Defender Chimera (Protection, Inc: Defenders Book 4) by Zoe Chant

Author:Zoe Chant [Chant, Zoe]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2023-04-23T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 17

As they left their hotel room to go on a shopping spree, they swung their clasped hands between them like a pair of high school sweethearts. It made Carter realize how long it had been since he had done anything purely for fun. Usually he was either busy with Howe Enterprises, or busy with the Defenders, or busy vainly researching wild leads off strange internet boards about how to get rid of unwanted inner monsters.

Who would have thought that getting kidnapped would be the best way to go on a vacation?

As they approached the elevator, he said, "Hey, I just remembered. Do you care if the press finds out about us?"

Fen’s beautiful dark eyes widened in surprise. "I can't believe I didn't think about that. I guess even a couple days safely away from the paparazzi got me relaxed. What do you think?"

Don’t hide, howled a monster.

Be honest, hissed a monster.

Tell, tell, tell, gibbered a monster.

For once, he agreed with them. He adored Fen. He wanted everyone to see that she was with him. He wanted to shout it from the rooftops. The brilliant and brave Fen Kim, drinker of fine whiskey and thrower of soda cans, who could scream fit to wake the dead and find food in the wilderness, and was absolutely, positively, no doubt about it the sexiest woman alive had chosen him.

"It's up to you, of course,” he said. “But personally, I'd like to go public. The only reason I see for keeping it a secret is that Eldon McManus might claim we made everything up and conspired together to frame him, but he’ll probably say that anyway. Besides, once we get back to Refuge City, the only way to keep it a secret would be to sneak around like a pair of burglars. I’m picturing the kind from old comic strips, where they wear striped suits and flat caps."

She snickered. "The flat cap might look good on you, but I draw the line at striped suits. And if we sneak around, it’ll only make us look guilty once the paparazzi catch us—and they will eventually. So let's not hide."

Let's not hide. Her words struck him with their unintended double meaning. He'd stopped hiding his monstrous shift form, even though it hadn't exactly been completely by his own choice. Fen had stopped hiding her insecurities from him. It was terrifying, but freeing, too.

"You’re right,” he said. “Let’s stop hiding. I want to let the whole world see we're in love."

YES! His monsters set up a chorus of noisy agreement.

[happy aqua]

Bing!

The elevator arrived. They stepped in and the doors slid shut, leaving them alone together in the box.

"Did you say in love?" Fen asked.

Carter swallowed, abruptly nervous. It had just slipped out. He hadn't even realized it himself, at least not consciously. But now that he thought about it, he knew that it was true.

But that's impossible, he thought. I'm a shifter. For me to be in love—really in love—Fen and I would have to be mates.

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