Jackson: House of Wilkshire ― Paranormal Dragon Shifter Romance Read online

  “I can do that.” He walked by her, taking the instructions with him. Turning back, he planted a kiss on her forehead and told her she was devious. “Not only that, but you’re going to make this old man a very happy one, too.”

  ~*~

  Frustrated beyond belief, Nicole waited in line for the next person who was doing interviews. If she didn’t find work soon, she might as well just rob a bank and get life. That way she’d have a roof over her head and three meals a day. Maybe they’d even let her cook the meals. It wasn’t as if she’d not done it before.

  The man in front of her sat down at the long table and the interviewer next to him yelled “next.” Before she could move to the newly emptied chair, Nicole was knocked down by the person behind her, rushing to take her seat at the interview table. Also, the man managed to push into the table hard enough to knock everything off. The people that were doing the interviewing were all glaring at the man, knowing that he’d done it.

  “You clumsy oaf. What the hell did you do that for?” the man yelled at Nicole.

  Nicole was having a hard time standing. She was weak from hunger and lack of water, not to mention just plain exhausted. When the man that had been behind the table helped her to stand, she told him thanks and turned to look at the bozo seated in her place.

  “I didn’t do a damned—darn thing. I’m sure there are enough witnesses here to have seen that you knocked me out of the way in your haste to get in front of me. If you had asked, I might have let you go there.” The lovely woman behind the table stood up, her very pregnant belly showing in the slim fitting dress as Nicole continued with her rant. “Look who you could have hurt—a mom and her baby. What is wrong with you to think that you’re any more special than anyone else in this line?”

  “I am Chef Daniel James, a chef that people come from miles and miles to eat what I cook. You? What are you supposed to be? A person that has slung hamburgers over a grill and fried up some onions to go with it?” He made a noise that reminded her of honking ducks. “Go back to your flipping burgers. Let the people who know what they’re doing work for the king of the land.”

  Nicole was embarrassed. Not only that, but as she wasn’t feeling up to par, she knew that she could easily lose her temper. But instead of doing that, she simply handed her resume to the woman and sat down in the chair in front of her. There wasn’t any way she was going to let this little prick think that he’d won by sobbing all over herself.

  “Shut the fuck up and hand in your resume, you fucking bastard.” She looked at the woman sitting there, smiling. “My name is Nicole Fitzpatrick. I have been an under chef, as well as head chef for five years. I’ve worked at a variety of jobs since graduating at the top of my class in Le Cordon Bleu College in France.”

  “Do you believe the lies that just roll off her tongue? You cannot think to hire such a person. I would not even allow her to be working under me. No, she is a fraud. Someone that needs to be put behind bars and made to cook for the inmates like she is.”

  Nicole couldn’t take any more and reached for her resume. If she lost her cool now, she might well go to the bank and rob it.

  The man suddenly disappeared and Nicole looked at the newcomer when she sat down in the chair next to the woman. The only thing she said was “Next,” as the others seemed not to have noticed that he was gone. Nicole looked at the woman across from her, who had taken back her resume.

  “What did you do to him, Bryce? Am I going to have another mess to clean up for you?” Bryce, the newcomer, said that she’d not drawn blood from the man yet. “Still, don’t you think someone might miss him? I mean, he might have a wife, though I don’t know for the life of me why she’d report him missing. He is annoying, isn’t he?” They both looked at her when Nicole cleared her throat.

  “What do you mean, what did Bryce do with him? I mean, did she turn him into something that is slithering around the floor?”

  “Oh, I like you. But no, I only sent him to his home. I’m Bryce Farley, and this lovely woman is Kelly Wakefield. If anything you have said to us is true, which I don’t doubt it is, then I think we can be done for the day, don’t you? But I would like to know, why are you starving if you can cook like you say?”

