The Reluctant Goddess (The Montgomery Chronicles Book 2) Read Online Free PDF Page B

believing he was something more than human.  
    Hey, the temptation was there. If I could believe in vampires, I could believe in shape shifters. According to information I’d been given, there were all sorts of Brethren who had not yet become known to the general public.  
    As far as I was concerned, keeping it to vampires and witches would make my life a lot simpler.
    Dan bent down and rubbed his hand over Mutt’s head. The dog was smart and didn’t growl. Evidently, he knew whose kibble he’d eaten.  
    “Can I leave now?”
    “Mike’s going to follow you,” Dan said.  
    I nodded, giving in. I understood the dangers and I wasn’t stupid enough to reject any help. I just wished Mike wasn’t so, well, visible.
    I glanced at the big, bad bodyguard. “Do you have a concealed carry permit?” I asked, which was a semi tactful way of asking, do you have a gun and are you prepared to use it?  
    He nodded once.
    “Are you going to follow right behind me?”  
    Dan answered. “You won’t see him, but he’ll be there.”
    I eyed him, suddenly certain that Dan would also send someone else to follow me, just in case I slipped past the surly bonds of Mike.  
    I couldn’t help but wonder why Dan cared. He was a nice guy, and sexy as hell, but I wasn’t exactly in the mood for any kind of relationship. Was he just a good Samaritan? Or was there something behind his protectiveness?
    One more damn question.  
    Mutt, and I had to come up with a better name soon, insisted on sitting shotgun. I insisted on a seatbelt. It was non-negotiable and we had a war of wills for a few minutes, his soulful brown eyes staring into my narrowed blue ones.
    “I don't care, if you want to sit in the front seat you have to have a seatbelt on. No seatbelt? You sit in the back."
    He whined like a dog being tortured for ten seconds. I ignored him, fastened the seatbelt and tested it to make sure it wasn't loose, got into the driver seat, and moved his tail away from the console.
    I did the finger wavy thing in the rearview mirror to Mike who didn't respond. Why hadn't Dan followed me? He was all geared up to be a hero, then he pulled away at odd moments. Maybe he didn't want to meet my grandmother. Another mystery there, one I didn't have the patience to solve right at the moment.
    I tried to remember if Nonnie ever had a pet and couldn't recall one. She hadn’t even had a cat. Do witches have something against dogs?
    I glanced at Mutt.  
    "Archibald," I said. "I could call you Archie." Mutt whined again."You don't like that? How about Micah? That's a good old fashioned name." I shot him another look. "But you're not really a good old fashioned guy, are you?"
    An enthusiastic tail batted my hand.  
    "Then how about something plain and manly like Howard?”
    Mutt turned his head and stared at me.  
    “Dick?”
    He was back to whining.
    “Sampson. Rex. Willy. Mugsy. George.”  
    He just stared at me again.  
    “Tyler. Butch. Shadow.”  
    No response. I was running out of names. Finally, I thought of the guy who’d fed me shots and a beer in college.  
    "How about Charlie? Charlie's a good name."
    No whine. His tail thumped against the console.
    I made a turn outside the gate, crossing the two way access road with care.
    I hadn’t seen anyone but Mike so far. No car hiding in the bushes. There weren't any billboards along the highway, cover for someone in black leather on a motorcycle. If there was a sniper sitting somewhere, he'd have to be in one of the mesquite trees, easily seen.  
    No, my greatest danger came from witches who could suddenly appear in the backseat. Or preternaturally fast vampires who flattened themselves against my windshield at night. Nothing so normal as a sniper for me.
    "Charlie it is," I said, determined not to think about vampires or witches for a little while. "We need to see about your family, Charlie. I'm sure you had one, but I'll be honest with you, I’m not really happy with them. I didn't