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2024-10-29 19:42:56Conor turned to the man, “My name is Conor.”
The man cautiously looked Conor's smile as if he had not had human enteraction in a while, “Parker. Parker Townson. I dont want to cause trouble for you two. If there is just a leftover pizza I am happy to eat that. If you have any work I can do, I will gladly help clean things in exchange.”
“Well, Parker Townson, if you are serious about that, I do have some pans that need a deep clean in the back.”
“Yes, yes of course!”
“Cara, are you good to watch the front?”
She nodded and watched Conor lead Parker to the washbasin in the back.
Conor helped him take off layers of coat, hanging them on the staff coat rack. “After you wash up, I'll get you a slice. Then I'll show you the pans. I think we have a pizza or two that were never picked up that you can take with you when you're done. Deal?”
“Thank you! Thank you so much!” Parker went to hug Conor but Conor smiled and pointed at the washbasin.
“Perhaps after you wash up a bit more,” he chuckled and saw Parker crack a grin as well. Conor washed his own hands and returned to Cara.
“This is nice and all, Conor, but if Pops finds out…”
“Then I’ll take the heat. Pops already dislikes me, what is one more small infraction against my dazzling reputation with him. The money’s locked away, there are no customers, and it’s a weeknight. Besides, we could use the help with the dishes. That lady earlier never took those two pizzas with her, so they are already paid for in the system and we would just toss them anyway. I’ll keep an eye on him if you can watch the front.”
Cara frowned at him but waited near the register while Conor and Parker scrubbed pans and pizza racks for an hour. When they finished, Conor put a fresh pizza through the oven and brought it out to the sitting area with Parker and Cara.
“Thank you, both. You have no idea how much it means for people to give me a chance.” Parker said, chowing down on the pizza.
“We are going to turn the ovens off for the night, but care to tell us your story while you eat?” Conor asked.
Parker nodded, “Not much to tell. I fought for the kingdom for a time. Then was a foreman in the mines for the Benedict family,” Parker began as he started on a slice of pizza.
“It was good-paying work digging coal out of the mountains. Hard, but honest labor. A lot of the vets worked there. At least till management struck a deal with the courts. Once they got the contract for prison labor, they didn’t want to keep us around. Even foremen like myself got canned in favor of guards for the new slave labor. Kinda been on the street for the last three or four years since. I kinda lost track of time honestly,” Parker explained.
As Parker finished his tale the front door’s jingling bell rang as several rough-looking older teens walked in. Cara tried to block them, insisting that the shop was closed for the night.
“Well fire the ovens back up then, woman!” slurred one brawler, the reek of alcohol evident.
Conor rushed over. He wasn’t a fighter, but he hoped his height would give him some advantage.
“Hey, the lady told you we’re closed! The ovens are already cool. Try again tomorrow!” Conor bellowed, doing his best to appear imposing.
The jock-looking teen stood a solid six feet tall but was just shy of Conor’s 6’3”. However, his broad shoulders and sports build made up for any height difference.
“Is that so?” The jock grinned and slugged Conor hard in the stomach, knocking the wind completely out of his lungs.
Conor wheezed out the last of his breath. Nearly collapsing on the ground, his lungs begged for air, and his eyes wide.
Cara rushed over to him, but one of the jocks backhanded her. Cara let out a whimper and she held her cheek, where an angry red hand print was already showing.
“Next time, you should be prepared.”
“THAT’S ENOUGH” boomed a voice from the side. Parker loomed over the four.
“What are you going to do, old man?”
Parker moved, arm flashing in a punch, and an instant later, the thug’s nose was broken and bloody.
“He broke Taylor's nose!”
“Dude, the tattoo on his arm! He’s a DRAGOON! Shit! We are fucked!” The teen panicked and darted for the door, slamming into the inward swinging door.
“Pull, you idiot,” Parker barked after the punk as he struggled with the door, he finally tugged it open and ran out into the night.
The other two tried to help the one named Taylor back to his feet as Parker loomed over them.
