The Dragon (G.O.N.Y. - Double Dragon) by Violette Dubrinsky

of her head, she said firmly, “I need to find my sister.”
    ***
    To say Ramsey Stone was pissed off was a gross understatement.
    The past two weeks had been a whirlwind of activity that had culminated in this very moment. His conversation with Lee had set him on the hunt for Kim, but it was soon confirmed that the man had left the country. He’d had two choices: he could have followed him, which meant leaving the country, which he couldn’t quite do, or he could wait for his return, which according to Lee, who was quite forthcoming with information once he realized he had a high chance of surviving Ramsey’s meat factory, was in a few weeks. So instead of following him to South Korea, Ramsey called in and had him trailed, his every move watched and recorded. As he’d expected, Kim had grown careless in South Korea. That was how Ramsey learned that there was a leak in the FBI who wasn’t his leak.
    It didn’t surprise him as men were willing to kill their own mothers for the amount of money he paid his informants, but the fact that Kim cared enough to pay someone for information on Jezebel’s whereabouts angered him. The only reason Kim would have any interest in Jezebel was because of him. With the knowledge that Kim was interested in Jezebel, Ramsey had sent his men to “watch” her. Three days ago, Lee let him know Kim was back in New York. When the man had told him where, Ramsey had made several phone calls in the span of minutes. First, he called the men who’d moved in a few houses down from Jezebel and told them to be on guard. Next, he called his pilot, and told him he needed the jet ready as soon as possible. Last, he called Vince and told him to assemble a team. Unless he was seeking out new territory for his leader, there was no other reason for Kim to be checked into the Hampton Inn in upstate New York but Jezebel.
    He’d distanced himself from her to avoid this.
    The people who were closest to him had targets on their backs. Lily, he hadn’t protected, but her death had taught him a lesson and he’d wised up quickly. Hannah, Bastian, Sarah, even Vince, constantly had shadows and took various security measures before they went anywhere. They were closest to him, bound either by blood or marriage.
    Jezebel was not.
    She’d been his attempt at “normal” and Lily’s death had taught him “normal” was something he’d never have. So, he’d distanced himself. Jezebel had fallen in love with a spa owner. If she’d known his true identity, she wouldn’t have even entertained the idea. It had been naïve on his part to think he could keep his “other” side from her, but he’d wanted that life so badly, the life of a regular businessman with a wife he loved, and children.
    “Where are you taking me?”
    Seated across from him, her arms wrapped protectively around her sister, Jezebel watched him warily. They’d been in his jet for almost an hour, and during that time, she hadn’t said a word to him. Delilah, who they’d found huddled over the bleeding body of Brandon Erickson, hadn’t been so quiet. From the moment she’d entered the plane with her sister, to the moment exhaustion kicked in, about half an hour ago, she’d cursed him and everything to do with him while Jezebel held her and glared.
    He hadn’t expected much considering he’d done everything in his power to push Jezebel away, but the woman staring at him only looked like the Jezebel he knew. In her eyes was such coldness and distrust, he doubted he’d ever seen any warmth there where he was concerned.
    And he deserved it. He’d almost gotten her killed.
    “Somewhere safe.”
    “Where?” she snapped, but lowered her voice when Delilah stirred, murmuring something before falling back against her sister in a fitful sleep.
    “My apartment.”
    She shook her head, but kept her angry eyes on his. “I doubt your girlfriend would like that.”
    Confusion must have shown on his face because she amended, “Oh, did you toss