Ryan met Claire’s eyes. “I’m sure.”
“Okay,” Claire said. “First thing’s first.” She grabbed his shirt and ripped it open, popping off the buttons.
“Hey!” Ryan said, holding up his hands.
“Standard procedure,” she said, pulling up his white tank top underneath, bearing his chest. She ran her fingers down each side, and then around his back.
“Come on. You think I’m wearing a wire?” Ryan said, looking at each of us.
“I killed your partner,” Claire said, expressionless.
“What?” Ryan said. His eyebrows turned in, and he shifted nervously in his chair.
“Just get right to the point, Claire,” Jared said, shaking his head in disapproval.
“Why would you kill Kit? He was a good man. He was a good cop….” Ryan said, trailing off.
“He set you up. He asked you to meet him so men working for someone named Donovan could kidnap you, and ultimately use you as bait.”
Ryan shook his head. “No. Kit wouldn’t do that.”
“Then he was forced. He has kids. They probably threatened to kill them if he didn’t cooperate.”
Ryan’s shoulders fell. “So you were protecting me.”
“That’s my job,” Claire said.
Ryan’s once confused expression metamorphosed into suspicion. “W-What do you mean it’s your job?”
“Here we go,” I said, covering my mouth with my hands. I remembered the moment Jared had told me the truth about what he was, and I knew Ryan wouldn’t believe her.
Claire was stoic. “I’m your guardian angel. My father was an angel, my mother is human. When my father fell in love with my mother and decided to stay with her, he was cursed by Heaven so he would continue to protect his Taleh…his human.”
“My dad,” I added.
Claire continued, “The curse is carried throughout the bloodline for a few generations, so Jared, Bex, and I also have Taleh. We have trained our entire lives to be able to protect you, and we have superhuman speed and strength. Nina is Jared’s…you’re mine. I killed Anderson to protect you. I killed everyone else to protect Nina, so Jared could stay with her while she healed. I watched you throughout your entire military career, and yes, I pulled you out of the desert.”
“I thought you said you were going to let me tell him,” Jared said, displeased.
“I don’t have all day,” Claire answered.
Ryan was silent.
“You forgot the most important part,” I said.
Claire rolled her eyes. “Oh yeah, and because of the curse, I can’t die unless you do.”
The room was silent. I squeezed Jared’s knee, thankful he hadn’t dropped the truth on me the way Claire had just done with Ryan. We all waited for him to breakdown, yell, or try to leave. He just sat in his chair, letting it soak in.
I took my hands from my mouth and slid them across the table. “Are you okay?” I asked, touching his hand.
“Yeah,” he blinked. “Just trying to get it all straight in my head.”
“If you tell anyone, I’ll end your life,” Jared said in a low, frightening voice.
“Not likely, since you’d also be killing your sister,” Ryan said.
“He was paying attention,” Jared said.
One side of Ryan's mouth turned up. “So you would literally take a bullet for me.”
“No,” Claire said, with zero emotion.
“No?” Ryan said, surprised at her answer.
Claire rolled her eyes, annoyed that she had to answer. “If I have time to stand in the way of a bullet, you have time to move.”
“True,” Ryan said, nodding.
“So the question is,” I said. “What will you do with the information now that you have it?”
Ryan paused in thought, and then fastened the few buttons left on his shirt. “Find Donovan.”
“Welcome to our club,” Bex said, plopping into the chair beside me. “I just talked to Kim. They’re on the move.”
“Kim. Our Kim?” Ryan asked, his eyes darting to me.
“Yes. She’s sort of the opposite of a demon magnet.”
Ryan left that one alone, turning to Claire. “Sounds like you left a lot out.”
She stood, pulling Ryan with her. “Yes. This is going to be like on-the-job training. Can you handle it?”
“So far,” he said.
“That’s the hardest part,” I said, turning to Bex. “Where are they now?”
Bex traded glances with Jared before he spoke. “We have to move. They have an entourage, so it will take all three of us.”
“Okay,” Jared said, nodding as he was lost in thought. “Where is Kim?”
Bex twitched. “Outside.”
Jared nodded. “Kim, stays with Nina.”
“Jared!” I protested.
Claire pulled on her coat. “Did you hear Bex, Nina? The three of us are going. We don’t need Kim.”
“Ryan,” Jared said. “I’ll need you to stay with Nina. The only things you can’t handle will be protecting what we’re going after.”
Ryan nodded. “I won’t let her out of my sight.”
“You have your gun?” Claire asked.
Ryan patted his side in confirmation.