“Shit man, we dont want any trouble. Not with a dragoon, just let us go!” one begged as they backed for the door.
“Then get gone! Piss off on out of here and dont let me catch you giving good people a hard time. If you want to pull that crap, try your luck down at the docks. I am sure you will find you are quite low on society's idea of strong, hard men.” Parker said in a booming tone.
“Sure, right, whatever man.” the other said as he tugged the door open and pulled Taylor out behind him.
The three piled out the door as Conor gasped, finally able to suck in a breath. “lock… door!” he wheezed. Cara’s eyes were wide as she rushed to the door and spun the deadbolt.
“Damn bastards! What did they expect?” she fumed.
Conor finally got enough breath to drop into a chair, “Are you ok?”
She looked at him with sympathy in her eyes as she patted her slightly swollen cheek. “I’ll be fine. You?”
“Just winded.”
They both then looked at Parker, who was staring at his hand as if in shock. “I… I’m sorry I didn’t act sooner. It's been a long time. I didn’t want to go down that path again.”
“At least they didn’t try for the cash box. Someone will have to take that till to the bank tomorrow, cause I am sure there are several thousand copper dragons in there after the weekend,” said Conor.
Cara went white, possibly realizing just how bad it could have been if the jocks had been intent on something more than just picking on staff. And most importantly, what if Parker wasn’t here with them?!
“Thank you, Parker. That could have ended a lot worse if not for you.” Conor and Cara said genuinely almost simultaneously.
“Erh, Parker, they say you’re a Dragoon? What …”
Parker was still staring at his hands but looked up at the startled-looking Cara and Conor. “Sorry, I need to go. Thank you for the pizza.” He grabbed the box and made his way out the door quickly, pointedly ignoring Conor's question.
Cara blinked and relocked the door without realizing what she was doing. Conor was taken aback as well.
“I hope Parker will be ok. He seemed shaken,” Cara said quietly, looking out the window.
“Me too. I wonder what … sigh, never mind, he’s gone.” Conor muttered and, after shaking his head, turned his attention to Cara. “Are you sure you are ok? Your cheek is awful red.”
“I’m fine. Don’t worry. He said … the boy called Parker a Dragoon, didn’t he?”
“Yeah, you’re right. But what exactly is a Dragoon?” Conor frowned. “You know I feel like … I know that term but I can’t remember.”
Cara gazed out the window at the dark street before continuing, “Well, my uncle said he was one during the Surret war. In his journal, the Dragoons aren’t just Kingdom elite soldiers. They’re soldiers trained at the temple of Abrasax in some of the most advanced martial arts and weapons training! ”
“No wonder they ran off! I wish we knew more about him.” Conor said, following Cara’s gaze where Parker had disappeared.
Cara sighed, “Let's get out of here. Maybe we can start fresh tomorrow.”
Conor helped Cara finish closing up and stumbled his way home. Honestly, that punch had hurt far more than he cared to admit.
When he got home and made his way up to the top floor of the apartment complex, the lights were already out.
Jessica had likely been in bed for several hours now.
Sigh … Looks like she has forgotten what day it is today.
He quietly made it to his room and collapsed onto the small bed. As he lay back onto his pillow, glancing at the bedside clock showing three in the morning, he whispered to himself, “Well, happy birthday Conor.”
