Chapter 20 #2
Krys turned around with cash in his hand.
“The guy on the left with the neck tats is a Mage, but I’m not sure about the other two.
Fuck.” He locked the car doors and looked back at Cleo.
“Keep the doors locked. If anything happens to us, start the car and back up. Push that truck behind us out of the way and keep going. You might need to move the seat up to reach the pedals.”
Her head shot into view. “I’m not leaving without you.”
“Do what I say. We can take care of ourselves, and I might have to lure them away from you. If their truck doesn’t budge, put it in drive and run their asses over.
If they come for you, fight for your fucking life, you hear me?
Don’t hesitate. Don’t listen to their threats or promises.
If for some reason you can’t drive away, your animal’s a good climber. Go high into the trees.”
“Hurry up!” Mr. Cowboy bellowed.
Krys faced me with a stone-cold look that suggested he wasn’t paying these men a dime. He was switching to fight mode.
I had been in a few brawls. My fear wasn’t fighting—it was dying young.
In the woods.
And possibly winding up in a shallow grave.
Maybe they’ll put me in there with Krys. We can roll around together for all eternity.
Krys slammed the door and casually strutted back to the three bridge trolls.
I stole a glance over my shoulder, hoping another passerby might pull up and scare the men off.
But the road was gated and used only by Breed, so I had my doubts it was used often, especially if they’d heard rumors about these guys.
When Krys walked ahead of me, my gaze fastened on a compact dagger holster tucked beneath his belt.
Had it been there before? The T-shaped handle and small size suggested it was a push dagger.
I’d never seen him carry one of those before, and my heart thumped against my chest at the realization that this was more than a bar fight—it was a fight to the death.
Even though Mr. Cowboy was clearly the leader, Krys veered a little more to the left, making it obvious he wanted to target the Mage.
Darcy stood behind the other two, and neither seemed aware of her presence. A Gravewalker would’ve noticed Darcy getting out of the car with us. Not to mention the ghosts in the woods would’ve attached themselves to his side.
Krys offered the money to the leader. “This should cover it.”
“We’ll see about that.”
When Mr. Cowboy took the cash, Krys hitched up his pants and began tucking in his shirt.
To distract them from Krys’s movements, I stripped off my shirt and hung it around my neck. “I feel like an ice cream cone in July. Is there a swimming hole around here?”
When they glanced in my direction, Krys’s arm moved as fast as a lightning bolt. Blood sprayed from Mr. Cowboy’s neck, and before anyone had a chance to realize what was happening, Krys plunged the dagger into the Mage’s chest.
Yellow Shirt reached for his gun. I kicked him right in the balls, and he staggered backward.
Bleeding from the neck, the cowboy shifted into a pissed-off black bear. His hat teetered on his head comically before falling off.
Krys pulled another push dagger from inside his boot. “You wanna play? Let’s play.”
Still reeling in pain, Yellow Shirt pulled his gun, and I barreled into his chest. The weapon fired before we hit the ground. I landed on top and smashed my forehead against his nose.
The gun went off again. This time my ears rang, and the back of my head burned like fire.
Discombobulated for a second, I snapped out of it and pinned his wrist. “Let go!” I growled, trying to make him release the gun.
When he bit my shoulder and punched my side, we tussled in a violent clash. Blood spattered on him like rain, and I couldn’t figure out where it was coming from. He finally stopped fighting when I shoved my knee into his throat.
Darcy knelt in front of me. “You’re definitely a lover and not a fighter. Krys is a kick-ass fighter. He’s riding the bear!”
Though I wanted to look, I was too busy trying to wrest the gun out of this idiot’s hand.
In the scuffle, Yellow Shirt pinched my skin and twisted. A scream tore from my throat. He shoved me hard, and I rolled onto my back. It felt as though someone had poured acid onto my scalp, and my chest and stomach hurt from the twisting.
At least he missed my nipples.
I glimpsed Krys straddling the bear while the animal roared in pain.
My adversary staggered to his knees and grinned down at me. Three gold teeth shimmered behind a stream of blood pouring from his nose.
This is it. I’m going to die in the woods.
As he raised the gun, a thump and a clang sounded simultaneously.
The man teetered before he dropped like a stone. Cleo stood behind him, holding a cast-iron skillet in her hands.
I pried the gun from his fingers and stumbled to my feet. My gaze landed on the skillet. “Where did you get that?”
She swung the cookware with a cocky grin. “The camping gear in the back.”
Darcy put her arm around Cleo, and it went through her. “Smart girl.”
“Get back in the car,” I told her. “Hurry!”
When she turned around, her tail swished angrily. Cleo’s other cat features weren’t present, only the tail.
Krys straddled the naked cowboy’s back and shoved his face into the road.
The man wailed. “My eyes! My eyes!”
I kicked the cowboy hat and approached the scene. The man had a large white bottom, and I stared woozily at his green frog tattoo. “If I had a nickel for every time I’ve seen Kermit the Frog tattooed on a man’s ass, I’d have exactly zero cents.”
“Go on and shift,” Krys snarled. “I dare you.”
Blood trickled from the man’s eyes, and Krys’s thumbs were stained red.
While catching my breath, I noticed the Mage with the dagger in his chest wasn’t moving, so it must’ve been a stunner. “Come on. Let’s go. We can’t hang around here.”
“I’m not leaving until we finish it.”
I had no desire to murder anyone. These guys were likely to reject the light and haunt my ass for all eternity.
“We can’t risk getting caught. There might’ve been cameras on or near the road,” I pointed out, still struggling to catch my breath.
“If anyone opens an investigation, it’ll lead to our pack.
Play it out in your head before you turn into the Grim Reaper.
I’ll see if they have rope in their truck. ”
“Look out!” Darcy shouted.
Yellow Shirt bolted toward me with fury in his eyes.
I didn’t hesitate; I raised the gun and fired. His knees buckled, and he crashed onto the concrete. After that, he didn’t move.
When I touched the back of my head and saw my bloody hand, I fell to my knees. “I’m dying.”