Catching Dragos by Gail Koger Read Free Book Online Page B

Fabian.
    My cell phone chirped. I glanced at the number, and my stomach clenched. Shit! It
    was Fabian. How had he gotten the number to my burner phone? I grabbed the
    scrambler Uncle Bobby had made for me and attached it. His deep, gravelly voice said,
    “Joe’s Bar and Grill.”
    Fabian growled, “Surrender by dawn or face the consequences.” The line went
    dead.
    “Grams, we might have a problem. I just got a call from Fabian on my supposedly
    untraceable cell phone!” I shouted down the hallway.
    “The phone is untraceable, and he’s only trying to rattle you. You need to be at the
    ticket booth in twenty minutes.”
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    “Yes, ma’am.” I quickly stripped off my butler uniform and pulled on the clown
    jumpsuit. Oh yay, it was a shocking pink with hideous red flowers. Add in a neon-
    yellow wig and bright-red nose, and I would resemble something out of a horror movie.
    “Don’t forget the shoes,” Grams called.
    The long clown shoes were, of course, yellow. Walking in those would be so much
    fun. I pulled off my scratchy face mask and sighed in relief.
    The front door to the motor home crashed open, and Antonio bellowed, “Where is
    she?”
    Oh, crap. Should I run or should I hide or should I kick his ass?
    Grams snapped at Antonio, “Sit down!”
    “I’m the enforcer for this clan. Mariah had no right to interfere,” Antonio snarled.
    It suddenly got very quiet.
    Uh-oh. Grams was doing her famous mental Vulcan death grip. It hurt like a
    mother.
    “Go out the trapdoor,” Grams instructed.
    “Yes, ma’am.” I applied the face paint and fastened the red ball on my nose. Yep,
    children would run screaming when they saw me.

    * * * *
Four hours later, and I was ready to start screaming obscenities. A lot of them.
    Every one of the Vizzini hunters had come up to the ticket booth and spat at me. Ugh.
    The glass now resembled a bug-splattered windshield.
    My revenge? I gave them all jock itch. Magic did have its uses.
    A fist appeared out of nowhere and hit the window. Crack! The glass shattered.
    I jumped about a foot.
    His face twisted with rage, Antonio commanded, “Remove the spells. Now!”
    CATCHING DRAGOS | 51
    “When the hunters apologize, I will,” I shot back sweetly and conjured up a
    balloon dog filled with sleeping gas. The cranky ass was in serious need of a nap.
    His hands balled into fists.
    I grabbed the balloon.
    Grams, in her Madam Zelda gypsy garb, strolled up. “Is there a problem?”
    “No, ma’am,” we said in unison.
    “Good.” Grams surveyed the damaged glass and the globs of spit. “Tell those
    fools it’s never a good idea to disrespect a slayer.”
    Antonio gave a stiff bow. “Yes, madam.” He stormed off.
    “Jock itch?”
    I shrugged and hid the balloon. “Seemed appropriate.”
    “Your talent for provoking men is unsurpassed,” Grams said.
    “They mess with me. I mess with them.”
    Grams sighed. “One day you will meet a man who won’t put up with your
    foolishness. He will tame you.”
    Tame? Like I was a fractious filly? “It will never happen,” I stated, utterly sure no
    man could ever best me.
    “The Dragos hunter has the strength.”
    “Fabian? You’ve got to be kidding me?”
    “But, he is Dragos,” Grams added sadly.
    “Next you’ll be trying to fix me up with Antonio.”
    Grams shook her head. “No, you’re too strong for him.”
    Thank God for small favors. Time to change the subject. “You want some
    doughnuts?”
    My grandmother immediately perked up. “Don Fredrico’s? The chocolate ones
    with sprinkles?”
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    “You betcha.” We both were chocoholics, and Don Fredrico’s doughnuts were to
    die for.
    “I would love some.”
    Some? Between the two of us, we could eat a dozen easily. “Good. I’ll get my
    wallet and change into something more appropriate.”
    “There’s no need. Fredrico loves clowns.” Grams held out her car keys and a
    twenty.
    Yay, I was stuck in this outfit for another hour.