  “You need to have a stove and food to feed yourself. I seem to be fresh out of both. I’m applying for this job, as I thought this was for a live-in job. Is that correct?” Kelly said that it was, for a very large restaurant. “And this restaurant, is it built now? Because when coming through town two days ago, there didn’t look to be anything more than a pizza place, deli, and bakery shop, as well as numerous shops that are just opening.”

  “The faeries are just waiting for us to hire someone for them to know what the chef will want in the way of the kitchen. We’ve narrowed down the— I’m sorry, where are you going?”

  “I can’t work for you. I’m sorry to have wasted your time.”

  Her arm was grabbed by Bryce, and Nicole screamed at the pain that ran over her body. Magic, powerful magic, took her breath away, leaving her fighting for control to keep her mind and body from shutting down.

  Being released did her no more good than it had being held by the witch. Nicole knew what Bryce was now. Grand witch. And where there were faeries and witches, there were going to be dragons. If there was anything that terrified her more than dying, it was being close to a dragon.

  “Sit down.”

  Nicole did, as well as the ten or so more people in the room with them. Kelly was talking, but what she was saying after telling her to sit wasn’t registering.

  “Nicole, look at me. Do you hear me? I want you to look at me.” She nodded, but didn’t lift her head to look at Kelly. “If you don’t raise your head and look at me, I’m going to be very pissed off. I know that you’re afraid of Bryce and myself, but I need you to look at us.”

  “The ad didn’t mention dragons.” Kelly said that she didn’t think anyone would have applied if it was mentioned about them being dragons. “I’m terrified of them. I was injured, hurt badly by one.”

  “I know.” She looked over at Bryce, then put her head back down. “I’ve seen what they did to you. And for that, I cannot tell you enough how sorry I am. But, I think that we need to finish this at Kelly’s home. After we get you fed and rested, we can talk.”

  “No.” She stood up too fast and swayed back to the chair. It was then that she noticed that not only was she in someone’s house, but there were two eggs in the corner about the size of ponies. “I’d like to be taken back to the building, please. I no longer want the job.”

  “Too bad. You’re hired.” Nicole didn’t stand again. She didn’t have it in her to do that. “Here are some scones. Benshaw is making you something to eat. I don’t know how long it’s been since you’ve eaten anything, but he’s making you a salad and some sweet tea. I don’t care for it myself, but it does the trick when you’re—”

  “Kelly, you’re babbling again. Take a deep breath. Hello there, young lady. Oh my, but you are a beauty, aren’t you? I’m Susanna, Kelly’s grandmother-in-law. I’m to understand that you’re taking the chef’s job. I do hope that you’re not entirely overwhelmed by the faeries when they find out. They can be—”

  “I’m not taking the job.” The platter of food was put in front of her, complete with cutlery, a table to eat on, a tall glass of tea, and fruit. “You people just don’t listen well, do you?”

  “Hush up and eat. We have things to talk about, and we’ll talk while you eat.” Kelly looked at Susanna. “Oh Susanna, she has this amazing resume. Nicole is going to be perfect for the job. And she didn’t take any shit from someone in line behind her when he nearly knocked everyone there over with his need to get in front of her. Put him right in his place.”

  The food was making her weak with the need to eat. But thirst was overpowering that need, so she picked up the tea and drank it down, not even caring that she made a mess of it in her needs. When she set the glass down, Nicole wasn’t the least bi
t surprised to find it full again. Not even bothering to ask who had done it, she drank the second glass a little slower than the first.

  Before she knew it, Nicole had eaten half the sandwich, careful of eating too quickly, then the banana that was on the plate. It was tempting to eat the other half of the sandwich, but she knew that if she did, she’d be sick all over this wonderful house. Leaning back from the table, she felt her eyes growing heavier and wanted to blame it on the witch.

