When Erin Greene, owner of Greene Dragon Deliveries, is asked to deliver a package she has no idea she will become involved in something well beyond the normal. The package contains a mystical, sentient dagger, created to eliminate extremely evil people -- and she is its guardian.
As the truth is revealed, she meets Mr. Flournois who knows the secret behind the dagger, and Marcus, a blind artist who is the only person other than Erin who can safely touch the unsheathed weapon.
When she’s threatened by someone interested in the dagger, a third man, Jonathan, becomes her bodyguard. In the process of saving her from her nemesis both Marcus and Jonathan begin to have strong feelings for her. Feelings she reciprocates.
The dagger leads her, and the two men, onto other adventures as it seeks the destruction of more evil. In the process she must decide which man she truly loves.
Erin and Jonathan found a table by the window of the coffee house. He went to get them coffee, and came back with it and a plate of pastries.
"Since I don't know what you like I got some of, well, almost everything," he said with a chuckle.
"Geesh, Jonathan, we'll never eat them all."
"Speak for yourself Erin. And please, call me Jon. Jonathan is so formal sounding."
She smiled. "And you're not a formal guy?"
"Not hardly."
"What are you then?"
"A little bit of a lot of things. At the moment a bodyguard for hire, though I didn't do too good a job of it this morning. Sorry."
"Hey, I'm here and in one piece. I think you did a great job. Thanks."
He grinned, nodding. He liked what he saw -- a pretty auburn-haired woman with a lot of guts. He didn't know what was going on, other than that someone was after her for some reason, but he knew he was going to enjoy the job of protecting her.
"What?" she asked, seeming a bit embarrassed that he was looking at her with such concentration.
"Nothing. Just enjoying the view." He smiled. "Anyway, I was hired to take care of you and from now on I'm going to be your shadow, rather than standing in them. Do you know who they were?"
"I'm not sure. They could be the ones who tried to get me a couple of days ago. Mr. Flournois will know, he has a description of them."
"What is he to you? Flournois? Your boss?"
"Umm, sorta my boss I guess, for lack of a better description."
"And you can't tell me what's going on?"
"No, not really. If he didn't, then I can't. Sorry."
"S'okay. I'll enjoy the job either way." He winked at her, causing her to blush again.
* * * *
Erin was still eating her first pastry when she glanced out the window and frowned.
"What's wrong?" Jon asked. "Someone out there that shouldn't be?"
"You could say that." She watched as Marcus and Shep got out of a cab in front of her shop. She could see Marcus knock on the door, then bang on it, looking to her as if he was very angry.
"I should go and talk to him." She pushed her chair back.
"Not without me." Jon stood and waited for her to get up, and then they walked outside. He looked down the street and saw the man standing in front of Greene Dragon. "Is he the one who called you earlier, because he sure doesn't look like a happy camper?"
"That's him. Stay here please while I take care of this." She started down the street.
"Not on your life," Jonathan muttered under his breath as he followed her, keeping a couple of paces behind her, watching the tall dark-haired man. One look at the dog's harness and he realized he was blind.
Erin stormed up to Marcus. "What are you doing here? I told you I was fine and in good hands."
Marcus turned towards her. "Making sure that that was the truth."
"You think I was lying?"
"No, I was afraid you were maybe forced to say what you did. Erin you have some bad people looking for you. For all I knew they were right there when I called."
"Like they'd let me tell you what happened if they were. Geesh Marc, get real."
At that point Jon walked up beside her. "This guy bothering you, Erin?"
Marcus glared at her. "This your savior? Where'd he come from?"
"Not that it's any of your business, but Mr. Flournois hired him to protect me."
"And he did a great job too, didn't he." Marcus spat out.
"I'm here, they're with Flournois right now, so yeah he did a great job."
Marcus continued glaring at her for a minute and then turned on his heel and headed down the street.
Jonathan watched him go, and then asked Erin, "Does he know where he's going?"
"How the hell would I know, and why would I care?"
Jonathan shook his head. "I have no idea. But you do."
She grimaced. "Not even. Look, I've got to get to work." She unlocked the door and went in, going to get her roster for the day, and then putting the leash on Wizard.
Jonathan followed her after she set the alarm system and then went to her van -- opening the door for her.
"You think you're coming with me, mister?"
"I know I am. That's what I'm being paid to do. No more close calls if I can help it."
"If you insist." She smiled slightly and got in. "But you ride in back, Wiz gets shot gun."
"Deal."
