Page 47 of Liar For Hire (For Hire 1)

But this is Declan, the love of my life.

She nodded. “I trust you.”

“Good.” He hugged and kissed her one last time and then was gone.

She wandered around the tiny cabin with nothing to do. A peek out the window showed that one of the other men guarded her. She sighed and hugged herself.

Dropping onto the bed they had slept in the night before, she recalled their lovemaking and warmed from her head to her toes. Longing for Declan washed over her.

He said he would build her a bigger and better house, and she laughed. Declan had never done anything but charm and tease people into giving him the information he sought. Was he also a secret carpenter? She snorted.

A sound outside the cabin drew her attention. Before she could get off the bed, the door opened for the second time. In walked Roxie with her boyfriend trailing her.

Chapter 18

“What are you doing here, Roxie? I thought those dragons beat your tail.”

Roxie colored then raised her chin. “I’m the mate of the prince—soon to be king over my people. Why would I be bested by some lower class dragons?”

Janessa couldn’t believe her high and mighty attitude. “You keep telling yourself that.”

Behind Roxie, her boyfriend frowned with disgust. He apparently loved this woman, and Roxie couldn’t see it. Or she chose not to. Maybe she had used the man for years and as soon as Declan turned up she tossed him aside.

“He’s attracted to you,” Roxie admitted, “but that’s not going to last. You’re human after all. The only person who’s right for him is me because I’m his mate. I’m the only one who can accept him as he is. And I can change the others’ minds. It just takes time.”

“He doesn’t need you.” Janessa grew bored with the conversation. She crossed one leg over the other on the bed and affected a yawn.

Roxie’s hot gaze slid from Janessa’s face to the unmade bed under her. Her face flamed, and her hands curled into fists. “I’ve had enough of you! Frank, get her. Declan will forgive me for getting rid of you. Then we can live the rest of our lives together and happy.”

The man lunged at Janessa, but she leaped off the bed, falling to her knees. Before she could get to her feet, he jerked her up by the collar. She kicked backward against his shin. He swore and socked her upside the head.

Her head flopped backward as pain shot through her skull and down her neck. The man raised his hand again, but Roxie stopped him. “Don’t do it here. He might hear her scream and come to rescue her. Let’s fly. He won’t come back until after the ceremony.”

“I thought you wanted to see it in case he calls you to the front to announce you as his mate.” The man looked sullen at the possibility.

“We’ll do it later, maybe at dinner. Come on, Frank. I don’t know when the guard will come back after he realizes he didn’t have to obey me.”

Janessa dragged her feet. “Hold on. Y’all know I don’t have wings, right?”

Roxie snorted. “Don’t worry. I probably won’t drop you.”

“Probably!”

She struggled, terrified that Roxie might fly up and then drop her on purpose. The thought of it nearly stopped her heart. She opened her mouth to scream as Frank dragged her from the cabin. He jammed a hand over her mouth to keep her quiet. She tried biting his hand, but he didn’t even flinch.

All around them were trees like they were in the midst of a forest. No other cabins were nearby. Voices from others and music drifted in the air. Janessa guessed that Patrick had stuffed her and Declan in a corner of their property out of the way of the festivities.

Frank threw Janessa in the dirt. His toss was so rough it took her a minute to get her head together. Roxie stirred up a strong wind as she shifted and flapped her wings. Tree limbs bent and waved. Leaves swirled about Janessa’s head. She felt sick to her stomach. As she started to climb to her feet, Frank’s foot transformed and landed on her back, holding her down. She turned her head to the side to keep from being smothered and shivered at the sight of the dragon’s claw so close to her eyes.

If I don’t think of some way to get out of this, I’m done. Come on, Janessa. Think!

“Frank, are you going to let her boss you around when she’s not even willing to be with you? What are you getting out of it?”

A small roar erupted from Roxie. She had lifted up off the ground, but at Janessa’s words she swooped back down. Janessa spoke quickly. She assumed they could understand English in this beast form.

“After she kills me, she’s going to be Declan’s mate. Where does that leave you, Frank? Alone?”

Roxie in dragon form took a nosedive toward Janessa, but Frank lunged between them. The two tumbled back and forth, roaring and clawing. For the first time, Janessa felt like she could tell which dragon was Roxie. It had to be the petty super angry one.

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