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Rejected Billionaire Chapter 6丨Investments
Conor arrived to find Pops counting out the till from last night. “Ah, umm, Conor. You are Mr. Cochan’s son-in-law, so I … I think I can trust you to be honest with this. Right?” He said hesitantly, handing Conor a bank bag with several thousand copper bills with the dragon emblem on it. “Take these to the bank, and deposit them for me.” As if he has finally decided, Pops added, “And I warn you, Conor! Don’t get lost on the way! Mr. Cochan will have the city guard after you in minutes if he learns you swindled his till money. And I swear to make sure you get a dose of my own brand of punishment if you make me look the fool in front of him!” “Yes sir.” Conor wasn’t thrilled about the task, but it got him out of the morning prep work. The bank held some humiliating memories for him. He couldn’t count the number of times he had visited Jinstain Bank and Trust in the past three years, only to be laughed out the doors. His most recent humiliation was his idea for selling socks in t
Rejected Billionaire Chapter 7丨Spice Of Life
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Rejected Billionaire Chapter 8丨Games with Yuri
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Rejected Billionaire Chapter 10丨Life of the Community
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Rejected Billionaire Chapter 11丨Make the First Move
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Rejected Billionaire Chapter 12丨Meeting at Dreadnaught Law
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S3 Chapter 22: Train rides
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S3 Chapter 21: Kelan
Targu Province. Saturday night “A toast! To our good brother Kelan, for without him, many of us would still be scrapping the bottom of the barrel here in Velyki!” declared Darren Krellis. “Here, here!” chorused the room. "My family thanks you for letting us take over this place and turn it into the exclusive club Velykie can be proud of!" Darren declared. Kelan Benedict stood and saluted the room with his wine glass and took a swig. “Brothers and lovely guests,” he began, eyeing the ladies around the room dressed in tight-fitting evening gowns. “Tonight, I thank you for this gracious meal. Hopefully, the future will bring mutual benefit as the Benedict family begins its absorption of Velyki and then Targu!” There was a round of cheers and Kelan slumped back into his seat, wrapping his arm around Clarise, a tall attractive blonde dressed in a red dress that did wonders for her figure. “Brother Kelan,” came a grading voice beside him as someone sat down on the couch. Kelan took h
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S3 Chapter 20 : Visiting the Spice Emporium
“That was crazy,” Conor said as they headed across the street. Kerrigan slipped up beside him, slipping her hand into his, “I get the feeling that our lives will always attract crazy.” Conor sighed, “It does seem that way. Let’s see how Mr. Arroz is doing.” Conor gave Kerrigan’s hand a gentle squeeze as they crossed the street and stepped into the spice shop. A small bell sounded as they walked in. “Be right up!” came the bellow from the back room. Conor pointed to the glass case that protected the world from the hottest spice known, Abrasax’s wrath. “Now, any idea how we can get Kelan and perhaps Nyman to swallow that whole jar?” Kerrigan giggled, “I have a few I would like to feed it to. Think Mr. Arroz will part with the whole jar?” “Depends if he thinks he can replace it,” Conor said as Faolon brushed past him. “Hey, Faolan! Sit! PRALL!” Faolan came back and sat at his feet. Kerrigan looked up at him, “She just wants to sniff. This whole place is full of new smells.” “I k
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S3 Ch19: Entitlement
Conor and Kerrigan rode in companionable silence for most of the trip back to town, content to rest from the day’s climbing. They sat, each leaning against opposing car windows, but their legs met, touching from knee to heel. Conor felt their fingers brush and gently laced his with hers, enjoying how her hand fit so perfectly with his.It was near dinner time when they finally turned onto the street near the Spice Emporium. As Parker pulled into a parking space at the far end of the street, Conor noticed the Grizlehut. It had been a long time since he had thought about his old job. While his condominium home was at the far end of the street, he never come down this way anymore. Too often, Parker would be waiting for him, and they would simply drive the other direction to get to Vokrizin.Conor reached for the door and realized Kerrigan was completely passed out against her window. He leaned over and gently shook her shoulder. As she came awake, Conor saw a flash of panic cross her face
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S3 Ch 18: Trust building
