Whitney listened to the chatter around her as they all ate the food Deke cooked. He was a wizard in the kitchen. Her thoughts were all over the place, but they all seemed to come back to him. Twice during the meal, she caught him staring at her. She'd clearly interrupted a meeting, and they hadn't continued the subject at hand until everyone finished eating. Were they keeping something from her? Her reporter instincts were bruised, but she'd bet there was something they weren't saying in front of her. "So, where do we stand?" she asked as they cleared the plates.Deke settled in a chair. "I cooked. You can all clean."Whitney would have gotten up, but the kitchen was already crowded. Besides, she wanted to be the one asking questions. Her gaze turned to Deke. He wasn't making eye contact with her suddenly. Was he lying? Hmm. So far, Deke had been upfront with her. That meant the situation was getting bigger. She could ask them, or she could investigate. If she just got a hold of a com
Whitney stared at his back as he left her in the kitchen without any more answers than she had before. She would have to research the Foley brothers herself.Deke's phone dinged from where he left it on the counter, and she smiled as she heard the water turn on in the bathroom. She had one phone number memorized—the newspaper office—and she could use it right now. She took Deke's phone out onto the deck overlooking the Delaware River. She didn't want him to overhear her, so she faced the apartment instead of the view, just in case he came out of the bathroom.Her only friend in the newsroom picked up. "This is Kendra.""Kendra, it's Whitney.""Hey, girl. Where you been? You father's been looking for you.""He has?" She couldn't hold back her surprise. She hadn't expected him to even notice she was gone."Yes, of course.""I haven't been gone that long.""But you're always here, so everyone noticed."That's how he knew. Someone must have mentioned it to him; that would be the only reaso
"Just… not my thing."Donal snorted. "We're gargoyles, dude. It's almost as good as sex to let your wings loose and fly.""It's only ever gotten me in trouble.""I'm sure if I bought you a drink sometime, you'd tell me the story," Donal said."Might need more than one drink to tell that one.""I'm betting it involved a woman.""You'd win that bet." Deke paced in the kitchen, knowing time wasn't on their side. They also didn't know who the enemy was. If they did, he'd know for sure where to look for Whitney. Damn her for being so headstrong. It might have gotten her killed. She needed a man to protect her.Oh, no. He'd never wanted to protect anyone before in his life. This was bad. Maybe he should step out of this situation while he still could."Wait," Donal said. "Tex is going to send you an article from Whitney's newspaper.""What about?""You'll see.""Do I need to read it now? We need to find Whitney.""You'll understand. I'll meet you at the top of the newspaper building." Donal
"They are going to come here, looking for you. Either because they are mad about the article, or because they know you have come to see me."Whitney mulled over his words for a moment. "So, they're coming here?" She doubted that. "What happens then?""I destroy them." For a moment, her father reminded her of a villain from a James Bond movie. His eyes flashed darkness, and she could have sworn his teeth had lengthened.A chill went down her spine. She blinked, but her father just stood in front of her. "And how do you plan to do that? They're big guys." And ex-military. "Easily, Whitney." Before her eyes, her father transformed. She blinked, thinking she was seeing things. His teeth became larger and sharper. His fingers elongated, while his stature became smaller. His skin turned a green she didn't think was healthy, and he stood in front of her, snarling. She backed a few steps towards the door. The wings on his back flapped at her, but he didn't approach.What the hell had she jus
"Aye, because you've been denying it. I can find my fairy without doing that, but that's because I've never denied that part of me before."Deke eyed Donal for a moment. What was he supposed to think? Since he knew he was a gargoyle, and he knew there were fairies and goblins, he guessed he had to believe it."We don't have much time," Donal urged him. "We're walking into a trap as it is, Deke. If you don't connect with Whitney, you can't defeat her father. Only your powers together can take him out."Deke rubbed a hand down his face. He'd thought he'd put combat behind him. He hadn't ever wanted to take up against a human again—then again, Benton Lewis wasn't a human. "So, Lewis is a goblin?""Aye, Deke, and he's holding his own daughter hostage to get to us. He thinks we don't know he's a goblin, but Aileen scoped out this building. She confirmed he is.""How will I know what to do?"Donal smiled at him. "You'll know. You'll figure it out because Whitney's safety is paramount to you.
Before Deke could let the change take over, Trent landed on the roof and turned back to human. "Donal, Deke," he greeted them."Where'd you come from?" Deke asked. "I'm just backup. This is all you, from what Donal said."Deke's gaze flicked to Donal, who shrugged. "I thought it couldn't hurt to have someone else here. My brothers are nearby, too."Deke couldn't argue with having backup. He didn't want to go on any mission without more than one plan. He looked from one man to the other, his gargoyle night-vision kicking in. He hadn't let his gargoyle loose in years. Did he even still know how?"So, what do we know?" Trent said."Whitney is in the building. We're not sure where," Donal said. He glanced at Deke. "He hasn't looked for her."Deke took a step back. He looked at Trent. "You know how I feel about my gargoyle side.""Do it, Deke," Donal said.Deke frowned but reached deep into his soul to the place he hadn't been in years. He couldn't let Whitney get hurt. As he reached deepe
Whitney's father disappeared into a pile of ashes.She gasped, her other hand going over her mouth. She stared at the pile that had once been her father. She wasn't sad to see him gone. But how had Deke done that?When she turned to Deke, he was back in human form. He took her into his arms. She melted against him, leaking tears."It's okay, Whitney," Deke said. "He's gone.""What about Donal?" she asked."I'm okay, lass," Donal said. "Thanks for thinking of me."She leaned away from Deke to see Donal, in human form. "You're gargoyles?" she asked."Aye, lass," Donal said. "The explanation will have to wait.""Let's get out of here," Deke said, nudging her towards the unlocked door.She wasn't going to argue.***Whitney stared out the window while Deke drove her back to the apartment they'd been staying in. His townhouse was probably safe, but he wanted to be sure. He'd almost lost her, but somehow, she'd found it in her heart to trust him. But how was he supposed to protect her? He'
Whitney got out and dried off, then pulled on the sweats the women had left for her. She could hear them chatting in the bedroom outside the bathroom. Whitney had never been social, but she wasn't shy. She just hadn't had time to develop anything other than professional friendships. No one had ever even invited her to a book club meeting or out for coffee. Having never missed it, she'd never pursued it.She took a deep breath before opening the door. She knew that once she did, she would be stepping into a new world—one she didn't understand. But she'd handle it the only way she knew how—by asking questions.The three women stopped talking when Whitney yanked open the door. Three sets of green eyes turned to her, and Whitney could see the resemblance. Fiona sat on the edge of the bed, while Colleen lazed against the headboard.Meg was in mid-pace. She was the first one to smile at Whitney. "Feel better?" she asked.Whitney sighed. "I need answers."The three exchanged a glance. "We'll