Page 14 of Secondhand Garagyre

“Youneedto do your glamour magick thingy and fast.Thehuman world has no clue that monstera, don’t get that look on your face.Iam not calling you a monster, but that’s what other humans will think when they see you!Hurry!”Ibark out, panic filling me asIhear a vehicle door shut and the yard gate creak open and closed.

Ido my best to hurry back across the house to get to the front door beforeLaithogdoes.MerryandPippinalso haven’t shut up since they heard the sound of the engine pulling up the drive.

Whoneeds an alarm system when you have dogs like mine?

“Boys, hush!Box, box!”Icommand.Thankfullyboth of them are in a mood to listen as they cease barking and go get in their respective kennels.Consideringmy parents andPatrickhave been the only ones to come visit me in years, the fact thatIhave company does not bode well.

“Paisley, do not worry so.Iunderstand thatIam in a humans home, and out in a worldIno longer know anything about.Allwill be well,” he soothes, the deep timbre of his voice a balm against my tattered nerves.

Myeyes dart over toLaithog, and relief fills me whenIsee that he’s glamoured himself to look human.Infact, he looks eerily similar to the character on the cover of my favorite historical romance novel.Myrelief is shortly followed with a tingle of something thatIshouldn’t feel.Theform he’s chosen is one of an exceptionally large and devastatingly handsome human man.Hiseye color, facial features and overall body size are about the same, just no wings and no purple.I’malmost… disappointed to see him this way.However,Idon’t know him well enough to have this sort of a reaction to him.

DoI?

Logically,Iknow this is the safest course of action for him, but somewhere deep inside of meIam irritated on his behalf that he has to hide himself.Tobe frank,Ifind him to be far more handsome in his natural form than this.Whenhe looks like this, he reminds me of every other human man that’s harmed me.Shakingmy headItry to clear these thoughts.Idon’t have time to dissect howIfeel about my inhuman houseguest.

Laithogmust somehow sense my disquiet with his new appearance, becauseIfeel what must be his tail wrap around my waist and move me behind him so it is he that will greet whoever is on the other side of the door.Justbefore he reaches out to grasp the doorknob he whispers in my ear. “Itis still me.Thereis no need for you to be apprehensive.Itis a glamour and nothing more, my true self is still here for you to touch, even if you cannot see it with your eyes.”

Hiswords still the part of me that began to fear him, ever so slightly, due to his new appearance.Itisn’t consciously done, butmore of a gut reaction due to my recent experiences with large men.Thecomforting weight of his tail reassures me.

Itake a deep breath and nod at him as a knock on the door sounds.

Asense of satisfaction comes over me whenLaithogrips open the door, and none other thanSheriffGradyStewartstands there.Iwatch as the superior smirk on his face fades swiftly only to be replaced with a look of bemused confusion.Hewasn’t expecting me to have company.SheriffGradyis an older man that, once upon a time was a handsome man, or soI’vebeen told.Thelast decade of poor personal hygiene and laziness have softened his body to the point that his belly hangs over his belt.Hisbreath wheezes slightly with every exhale, andIsee food stains where his belly bulge begins.

“WellhelloSheriff.Whatbrings you out this way?”Iask with saccharine sweetness.Thisman makes a mockery out of what his position is supposed to be about.Idon’t miss his quick glance at the bruises littering my body and the consequential smirk.

Asshole.

Laithog, missing nothing, feels the tension that instantly entered my body at the sight ofGrady.Histail tightens even more around my waist and moves me slightly farther behind the bulk of his body.

“Paisley…Ididn’t realize you have…company.Ireceived a welfare check phone call earlier that you may have been in some trouble and came to check on you.”

Whata crock of crap.Thisman wouldn’t have done anything, even ifIwould have reported whatBradleyand his thugs did to me in the alley behind my jewelry shop.Bradley’sunderling, anow very dead underling, have probably called and toldBradleyaboutLaithog, and in turn,Bradleyhave sicced one of his favorite dogs on me.

Hardy-har-har.

Aquick peek aroundLaithog’sbroad shoulders confirms thatGradybrought at least one or two of his deputies with him. “Well, as you can see,Iam perfectly fine.Or, as fine asIcan be after getting the shit kicked out of me by two monsters whileBradleystood there and watched.Hetold me thatIhave two weeks to make a decision.Istill have a whole seven days left.You’rehere at his behest.Weboth know that, don’t we,Grady?Isneer out, enjoying the way his jaw clenches every timeIcall himGradyinstead ofSheriff.Hehatesbeing calledGradyinstead of his title, so naturallyIdo it every chanceIcan.

Misogynisticprick.

“Now, nowPaisley.Youknow better than to be making accusations like that.Mr.Thomasadvised me that he has a solid alibi for the evening you were attacked.Hewanted that known in case you came in to press charges.Youdo know filing a false police report is a crime, don’t you?”Heexplains, speaking to me as ifI’mslow.

“Whyyes,Grady,Ido know that, butIdo so appreciate you taking the time out of your busy day to come check on my welfare and to explain that concept to me.Well, as you can see,I’ma bit busy, so why don’t you fuck off from whence you came, and leave me to my evening?You’repolluting it with your presence,”Igleefully ask.

Thatfucker was planning on coming here and kidnapping me.Thereis no other reason for him to show up at my house, letalone after dark, and it would have been under the guise of him doing his job.

ThanktheLord,Laithogis here.Gradywouldn’t chance a witness, especially a stranger.Younever know who knows who or who is connected to who.Bradleyand his family didn’t get where they are because they acted rashly or were stupid, andBradleywouldn’t let any of his underlings act without explicit permission.

Unfortunately, for the rest of us.

“Doesyour friend here not have the ability to speak?” he bites out, irritation plain in his tone.

TowhichLaithoglets out a menacing chuckle. “Ido not lack the ability to speak.Paisley, it would seem, does not care for you, and this is her home.Iwould not do her the disservice of speaking for her in her own home, nor speak to her in a demeaning manner, as you have done since your arrival,” he grates out.

Unaccustomedto being challenged, shock comes and goes fromGrady’sface before it’s replaced with a calculating look as he assesses the “man” in front of him. “Interesting…and just who might you be?” suspicion clear in his tone.

BeforeLaithogcan answer,Iinterject. “Thisis my friend,Lance.He’sin town for a while and is crashing with me.LordknowsIhave plenty of space out here all by myself.Don’twe,Grady?”Ibite out, my smile full of teeth.

“I…see.Ididn’t know you have…friends like that,Paisley.Bestbe careful or folks might get the wrong impression about what kind of woman you are,” he patronizingly insinuates.

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