wolves were around.
br />   Earlier that morning, the double dragons had called Xander and Taylor and given them a small mission to complete. Xander, still honeymooning with his mate, Janet, had been less than obliging. But they’d been given little choice in the matter.

  Of course, Janet had insisted on coming.

  “You missed one outside,” she said, walking into the two-story structure that looked as nondescript as it was old.

  Taylor had no problem with the red dragon’s mate. In many ways, she was more agreeable than Xander. Plus, with the red dragon strength she’d gotten after mating Xander, she was a definite asset to the team.

  “Hey, I told you to wait outside,” Xander insisted, coming up to Janet and wrapping his hands around her. The pure love Taylor saw there made his heart ache for something similar.

  But if he wasn’t wrong—which he rarely was—then maybe he wasn’t too far off from finding that something.

  Taylor pressed forward, wanting himself between any further danger and Xander and Janet.

  “So that lab, the one you helped Janet rescue me from before,” Xander said, filling the quiet. “I spoke with the double dragons about it yesterday.”

  “And?” Taylor replied.

  “You wanted me to see if they found anything odd there. They didn’t, though I’m not sure what you were looking for.” Xander scratched the back of his blond hair. “It appeared to just be run by the same Tribunal wolves as the others.”

  Taylor nodded, his throat tight. Whether with relief or disappointment, he didn’t know. He hadn’t known what they might find, but the lab had reminded him just a little too much of the one he’d been kept in.

  Not that he was going to tell his friends about that.