Page 33 of Red Dragon’s Heart

“No. I draw the line at packing poop.”

Maddie declined to mention that they could empty it first.

“Whatever. We have to stop at PetLand anyway, on the way back to prison. We need more kitten food, and I’m out of fresh litter. We’ll just get a new litter box.”

“And I suppose you expect me to pay for that too?”

“You’re the one with the bank robbery stash.”

“I spent it all on a new doorknob for this dump.” He picked up her stack of boxes and walked out.

As Maddie was heading for the truck, carrying Grayson in his box, Mrs. Tannenbaum stopped her. “Are you sure you’re okay?” she said in a low voice. “He doesn’t work for one of those cartels, does he? I’ve heard they take chemists away and make them cook meth for them. I can call the cops and give them the plate number from his truck.”

Zak called over in a martyred voice, “You know I can hear you, right?”

He shouldn’t have been able to hear. It must be part of his enhanced shifter senses. She’d have to remember to test his hearing against normal human and animal ranges.

To Mrs. Tannenbaum she said, “No, it’s nothing like that. I appreciate everything you’ve done for me, but please don’t call the police.”

“If you say so.” Mrs. Tannenbaum still looked dubious. “But if you need anything, you call me.”

Zak, still over by the truck, called, “I don’t work for a cartel. And I’m not a drug dealer.”

“He really isn’t,” Maddie assured her.

“If you say so.” Clearly unconvinced, Mrs. Tannenbaum watched as Maddie got in the truck next to Zak and they drove away.

Chapter 16

Maddie half-expected Zakerek to refuse to stop at PetLand, but he tapped it into his phone’s GPS and followed the GPS lady’s directions.

It was good that he didn’t expect her to direct him, because she was very busy trying not to cry.

She hadn’t expected leaving the crappy trailer park with the drug dealers to make her feel so bereft, but somehow it did. However crappy the place had been, at least it was hers.

Now she was being carried off to a dragon’s lair, to make an antidote she didn’t even know if it was possible to make, just for the chance to bring down Eric Chisholm.

And what would she do then? Her career would be over. No one would hire her, and she wouldn’t be able to continue her research. She wouldn’t have the money or the means to help her brother—and he would die without help.

She sat with the kittens’ box on her lap, stroking Grayson’s fuzzy head with one finger and listening to his tiny purr, hoping Zak wouldn’t notice the tear that had slipped out of the corner of her eye.

After a minute he said, “I don’t know why you’re sad to leave that place. It sucked.”

So he had noticed the tear. Dammit. “You wouldn’t understand,” she said. “I’ve lost everything. And now even the tiny place I’ve made for myself is gone.”

He said, “You think you’re the only one who’s lost everything? I’m living all alone in a warehouse because I like it that way?”

Maddie swiped at her eyes with her sleeve. She didn’t feel like sympathizing with him right now. “How should I know? In fairy tales, dragons always live all by themselves in caves, hoarding gold and capturing princesses.”

He glanced sideways at her. “It doesn’t have to be a princess.”

“Clearly.” She sniffled.

With a beleaguered sigh, Zakerek fished around the console until he found an unused fast-food napkin, and handed it to her.

“Thanks.”

“I don’t want you to weep all over the kitten and drown it.”