  It had been difficult keeping herself from harm when she’d been looking for places to sleep. Twice she’d run off from a supposedly empty building when the occupants there had tried their best to get her to warm their beds. Then once, she’d been stabbed by someone when she’d been dumpster diving trying to find something to fill the void in her belly. It wasn’t the first or the last time that she’d nearly been raped or killed. With the way things were going, she knew that she was going to be out on the street again in no time. Letting sleep take her, feeling like she could be safe, at least for a little while, Nicole was falling asleep to the sound of muted voices talking and the occasional clink of good china. This wasn’t going to be her gig, of course, but she could get some rest before moving on. Hell, maybe she could get them to wrap up the rest of her sandwich before she was asked to leave.

  Chapter 2

  Jackson was enjoying himself. Today he’d been able to go over the plans for the new administrative building that was being built in the downtown area. He’d also been invited to speak at the local high school on what came next for the students.

  He was told by Devon to tell them what he wished someone had told him long ago. But instead of telling them about his father and what he’d been killed for, he spoke to the kids about what to really expect when they graduated this month.

  “Whatever you thought you knew, whatever it is you’ve thought you’d like to be, just erase that from your minds. Seriously. You wanted to be a great lawyer? Well, good for you. Think about the things that you didn’t think about when planning your great future as the next best thing to getting people off. College is fucking expensive.” They giggled a little, and he told him that he was sorry about that, but went on. “Not just getting into a good college is expensive, but so are the books, boarding, and everything else that comes with it. Then after being in debt for about a hundred grand? You might only get a medium paying job. Still good for the person making subs down at the local pizza place. But after paying off your loans to get you there each month, penalties are added on top of what you’ve borrowed, and you’re going to just be able to afford a second-rate car and a third-rate apartment.”

  “You’re not helping.” He nodded to the young woman in the front row. “I thought you were going to give us advice on how to get to the point where we’re not in debt up to our ears. How to swing the job we want.”

  “I can’t do that either. Even if I wanted to, I’m not sure that you’d hear the part where I said to you that you stand about as much chance of this working for all of you as I do to fly.” He could, but he and Devon were the only two that knew that. “Look. I can tell you—what’s your name?”

  “Sandra Milner. I’m at the top of my classes in everything. I’ve been voted most popular and most likely to succeed. I have been taking college classes since my freshman year, as well as have references from every one of my teachers telling what a good student I am.” He told her that was good. “Thank you. I will get the job that I want, at the pay that I want.”

  “Do you have parents that are rich, Sandra?” She told him that she was one of the richest in her school, and the smartest. “Yes, well, that attitude isn’t going to get you far. Someone is going to try and knock you off your pedestal as soon as you make those kind of remarks.

  “Who is at the bottom of the class right now? Well, you don’t have to tell me, but I’m going to tell you something that you might not have had figured out, Sandra. Whoever is at the bottom of the class right now, more than likely has a better chance of swinging the job that you want than you do. I’m not picking on you, not at all. But lawyers like you are a dime a dozen out there. You have no compassion for your fellow man. You will be thought of as a person that looks down on those that are less fortunate than you. I saw you look at who you thought was the child with the lowest GPA. That is not a way to start off a career, unless you’re planning on having everyone at your freshman level, all the way to the professors, looking to take you down a notch or two. The young man you looked at—he’ll be not just the opposite of you, but he will succeed where you won’t. People, in all walks of life, will like him.”

  Jackson hadn’t meant to get into a debate with this girl. But he could see that the others, most all of the senior class, were watching and taking notes. When she stood up, her beautifully expensive dress gleaming in the room, he found himself wanting to not just knock her down a little himself, but to show her that she was nothing but fluff.

  “You’re saying that because I know the law that I have to be nice to people too? No, I don’t need friends to make it in this world. I will make it because I believe in myself.” She turned and looked at the boy again. “People like Samuel over there will never be the top dog when I walk into an office. He’ll be my clean up boy if nothing else.”

  “Samuel, would you mind standing up, please?” He did so readily, and Jackson noticed then that Devon was taking notes as well, as well as recording this for later for whatever reason. “All right, Samuel, let me ask you something. What are your plans when you get out of high school?”

