Total pages in book: 133
Estimated words: 128380 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 642(@200wpm)___ 514(@250wpm)___ 428(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 128380 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 642(@200wpm)___ 514(@250wpm)___ 428(@300wpm)
He inclined his head, backing away to give her space to rise.
The moment Bailey stood, Havana hauled her into a hug. “God, you scared the shit out of me. Blair called to say you’d been attacked.”
As the devil pulled back, Blair pushed clothes into Bailey’s hands and said, “I’m so fucking relieved you’re okay. My inner bush dog is losing her mind about this bullshit.”
The animal couldn’t possibly be more furious than her snake. Even though her skin was chilled, Bailey’s rage was so hot she barely felt the cold. Still, she dragged on her clothes. Aside from her sweater and bra—which had been protected from the rain-slicked ground by her coat—they were cold and a little damp, but they were better than nothing.
She turned to grab her shoes and coat from Blair, only to then realize that the bush dog had been frowning at the back of Bailey’s shoulder. Her marked shoulder. Shit, she’d seen Deke’s brand.
Blair flicked up her brow in question. Bailey gave her a narrow-eyed “say nothing” stare. The bush dog subtly lifted her hand in a gesture of peace.
Having put on her coat, Bailey slipped on her shoes as she skimmed her gaze over the people stood not far behind Blair. They were focused on Bailey’s attacker, not on her body. Good. They might not have seen the bite mark.
Now dressed, she crossed to the asshole’s side and studied him closely, itching to kick the holy hell out of him. By the looks of it, Valentina yearned to do the same—James seemed to be holding her back.
“He is weak to use such cruel weapon like acid,” the female wolverine sneered, glaring at him. “He should have been put down like rabid dog long ago.”
“At least he’s in a shitload of pain and discomfort now,” said Therese, standing beside Sam and watching dispassionately as the human vomited.
His face a study in ire, Tate looked at Bailey. “Do you recognize him?” he asked, holding the ski mask he’d clearly removed from her attacker.
She shook her head. She didn’t recognize his scent either. A scent that told her he was human. “Does he have ID on him?” She had to force out the words. Her voice was thick and taut with an anger that had her in such a chokehold it was hard to speak.
“No, nothing,” replied Tate. “Not even a phone or a set of car keys. Which means he either parked his car somewhere close, or he had a getaway driver who probably abandoned his ass when the whole thing went bad.”
Holding Bailey’s purse and shopping bags, Luke moved closer. “He’s dying.” His tone rang with the same malevolent satisfaction she and her serpent felt.
There was no antivenom for that of black mamba shifters, only mambas of the animal kingdom. Humans had no chance against her venom. Shifters could live through it, but not if they were injected with several large doses.
Cracking her knuckles, Havana flicked a look at Sam. “Heal him.”
Betrayal an electric shock to her chest, Bailey hissed. “Fucking heal him?”
Havana gave her a placatory look. “We have questions that need answering. Once that’s done, you can kill him—and I insist you make it as painful as you possibly can.”
No such insistence was needed.
Sam crossed to the human, curling his upper lip in distaste. “I’m happy to say,” he began, kneeling at the male’s side, “that my healing him won’t make the effects of the venom fade instantly. It’ll take a little while.”
That was a happy thought.
Members of the crowd shifted as someone pushed to the front. Deke. Her pulse leapt like a complete idiot.
He took in the entire scene, and his expression turned black as night. “What in the fuck happened here?”
Blair clenched her fists. “Bailey was the survivor of an acid attack. That’s what.”
He froze. His eyes hardened. A muscle in his jaw ticked. Then he moved. Lunged. Fisted the back of the human’s sweater and snatched him off the ground.
“Don’t kill him!” Tate ordered. “We need to know who put him up to this so we can deal with them as well!”
Deke went still again, the only movement that of his nostrils flaring. His gaze zipped to Bailey, flaring with a fury that spoke to her own. Then he tossed the unconscious human over his shoulder like he was a sack of spuds. “Fine,” he said, his voice like gravel. “But I get to beat the shit out of him before Bailey delivers the killing blow.”
That worked for her.
CHAPTER NINE
A manic rage burning in his gut, Deke strode into the cold, sterile room in which the human was being held. Located above the pride’s antique shop, it was also the spare bedroom of the previous Alpha. Though Vinnie no longer had an official status, he liked to be very involved in pride business. Providing a space for people to be interrogated was one of the ways in which he contributed.