Page 1 of The Safest Place She Knows

Chapter One

Iris watched Mary getinto her cab and head off into the night. It had been a verysuccessful celebration. Mary’s promotion had been well and trulyhonoured, and the rest of the ladies were on their way home intheir own cabs. Iris was sober, and with the streets empty, shedecided to walk home.

The party hadbeen fun, the dancing had been great. The bar catered to betas, andit had been nice not to be on guard all the time. Their party hadbeen all ladies, and they had spent most of their time on the dancefloor, shaking whatever they could.

Iris slippedher heels off, put on her flat running shoes that she carried inher bag, and headed home. The night was warm, and it took twoblocks before she realized that she was being stalked.

She kept herposture relaxed and got her bearings. Iris knew the playground wasnearby; the open park beckoned, but she wasn’t going to make a runfor it. That was just going to spur the stalker into action.

It sucked thatsuch a nice evening was going to end this way, but the footfallsbehind her were steady. She checked out the street and smiled. Ifher memory was accurate, she just needed to take a leisurely strollto the left, and she would be able to get to the safest place sheknew.

* * * *

Brexel Smith heard thedogs go insane. The cameras showed the dogs racing to the back ofthe property near the fence. He saw a figure stagger onto the yardand fall. To his astonishment, Jupiter and Juno stood over the formand growled at the shadows.

Oren asked,“What is going on?”

“There issomething going on in the back yard. Shall we look?”

His friendnodded, and they headed out back, where the sounds of teeth tearingfabric could be heard, as well as angry male voices.

Juno stayedover the small figure, but the scent of blood was unmistakable.

Brexel wanderedover to where one bleeding man was halfway up the wall, and theother was trying to hold Jupiter at bay. Brexel and Oren removedtheir glamours, and each took a man. Oren had the one who had beensavaged by Jupiter.

“What are youdoing here?” Silver tendrils left Oren’s forehead and linked to theman who was staring at him in terror.

Brexel held theother man by one hand up against the wall. “What is he saying?”

“He pissedhimself. His brain is terrified.” Oren grunted.

“Right. You.Why are you here? Who did you chase into the yard?”

The man’s eyeswere panicked white, but he gritted out, “We were hired to collecther. She’s been sold.”

“She?”

“Yes. Timmonshot her, so that is going to have an impact on her value, butshe’s been purchased by our boss to settle a debt.” He babbled andreeked of fear and blood. Brexel examined his fist and saw bloodthat didn’t belong to the man in his grip.

“So, you hither?”

“She nearlymade it up the wall before we caught her. She wouldn’t stay down.That’s when Timmon shot her.”

Brexel’s handtightened. There was only one person he knew who would considerclimbing the wall in an emergency. There were lower walls in thearea.

The man startedchoking and kicking. Brexel flicked him up and over the wall,nodding to Oren to do the same. There were wet thuds on the otherside of the wall, but with a flick of Brexel’s fingers, the scentof blood was gone, as were the bodies.

He pettedJupiter’s head and then had his hand gently bit as he was hauled tothe still form on the ground. The canine reaction confirmed thelikely identity of the woman on the ground. When they got close,Jupiter left him, and he nudged at the bloody head, eliciting agroan.

She started tomove, and Juno watched him carefully as he turned her over. Herexpression was dazed, and the groove of the head wound couldn’tconceal her identity. “Iris. What the hell?”

Shakily, shelooked up at him, and to his astonishment, she burst into tears.“Sorry, boss.”

He gathered herup and walked into the house with Oren and the dogs behind him.

She whispered,“Are the boys home?”

“No, they areat a sleepover. Some kind of camp organized by the school.”

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