Page 39 of Liar For Hire (For Hire 1)

Janessa clamped down on hurt feelings. “Why don’t you shut your mouth, Patrick?”

“Not your mate?” Patrick chuckled. “Ah, I get it. It’s because you and your family betrayed us all. You turned your back when the civil war broke out, refusing to fight and causing hundreds of us to die. That’s it, isn’t it?”

Declan’s fork fell to the table. He said nothing.

“The side who wanted to reveal ourselves and rule humans came after you. They killed your parents and your brother and wounded you. I guess you might as well be dead, huh? Since you can’t fly anymore?”

Chapter 15

Declan’s shirt ripped to shreds and fell to the floor as he transformed. He was on Patrick before Patrick had the chance to draw in a breath. After ramming a fist down the guy’s throat, Declan knocked him to the floor and climbed on top of him. He got in a few more punishing blows before Patrick’s men dragged him off. Declan paid for his attack by Patrick’s men piling on top of him and beating him senseless.

Janessa screamed. He couldn’t see her, but his senses filled with her fear and alarm. Knowing she was frightened and that they might harm her sent him into a rage. He shouldn’t have been able to get the men who were as heavily muscled as him off, but he sent them flying, crashing into walls and sliding across the tiled floor.

“Janessa!” he bellowed.

She flew into his arms and clung to him. He could hardly think clearly with her trembling. The change, which hadn’t been much more than bringing out his claws and wings, advanced more. He felt himself losing control, giving in to a baser instinct.

He saw red. Fire boiled in his belly and rose along his esophagus. All he could think about was burning the place to the ground and destroying his enemies.

“Declan.” Her tormented cry brought him to his senses.

He looked down at her and took in the widened eyes, the shoulders slumped and shaking. She was such a strong woman and to see her this way killed him. It was enough to jerk him back to reality and what he valued most. No matter what happened in the past, he wasn’t a violent man. He made threats, but they were only ever about protecting what was precious to him—namely Janessa.

She reached up to stroke his cheek. “I’m okay. Calm down. I’m alright, I promise you.”

She must have known he was losing it. He drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly. Little by little, his change receded, and he went back to his human form. As he looked around at Patrick’s men, he noticed they too had changed. All were poised for a fight. If Janessa hadn’t called his name, this mess would have escalated into something neither of them could handle.

Patrick stood up from the floor, wiping blood from his lip. He hadn’t changed at all. The suit he wore was still impeccable except for the speck of dust he flicked from a sleeve.

“Well,” Patrick said. “Since dinner is ruined, I guess we have no choice but to end it here. Take them.”

As they were shuffled toward the door, the men stared in wonder at Declan. He felt their shock and knew they condemned him as useless.

“Did you see his wings?” one man whispered to another. Of course they all knew he could hear them.

“You sense he’s not right anymore,” another man answered, “but to see it with your own eyes… Disgusting.”

Declan’s teeth sharpened in his mouth. He bit his tongue without meaning to and drew blood. They were taken outside and stuffed into a car. A few miles down the road, the driver pulled onto a dirt road. At the end of the dark road, they came to what looked like a dilapidated barn in the middle of a field of corn.

The moon rose high in the sky, shedding little light on the scene. Declan had no problem discerning everything, but he was sure Janessa could hardly see. She faltered as they walked from the car to the barn. He held her close to make sure she wouldn’t fall.

Once inside the barn, they were left alone, but men stood at various points all around the building. He both smelled and heard them out there. None stood in plain sight.

“Why did they bring us to this ugly place?” Janessa complained.

“To wait us out.”

“What are they expecting?”

He watched her fumble around in the dark, hands outstretched. An old trunk held a lantern on top, and a book of wooden matches lay beside it. Janessa found it just before he realized he should direct her to it or light the lantern himself. Weariness stole over him and weighted down every inch of his body and mind.

“They’re expecting me to vow my allegiance to Patrick to protect you.”

“We can pretend to and just call the police after we get out of here.”

“It won’t work like that.”

She struck a match, and soon the lantern illuminated the barn. “Big as that house was, they’re going to put us in this dusty place. I swear the roof’s about to cave.”

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