Two Days

*Sandra* 

I sat there staring as all the men in the room looked at screens. Each searching their own route to the Dragon. I had never heard that name before, I guess I missed that story. I thought back to the conversations I had heard with Ryan, not even the police stories I had heard mentioned anyone with that name. I wondered it Tanya had during her time being married to a police officer. I hated to bring him up, he was no better than Ryan was, but if there was real past information about him, Joseph needed to know. Zeus didn’t need to be distracted with her right now, so I would need to make the call myself. I stood up and looked to Joseph. It was getting late, so I used that as my excuse. I walked over to him and leaned down, kissing him on the cheek. He pulled me down to him and wrapped his arms around me tightly. He breathed me in as he tucked his face into my neck. “I can smell me on you.” He leaned up and whispered into my ear. Chills rose down my back leading to the tingle he always caused in my panties. “Mmmhmm.. I am going to go shower and lay down. I love you, Boss.” I replied, breathier than I intended. He pulled back and kissed me, and I could feel the curl of a smile on his lips as he did. He knew he had affected me in just the way he intended. “I won't be up all night, I promise, I will be to bed soon.” He said before telling me he loved me too. He called for Seven to take me to our room and clear the room before allowing me to enter.  If the security wasn’t tight enough around us, after this stuff with the Dragon, it will only get tighter.  

Seven followed me up to the room and did as he was told. Once inside, and alone, I pulled out my phone. I called Tanya and sat the phone beside me on speakerphone. It felt like the phone rang forever before she answered. “Hello? Sandy? Are you okay?” She sounded anxious. “I am fine, yes. I needed to ask you a question.” I said, quickly to ease her fears. “Oh?” She said letting out a sigh of relief. “Have you ever heard anything about the Dragon?” She sucked in air, making a small gulp noise, before responding. “I have heard stories, the ex-husband told me he was a major player in the underground crime circles. Vicious. They never could find out who he was.” She got quiet before asking me “why?”  I didn't give her a straight answer, knowing Joseph wouldn’t want me to. I just told her I had heard the name and was curious if she had ever heard it. She was married to that jackass who worked with Ryan, but she was also raised in a household of police, so I was hoping she might know more than I did.  

Tanya hesitated before speaking, her voice dropping to a near whisper as though the story itself might summon the shadows it described. “They said he was more myth than man, Sandy, a ghost who left ruin in his wake. Few who crossed paths with him lived to tell the tale, and those who did wished they hadn’t.” Her words hung heavy in the air, reinforcing the gravity of what lay ahead. I thanked her, my mind now swirling with fragmented tales of a man whose legend had long eclipsed his reality. As I ended the call, I looked toward the window, the soft glow of the city below doing little to comfort me. The weight of Tanya’s words settled like a stone in my chest, but I knew the moment I stepped back into Joseph’s world, I would have to set aside my fears. The Dragon wasn’t just a name or a story anymore; he was a danger that loomed closer with each passing second. Resolute, I stood and prepared myself to face whatever this new trial held, knowing that while shadows of the past threatened to unravel our precarious peace, our collective strength and unwavering determination could keep the flame of our future happiness alive. 

I sat down at the bar, pouring a small glass of whiskey. I swirled the amber liquid in my glass, its warmth spreading through my chest like a fleeting shield against the chill of uncertainty that had settled in my thoughts. Every sip seemed to blur the sharp edges of the evening’s revelations, but the weight of them still pressed heavily on my mind. As the city lights flickered against the night sky, I caught my reflection in the glass—a reminder of the person I had become, the battles we had fought, and the unity we had forged. The air in the room felt thick with unspoken fears and fortitude, but as I set my glass down, a quiet resolve began to settle within me. Tomorrow would bring its trials, its truths, and perhaps even the shadows of myths made real, but the strength of what we had built—Joseph and I, Joseph and the Brotherhood, this improbable yet undeniable family—was a force that would not yield. I reached for my phone, not to seek answers but to remind myself of the constant amidst the storm, a tether of reassurance in the face of the unknown. The hum of the city outside seemed almost like a prelude, a symphony building toward a crescendo we had no choice but to meet head-on. 

When I looked at the screen, I had a message I must not have heard while I was talking to Tanya on the phone. It was from Joseph. He was asking me what else we needed for our wedding. I leaned back and took another sip of my whiskey. I wasn’t sure what else we needed really; this planning was all new to me. When I married Ryan, he made most of the decisions. At the time, I thought it was romantic, the interest he took in preparation for our big day. Now, I know it was control the whole time that fueled his desire to plan it out. As far as I knew, we had paid and planned for everything today. They are just waiting for a date. I messaged him as such. In less than a minute, he messaged me back.  

*Get with Sophia tomorrow and tell her we will be married in two days. I want you to be my wife now. I do not want to wait any longer. If it were possible, Darlin, I would be your husband before morning.*  

*\-Your King and Future Husband* 

I read the message four or five times before I fully took it all in. My heart started beating faster. He wanted to be married in two days. He was serious. I thought about it, and I knew he wanted to be married before this problem with the Dragon begins. I filled my square crystal whisky glass a little more and took a larger sip this time. I wanted to be his wife more than I have wanted anything in my life. None of the other stuff mattered to me, it was just noise. I should have followed him when I was still young, before Ryan changed the heart that once was. I didn't regret what time i had left with my father, but I regret the entire time I spent with Ryan. I smiled as I sent my reply.  

*Two days will not come quick enough.*