Chapter 19
CHAPTER NINETEEN
Zayn
It was taking everything in me not to shift and rip all those fuckers to shreds. They did have guns, though, and even with the three of us wolves, we'd be no match against that much firepower.
As soon as they opened a box and started pulling out collars with chains, I felt myself slipping away into the darkness, though. My wolf aimed to protect those that I loved, no matter the cost. If that meant taking a rain of bullets to give Sullivan, Kingston, and Wren the upper hand, so be it.
I had lived a good life over the last few years.
It was a life I wouldn't have had otherwise if I'd never left my own family behind.
Would I have liked more time with my new family?
Sure. But if dying meant they could live out the rest of their lives happy with each other, I'd sacrifice my own life in an instant.
But I did wonder if in the afterlife I'd have unlimited ice cream.
A wet nose nuzzled my hand, and I looked down at Sullivan, who shook his head as if he could hear my thoughts. He barely knew me, yet he could read me so well. The moment of distraction was enough to stop my grand plans of sacrifice, and I took a calming breath.
"Are you all right over there?" one of the men in a suit asked, concern etching his forehead.
Who the hell were these three guys? The one that spoke to me looked like he could be some kind of politician; the one that had answered the phone looked uncomfortable and kept pulling on his tie to loosen it; and the one with the blue eyes had a permanent scowl on his face, similar to the one Kingston wore when he chastised me for filling up the diner's freezer with ice cream that was on sale.
"I'm fine," I bit out as one of Marcos's men came toward me with a metal collar that had a chain attached and handcuffs.
"I think this is a bit overkill. Don't you think? We're here for my sister." Kingston's eyes darted around, assessing the situation. Or maybe he was looking for Wren. Where was she, anyway? "Perhaps-"
Before he could finish, all six of Marcos's men descended on the three of us. Sullivan let them chain him without a struggle, which was wise considering he was trying to hide the fact that he had a dick.
I swung and connected with one of the guys’ jaws, sending him falling to the hard cement.
The temptation to shift was stronger than it had ever been, but I needed to keep my wits about me.
The coalition and Apollo could forgive me for killing two men, but revealing our kind to so many humans would seal my fate.
I was tackled to the ground and my hands were cuffed together before the collar was snapped around my neck. "You motherfuckers! As soon as I get out of these chains, I'm going to rip your throats out and-"
"Zayn. Calm down." Kingston sounded so defeated that I inadvertently let out a whimper seeing him in chains too.
"What the fuck kind of sound was that?" The man I'd punched yanked me to my feet by a fistful of my hair and leaned forward to whisper in my ear. "If these fuckers don't buy you, I will so I can hear that pitiful whimper every time I fuck your ass."
I smashed my head to the side, colliding with his nose, which immediately started gushing blood. He started to come for me again, but one of the others grabbed him by the back of his shirt. "That's enough, Rocha." What a perfect name for a man I was going to stomp to death as soon as I got free.
"When we made arrangements to be here, we were under the impression we'd be getting three wolves." Blue eyes crossed his arms over his chest. "Where are the other two?"
What the hell?
I looked back and forth between the suits and Marcos's goons, trying to make sense of what was happening, but then a woman's sob pulled my attention behind us.
Marcos and another man were leading who I assumed was Kingston's sister, Lillian, from the other side of the dock. She was locked up the same way we were.
Kingston started to move toward them, but he was yanked back by the chain on his collar. "Let her go!"
One of the men in a suit made a disgusted noise in his throat and my attention turned to the three of them that hadn't moved from their spots. There was something... off about them, but I couldn't quite put my finger on what. One of them gave me a wink, confusing me further.
"Why is the redhead a wolf?" Marcos came to a stop far enough away that he thought he was safe from our wrath. When Kingston and I didn't answer, Marcos kicked the back of Lillian's knee, sending her to the ground. "Answer me!"
Sullivan growled, his hair bristling, and Kingston was starting to tremble with pent-up rage. Besides the men holding onto each of us by chains, there were two guns leveled on each of us. Where the fuck was Wren and her magic coalition?
"She feels more comfortable like this when she's in danger," Kingston practically growled. "We're here. Now, what do you want?"
Marcos handed off the chain he'd been using to lead Lillian and pulled a gun from his waistband. Before I could process what he was doing, he shot me in the arm.
