Page 31 of Shifter For Hire (For Hire 2)

They were dragon shape shifters. What if they had some kind of power to seduce humans and make them fall under their spell? She forced a laugh at the idea. Good grief, it wasn’t like they were vampires.

“Dragon shape shifting vampires,” she muttered in amusement. Now there was a title for a cheesy B movie.

She reached out to open the restaurant’s door when a man’s hand zipped around hers to beat her to it. “Tha—Skip!”

He grinned at her, and her heart stirred just a bit. The beginnings of a beard dusted his chin and jawline. His clothes appeared to have been slept in. “Hey, baby, uh, I mean, Lachelle. Seems like it’s been forever. You’re beautiful as usual.”

She rolled her eyes. “What do you want, Skip?”

“Nothing.” He gestured toward the door. “Please, after you.”

She walked ahead of him into the restaurant.

“Must be fate us meeting up like this. I was just out for a bite to eat.”

“Do you really expect me to believe that? You must have followed me.”

He frowned.

She resisted looking in her sister’s direction on the outside chance he didn’t know she had come to m

eet Janessa that day. “I could see if you were chasing after me to try to get me back. I could understand if you had called after we broke it off. Heck, if you sent a gift or showed up suddenly at my apartment, I’d get it. But I haven’t heard a peep from you until just now. Why is that, Skip?”

His cheeks grew pink, and he rubbed the back of his head. When he reacted that way she had always thought he looked like a guilty boy and loved it. Not today.

“Lachelle, is everything alright?” Janessa approached them, carrying her baby. She gasped when she spotted Skip. “What are you doing here?”

The triumphant light that came into Skip’s eyes made everything clear and killed off whatever love Lachelle had left for him. His head swiveled in Janessa’s direction, and his gaze lowered to the baby.

“It’s taken months, but I’ve found you at last,” Skip bragged. “Today, I move up in the ranks.”

Chapter 12

Movement out of the corner of Lachelle’s eyes caught her attention. She started to turn in that direction when her sister spoke. “What did you just say?”

She got up in Skip’s face, heedless of the fact that he was probably a lot stronger, with no morals whatsoever, and that she held her baby. Lachelle darted between them to protect her sister and nephew.

“Whoa, let’s everybody calm down.” She glared at Skip. “Back off.”

“Lachelle, you didn’t bring this jerk here, did you?”

“Why would I bring him here? I’m not putting my family in danger for anybody. He stalked me like the filthy lying lowlife he is.” Lachelle rounded on Skip to tell him where to go, but she looked over his shoulder in time to see several men enter the restaurant. Something told her they weren’t there to have lunch.

Her throat dried as she pushed Janessa behind her and shuffled backward. Regret washed over her that this mess didn’t arise after she’d finished with police training. If it did, she would be armed. She didn’t have a license to carry a concealed weapon, so her gun remained in the nightstand at home. As it was, she was just a woman with nothing to defend herself or her sister and nephew.

“Back up, Nessa,” she whispered. “We might be in trouble.”

“What do you mean?” Janessa gasped as she too spotted the men.

Skip’s grin grew wider. “Come on in, guys. Didn’t I tell you this was the day I make good on my promise?”

“Sirs, if you wait here, I’ll try to find you a table.” The host tried to block the men’s advancement into the restaurant.

One of the men, who were all buff like they lived in the gym, shoved the host aside. The host stumbled and fell down on the floor. A waiter rushed over to help him up. Every head in the place turned in their direction.

“Call the manager,” the host told the waiter.

“I’m calling the police.” The waiter pulled his phone from his pocket.

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