Total pages in book: 99
Estimated words: 93267 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 466(@200wpm)___ 373(@250wpm)___ 311(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 93267 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 466(@200wpm)___ 373(@250wpm)___ 311(@300wpm)
“FIRE!” someone bellowed behind him. “Get out, get out!”
Fire? Shit! Car fires were the absolute worst, almost impossible to extinguish because of all the natural fuel in a car’s makeup. A car fire here, with so many people trapped and pressed in close, was a disaster in the making.
He whirled, desperate to call Gregori, because if anyone could suppress a car fire, it would be an ice dragon. Turned out he was a beat too slow. Gregori had reared back on his hind legs and shot ice from his mouth, covering the car in question with it, the whole hood now one big ice block.
Well. That would definitely suppress a fire. Also, why was it hot as hell? Salem didn’t think he was the type to be turned on watching other men throw their weight around but—
Gregori was not done. After the fire was suppressed, he reached for the driver-side door, punching claws right into the metal like it was butter, then wrenching the whole door off before tossing it casually aside.
Yup, it was hot as hell. Salem promised himself then and there that the very second they were home alone, he was jumping this man and fucking him senseless.
Salem gave himself a mental smack and jogged toward the now dismantled car. “Gregori?”
“Better take her,” Gregori called to him. “Whole car smells bad.”
Hazardous fumes, no doubt, even if the fire was suppressed. He understood and put some more speed into his jog until he got to the car.
The driver looked young—a professional in her twenties with office clothes on and an outraged expression.
“This damn fucking car,” she swore. “I can’t get—hey, Mister Dragon? Please help again, this seat belt won’t let me go.”
Gregori used a single claw to rip the seat belt in half, leaving the rest hanging like mangled lines.
“Thank you so much. This damn car.”
Salem gave instructions as he helped get her out. “Wait, wait, let’s go slow and easy. You’re in the center of this crash, so you got knocked around a lot, I’m sure.”
“Oh, I’m fine. I’m mad as hell, but I’m fine.”
She sat on the ground nearby so he could look her over, and she did appear to be mostly fine, just some bruises from being knocked around.
“I’m so sorry about this.” She put a hand to her forehead, looking shaken on some level but mostly angry. “This damn car chose to do a software update and shut down. Nothing I could do to stop it, and believe me, I tried. It even locked me in. I couldn’t open the doors.”
Salem paused in taking her pulse to look at her, sure he wasn’t hearing this right. “You’re telling me that while you were driving, the car chose to do a software update and caged you inside until it was done?”
“You agree it sounds stupid, right? Ugh, I’m so mad. Never buy a Tesla.”
“Trust me, after this? I’m not even tempted.”
“If it wasn’t for your dragon, I’d have been toast. Literally. Thank god an ice dragon just happened to be nearby because I know for a fact the fire department can’t put out a car fire quickly.”
She wasn’t wrong. Without Gregori, she could have been burned to a crisp, and no matter how hard the first responders fought to get to her, they might not have been able to do it in time.
“Tesla has no idea who they just pissed off.” Her eyes narrowed, lips peeling back in a feral snarl. “I’m a product liability lawyer. They won’t know what hit them.”
“You’re good to move and I think we need to get you farther away from all these fumes.” Salem straightened and extended an arm. “I want you to latch on to me and move slow and careful, just in case.”
“All right.”
The second she was upright and moving, Salem got a firm grip around her waist and walked her to the bus area.
“Also, I’m happy to be a witness for you when you take your case to Tesla.”
She blinked big brown eyes up at him. “Thank you. I appreciate it. For the record, who are you?”
“Doctor Salem Hunter. I’m a pediatric surgeon at Mass General.”
“Ohhh,” she breathed, eyes lighting up. “You’re an awesome witness. Do you happen to know the dragon?”
Might as well tell the truth to a lawyer. Scary things might happen otherwise. “I’m supposedly said dragon’s mate. He’s Gregori Valerii of the Ice Dragons.”
“Holy shit, do I have awesome rescuers. I might not have survived without you two.”
“Gregori did most of the heavy lifting on this one.”
Sirens came in louder and louder, and Salem was ever so grateful because trying to deal with this many patients on his own and without any equipment was stressful, to say the least. He carefully deposited the lawyer onto the bench.
“You stay right here, please. I’ll send EMTs in your direction.”