Page 45 of Shifter For Hire (For Hire 2)

While she considered whether she needed to take cover, the dragon landed hard. The ground shook. More people screamed. Hunters scrambled around, diving out of the way as Gerard aimed a line of fire at their heads.

A shot rang out. Lachelle ducked low. The dragon moved in front of her, shielding her from the men. Now she knew it was him. More shots filled the air, and the acrid scent burned her nose.

In the distance, sirens blared. The hunters who hadn’t backed down to Gerard realized this wasn’t the day to win their battle. The group dissolved, and tires screeched from somewhere close by.

As soon as the coast was clear, Gerard shrunk and became a man again. Barefoot, shirtless, tussled hair and just beautiful, he was her hero. Her heart skipped a beat as she took him in. “I thought you became a little more sophisticated, but nope.” She teased him more from nerves than anything else.

His serious expression brooked no discussion. He marched around her and dragged Chambers up from the ground by his collar. She’d completely forgotten about him.

“You threatened Lachelle,” Gerard growled. “You can die.”

“Whoa, whoa, Gerard.” She tucked her gun away and ran over to him to grab his arm. “Let me handle him. You get out of here before backup arrives.”

He turned angry silver eyes onto her. “I’m not leaving you.”

“You have to. Don’t you realize we could both get in trouble? And how are you going to explain being dressed like that?”

“I’m finished pretending to be a policeman. I am what I am.”

“Okay, Popeye, but we’ve got a serious situation here.”

He opened the back door of her squad car and threw chambers inside. Never mind that she hadn’t cuffed him yet. Gerard was never cut out to be law enforcement. “You told me to give you space so you can learn. You said your training officer would protect you if you got into trouble. I tried to allow it.”

Now they were arguing in the street. She could only hope no one was recording.

“You tried so hard that you were here just when I needed you?” Her words dripped with disbelief.

“It doesn’t matter. I’m the one who protects you. That is how it will be from now on.”

“I don’t remember giving you the right to boss me around.”

He stood over her, minimizing her short statute in a heartbeat. His big hands came down, and she expected them to squash her like a bug. They cupped her cheeks in the gentlest of moves, and he brushed her lips with a feather light kiss.

“I won’t risk you. What you do is dangerous, so where you go, I will go. I’ll stay back, but I will be sure you are safe.”

She wanted to argue some more, but he jumped straight up. His wings reappeared, and he flew out of sight.

“Did you see that?” someone shouted. “He flew. He was a dragon at first, and then he was a man.”

“I didn’t just see it,” someone else quipped. “I got it on my phone.”

Lachelle ran a hand over her face and groaned.

Chapter 18

“Is there a dragon in our city? Many believe there is, and I’m one of them. Several people in the eighteen hundred block of Circumferential Avenue captured the dragon man on video. Let’s look at it now…”

Lachelle’s cell phone rang. She tensed when she saw her commander’s name. “Sir?”

“Waverly, I’m guessing you were just about to call me to discuss revising your statement.”

“Um, yes, sir.” She wiped a bead of moisture from her forehead. “How about tomorrow?”

“Today. Two hours.”

He disconnected the call, and she sat back against the couch, wondering what in the world she was going to tell the man. It was stupid to leave out the fact that Gerard arrived on the scene in dragon form and breathing fire. Never mind the singed ground and melted paint on several cars. Forget the witnesses.

“I should have thought of something to tell him.”

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