  “Well, sir, I would like nothing more than to work in the local library.” Jackson asked him why. “Right there at my fingertips is every word, every book, every thing that has ever been put to print. I can read it all and still walk away hungry for more. I don’t want to know it all, just enough to go and find what I’m looking for. One of my other classmates, they want to be able to fix their refrigerator or their air conditioner to save a few bucks. I can guide them in the right direction, and then help them should they need it.”

  Jackson looked at Sandra, who was talking to her little clique of friends. He knew for a fact that they were talking about Samuel’s clothing. The way his hair wasn’t styled in the latest of styles. He looked around the room and decided to have a little more fun with the girl.

  “How many of you, right now, think that if you went to Sandra, she’d have the answers to any question that you asked her?” Her clique raised their hands, but only a couple more did. “All right. How many of you would find Samuel today if you had a question about anything? I mean anything, too. Not just the law, but anything.”

  The hands were raising up slowly, but there were about ninety-five percent more hands risen than with Sandra. He pointed to the first person that was wearing green. It was all he had to go on since he didn’t know names.

  “What question would you ask Samuel, young man?” He told him his name, Bill, and what he’d like to know. They all looked at Samuel when he did. “Do you know that answer for Bill, Samuel?”

  “I’d first check to make sure that the body of the car wasn’t screwed up. It could have been in a major accident, and you might not have been told. When the frame is messed up on a nice car, it’s no more nice than a wrecked Honda in the junk yard. You’d just be buying trouble.”

  Jackson thought that was a sound answer, as well as excellent advice. He watched as the door opened and closed at the top of the room, but didn’t pay any attention to who it might be. He looked at Sandra again, thinking of a question about law that she might know.

  “Sandra, there is a man that has been badly hurt, and he’s suing his neighbor for neglect. What would be the first thing you’d do?” Jackson watched her, knowing that she’d be a by-the-book person instead of one that would want facts first. When she answered him, he knew he was right.

  “I’d place a restraining order on the neighbor, then I’d file the right paperwork to get the job done.” She smiled at him. “See? I know that law.” r />
  “Samuel, what is it you would do for the same two people?”

  Samuel thought about it, hard enough that Jackson wanted to tell him to forget it when he frowned and looked at Sandra before speaking.

  “Why is he thinking that his neighbor is in the wrong? Or for that matter, what was the reason that he was hurt? For all you know, your client could have been trying to rob him, and fell in his garage while trying to steal his car.” He looked at Jackson before saying something else. “There aren’t enough facts to figure out what is to be done. Without reason or facts, there might be nothing that he can sue his neighbor for. Like I said, he could have been banging the cat where his kids— I’m so sorry, sir.”

  “No, you’re right. He could have been the one in the wrong all along.” Sandra said she would have done that to begin with. “Maybe, but the question to you was, what would be the first thing you did. You were ready to have the man in prison for the rest of his life. Samuel wanted facts. Facts, in any circumstances, no matter who is at fault, are very important.”

  “You just want him to win.” Jackson asked her what she thought that she’d lost at. “I’m a better person than anyone in this room. Including you. What kind of degree do you have that makes you think you’re so smart? Nothing, I’d bet.”

  Before he answered her, even if he’d wanted to, he looked at Devon. With a short nod from Devon’s head, Jackson wasn’t sure if telling the young woman would ever be believed by her. But what the hell. He didn’t give a crap if she believed him or not.

  “I have a doctorate in law. I’m also considered one of the best surgeons around when it comes to matters of the injured heart. The reason for the surgery degree is, I had a case where, much like Samuel, I wanted to know the facts for it. It turned out that after losing the trial, which was what I ended up wanting to happen after getting all my facts, I enjoyed helping others in the way of making them feel better. I am also a country doctor, as well as a few other things that I decided I enjoyed enough to learn about, but later decided that I had no desire to pursue in my life.”