I stumbled backward from the impact, pain radiating up and down my arm and feeling like someone had ripped it off. My vision swam with tears, and I bit my inner cheek hard enough that it bled.
Kingston and Sullivan lunged for Marcos, who was standing far enough away they couldn't get near him. Both were pulled back with enough force they fell to the ground. Sullivan quickly righted himself, no one seeming to have noticed he had shown his wolf dangly bits to everyone.
"Now, now. Let's not cause anyone else to lose an arm." Marcos looked over to the men in suits who had pulled their own guns. "Gentlemen, I apologize for that little display. I know your time is precious, so let's get this over with."
My arm was hanging limply, and blood was pouring out of the wound that I had no way of applying pressure to. I couldn't even lift it so I could bite the bullet out. It was starting to tingle like it was trying to heal, but he must have hit something important.
I was going to kill the motherfucker like I should have a week ago.
"Let my sister go. You got the three of us like you wanted." Kingston's hands were bleeding from where he was digging his claws into the palms of his hands.
Marcos threw his head back and laughed, but it was quickly cut short by a coughing fit. He might have gotten out of the hospital, but he still had lost an arm. He was weak and would be easy to take down if I could get free.
"I've decided that deal is off the table. Mr. West, are you in the market for an additional female? This one is too much hassle." Marcos stroked Lillian's cheek with the barrel of the gun and then shoved her forward toward Kingston.
This fucker was trying to sell us?
"Sir. We have a problem." The man holding onto Sullivan was looking at his rear end. "This one isn't female."
"What?" Marcos was distracted for a split second, and in that split second, the men in suits lifted their guns and shot the men holding onto me, Sullivan, and Kingston.
I guess that answered the question of whose side they were on. Unless they were killing them to get us for free.
Lillian screamed and Kingston grabbed her and took off toward the warehouse with her, chains dangling behind them. I would have done the same thing if it had been my sister.
Marcos started moving toward a container for cover, and I leapt toward him while shifting, pain ripping through my arm. I took him to the ground and then yelped as I was sent flying backward, the chain attached to the collar yanked hard.
"Kill them! Kill them all!" Marcos disappeared and then let out a shriek, running back toward the gun battle between the three remaining goons and the three guys in suits.
A flash of red came from between two containers after Marcos, leaping onto his back and taking him down right by the edge of the dock.
I struggled to my feet just as Sullivan took one of the goons down and ripped at his throat. The pops of gunfire stopped and was replaced with savage growling from Wren, biting into the back of Marcos's neck.
He rolled, squashing her underneath him, and pushed to his feet, kicking out at her as she got back up and came at him again.
All of his men were down, and he was the only one left. His gun lay several feet away and Blue Eyes McGrumpy picked it up and chucked it in the water.
Marcos's eyes darted around, considering his options. His eyes landed on the boat, and he made a run for it. Fuck that.
Mustering up the last bit of strength I had, I shifted back and ran at him, sending us both into the water. The pain was intense as the saltwater hit my wound, but no one could hear my scream as my head went under. It was dark and cold as Marcos and I punched and kicked at each other.
A flash of something caught my eye in the dark water, and my stomach dropped. I'd been willing to die in a lot of ways, but being a shark's supper wasn't one of them.
It had only been seconds since we fell in, and we finally surfaced several feet away from the dock. Not good with one functioning arm that was still secured by cuffs in front of me.
An arm banded around my waist, and McGrumpy swam me with a swiftness reserved for a sea creature to the dock, lifting me to one of his friends.
"Help me!" Marcos was spluttering, his one arm slapping at the surface of the water. "Help… holy shit! Oh my God! Help! Shark!"
I collapsed onto dry land, my eyes never leaving Marcos, who McGrumpy was not swimming out to help.
The fin of a shark moved closer and closer as it circled Marcos, and McGrumpy made a sharp whistling sound. The shark went under and then Marcos let out a short blood-curdling scream before being pulled under.
"What the fuck just happened?" Wren had shifted and stood with her hands on her hips, naked for the whole world to see. "Did you summon the shark?"
"You look like a friend of ours with your red hair." One of the guys had grabbed a stack of blankets off the boat and threw it at Wren, not looking at her nakedness.
My eyes darted back to the water right as the shark came to the surface, heading straight for McGrumpy with his teeth bared and blood still on them.
Suddenly my entire body felt like it was falling in a spinning motion despite already lying on the ground. Everything went black.