"You got that look as if you are imagining it. It wasn't as good or as bad as you think.""I'm an only."Trent nodded as if he'd already figured that out. "Do you and your sisters get along?""Yes. We do." The look on his face was of a man who loved that fact, but didn't always appreciate it. "You raised them?""In some ways yes."He pressed his lips together and Beth thought the subject was done. Probably okay since he was pulling into her parents' driveway. She tried to look at it from his perspective. It wasn't a huge house, but it was clearly not small. Despite the modest home, her parents had a lot of money. Maybe because of the modest home.Both garage doors were closed and when Beth peeked in, her parents' cars weren't there. Odd for this early on a Sunday. They weren't churchgoers and if they went out for breakfast they would have taken the same car."What's wrong?"Trent stood by his truck, she guessed to give her some space. "Their cars aren't here," she said."Have they g

If someone had asked her, Beth would have said that her parents were good people, but they didn't possess the warmth that these men did. How odd to feel so connected to people she'd just met when she'd felt out of place all of her life, especially with her parents. As if their agenda had been different from hers and she didn't see it. "Hi.""Shall we go upstairs before I'm roped back into a sick kid duty? I only have a little bit of time. I think Meg is coming down with whatever the kids brought home from camp."All four men motioned for Beth to go first so she did. Donal reached around her to open the door when she reached the top. She smiled at him. At that point he was just about eye to eye with her because of his height. "Thanks."The place was an apartment and the men settled onto some chairs once Beth had picked hers. She'd never seen such chivalry. Trent sat on the arm of the chair she occupied. She appreciated his presence. Looking around she wasn't sure where to start."Why d

"We found them.""Are they alive?""Yes. Tex used facial recognition software to find them at the airport. They were booked on a flight to Haiti.""Haiti?"Sean, the middle Foley brother, interjected. "It seems to be a goblin stronghold. They came as aid workers after a bad hurricane and have never left.""Wasn't this like what we found in that warehouse?" Trent asked. "Kel's wife and all that.""Yes."Trent had been part of a rescue mission to save some kids who were going to be trafficked out of the country."To Haiti, we found out later," Declan, the youngest Foley, said. Trent looked at each of the men. "I don't know about you, but in my background there are no coincidences."The men all agreed. The Foleys had been involved in some cases that didn't make it into the newspaper. Deke himself had save his wife from her goblin adoptive father. They'd all had their run-ins with bad guys and Deke wondered why now. "Seems like things are ramping up," Deke said. "Between what my wife and

Trent hated asking for help? How odd for someone trained in the military. They had to be a team from what she understood. He wasn't willing to let her be on his team. "Sit on the bed."He was too tall for her to deal with while he was on his feet. When he sat he was eye level with her. "Who used this hospital? I've never heard of it.""It's for people who are willing to pay and not use insurance. It's also used when a big name wants privacy."He nodded as she unwrapped his bandage. The burn didn't look much better than when she'd wrapped it the first time. "You are not healing. Let me have a doctor look at it.""Is it infected?""No.""Then no doctor."She frowned at him. "Then let me get some topical antibiotic." She left him in the room and returned with an ointment. She slathered it on as he winced a little then she put a fresh bandage on it. "There. All better.""You sound like my mother did. She would kiss it too.""You want me to kiss it?"Her heart stopped as he stared at her f

"Yes," Donal said. Beth tapped a finger on her bottom lip. She looked pointedly at Donal. "Are you a supernatural being?"Trent dodged that bullet for the moment."Yes. I'm a gargoyle."She crept close to him as if he were going to explode any minute. "You're a gargoyle? Like those things on the tops of buildings?""Something like that," Donal said. Trent admired his patience. Beth took two steps closer, studying Donal. "You can shift into a different form?""Yes."She cocked her head. "Would you do it for me?"Donal flicked his gaze to Trent who nodded. "Yes." Donal rose. "Don't be afraid. I will look scary, but you are in no danger."She nodded, wrapping her arms around herself her, gaze never leaving Donal. "I have to take off my clothes to do it," Donal said. "I'm a nurse. I've seen naked people before."Donal disrobed and transformed. Beth's eyes widened. Trent just hoped that Donal's claws didn't rip up his couch. Beth reached out her hand and touched Donal. Trent admired he