He changed his hand position and reached, finding the quickdraw dangling from its anchor. He clipped the rope in and began his attempt to crest the bulge in the rock. As he pivoted, he realized the angle he was moving to would erase any grip he had on that hold. As he thought this, he felt a weightless sensation as he began to fall away from the rock. The rope went taught and jerked him mid-air as Kerrigan was pulled off her feet, flying fifteen feet in the air. She managed to hold the rope in its breaking position but her head was dangerously close to his feet. When he had caught his breath, Conor looked down into Kerrigan’s terrified green eyes. “Fancy meeting you up here. Think we could meet up again, once we are safely on the ground?” Kerrigan gawked at him for a second before smiling, “I suppose I could let you down, but You are at my mercy. I might just have to leave you up here like a pinata.” Conor chuckled as he watched her slowly release tension, lowering herself back dow
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S3 Ch 17: Rock climbing
“OK, now it's time for you to try. Who is up first?” Conor volunteered. “Fine, Kerrigan, you are on belay. I will back you up and walk you through each step. I want you both to understand, Lead climbing like this places your life in the hands of your partner. If you don’t trust each other and learn not only to communicate but to anticipate each other’s needs, you will fail and likely hurt each other.” Kerrigan looked dubiously at Parker. “Conor is easily 50 pounds heavier than me!” Parker eyed Conor’s muscular but toned form, “You are what? 200 or 210 pounds these days?” “Last I checked, yea, right at 205.” “Should be fine. Kerrigan, you just have to learn to brace yourself correctly. You could go for a ride but if you use the skills I taught you earlier you could even belay me, and I am 230 pounds these days. Climbing is about technique as much as it is about skill. Now, let's get Conor tied in.” Parker tied the end of the climbing rope to Conor’s harness and showed Kerrigan.
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S3 Ch16:
Conor leaned against the SUV with Parker standing across from him checking through a few bags of gear. “We have three ropes, harnesses for everyone, belay devices, and four full sets of quickdraws. I am also bringing a few crash pads. I don’t plan on you needing to use them but we will put them along the base just in case. Here, try these on.” Parker tossed a pair of strange shoes to him. Conor looked at the shoes that had a sharp curve to the toe and the sole was a flat rubber that followed the arch curve. The tan material seemed to be some sort of soft doeskin or very supple leather. Conor tried to pull the shoe on but his toes cramped and they were shoved into the tight shoes. “Umm, I think these are too small.” Parker walked over and check them. “your heal fits right?” “Yea, but my toes are all curled” “Painfully curled or just uncomfortably curled?” Conor considered before finally replying, “just uncomfortable. My shoes are normally a bit loose.” “Then they fit perfectly.
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S3 Ch 15: Issues at home
Kerrigan spent the next day walking around the property at her house with Faolan. It had been a while since they had been able to just play, and she took this opportunity to play fetch. Thankfully her right arm still functioned, though being it was her off-hand, it was a bit awkward to throw. She figured this was good training for anything that might injure her dominant arm. Mercifully she had awoken almost entirely pain-free. The pills the Colonel had given her had truly worked wonders overnight and she had to admit, she was looking forward to being able to learn to climb the sheer rock faces near the waterfall tomorrow. The day passed rather uneventfully, and as the sun set Kerrigan found herself curled up on the back porch on one of their outdoor couches, with Faolan warming her feet with her furry mass. Reilynn stepped out a few minutes later with two glasses of wine and handed one to Kerrigan as Gabriella come out behind her. the girls each sank into chairs and leaned back, look
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S3 Ch 14: Kerrigan's Family revelations
The next morning Kerrigan arrived on the roof of Vokrizin for their daily training session. Colonel Eli strode over to her but before he could start setting her to drills she decided to interject, “I actually wanted to talk to you.” “Oh?” “two things really. First, do you think tomorrow I could take the girls climbing? Perhaps Conor will join us?” The Colonel glanced to where Parker was sparing with Conor, “I don’t see why that should be a problem.” He looked to Reilynn, “You feel confident in training them?” “Yes, sis.” “Fine, I will requisition the gear. What size shoe do you were, Miss Lokir?” “Umm about 23.5 cm.” “Hmm ok. I will make sure to get you and Conor some. Be warned, they will be tight. These are not meant for walking, they are designed for grip. Don’t be surprised if they feel a size or two smaller than is comfortable. What was the other thing?” “I am returning to Dragon Corporation at the end of the week.” “Ah, I see. I will begin redeploying a detail. We still
